Travel to Israel: Experience THE BOOK, Pt. 5

Amanda GeaneyFeatured Articles, Uncategorized

To read about the beginning of our Experience THE BOOK Tour CLICK HERE. Or simply start with today’s post and catch up later!

If I said, “Let’s travel to the ‘Big Apple,’” you’d know I meant New York, wouldn’t you? If I said, “I love the ‘Windy City,’” which city comes to mind? Chicago, right?

On March 12, 2020, I’ll travel with a special group of folks to a city known by many names.

We’ll wake on our fifth morning in Israel to another sumptuous breakfast at the David Dead Sea Resort & Spa. We’ll pack our bags, board our luxury bus, and travel north toward a city that the Midrash gives 70 names: Jerusalem. (https://www.jerusalem-insiders-guide.com/names-of-jerusalem.html) As Israel’s capital, it has a rich and enduring history and is the spiritual center of both Jewish and our Judeo-Christian faith. (https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/state/pages/jerusalem%20-%20capital%20of%20israel.aspx)

Old Testament Significance

Jerusalem is mentioned by several names before we see it appear under King David’s reign:

  • Salem/Shalem (Gen. 14:18) – when it was ruled by the mysterious King Melchizedek in the days of Abraham.
  • Mt. Moriah (Gen. 22:2) – where Abraham bound his son Isaac to be sacrificed, but instead God provided a ram for the offering.
  • Jebus (Josh. 15:8) – the Jebusites’ fortress city

It’s in 2 Samuel 5:4-7 that we learn the story of how Jerusalem became King David’s capital city:

“David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years. The king and his men marched to Jerusalem to attack the Jebusites, who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, ‘You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.’…Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion—which is the City of David.” (emphasis added)

Even in two verses (2 Sam. 5:6-7), we see 3 different names for God’s chosen city: Jerusalem, Zion, and the City of David. What’s so special about this patch of ground? And why was it chosen by the God of all Creation as the place He would dwell for centuries among His chosen people?

I don’t know the answer, but we see God’s emotion about this place in His response to King Solomon’s prayer after he built Yahweh’s Temple (as his father David had specified). God said to Solomon:

“I have heard the prayer and plea you have made before me; I have consecrated this temple, which you have built, by putting my Name there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.” 1 Kings 9:3 

Notice there is NO CONDITION on that promise. No, “If you do [blank], then My eyes and My heart will always be there.” The promise was unconditional AND eternal. God’s eyes and His heart will always be in Jerusalem.

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, our group will behold God’s eternal city with our eyes and hearts.

Welcome to Jerusalem

Jerusalem East Gate

East Gate of Jerusalem – pic taken on my February 2000 trip.

We’ll go “up” to Jerusalem as everyone does—up, because the city sits atop a plateau in the Judean Mountains. Our first stop will be the Mt. of Olives for a breath-taking view of the city.

We’ll walk down the Palm Sunday Path, where Jesus rode His donkey amid the shouts of loud “Hosannas” from adoring crowds. At the bottom of the hill, we’ll spend a few moments in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, surrounded by olive trees still sprouting from roots dating to Jesus’ time.

Continuing into the city, we’ll climb to the Upper Room where Jesus met with His disciples for their Last Supper and where they later received His Holy Spirit. We’ll also see King David’s Tomb in this area of the city—before the reality of Jesus’s suffering hits home at the site of Caiaphas’s House. We’ll see the actual stairs up which Jesus was dragged to His first unjust trial and consider Isaiah 53’s Suffering Servant, the Root of Jesse, the eternal King on David’s throne.

From there, we visit the Pool of Bethesda, a site where “a great number of disabled people used to lie” (John 5:2), waiting for the waters to be stirred by some supernatural force so they could jump in and be healed. Jesus healed a paralytic here on the Sabbath—His supernatural force inappropriate according to the Jewish leaders of the day.

Holy and Wholly Appropriate

In the holy city of Jerusalem, we’ll find the expectations a bit more specific when entering certain sites—another reason I’m so thankful for our tour guide, Bev Henry, who has 35 years of experience taking groups to Israel!

Women and men must dress “appropriately”—women wearing skirts and men donning a yarmulke (or other head-covering) when entering certain sites. Like Jesus, who healed without guilt on the Sabbath at the Pool of Bethesda, we Christ-followers have been freed from legalistic rules and have been saved by grace through faith.

However, our final stop for the day—the Dome of the Rock located on the Temple Mount—has many restrictions as the epicenter of both Jewish and Muslim faiths. If that day’s circumstances permit, we’ll visit this most holy of locations and humbly abide by the requirements of those who haven’t yet experienced our freedom through Christ. Roy and I didn’t get to see this on our first trip to Jerusalem in 2000, so we’re very excited about the possibility!

Relaxing Evening

For dinner, we’ll take a stroll through the Mamilla Plaza and…wait for it…eat Italian! Yep, Luciana’s (be sure to “translate” page into English) is not to be missed when visiting Jerusalem! After our UH-mazing meal, we’ll go to our last accommodations in Israel—the Gloria Hotel. It’s the only “tour quality” hotel within the Old City. When you see the Gloria, you’ll know why I’m so thrilled to be staying at this “boutique” hotel rather than a Hilton or some other international chain. It’s authentic Israel elegance. I can’t wait to see it in person!

If you’d like to see it in person too, please join us for “Experience THE BOOK Tour” on March 6-17 (or 19 with Petra extension), 2020! The relationships and spiritual experiences we share on this trip will change our hearts, deepen our faith, and enrich our lives in so many ways. To see the full itinerary and more details, go to: http://bit.ly/theBOOKtour. Have specific questions? Please contact tour director, Bev Henry. Phone: 714-512-8167 Email: bhenry@luxetm.com She LOVES chatting about Israel (almost as much as I do)!

To read Part 6 of our “Experience THE BOOK Tour” posts, CLICK HERE.

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