What a way to start a Sunday, with meditations at the Mount of Beatitude. Our guide Micky, A Russian Jew who is a believer in Jesus, gave us some new perspectives on the Lord’s Prayer. He stressed keeping God’s name holy by he way we live, our request for His kingdom t keep on coming, and the idea of praying for our daily portion (manna in Heb). OK, we’ve all prayed it and heard it but in that moment it was a bit more convicting.
An hour drive to the north brought us to Tel Dan, and the nature park surrounding it. The run off from Mount Herman, we were at the base of it, created some powerful streams that feed the Jordan. It was at this sight that the tribe of Dan established their city and that Jereboam set up one of the altars to a golden calf. The foundation of that altar still exists and, along with other remains bears witness to their worship of other gods.
Our next stop was the Banias falls, another tributary for the Jordan and more powerful water flows. Since the Jordan is far from powerful, even north of the Sea of Galilee it does make you wonder where it all goes (irrigating the farmlands).
Ten minutes down the road we came to Banias, also know in the New Testament as Caesarea Philippi. The ruins here are of a temple center to the god Pan (Banias is an Arab name for Pan). The central temple to Pan, was built around a cave entrance which was known to some as the Gates of Hades. So, here was the lesson, Jesus in Luke 16, asks the disciples who men say He is. Peter answers you are the Christ was the Son of the Living God. Jesus replies that this w as revealed to him by the father and that on this rock He (Jesus) will build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Well, he is standing in site of this rock face with temples to other gods and one of the built around the “gates of hell.” It seems like Jesus was directly confronting the age old problem of worshipping other gods.
After lunch at Banias, we toured the Golan Heights and got a history lesson on the conflicts, complete with the remains of wrecked tanks. At this point we were close to the border of Syria and Lebanon. All was very calm.
Finally back to the Sea of Galilee a tour of a 2000 year old boat that was discovered buried in the sea. This boat has been preserved and according to their dating may well have been on the lake during Jesus Galilean ministry. Keeping with the Lake idea, we boarded a boat, captained by another Jewish believer and had a worship service out on the Lake, complete with communion. As we thought about Jesus’ sacrifice, we were able to look out at Capernaum, his “home port”, the hill sides where he fed the 5,000, and the Lake itself where He walked on the water and still the storm. This scenery, the Jewish Captain who is also a worship leader and the good spirit in our group made this service uniquely worshipful.
An hour drive to the north brought us to Tel Dan, and the nature park surrounding it. The run off from Mount Herman, we were at the base of it, created some powerful streams that feed the Jordan. It was at this sight that the tribe of Dan established their city and that Jereboam set up one of the altars to a golden calf. The foundation of that altar still exists and, along with other remains bears witness to their worship of other gods.
Our next stop was the Banias falls, another tributary for the Jordan and more powerful water flows. Since the Jordan is far from powerful, even north of the Sea of Galilee it does make you wonder where it all goes (irrigating the farmlands).
Ten minutes down the road we came to Banias, also know in the New Testament as Caesarea Philippi. The ruins here are of a temple center to the god Pan (Banias is an Arab name for Pan). The central temple to Pan, was built around a cave entrance which was known to some as the Gates of Hades. So, here was the lesson, Jesus in Luke 16, asks the disciples who men say He is. Peter answers you are the Christ was the Son of the Living God. Jesus replies that this w as revealed to him by the father and that on this rock He (Jesus) will build His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. Well, he is standing in site of this rock face with temples to other gods and one of the built around the “gates of hell.” It seems like Jesus was directly confronting the age old problem of worshipping other gods.
After lunch at Banias, we toured the Golan Heights and got a history lesson on the conflicts, complete with the remains of wrecked tanks. At this point we were close to the border of Syria and Lebanon. All was very calm.
Finally back to the Sea of Galilee a tour of a 2000 year old boat that was discovered buried in the sea. This boat has been preserved and according to their dating may well have been on the lake during Jesus Galilean ministry. Keeping with the Lake idea, we boarded a boat, captained by another Jewish believer and had a worship service out on the Lake, complete with communion. As we thought about Jesus’ sacrifice, we were able to look out at Capernaum, his “home port”, the hill sides where he fed the 5,000, and the Lake itself where He walked on the water and still the storm. This scenery, the Jewish Captain who is also a worship leader and the good spirit in our group made this service uniquely worshipful.
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