Who is your King?
Western Wall, Southern Steps, City of David, Hekiziah's Tunnel, Pool of Siloam, Herodium, Bethlehem (Big day...)
First of all, I apologize for the typos last night; I was rather tired while writing and failed to edit my work. The good news is, you know a human is writing this little newsletter; ChatGPT has much better spelling than yours truly. (But seriously, I misspelled 'Decapolis.' I am ashamed.)
(Western Wall Overlook)
Regardless, today is the penultimate day of our trip, and it's a big one. Jerusalem speaks for itself. We began our day with the Western Wall, the platform Herod built to support the massive expansions he made to the Second Temple. Before experiencing the devotion of the Jewish people at prayer, we considered the stonework on the temple platform. Every stone was dressed, even the ones underground - a good lesson for us all about doing our work unto God and not for it to be seen.
(Southern Steps)
(Not One Stone Left on Another…)
From there, we went to the Davidson Archaeological Park, where extensive excavations have been done uncovering the layers beneath the earth. We saw the stones that Rome threw down when destroying the Second Temple, as predicted by Jesus in the gospels. We also saw the southern steps, where Jesus likely taught and where Peter preached his famous sermon at Pentecost. The Spirit fell and 3000 were baptized. We reflected on the connection of Pentecost and the giving of the Torah, where Moses struck 3000 down for their disobedience.
(Hezekiah’s Tunnel Entrance)
Next, we visited the City of David, where excavations are uncovering parts of the palace complex for the Kings of Judah, as well as the surrounding houses probably reserved for important citizens. We discussed some of the amazing finds in the area, including multiple seals of individuals mentioned in scripture, like Hezekiah and perhaps Isaiah (though it's uncertain as it's a partial name on the seal). We discussed David’s sin in the palace complex against Bathsheba and Uriah, the boldness of Nathan the prophet, and the importance of David’s repentance. We then jumped forward several hundred years to Hezekiah’s incredible feat of creating a shaft to redirect the water source from outside the main city to inside, a marvel called "Hezekiah’s tunnel". We walked through this engineering wonder!
(Original Capital Herodium)
After that, we boarded our bus and headed to the Herodium, Herod’s largest palace and the place of his eventual tomb. We concluded his story and finished our discussion of greatness. We contrasted the temporary nature of Herod’s greatness with the enduring power of Christ and his Kingdom. We also reflected on the proximity of the Herodium to Bethlehem, the birthplace of our Lord, pondering the implications and reasons why God chose this moment in history to be born. This led us to the question, "Who is your King?". Herod in his palace? Or Jesus in his manger?
(The upper palace complex Herodium)
We ended our day in Bethlehem, at a shop owned by a Palestinian Christian family who specialize in selling olive wood carvings. What a wonderful family and shop! Now, we rest, preparing for our last day of the tour. God has blessed us so much, and we know there is much to look forward to tomorrow.
What was the name of the shop?