On February 8th, we went on our fourth Jerusalem field study, this time with an emphasis on the New Testament. A few highlights of the day:

1. The Temple Mount – So much has happened here, I can’t even sum it up. There are a few things you may be familiar with:

• It’s where Abraham’s faith was tested when God told him to sacrifice his only son Isaac (traditionally anyway)
• It’s where Solomon built the first temple, in all its splendor
• It’s where Zacharias was met by the angel who told him that he was going to have a son (John the Baptist) in his old age
• It’s where Jesus cleansed the temple, turning tables and harshly rebuking the defilement of selfish greed in his Father’s house

Now, instead of the temple, there stands Islam’s Dome of the Rock, a shrine built in 692 AD. Every day, Jews weep on the other side of the Western Wall (known colloquially as the Wailing Wall), praying for the restoration of the temple.

2. Southern Temple Mount Excavations – These are the walls to the south of the Temple Mount. When it was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans, the massive, several-ton stones fell, resulting in those indents in the ground. Thus Jesus’ prophetic words proved true (Matthew 24:1-2)

3. Huldah Gates – This was probably the highlight of the day for me. Those three gates (now filled in), were once the main entryway to the temple. That means that Jesus and his disciples would have walked through this very air space countless times. It felt so surreal. Even though a good chunk of this area has been renovated, there was so much more of the “this is where my Savior walked” feeling than any other place we had visited so far, at least for me. I mentioned before how it’s been weird processing the lack of that climactic feeling at other places, and how it’s not all about the subjective mood shifts or liver shivers (as DeYoung calls them). But at the same time, it adds rich illustration and reality to the stories that perhaps have grown too familiar and too story-like. The divine really did condescend to the mundane.

Then, on February 15, we went on our Benjamin field study, our first trip outside Jerusalem. Here are some other highlights:

1. The Pass of Michmash – This was used a lot in OT times. Samuel, Saul/Jonathan, and David each chased Philistines out through this pass. Joshua chased out Amorites, and God rained down hailstones like a sniper, winning victory for his people. Also, to the left (outside of the picture) is the rocky crag where Jonathan and his armor bearer alone defeated an entire Philistine garrison.

2. Judean Wilderness – We drove through on our way to somewhere else, but this is the general location where the Bible says Jesus was tempted after His baptism. It doesn’t look much like a wilderness now, since there’s been lots of rain, but it’s still kind of crazy to think of the supernatural presence that was here for 40 days, as our Savior proved His supremacy over Satan, His perfect mastery in wielding Scripture (quoting Deuteronomy no less), and displayed denial of His own will in accordance with the will of His Father alone.

3. Jericho – Slushie references and the “Keep Walking” tune did not go unspoken at this stop. We had the privilege of exploring Tel el Sultan, known to most as the ancient ruins of Jericho, the city that Joshua and the Israelites conquered by marching around the walls and giving a shout, which resulted in God miraculously causing the walls to tumble down. The original lower retaining wall (there was this and then a higher main wall, which fell) was still there for us to see. After Benj toured us around, we made like grade-schoolers and climbed around (one unfortunate fellow faceplanting after a run down a steep slope), traipsing around in the dirt and exploring questionably smelling pits in the ground. It was good times.

Also, at dinner on Friday night, there was a funny/weird little moment. I had just opened my eyes after praying for the food, and one of the workers had come up to our table, and he singled me out and offered me a pair of chopsticks. I had to laugh. Then he wanted me to show him how I used them. Haha I don’t even know if I do it right. Oh well. Free chopsticks.

On a much more serious note, yesterday (Sunday) we visited Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust museum. We walked through a long historical exhibit, relaying the events preceding, during, and following the Nazi’s deadly regime. It was definitely a somber day, in a lot of ways reminding me of a visit to Auschwitz I made as an 11-year old. We were lead by a docent who explained an overview of the systematic murder of millions, sharing stories of Gentile individuals called righteous for their sacrifice in protecting and harboring Jews.

