Remember when you were a little kid, and you spent every day after Thanksgiving thinking about all the great gifts you were going to unwrap on Christmas morning? Well, I’m sort of like that little kid who spends most of my time dreaming about the days our group of travelers will spend in Israel from March 6-17 (or 19 if you do the Petra, Jordan extension with us)!
I can hardly wait!!!!
Touring Day 2
If you missed my first post about our tour, you can CLICK HERE to find out more about our first day of travel, the non-stop flight to Tel Aviv, and our first day of touring along the Mediterranean Coast. Our accommodations for the first three nights were carefully selected for both the beautiful location and the unique cultural experience of a kibbutz.
On our second day in Israel, we’ll awake refreshed at the Maagan Eden Holiday Village Kibbutz and eat a fabulous breakfast before beginning our second day of touring in the Galilee region. This is a New-Testament-centered day in which we’ll focus on Jesus’ ministry and visit some familiar towns mentioned in His ministry around Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee).
- Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
- Capernaum synagogue, where Jesus taught and healed regularly with power and authority. (Mark 1:21-28)
- Sea of Galilee, where Jesus and His disciples experienced a raging storm. (Mark 4:35-41)
While On the Sea
When our daughters were little, I loved to tell them stories before bedtime. Sometimes I read from a book, but most of the time, I simply TOLD the story—with lots of drama and BIG motions to keep their attention. One of the girls’ favorite stories was Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had spent a whole day teaching and wanted to spend some time alone with his the disciples, resting. They all got into a boat on Lake Gennesaret, and a storm came up suddenly. Jesus was sound asleep, weary from a long day.
Do you remember what the disciples said/did?
“They woke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:38-39
On this, our second day of touring, we’ll board a replica of the ship Jesus and His disciples would have used. We’ll sail on Lake Gennesaret for a time of worship to the One who commands the wind and the waves. We’ll allow the Lord to speak to our hearts and say, “Peace! Be still!” while worshiping to music written by our host—a Messianic Jew.
We’ll ten return to our kibbutz for dinner and a quiet evening to soak in the sights, smells, and sounds of this beautiful Land—and the fellowship of our fellow travelers.
Touring Day 3
After another wonderful breakfast at our kibbutz, we’ll continue in Jesus’ footsteps toward the town of a woman dear to His heart—Mary Magdalene. The prosperous village of Magdala is rich in history and a relatively recent discovery.
From there, we’ll journey to one of my favorite places in northern Galilee—a location I remember vividly from our Feb/Mar 2000 tour—Banias Spring (called Caesarea Philippi in Scripture). It’s the source of the Jordan River, but I remember it best because it’s the place Jesus took His disciples to ask a crucial question:
“Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’” Matthew 16:13
The Jordan flows from a huge cave surrounded by a towering cliff face in which are carved hundreds of niches (shelves) where idols were placed in ancient times. Jesus took His disciples to this location and stood among all the false gods to ask the question: “Who am I among these other gods?” We’ll stand in the place where His disciples stood and search our own hearts with the same question…what gods have we allowed to creep into our lives?
You see, this is why GOING to Israel is sooooo important. There are countless things we can’t understand about God’s Word unless we see, smell, taste, hear, and touch this Promised Land for ourselves.
Which of My Books Do We See?
After Caesarea Philippi, we’ll travel to the northernmost city of biblical Israel—the city of Dan. The actual gates Abraham entered as he entered the Land of God’s Promise will greet us there on the farthest reach of Israel’s borders. Dan is often coupled in Scripture with the southern border of Beersheba when emphasizing the WHOLE nation of Israel:
“So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.” 2 Chronicles 30:5 (emphasis added)
Two of my books mention the ancient city of Dan…do you remember which ones? HINT: one was a little girl whose father Diblaim was a priest in the temple of Dan. The second is about a woman who is taken prisoner and her captors traveled through Dan. (You can enter today’s contest if you’re a subscriber to my newsletter! If you haven’t subscribed yet, sign up today and download your FREE NOVELLA!)
What Do WE Learn From Dan
Dan was the gateway to the Promised Land, possessing the very gates Abraham walked through to obey God’s command to “go to a land I will show you…” But Dan was also the gateway for the idolatry that ultimately meant exile from the Land…
Do you remember Solomon’s son, Rehoboam? He was the cocky, young king who refused to listen when the northern tribes asked for a reduction in taxes. So the ten northern tribes seceded and created a separate nation, retaining the name Israel, while the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin formed the smaller nation of Judah (1 Kings 12).
The new king of Israel, Jeroboam, was afraid that if his people returned to Jerusalem’s temple to worship, they might pledge their allegiance again to Judah. So he came up with a more “convenient” solution:
“So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, ‘You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’ And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.” 1 Kings 12:28-29 (emphasis added)
Dan was farthest in distance from Jerusalem, but the golden calf removed the people even farther from God’s presence—all in the name of convenience.
What Dan, Israel Means To Me?
I see the ancient city of Dan as a great lesson on making hard choices. Abraham entered the Promised Land through its gates, wandered his whole life in a Land God had promised to give him—but never saw the promise fulfilled. However, by faith he KNEW his descendants would one day possess it, and that was enough to keep walking!
On the other hand, Dan represents the easy road or the “wide gate” (as Jesus called it in Matthew 7:13) that leads to destruction. Jeroboam made life “easier” for his people by compromising his faith and theirs. God’s way isn’t usually the easiest, shortest, or most convenient, but when we walk His chosen path, we discover it’s the BEST way.
We make similar choices every day. Will we be like Abraham—walking by faith in obedience to the one, true God—or like Jeroboam, who worships a god of our own making because it’s easier?
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians 3:29
Join Us In Israel!
“Experience THE BOOK Tour” is gaining travelers, but we still have room for more! A $500 deposit will hold your spot, and you can let our exceptional tour director know if you’d like her to arrange your group air. I highly recommend flying with the group since we’ll have a non-stop flight to Tel Aviv for a VERY good price on United Airlines (Bev can apply those points to your personal account!).
For more information, visit “Experience THE BOOK Tour” website or contact Beverly Henry, Independent Travel Consultant, directly at 714-512-8167 (or by email: bhenry@luxetm.com)
Ready to read about Part 3 of our journey? CLICK HERE!
Tweet-A-Licious!
- Experience “THE BOOK” Tour of Israel with @MesuAndrews through her newsletter before the March 2020 tour begins!
- Tour the towns of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, sail and worship on the Sea of Galilee, and visit the ancient city of Dan to discover the significance for your life today.
- Read today’s post to discover which sites we see on touring days 2 & 3…and why they matter to you!
