Lessons from Israel: Masada

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Israel is the mountain top fortress of Masada.  Herod the Great turned this mountaintop into a secure stronghold and built two palaces for himself complete with indoor baths and an outdoor swimming pool.  It features sweeping views of the mountains of Moab, the Dead Sea, and the Judean hills. Herod built this fortress as a place of refuge in case of a revolt.  Here he would be safe from attack and able to hold out against any enemy. Years later, Masada became a last resort for a group of Jewish rebels. The Roman Army besieged Masada and built a ramp by which they gained access to the fortress.

Like Herod, we build Masadas in our lives.  We believe that our savings or IRA will be our fortress.  We look to our career as a source of security. Our skills become a stronghold against unemployment.  Good grades become a refuge for us. But just as surely as Masada was defeated, our wealth, skill, and intelligence cannot save us.  The only true refuge, the only unconquerable fortress is the Lord our God. We say with the psalmist “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (46:7)”

Lessons from Israel: Arad

Arad is an ancient site in the desert of southern Israel.  It served as a military and trade outpost and was built on a high hill.  After the original city was destroyed by the Israelites, it was rebuilt and settled by the tribe of Judah.  One of the unique features of the city was a replica of the temple. Apparently the people of Arad used this as a place to worship God.  But archaeology reveals that the Lord isn’t the only one they worshipped. In the most holy place of their replica temple, archaeologists found a sacred stone - a large, flat rock that was a symbol of other gods like Baal and Asherah.  It’s a terrible irony that God’s people would worship other gods in a structure and space that was reserved only for him. 

Take a look into the most holy place of your heart.  What do you see there? That space is reserved for God alone.  But often we find other sacred stones there. Careers, hobbies, sports, even family.  There is certainly a place in your life for these things. Just not in the most holy place.  That space is reserved for God alone. If anything in your life is out of synch, a good first step is looking at what, besides God, is in that space.

Lessons from Israel: Valley of Elah

The Valley of Elah is the site of one of the most famous battles in history.  Here took place a duel between a massive giant named Goliath and a barely-armed teenager named David.  What we often lose sight of is that this was more than a battle of two nations. It was more than a conflict between two armies.  It was a spiritual battle. Goliath was talking spiritual trash about the God of Israel. David, who had not been subject to weeks of intimidation by Goliath, understood this.  They weren’t just fighting over a piece of land. As David moves in to strike the fatal blow, he says, “For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.”

There is always a spiritual component to the battles we fight in life.  As we struggle with sin or emotional wounds or other challenges, we are settling an age old question: Is our God stronger?  David knew that the Lord was indeed stronger than Goliath and the Philistine army. And so he let God fight the battle for him.  Whatever valley you find yourself fighting in, remember that the battle is the Lord’s. He is stronger than your sin, your pain, your brokenness.  You may not stand a chance against these enemies. But Jesus has conquered the ultimate enemy, death. The victory you seek has already been won in Jesus name.

Lessons from Israel: Beth Shemesh

Beth Shemesh is an Israelite town about 15 miles west of Jerusalem.  We visited here on our first full day in Israel. I have to admit that prior to this trip I thought of Israel much like Tolkien’s middle earth: a magical, otherworldly place where unlikely things happened.  A place very different from our own. As we stood looking across a valley, our guide casually said, “See that mountainside across the valley? That’s where Samson lived.” He went on to mention that this valley was the one Samson lit on fire using an interesting combination of foxes and torches.

The mighty acts of God are not confined to a specific geography. In the Bible, God did powerful things in a land of rocks and dirt and trees and hills and valleys. He did his mighty acts among people - ordinary people who witnessed God doing extraordinary things. Beth Shemesh taught me that I can expect God to move in powerful ways in West Michigan among ordinary people like us. God’s power may be revealed in different ways and through different resources. But it is the same God and the same power. Keep your eyes peeled!