I’ve been taking an entire class on the Holocaust here at IBEX, and it’s absolutely shocking to see how unfathomable of a horrific impact a single ideological difference can make. The Nazi philosophy is strongly tethered to and rooted out of Darwin’s theory of evolution, which paints a picture of a godless world in which an animalistic humanity, separated by race, is in a desperate struggle for survival, out of which only the best and strongest win. In Germany’s eyes, Hitler was a hero, doing so much to protect and bolster the Aryan race. The watching world gazes upon the events of the Holocaust in horrified disbelief, but there is an explanation. Nazi leaders were highly educated, not mentally insane. The problem was their worldview. When truth of God and His design is not upheld, this is what sinful man is capable of. It’s a sobering thought.

After the historical exhibit, we walked through a children’s memorial. Of the 6 million Jews murdered, 1.5 million of them were little kids. The memorial had an eerie, macabre atmosphere to it, and it was tragic. The main room was filled with mirrors and lights, creating an illusion of thousands of little lights like stars, poking out of darkness. Names and ages were read off, one after the other. My own little sisters came to mind, and it hit that much harder.

The tour ended with a testimony from a survivor who had gone through the horrors of a Polish ghetto and Auschwitz Birkenau. Before the age of 13, he had already gone through so much, I knew that nothing I’ve felt burdened by could compare in the slightest. It’s terrible the things that he suffered through. But a few girls and I were talking afterward, and we were reflecting on the nature of the immeasurable suffering that occurred during the Holocaust. A sobering conclusion we came to is that as sinners, what all of us deserve, Jew or Gentile, is Hell. We look upon the Holocaust and attempt to extend feelings of pity and sorrow for the extent to which so many were brutalized, and yet we deserve far worse before God. It’s a scary and strange thought, but in some shape or form, God’s grace still proves glorious and His justice will be wrought.

Whoo. Well, that didn’t end up being so “gunshot”, but hopefully something in it was worth your time if you made it all the way through. I miss all you guys back at home & school!

Sunset view from the moshav

“But the truth and love of God have come to us in their highest… as a Man, a native and a citizen of this land: whose education was its history, whose temptation was some of its strongest political forces, who overcame by loyalty to its distinctive gospel, who gathered the significance of its history into Himself, and whose ministry never left its narrow limits. He drew His parables from the fields its sunshine lights, and from the bustle of its daily life; He prayed and agonized for us through its quiet night scenes; He vindicated His mission to mankind in conflict with its authorities, and He died for the world on one of its common places of execution.”

-The Historical Geography of the Holy Land, Smith

Two weeks in today:

• Still slowly processing the fact that we’re actually living in the land of our Savior
• Thankful for stuff like this that we get to read for class

In other news, on Friday we visited the Israel Museum and saw a miniature scale model of 1st century Jerusalem (what it would have looked like when Jesus walked the earth!) & later got to explore the crazy hustle & bustle that is West Jerusalem’s open air market (aka the “shuk”):

On Saturday after church, a few of us went to a restaurant in the Old Cita called Lina’s, where we had the most delicious pita & hummus with which God has graced this world:

And last night, we went out on a moonlit hike/bonfire, which was pretty sweet. Bill read Psalm 121 just before we headed out, a psalm that’s become pretty dear to me and my roomie, Kate. He encouraged us with the reminder of the constancy of God’s character, in that He never ceases to watch over and hold all events, large and small, in His sovereign hands. It’s a 24/7 deal. Nothing happens outside of His planning. T’was good to be reminded of.

Last Friday, we experienced our first Kabbalat Shabbat, celebrating the bringing in of the Sabbath by ceasing from the routine of the week and taking the time to stop and think upon the Lord and His provision – past, present, and future. Later that evening, we had our first IBEX chapel, where we sang some songs together and heard from Dr. David Schmidt, our Jewish Thought & Culture prof, who encouraged us from Isaiah 40:28-31.

