Shalom Everyone from the Galilee Region of Israel,
The past two nights and for the next two nights, we are staying in a hotel in Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14, Luke 3). Every time I look at the Sea, I can’t help but think of my Mom (and my Dad, for that matter). She loved this place more than any other in Israel. It has become one of my favorites (it’s still all my favorite!) for the same reasons as my Mom … Jesus lived out the majority of his ministry here in a region that was filled with people running out of hope. The Romans were oppressing them. The religious leaders pressured them. The economy wasn’t very good. The area was filled with farmers and fishermen who were making ends meet the best they could. Then, Jesus showed up … and changed their world!
Today, we went to the city of Hazor, north of Galilee. Hazor is known as a military stronghold city (a chariot city) that was a key city throughout the Old Testament (see Jeremiah 49 for instance). The unearthed ruins help us understand the culture, the people and the incredible ingenuity of the people of those early civilizations. For instance, Hazor is a city built on a hill (for safety, etc.), but their water source was a spring down in a neighboring valley. How would they get water as a city if they are under siege? They dug a huge hole/tunnel from the top of the hill to get to the water source … through incredible amounts of rock … with hand tools …
We then went to Tel-Dan to see the city of Dan recognized, again, throughout the Old Testament. Dan was another key strategic city. The digs there revealed an Old Testament time city gate and courtyard to a city, complete with altar for sacrifice and a throne for the person in charge of hearing people’s complaints and making decisions for the betterment of the community on behalf of God (See Joshua 19). We also saw gates built in the time of Abraham that are still in tact. Amazing!
We continued north to Caesarea Philippi / Banias where Jesus took his disciples on a field trip to a pagan city. This is where Peter proclaimed that Jesus is “…The Messiah; the Son of the Living God.” Jesus changes Peter’s name to mark the occasion and declares that He will build His Church on Peter’s statement and that the gates of Hades will not be able to withstand the movement of God through the Church. See Matthew 16.
We finished with a drive down the Golan Heights and a stop overlooking the Sea of Galilee from said “Heights”. It was a great day!
More tomorrow from the Holy Land–
In Christ from Galilee,
Stan