THREE DAYS IN THE DESERT: DAY ONE

DAY ONE: THE SHEPHELAH

Today we embarked upon a three day journey to the Negev. The Negev is the south-eastern part of Israel where the dry desert wilderness was the backdrop for much of Israel’s Old Testament history. As we left the Old City, we traversed the low lying hills (called the Shephelah) and the six valleys that connect the Coastal plain to the Hill Country. (Remember, I’m here to learn about the “geography of Israel” 🙂 )

The Shephelah is quite beautiful and it was in these valleys in between the western hills that some of the most famous biblical battles took place. For example, in the Elah Valley, David fought with Goliath and defeated the Philistines. In this place, our class gathered together on the land and read the biblical account as we divided into two opposing parties and acted out the famous slingshot victory of young David upon his gigantic foe. It was great fun – and  I will never teach that passage again without remembering exactly where that battle took place.

In the hill country we were able to see the places where the Israelites and the Philistines had their respective camps. The Israelites were camped to the east in Socoh while the Philistines were camped to the west in Azekah. Between them lay the valley where their battles took place and the ark of the covenant was taken from the Israelites. We talked about how the Israelites had mistakenly believed that the Ark would act like a good luck charm and bring them victory in their battles. But when it was taken by the Philistines, it became a curse to them. We relived these battles through the reading of passages in 1 Samuel and we walked through the ruins of the ancient cities of Beth Shemish, Azekah, Beth Guvrin, Lachish, and Ashkelon. It’s fascinating to see the archetecture of these biblical locations and spy the terrain as it was in the days of old. Many of the buildings have crumbled but the landscape is still untouched by development and in a similar state to how it was thousands of years ago.

The high light of our day was a dip into the Mediterranean Sea. When we visited the city of Ashkelon we stopped  at a beautiful spot near the ocean and took a nice long break by the sea. The sand is like powdered sugar and lined with unbroken sea shells. I remember finding beaches like this when I was a child in California. The air was heavy, hot and humid, but the water was warm and refreshing.

One of the most special parts of our trip is the commarderie we share as a group of Bible Students who love the Lord and are intensely interested in everything we are learning. I enjoy the rich and meaningful conversations that we share over meals, on the bus and walking around our various sites.  There are about 20 of us from the Portland Western Seminary Campus and 10 others from the Sacramento Western Campus. But 18 more have joined us from around the country. Several are from Columbia Bible College in Vancouver Canada and others are pastors from around the country who are seeking an educational exploration of the land. One young man is taking a 2 week break from his service in Afganistan to join us. He was thirsty for some companionship with like-minded people and deceide to join our group for 2 of our 3 weeks here. He is three months away from finishing his tour, so please pray for Matt to come home safely. He is a Lake Oswego native.

Tonight we are staying at a youth hostel in Arad. Arad is located in the Eastern Negev where the land is parched. As we drive through this part of the country, Beduin camps are nestled in the hills and shepherds attend their flocks. Often, the shepherd is just a young child, sometimes it’s a woman but it’s not always the adult male shepherd that I envisioned. I have yet to see a flock of goats without a shepherd present. Sometimes the flocks are large groups of 50-100 sheep or goats, others are only 10-20 animals in a flock. But always, there is a human family member standing in their midst. It’s fascinating. . The animals are never alone – and never far from their shepherd. But the heat is intense and the shepherds are covered from head to toe in black clothing. I imagine how safe and secure the sheep must feel knowing that the shepherd is always watching out for them. I also thank God for calling me to a life of  spiritual shepherding and not vocational shepherding. I can’t imagine the boredom of watching goats all day and standing out in the hot desert sun. The Lord is also teaching me about the blessing of rain and shade. As much as a struggle with the endless days of darkness during our long Oregon winter, I wouldn’t trade it for the dry baren wilderness of the Negev. No wonder the Israelites complained. Now I must remember this next winter and praise God for the cool rains that make Oregon so lush and beautiful! (Please remind me if I forget! :))