It was really timely. As we all try to deal with all the challenges of adjusting to a completely new environment and being surrounded by new people, it’s in our natural instincts to try and figure it all out by our own understanding and willpower. But inevitably, this endeavor leaves us weary and discouraged, because surprise, surprise, we’re not all-wise and all-knowing, and we don’t have the innate capacity to react to our circumstances in a way that’s truly honoring to God. And more often than not, the real problem is that our focus drifts from the supremacy of our Savior to the minuscule kingdom of self, which was never meant to exist, much less drive our thinking and affections.

But we have the hope that even though the best grow faint and fall exhausted, the Lord does not, and He renews the strength of His children to be able to run the race. It is He who enables us both to will and work to His good pleasure. And that is the reason we have confidence to plod forward when things seem dim. And honestly, as much as there is a lot of excitement and novelty in being here, we’re still the same sinners we were back at home, and that makes for some rough patches along the road. But He grants lovingkindness and grace with each step of the way.

The following morning (Saturday), we all visited Jerusalem Assembly, a messianic congregation, for the first time. With an English-speaking translator, Pastor Meno spoke on the anticipation we have as believers on the heavenly wedding feast that awaits us, Christ’s bride. He brought up a lot of things I hadn’t considered before, going even into differing eschatalogical views on what Scripture says about it. But if nothing else, it was encouraging and challenging to ponder upon the hope we have of eternity, this time with a much greater awareness of God’s originally chosen people, our brothers and sisters via spiritual grafting. And it never at all hurts to be reminded of the blessed day when sin shall be finally and completely purged, and when faith shall become sight. After the service, we got to hang out on our own around the Old City, which is already growing pretty familiar. Plus, we got a sweet view of a rainbow overlooking the City of David:

On Sunday, our free day, a few of us walked over to the neighboring village, Abu Ghosh, to get some fresh hummus and pita. So good. It also just felt good to have a bit of a break from feeling like a tourist and walking around and eating deliciousness from hole in the wall sort of deals like a local, kinda.

And then on Monday, we had another Jerusalem walk, this time with an emphasis on Old Testament sites. The first spot we visited was a part of the ruins of the Broad Wall, built by King Hezekiah in anticipation of an attack from Sennacherib,  king of Assyria (2 Chronicles 32):

And actually, a pretty neat and very applicable lesson can be gleaned from what seems like a dull, old heap of stones. We read in Isaiah 37that Hezekiah was promised victory over the Assyrians, and yet his response was not one of inaction, but of confident and proactive leadership. And so in a small way, we see the applied understanding of divine sovereignty reconciled with human responsibility. We know that certain outcomes are guaranteed, like our sanctification, for instance. But that doesn’t mean that we sit around waiting for a spiritual lightening bolt to strike, but rather, we confidently strive forward, knowing that God’s empowerment underlying the process makes it something worth shooting for at all.

After this, we stopped by the top candidate location for the upper room, where Jesus supped with His disciples the night He was betrayed:

It felt pretty surreal. As a general fact, visiting all these significant spots has been really strange. I wonder at myself when I don’t feel a certain type of emotional stirring, since a lot of times it seems sort of anticlimactic, as bad as it sounds. But I’m thankful for the sobering dose of reality at the same time. It’s not the stone of the walls or the dirt on the ground that make these places significant, but the God who reached infinitely down to the commonplace and mundane so that rebel sinners might be made into worshipers of Him. It’s about Him, not anything else.

We eventually then made our way over to a cemetery, where we saw the grave of Schindler, whom you may have heard of. This cemetery overlooked the Hinnom Valley, which is referenced in Jeremiah 19, which speaks of the judgment  of destruction that Israel earned for its idolatry. It’s really something, that God is so holy and righteous that He will tolerate no sin, even if it means dealing punitively with His own people in the face of a watching pagan world boasting of the superiority of their false gods. It’s no small deal.

After this, we stopped by a graveyard on a university campus where we saw the grave of Horatio Spafford, among some others. If you don’t know, Spafford is the gent who wrote the well-beloved hymn, “It is Well”, after suffering the tragic loss of his four daughters.

