Day 3, Saturday 3/23/19
Today was another amazing day. As you can tell each day, we are focusing on a Hebrew name for God. Today we are concentrating on the name El Elyon (The Most High God) – or you can say the God of the heights.
Our journey took us to:
– Karazim
– A shoe factory in a Kibbutz community (A Collective community unique to Israel).
– Driving by the Golan highs
– Tel-Dan the discovery of the old city of Dan
– Caesarea Philippi where Jesus asked His disciples, “who do you say I am?”
-Bethal
– We had lunch at a Druze community K
Karazim
Our first stop was at Karazim. This is where Jesus rebuked the leaders of the synagogue for not living what they were teaching. At this site, there were two discoveries in the temple. The seat of Moses, which is where the Priest would sit.
Interesting Fact: The other was the discovery of an artifact that was used as a decoration. It was the image of the sun god. This presents a significant dilemma. What was the decoration of a pagan god doing in the Synagogue? Maybe it was used for decoration by the original leaders of this community. One Rabbi explained that the way to rectify this is that they can use these signs for decoration. However, they must not be any adoration of these artifacts. What has happened here is that there must not be a mixing of unclean things for any purposes with the Holy thing. The thing that is a decoration for one generation can become an act of adoration for another.
Tel Dan
We drove by the Golan Highs to the city of Dan. The story is seen in 1 Sam 3:20 & 1 Kings 12:26. Dan was given an area of the promised land known today as Gaza. However, his tribe did not inherit that land; instead, they when someplace that did not have giants. He went far away to a more manageable site. Gaza is what was given to Dan because he did not occupy. Gaza is now a thorn in Israel’s side.
Fast forward to several years later to the division of the kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam built shrines (made two calves of gold – 1 Kings 12) for the people to be worship rather than going to Jerusalem. This was a great sin against God.
Interesting Fact: The discovery of the city of Dan reveals the Abraham Gate from 18 century BC.
Take Away:
Your decision has far-reaching consequences. God is Holy and requires a relationship with human beings that is holy.
Our Last stop was at Caesarea Philippi (Matthew 16). Jesus took his disciples 31/2 days from Dan to Philippi to ask them the important question, who do you say that I am?
Caesarea Philippi,
In Caesarea Philippi, It is believed that life originated from this location where the water came out of the mountain. The people of Caesarea Philippi could not determine the source of the water that came out of the rock. It is that reason they dedicated the place to the pagan god, Pan, the means from which everything emanates. They Hold that this is the place where god was born. It was here that Peter responded with the statement that “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God.” On this fact, Jesus declared I would build my church and the gates of hell should not prevail against it.
Interesting Fact: Gates are meant to keep things inside. Pastor Denny reminded us that the place that Satan and his demonic force are located is behind the gate. Second, around this time locks were made like our modern-day padlocks, and keys were used to open locks, not to close locks.
Interesting Fact:
Today we visited the border of Israel with Lebanon and Syria. We could see the states from a safe distance.
Today I saw the mustard seed plant. Jesus taught that if your faith is like a grain of mustard seed, you can move mountains. The plant has these pods that hold about 1-3 seeds. These plants grow wild and sometimes cover a vast area of the mountainside. The plant can grow by 10 feet. How big is your faith?