The Dead Sea - Holy Land Lessons

The Dead Sea, also known as the Salt Sea, is the lowest place on earth. It’s 10 times as salty as the ocean, which makes it impossible for anything to live in it, but very possible for one to float in it!

My family and friends floating in the Dead Sea.

I remember floating in the Dead Sea, marveling at the fact that, besides tourists, there were no other living creatures in its waters. As someone who is deathly afraid of sharks and other sea creatures, this was a reassuring thought!

But did you know that when Jesus comes back, a life-giving river is going to flow from the temple all the way down to the Dead Sea and turn its salty water into living water? The Book of Ezekiel says that once the Dead Sea becomes fresh, it will be teeming with life. In fact, the prophet notes that it will be a regular destination for fishermen because of the abundant supply of fish.

“Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east… When it enters the sea, the sea of foul water, the water of the sea becomes fresh… Since the water will become fresh, there will be life everywhere the river goes” (Ezekiel 47:1, 8-9).

God promises life where there was once only death.

Is there a part of your heart or an area of your life that feels dead with no hope of being resurrected? Does it seem impossible for God to breathe life into that struggle or situation? Take heart! We serve the God who brings life to the lifeless. Just as His healing waters will transform the Dead Sea and make it abound with life, His healing waters can transform your heart and your circumstances and give you abundant life here and now. Invite Jesus in. Let His living water bring hope and life to those dark places in your heart.

"Jesus replied, 'Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life'" (John 4:13-14).

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Because the Dead Sea is so rich in minerals, the mud is is said to be great for your skin. There are several Israeli skin care lines that use the Dead Sea minerals and mud, including Ahava (which means "love" in Hebrew). In this picture is me, my sister, and my good friend getting our mud scrub on at the Dead Sea!

Masada - Holy Land Lessons

Overlooking the Dead Sea is an ancient fortification called Masada. In the 1st century B.C., Herod the Great built palaces on this mountain. He used it as a place of refuge. But the Jewish people remember Masada for something else.

This is me on top of Masada.

During the Roman conquest in the first century A.D., nearly 1,000 Jewish rebels fled to Masada and hid there for several years. When the Romans learned that the Jews were hiding there, the Romans went after them. Since there was only one narrow path up the high mountain, and the rebels threw stones at the soldiers who were attempting to reach them, the Romans had to come up with another point of entry. So they had Jewish slaves, whom they captured during their conquest of Jerusalem, build a ramp to the top of Masada because they knew the rebels wouldn’t throw stones at their own people.

Three months later, when the Romans finally reached the top of Masada in A.D. 73, they were shocked at what they saw. The Jewish rebels had committed mass suicide. For them, death was better than enslavement.

Even though the story of Masada sounds like a tragedy, it’s actually a tale of redemption. Almost 2,000 years later, the Jewish people returned to their homeland, the state of Israel, and reclaimed their inheritance. The year was 1948.

What a great reminder that no matter how long it takes, God always fulfills His promises. As the psalmist noted, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4, NLT). Indeed, He who watches over you and me never slumbers or sleeps. He’s always working, weaving, creating the tapestry of the plan He has for our lives one thread at a time. Our job is to trust Him and to wait well, confident that our lives rest securely in the hands of our good Father.

This is me hiking down Masada. It was hot!

On a side note, Masada is a popular tourist destination now. It’s about 1,300 feet high, and there’s a trail called the “snake path” for people who want to hike to the top. I’ve successfully hiked down Masada once, but when I attempted to hike up on another occasion, I got sick! I had only had a pear for breakfast that morning because I was still suffering from jet lag. Plus, we decided to hike Masada at noon, which is not a good idea in Israel in the middle of the summer.  But hey, how many people can say they got sick hiking up Masada!?

The Garden of Gethsemane - Holy Land Lessons

The garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before going to the cross, is a quiet, serene place. It's hard to imagine that Jesus felt such deep pain there.

The surrendering of our will to our heavenly Father’s can be agonizing at times, and Jesus felt that agony. In fact, Scripture tells us He experienced such anguish in the garden, such overwhelming sorrow, that His sweat became like drops of blood.

Jesus threw Himself before God and prayed, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me” (Mark 14:36).  Of course, the cup He was referring to was the wrath of God. Immense suffering lay ahead of Jesus – He would be arrested, beaten, mocked, and eventually nailed to a cross like a common criminal. He pleaded with His Father, the sovereign ruler of the universe, to remove the cup from Him. God could do it. Nothing is impossible for Him. But He didn’t.

Isn’t this the same frustration we face? We know that in an instant God can give us exactly what we want. He can make the sickness go away. He can give us the job we need. He can give us the child we desire. He can fix our marriage. He can end our singleness. He can save our family member. Nothing is impossible for Him.

But He doesn’t always give us those things. At least, not according to our timetable.

Here is the second part of Jesus’ prayer: “Yet, not what I want, but what you want” (v. 36).

What do we do when God doesn’t give us what we want? We do what Jesus did. We surrender our will to the will of our all-knowing, loving, gracious Father, trusting that He has a purpose in our pain.

There’s a paradox in Scripture that out of death comes life. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said that unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a simple kernel. But if it dies, it bears much fruit (John 12:24). What better example of this than Christ? Because of His death, we have life life, which is why the author of Hebrews tells us that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. His joy was our life. He knew that His suffering had purpose, and He trusted the Father with that purpose. Jesus’ job was to completely surrender.

Our suffering, our dying to self, has purpose, too.  And in the end, our surrender will lead to abundant life.