Benj made a little comment I found neat, observing that Mr. Spafford is now able to sing part of the last verse in a new tense, for his faith has become sight. Can’t wait to be on that side of things too.

After this, we got up to a place with a view of the southern end of the Mount of Olives. At the base, there are several tombs and pillars hewn out of the bedrock, which is crazy to think they somehow built in an era before jackhammers and such. But what was neat is that this was probably the context in which Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for being like whitewashed tombs in Matthew 23, just before the Olivet Discourse, which was just up the hill. It just makes sense.

Our last stop was Hezekiah’s Tunnel, which was super fun. We went traipsing Indiana Jones style through almost knee-deep water in a tiny little passageway that took us out of the city. It actually let out at the pool of Siloam, where Jesus healed the man born blind in John 9, and further evidenced His supreme deity.

At the end of the day, we were all pretty soggy from the rain and tunnel water, but it was definitely very much worth it. And so it continues.

Then we went back down and walked through the alleyways of the Armenian Quarter, eventually making our way down to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the primary candidate for the location where Jesus was crucified and buried. Walking through the cathedral was kinda weird to process. It’s inhabited by six different sects, each claiming possession. But the ensuing result is a tragic atmosphere of pagan religiosity and warped truth propelling the hearts of misinformed devotees. It was painful to see people so fervent, but so lost. And so because this feeling dominated the place, it was difficult to contemplate the fact that this is likely the spot where redemptive history was split in two, and the grandeur of salvation wrought through our Lord and Savior. It’s hard to articulate, but it’s like I wanted or was expecting to feel a certain way, but just didn’t. Good thing it’s not all about feelings, I suppose. Anyways, it was overall just kind of a strange experience, for lack of a better word. This was the shrine right in the middle of it all:

After this visit, we went back through the Christian quarter and dropped by the shop of a guy named Shaban to change money. He’s been a friend of IBEX for a good while and is renowned for his market ingenuity and uncanny abilities to retrieve anything for you, from the best value lunch in the Old City, to particular souvenirs, to lost wallets (true story). This was followed by a lunch break featuring the two iconic Israeli foods, falafel and shawarma (the latter pictured below), both of which were delicious.

We then made our way north to the Damascus Gate, which contains an original arch from the time of Hadrian, who lived about a century after Christ. Continuing eastward, we went through the Muslim Quarter, traveling along the city wall and stopped where we could see the Garden Tomb, which the second proposed location for the crucifixion and burial of Christ. Also known as Gordon’s Calvary, this rock-cut tomb is recognized for its skull-like features, causing many to believe that it is the “Golgotha” referred to in the gospel accounts. However, it was concluded that ultimately, the precise location is not the most important thing, but what really matters is the veracity of the event and its efficacy.

We continued along the wall until we were on the eastern border of the city. We had a clear view of the Mount of Olives, and there read Zechariah 14:1-11, which speaks of the Lord’s return at that very spot. For me, this was one of the most impactful parts of the day. The significance of the other sites we saw, though important, were rooted in past history. But this location holds ramifications for the future that are yet to come. Christ is going to return as conquering King, and we can have an assurance of hope that all His promises will be and are being fulfilled.

After this, we went past Lions Gate and explored the pools of Bethesda (John 5), which now contain ruins of a church built above the pools, which we got to run around in and explore. It’s different than I had pictured.

Just next to these ruins was the cathedral of St. Anne, the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus. It is believed that the location on which it was built is where the Anne was born. If nothing else, the inside had some amazing acoustics, and we sang some hymns together inside.

