John 1:1-18, "God Walked the Dark Hills"

I love to read this passage in Israel, for obvious reasons.  God came to earth as the Word, the revealing of God Himself in the most bold and powerful way: the Word became flesh and tabernacle/dwelt among us!  Our guide at the Tabernacle in Timna Park referred to this.  God desired to dwell with us.  He did it through the Tabernacle, at the mercy seat covered with blood.  But now He has in these last days spoken to us by (His) Son (Heb. 1:1).  God can do no more than that.  He cannot make us “gods”; He alone is God.  But by grace He can, and has, become one of us.  Hallelujah! 

And when this happened, He walked and spoke in this land.  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested (1 Jn. 1:1-2).  What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? ⁵ For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor (Ps. 8:4-5).  But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone (Heb. 1:9).

Just a quick update on Saturday and Sunday.  Once we get into the Galilee the sites we want to see are much closer together so the days are full.  Saturday is usually the fullest.  We left the hotel at 7:30A to make Tel Hazor close to opening time at 8A which was good.  We find ourselves at sites with lots of tourist buses, and thus lots of tourists.  From Tel Hazor (important city throughout history; you see why when you are here; it has a commanding location for the entire Hula Valley) we stopped at Aroma’s to grab a cup of coffee for everyone. Then on to Metula, the northernmost city in Israel, on the Lebanon border, for views of the Hula Valley and snow-covered Mt. Hermon.  Then to Tel Dan where there are numerous things to see: Dan Spring, the altar and high place of Jeroboam’s golden calf, a military outpost, views of Nimrod Fort (from Crusader times), the ancient gate through from Abraham’s time, the Israelite gate, and the pool which, as always, was filled with Israeli children and families.  Then on to Tel Banias (Caesares Philippi, the Gates of Hell … a cave linked to Roman idolatry in Jesus’ time, and the Hermon Spring).  Then into the Golan Heights and a movie on the ’73 war in the Valley of Tears at Kibbutz El Rom.  Then Mt. Bental for views into Syria and of Mt. Hermon (yet again; it is beautiful and impressive and important to God’s blessing on Israel).  Then we stopped at a Israeli memorial from the ’73 Yom Kippur war where 32 Israeli’s were killed.  This was a first for us; we had never stopped there and usually don’t take the route we took.  The blessings of being six people, one van, and no real deadlines. 😊  We posted photos of all these on FB with perhaps a little more info.

After the busy day Saturday, Sunday was a little slower paced, but only because we had a little more driving to do.  It started with getting your feet wet in the Sea of Galilee, followed by a cruise on Galilee in a “Jesus Boat”.  This included a worship time led by Daniel Carmel, the owner of the boat and a Messianic believer.  Then we drove to Cana (Kfar Kana) to visit with our pastor friend and his wife, Hani and Shifa.  Then on to Mt. Carmel, memorial to Elijah, and great views of the Valley of Jezreel (Ha Emeq, Armageddon, Valley is Esdraelon).  Then to the coast to Caesarea where we saw the ruins of the city where Paul was imprisoned for 2 years and where he testified of the grace of God to Roman kings/governors.  We had dinner there and then put our feet in the Mediterranean Sea, before the hour drive back to our hotel in Gidona, at the base of Mt. Gilboa.

It is now Monday morning.  We are at a guesthouse and the guy who fixes our breakfast doesn’t like to get up too early (like we do!).  So we will go to Gideon’s Spring which is just outside Gidona, have devotions, reading Scripture and singing in a beautiful place, and then come back for breakfast before heading to Nazareth.  LORD WILLING! And by His grace and strength.