God is Great.

This past weekend, I was able to Galilee for a four-day field study. I saw so many beautiful places and learned some amazing things. So much to think about. Anyways…

On our first day, we first stopped at Ceasarea, which is on the Mediterranean Sea. This was not a ‘comfortable’ area for most Israelites because they saw the sea as being uncontrollable and dangerous. It was mainly Canaanite territory, and the Canaanites worshiped their god Baal, who was the god of all nature. Baal was supposedly in every created thing – when it rained, they believed that Baal was impregnating the earth so that it could be productive (gross, I know). While we were by the Mediterranean, we read Psalm 29, which is written in a meter similar to Canaanite epic poetry. This psalm involves imagery of God – not Baal – coming as the thunderstorm comes from the Mediterranean and across the land. It does not end in chaos, however, but in shalom, peace, for all of God’s people. It is clear through the Psalm that God is not one with nature but He is the Creator of it all. He is ontologically different and set apart from any created thing.

            While standing on Mt. Carmel, we talked about the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18 & 19. While the story itself clearly shows God’s dominance over Baal, there is a part of the story that I had not paid much attention to. After Elijah gives this great demonstration of God’s power and shows up all the crazy prophets of Baal, he eventually flees by himself to a cave. You’d think that he would feel empowered after defeating all of the prophets and proving that his God is superior, but this is not the case. He runs away. Dr. Wright suggested that it is possible Elijah fled because he was having an ontological problem with his God. The prophets of Baal prayed for fire from heaven, and that is exactly what Elijah got, so is Yahweh really any different from Baal? The next few verses in 1 Kings 19 give insight into this matter. Verses 11-13 say,

            “And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper….and behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’”

            God was not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He was in the sound of the low whisper. According to Dr. Wright, there is no English word for the ‘low whisper’, but it can also be understood as the ‘thinnest silence’. It is nothing like the noisy acts of nature described earlier, which are all Baal imagery. God chooses to show up in the thinnest of silence. Yahweh is not just a bigger version of Baal but is completely ontologically different. He is not competing with the ‘gods’ of other peoples, but is totally set apart – the one, true, creator God.

            This was such an encouragement to me in thinking about the incredible greatness of my God. Although being here has provided more insight into the Bible and more growth in knowledge than I thought possible, it has not come without some struggle. In classes, we’re constantly talking about how we know what we know about history and about the Bible, and for a while, I think I forgot about what ‘faith’ means. I found myself subconsciously doubting many things, which was honestly not fun at all. But I have gained so much encouragement recently through spending more time in the Word and really considering what it means to have faith – to not be able to prove things according to the world’s standards, but to have full assurance anyway. What I learned this weekend only reinforced this idea of having faith in my God who is completely separate – on a whole different level of ‘being’ – than all other things, including the human mind and reason. I choose to put my faith and hope in the God who can communicate in the earthquake and wind or in the thinnest silence. He far beyond my understanding – and far greater than I can even imagine.

            I’ve learned so much this weekend – I really haven’t had time to process through much of it. Hopefully I’ll be writing more soon! 

Psalms.

This past weekend, I was able to see some amazing places that have provided powerful imagery and insight into the Bible. I know I've put pictures on facebook, but I wanted to repost a few here with the Scripture that correlates with the sites. The first two pictures are of Masada, which is the Hebrew word for 'fortress'. This is one place that David fled to when he was being pursued by his enemies. The third picture is En Gedi, which is an set of fresh water springs, waterfalls, and pools right in the middle of the wilderness. David and his men also came to this location in the midst of conflicts. I hope these pictures are helpful as you read the passages! 

Psalm 18

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?—the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.

Psalm 71:3-4

Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come; 

you have given the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalm 42

As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"  These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"  As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"  Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Obedience.

Sometimes it can be hard to pull applicable material from all of the information about geology, geography, and archaeology that I have been given in the past few weeks. But, thankfully, God is faithful and has been showing me how incredibly important these details are. This past weekend, we went on a field study to the land of the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Before coming here, I honestly had no idea where each tribe’s land was located – and I didn’t really think it mattered a whole lot. Turns out, it is really significant!

You probably know all this, but in case you’ve forgotten, Ephraim and Manasseh were not the sons of Jacob, but they were the sons of Joseph. Basically because Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, his descendents were the most numerous and were given more land than the others. Ephraim and Manasseh were given really quality land – open to trade routes, easy access to water sources, plentiful rain, and good agricultural abilities. Throughout our whole field study, Dr. Wright continually made comments about how Ephraim and Manasseh held advantages over the land of Judah, where Jerusalem is located. Needless to say, I was confused as to why God would choose Judah for His most holy city and dwelling place instead of Ephraim and Manasseh, who were naturally so blessed. Sitting in Shiloh (the site of the first tabernacle after the conquering of the Promised Land), Dr. Wright read Psalm 78, which made all the information come together and finally make sense in my mind. The psalm tells of how God faithfully delivered His people out of Egypt and gave them a land of their own. He drove out other nations and provided for them through the whole process. Verses 56-58 tell how the people responded: they ‘tested and rebelled against the Most High God’, they ‘turned away’ and ‘acted treacherously’, they ‘provoked Him to anger’ and ‘moved Him to jealousy with their idols’. It was at that point that God moved His Holy place from Shiloh, which is in the land of Ephraim. Verses 67-69 say,

“He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves. He built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which he has founded forever.”

Ephraim and Manasseh have all the natural advantages over Judah – so to us humans, it would make sense for God to center His nation around that land – but God’s ways are not our ways. The people were rebellious and forsook God’s commands. The natural advantages did not matter. God wanted obedience from His people, and they rejected Him. Judah appears to be the least likely of all the tribes to be favored by God, but yet He chose to put His holy dwelling there.

This so clearly shows me that no matter what natural abilities I have or don’t have, God desires obedience. He can do whatever He wants with whomever He wants – and what He chooses to do might not make sense to our human minds. I want to have the attitude of being obedient to God – no matter what. ‘No matter what’ is honestly really scary to me. But I believe it is that attitude I must have in order to be fully submissive to Him.

So pray that as I learn about the Cenomanian Limestone, the Eocene, the Senonian Chalk, the watershed, the many Wadi systems, the synclines and anticlines, the Rift Valley, and the natural springs, that God would continue to reveal these incredibly important lessons. It’s so great here. I just love it.