We stopped by a few other spots and eventually made our way over to the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, in the Jewish Quarter. Crowds of Jewish people, particularly Orthodox Jews, flock daily to this site, weeping as they face the wall, mourning over the destruction and defilement of the Temple Mount. This makes for an overwhelming scene, with fervent worshippers rocking back and forth, faces buried in prayer books and tears streaming. Like at the church of the Holy Sepulchre, my heart broke for them. It was so hard to see. They’re so passionate, and it feels like they’re so close. The recited words coming forth from their mouths are from Scripture, and they cry out to God as their Father, that His sovereign hand would reach down. But they do not know Christ. They are still dead in sin. They have zeal, but that zeal is not anchored in the truth, and so it is fruitless. It’s convicting. How much more should we, who have the truth, be confident in fervency?

We made a few more stops before returning to the moshav, and today was the first round of classes. It was an overload of information, with 2 hours of Life of Christ and 4 hours of Jewish Thought and Culture. It’s fascinating, and we’re all learning so much. It’s just a matter of trying to somehow retain it all. It’s like trying to soak up the shore of an ocean with a sponge, knowing that there are still thousands of miles of water beyond sight. It’s pretty sweet. Overwhelming, but sweet.

We’ve only been here for one full day, and it’s already been pretty amazing. We flew out of LA early on Saturday and arrived Sunday evening at an airport just outside of Tel Aviv in the city of Lod, formerly known as Lydda, where the bedridden Aeneas of Acts 9 was healed by Peter, resulting in the belief of all the residents of Lydda and Sharon. On the bus ride east, we soon passed by Joppa, which follows in the text as the place where Peter went to next to resurrect Tabitha. It just blew my mind to think that these events that I learned about as a kid in Sunday school had happened underneath the concrete that we were driving on.

We then arrived at a rainy Moshav Yad HaShmonah, a communal village founded by eight Finnish believers in the ‘70s, and our home for the semester. At dinner, one of our professors said a few words, putting some things into perspective. Our own presence here in Israel is testament to the truth and spread of the power of the Gospel, which began here and reached over seven thousand miles to Santa Clarita, home to a college founded on the authority of God’s Word. When Jesus commissioned the disciples at the end of Matthew 28, “the ends of the earth” referred to us (among lots of the rest of the world of course), relative to the Jews.

This morning was orientation, which included the laying down of the rules, a facility tour, and ridiculously delicious pita and hummus, which I’m convinced that I could live off of alone. But the highlight of the day was definitely the afternoon walk to Kiriat Jaarim and Abu Ghosh (neighboring villages). Right at the start of the walk, we stopped by an almond tree, which our professor, Bill Schlegel, pointed out for a surprising amount of Biblical significance, having an etymology that parallels God’s attribute of watchfulness and diligence, and is so used in Scripture (Jeremiah 1:11-23. The plant itself is an early bloomer, as we saw, being the first of all fruit trees to emerge out of winter slumber. Additionally, Aaron’s staff was made of almond wood, which was the only rod to miraculously bloom overnight out of all the representatives of the twelve tribes (Numbers 17), distinctly setting apart the sons of Levi as the chosen priesthood. If nothing else, it’s just humbling to see how much meaning is embedded into the minute details that I often think nothing of as I browse through Scripture.

We walked out and through the path where it is agreed that the Ark of the Covenant passed through before it was returned to David from the Philistines (1 Samuel 6). We hiked up to Kiriat Jaarim, where it had been stored, and saw the landscape of the valleys and hills to the west, where it had then been eventually transported to Jerusalem, with Uzzah’s unfortunate mishap along the way (1 Chronicles 13-15). I just stared at these hills and especially at the skyline horizon of Jerusalem, which, as Bill reminded us, have absolutely no significance in and of themselves, but are absolutely significant because they represent the divine meeting the mundane, as God tangibly manifested Himself here, first through the Ark, and later, through His Son.

