I’m writing this on the plane home after 12 days in Israel. Wow! What an amazing experience and what an awesome God! We do this Biblical Study Tour every two years at Rolling Hills, and it truly is the trip of a lifetime. In the Holy Land, you see the Bible come to life. All the stories you have studied in church, now move from 2D to 3D. You walk where Jesus walked. There were so many only God moments on the trip.
This is my seventh trip to Israel, and my greatest joy is seeing people experience the Land. I love watching people grow in their Biblical knowledge and their love for the Lord God Almighty. I have been working with the same Guide for the last 23 years, and he is incredible. His name is Hebrew nickname is “Yoni,” for “Indiana Yones” :). He is an Old Testament and New Testament (which is important) Biblical scholar from Hebrew University along with archeology and historical geography. Yoni loves Jesus and helping people to understand God’s Word.
We flew into Tel Aviv and immediately started our study. After picking up our luggage, we headed to the Valley of Elah, where David defeated Goliath. To stand in that place and meditate on the power of our God, gives us inspiration for whatever we are facing today. No giant is too great for our God! From there we headed to the wilderness. We went to Beer Sheva where Abraham and Issac met with God and then walked where the children of Israel journeyed after being delivered out of slavery in Egypt. God provided His people with manna and quail from Heaven. We studied the first five books of the Old Testament and could see how God is our Provider and Protector.
From the wilderness, we went up to the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea is a marvel of nature in the fact that you float. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea, but the minerals are so rich. This is also the area of En Gedi (where David fled from Saul and wrote many of the Psalms). In addition, this is the area of Qumran where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Every book of the Old Testament was found and dates back to 200 BC – almost 1,000 years before our earliest texts. Plus, they were just what we have today. God’s Word is true. The climate is perfect for preserving the scrolls, and when these were discovered in 1948 it was the same year Israel became a state after World War 2. It was like God was bringing His Word out of the ground to welcome His people home.
After this, we went to stay on the Sea of Galilee. Wow – this was amazing! We went to Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Feeding of the 5,000, the Mount of Transfiguration, and even took a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee reading Scripture at all these places. Yoni even arranged for us to go to an archeological dig in the city of Bethsaida. This city is known as the “Lost City of the Galilee,” and was just recently discovered. We were able to be there as they were uncovering this treasure and to hear from the head archaeologists. In fact, the Discovery Channel was coming two days after us to film a tv documentary special on the find. Epic! All of it is fantastic, but what was really special to me was baptizing 25 people in the Sea of Galilee (which is a wide spot in the Jordan River). I love these people on our team, and seeing their faith come to life! Only God!
Finally, we arrived in Jerusalem. We went to the Garden of Gethsemane, the Via Dolorosa, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and so much more. We reflected on the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus, and the price that was paid for our sins. Then, we culminated the week by going to the Garden Tomb and walking inside the tomb. I’m delighted to share that the tomb is empty because our Savior is alive! We don’t worship things, we worship our Risen Lord.
I encourage you to go to the Holy Land at some point in your spiritual journey. It is so life-impacting, an experience you will continue to come back to every time you study the Bible. We go every two years at Rolling Hills, so plan for the end of October 2024. Christians from all over the world make pilgrimages to the Holy Land. It is truly the trip of a lifetime. I’m so thankful that we serve a God who is personal. His Word is true and His love for His people endures forever. Thank you, Father, for Your Land, Your Son, and Your Word, and for allowing us to be a part of Your Story. Through Jesus, we are His people and we are truly blessed to be on this journey with our great God. Shalom.
