· Timna Valley
o
Life-size model of the Tabernacle (Ex. 40; Heb. 8-9)
· Hwy. 90
o
Yotvata (best milk in Israel)
o
Ein Yahav (McDonalds in the Negev! 😊)
o
Route of the Exodus (Deut. 2:8)
· Tel Arad (Num. 21:1-4; 2
Chron. 31:1)
o
Looking east: Zered River (border of Edom and Moab)
· Masada
o
Looking east (Arnon River, border between Moab and Ammon)
· “Swim” (technically: float)
the Dead Sea
***************************
Today involved another
significant drive from Eilat up into the Dead Sea area. And the heat was, of course, quite
intense. You would expect that as you
head for the lowest place on earth, in June (whose idea was this anyway?). Although we were not the only ones to do
this. It is amazing how many tourists
are “out” in Israel. Including a rather
large group – 2 bus loads – of folks from Canada and the US travelling with
Word of Life Bible Institutes. That is a
very strong ministry that has been training people world-wide in the ministry
of Christ.
Today we began to make alterations
to our schedule. We did not make the
short side trip to Tel Arad. There are
ruins of a “high place” (in Israel, a place of false worship as the only place
for worship was to be the temple in Jerusalem, the place where God chose to
have His name). This particular place
was designed as a match (same dimensional ratio) for the temple. It was believed that it was destroyed in the
time of Hezekiah when he destroyed all the high places in Judah and many in the
northern kingdom of Israel as well (2 Chron. 31:1; 2 Kings 18:1-8). Hezekiah’s zeal for the Lord resulted in God’s
blessing and protection against the Assyrians after they had carried off the
idolatrous kingdom.
Another change is that we
ended our day at Masada (did not make it to Ein Gedi which we will do tomorrow,
Lord willing). Most of the group went to
the top of Masada at the end of the day.
I say, “the end”. Actually, while
the whole group had gotten their feet wet in the Dead Sea there were a few who
wanted to go back for a float (the Dead Sea resort area of Ein Bokek is only a
few miles from Masada so we had time before supper).
Our day began with breakfast
in Eilat and a devotional from the 2 Chron. passage. The point was to recognize the connection
between the faithfulness and holiness of God.
Hezekiah acknowledged God’s holiness by destroying the places of false
worship. He acknowledged the
faithfulness of God in his prayer for protection (2 Ki. 19:14-19). For us, on this day, probably the high point
was the first stop at the life-size model of the Tabernacle just north of
Eilat. What a joy as Ben, the guide,
presented the gospel so clearly through the explanation of the various aspects
of the tabernacle. The great truth is
that through the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, “it is finished!” The work is done. There is no more the need for the continual
sacrifices.
We concluded our time in the
“holy of holies” by singing “Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning my song shall rise to
Thee. Holy! Holy! Holy! Merciful and
Mighty. God in three persons, blessed
Trinity!”
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