While we were here, Bill also pointed out an olive tree, which symbolized two primary significant Biblical images. First is Isaiah’s prophecy of the shoot of Jesse springing up as ruler and hope for the Gentiles (Romans 15:12, Isaiah 11:10). The incredible nature of the olive tree is that even when boughs have been severed and it looks as dead as a tree can be, little olive shoots still are able to take root and grow, creating a picture much akin to resurrection, and thus to Christ. Second is the nature of the olive tree’s ability to graft in wild shoots by creating a slit in attaching a foreign olive branch. It is able to conjoin with the cultivated plant and take root, even though it did not originally stem from that tree. This is the imagery used to describe none other than our own salvation as Gentiles, as foreign peoples elected to be adopted into the body of the redeemed. But the imagery is a humbling one, leaving no room for us to boast, since the original branches were easily removed (Romans 11:17-20). It is meant to further magnify the extent to which all salvific credit goes to God and God alone. And to think, that God created this seemingly random breed of fruit tree with the intent of using it to represent such profound spiritual realities. Crazy.

After this, we did a little more exploring the Crusader Chapel which was actually inhabited by the crusaders, and also had some pretty rockin’ acoustics. Then we made our way back to the moshav for a chill evening, relaxing and preparing for the rush of homework and such that is soon to come.

This was just the first day. Can’t wait to see what God has in store for the next 103.

“This is our dilemma . . . as thinkers we are cut off from what we think about; as tasting, touching, willing, loving, hating, we do not clearly understand. The more lucidly we think, the more we are cut off: the more deeply we enter into reality, the less we can think. You cannot study Pleasure in the moment of the nuptial embrace, nor repentance while repenting, nor analyze the nature of humor while roaring with laughter. But when else can you really know these things?

You cannot hope and also think about hoping at the same moment; for in hope we look to hope’s object and we interrupt this by (so to speak) turning around to look at the hope itself. . . . Introspection is in one respect misleading. In introspection we try to look inside ourselves and see what is going on. But nearly everything that was going on a moment before is stopped by the very act of our turning to look at it. Unfortunately this does not mean that introspection finds nothing. On the contrary, it finds precisely what is left behind by the suspension of all our normal activities; and what is left behind is mainly mental images and physical sensations. The great error is to mistake this mere sediment or track or by product for the activities themselves.”

-C.S. Lewis

“For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.” -Hebrews 12:6

:. The Lord’s discipline = He consumes my idols = further proof of His love and validation of adoption

Living resignedly and cynically aware is empty hopelessness, being a broken soul in a broken world.

But to abide in the realm of grace is to realize the paradox of finding peace in coming to terms with the hopelessness of sin because of the infinitely comforting love of the Savior. Legitimate and honest awareness of reality and the hope of joy can only be reconciled through Christ.

In corollary of the cross, any identity past is torn away, and that of Christ’s righteousness has been attributed. And though it takes a lifetime for the new to become a functional reality, it is one immutable because of the divine indelible love. So the redeemed become immovable in their standing, and there is no reasonable cause for doubt or for vain confidence, for is He alone who called, justified, sanctifies, and will glorify.

And though we stumble, falter, fall, we shall not be lost or cast back into hopeless despair, for it is God who establishes and upholds in the delight of His sovereign grace. He alone is our rock and our salvation.

Self, don’t forget this.

“O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made thirsty still.” -Tozer

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“…I will love them freely…“ Hosea 14:4

 “This sentence is a body of divinity in miniature…  The sense hinges upon the word ‘freely.’ This is the glorious, the suitable, the divine way by which love streams from heaven to earth, a spontaneous love flowing forth to those who neither deserved it, purchased it, nor sought after it… But it stands, ‘I will love you freely.’ We complain, ‘Lord, my heart is so hard.’

‘I will love you freely.’

‘But I do not feel my need of Christ as I could wish.’

‘I will not love you because you feel your need; I will love you freely.’

‘But I do not feel that softening of spirit which I could desire.’

Remember, the softening of spirit is not a condition, for there are no conditions; the covenant of grace has no conditionality whatever; so that we without any fitness may venture upon the promise of God which was made to us in Christ Jesus, when He said, ‘He that believeth on Him is not condemned.’” -Spurgeon

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“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.” -Ephesians 2:4-5

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This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy.”

-C.H. Spurgeon