Day 4, June 4, Deut. 32:4

Itinerary:  Half of our group will be up extremely early (lucky them) to spend the day in Petra (Biblical Bozrah; Isa. 63:1-6), crossing into Jordan from Eilat and catching a bus with a guide.  You are in for some amazing sights at this Nabatean city.  The rest of us will catch a few extra winks before breakfast and the morning at HiBar, a Biblical “lion country safari” (without the lions).  The afternoon will have time to relax before joining up with our Petra-fied friends for dinner and catching up on the news of the day.  At 7:30 and 8:30PM there is a free Musical Fountain spectacular at a park near our hotel.  Or just go to bed. Jetlag!

We had a wonderful day today.  We were split in two groups with one group having an extremely full day going to Petra in Jordan.  They were downstairs for breakfast at 6:30A and picked up in front of the hotel at 7A and taken to the border with Jordan (we are in Eilat).  A bus awaited them on the other side which transported them to Petra.  Along the way they travelled the route of “the King’s Highway” referred to as being in Moab (Num. 20:17; 21:22). 

Some have put a couple of passages together in Scripture (Isa. 63:1, the Messiah returns from Bozra, in Moab, after delivering Israel; Rev. 12:13-17 where Israel is protected by God in a desert place) to suggest that perhaps Petra is the place of Israel’s hiding in the latter days and of her salvation by the Messiah.  Interesting possibility.

Meanwhile, the 6 who stayed in Eilat enjoyed a relaxing day that included one of the men doing some scuba diving in the famed Coral Beach area of Eilat.  Some enjoyed a dip in the Red Sea.  Don’t tell the ones who went to Petra but some of us in Eilat had a nice nap!

When thinking about Petra I think of the LORD and His description of Himself that He wanted His people to remember.  Specifically, I am thinking of His name, THE ROCK.  Remember how we said yesterday that often the first use of a word gives it context in the rest of Scripture?  We see that here. 

Almost every reference to God as a “Rock” in my Bible has a footnote directing people to Deut. 32.  Deut. 32 is “the Song of Moses”, a song God told Moses to teach to the people.  It speaks of Israel’s future rebellion against the LORD and of the severe judgment that will come because of it.  It also speaks of God’s faithfulness, that He will judge Israel but not destroy her. 

Thus God is a Rock, Israel’s ROCK (v30-31), a ROCK not like the rocks of the world (i.e. the gods of the nations, (v31).  This is a term that of course speaks of God’s might, His strength, His unbeatable protection.  Petra is an ancient city whose carved buildings have lasted for a long time.  Amazing.  But it is nothing like our God, the Everlasting God, the Everlasting Rock unlike any other “rock.”  I hope you are “standing on the solid Rock!  That Rock is Jesus, yes He’s the One, That Rock is Jesus; the Only One!”