Time moves quickly . . . until it doesn’t.  In my life, most of the time, days fly by.  My family and friends have frequently heard me say “I can’t believe it is already _________(insert month, season, or holiday).”  Time seems to race by – most of the time.

Sometimes, though, time screeches to a halt.  When you are waiting for a phone call back after a job interview . . .  or a biopsy, every second has the pace of a monopoly game.  Dealing with grief (like the death of a loved one or the loss of a dream) also stops time in its tracks.

Our modern world seems designed for swift progress.  We microwave our food and can travel halfway around the world via jet plane in just a few hours.  Everything is supposed to move with breakneck speed.  Because of that, we can be confused when our life slows down.  Not only do we struggle with the PAIN of the diagnosis, rejection, or loss, but it is compounded because we feel inferior that it takes more than 10 minutes to get over something.

Sometimes, however, God does not work as fast as we want Him to.  From our perspective, sometimes God stops the stopwatch.  We need to remember that.  Take the Apostle Paul, for example.  Though Paul’s life seems to be at breakneck speed as we read the book of Acts, we sometimes forget the years in the wilderness after his conversion;  the years in exile back in Tarsus before Barnabas brought him to Antioch; or the two years in prison in Caesarea awaiting trial before Felix and Festus (and ultimately Caesar.) 

I was thinking about seasons when “time stands still” as I walked the streets of Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea during our time in Israel.  Paul languished in prison for two years in Caesarea while a Roman leader waited for someone to bribe him for Paul’s release.  Though these years take only a verse or two in the book of Acts, they could have felt like an eternity to the Apostle Paul.

How is the clock moving in your life right now?  Is it racing along, or has it slowed to a snail’s pace.  No doubt your circumstances help you measure the pace of your life.  Paul’s experience in Caesarea, however, reminds us that sometimes being square in the middle of God’s plans (like Paul in Acts 22-28), means waiting for the next chapter to start, the pain to subside, or the diagnosis to be definitive.  Apparently, God needs to marinate some things deeply into us over a longer period of time.

No doubt God redeemed the time Paul spent in prison in a variety of ways, and no doubt God wants to bless you and others through your seasons of waiting as well.  Paul waited in Caesarea . . . where are the places you have waited on the Lord?  Know that God is at work bringing to fruition His good plans regardless of how fast you perceive the clock to be moving.

In 1986 drought conditions led to low water on the Sea of Galilee.  The low waters revealed some items that had long been submerged beneath the sea’s surface.  One of the items that poked its head through the mud and muck was the outside edges of an old wooden fishing boat.  After investigating the ruins of this boat, it was determined that the boat was 2,000 years old . . . that’s right – the fishing boat found was most likely on the waters of the Sea of Galilee in the days of Jesus and His disciples!

The story of the rescue and preservation of this boat was remarkably told at the Ginosar Kibbutz fishing boat museum that we visited on our tour of Israel.  It was truly amazing to walk around a fishing boat that would have been similar to the boats Jesus and the disciples used in the first century.  Seeing the size and look of the boat helped me put into greater focus one of the most remarkable stories from Jesus interactions with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee.

In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus is on a boat with His disciples on the sea (similar to the boat in Ginosar).  While they are sailing at night, a mighty storm broke out.  The boat was taking on water and the disciples were very afraid for their lives.  While the disciples strained against their oars, Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat.

In my mind, I had always imagined this scene differently.  The boat the disciples and Jesus were on was always a multi-layered “house boat” like the U.S.S. Minnow from Gilligan’s Island.  While the disciples were up on the deck, Jesus was far away in HIs state room.  Deep down I knew this was never the way it really went down, but for some reason, in my mind, Jesus was rooms away.  Seeing the boat in Ginosar, I realized that Jesus was within eyeshot of the disciples in their dismay.  The first century fishing boat was only 27 feet long and 7 feet wide.  With 13 people on this boat, someone in their group was within inches of Jesus . . . possibly even touching Him . . . and yet they were afraid.  What a scene this must have been!

Seeing this boat reminds me of the tension so many of us feel in life.  Even on days when we can “feel Jesus” (like when we have a refreshing time reading our Bibles, a deep season of prayer, an enriching time of fellowship, or participate in a moving worship service) we are just one storm away from wondering where He is.  We leave church encouraged, but fight with our spouse, child, or friend on the way home and come away discouraged.  We have our quiet time reading of God’s faithfulness and wisdom, then doubt His plan when things don’t go as we planned.  The rain drops of life tend have a propensity to blind us from the presence of God in our lives.

Once the disciples woke Jesus up, however, He immediately took action.  He spoke to the wind and the waves, and they immediately ceased.  This demonstrated Jesus power over all things . . . and was intended to inspire faith in the disciples — and in us.  The next time a storm is threatening you in this life, remember Who is in the boat with you . . . and remember that He is only inches away.

Do you have a favorite lake?  If you live in Oklahoma (as I do), you may have a great affection for Grand Lake, or Lake Texhoma, or Lake Eufala.  These lakes are favorites of ours NOT just because of their natural beauty, but because of the memories we have on their waters and around their shores.  I learned to waterski on Lake Tenkiller.  I played golf all around the shores of Grand Lake.  We had family vacations at Lake Texhoma.  These memories make these bodies of water special.

Did you know that in the Bible (particularly the New Testament), it seems like God has a favorite lake?  It sure seems like the Sea of Galilee is one of God’s personal favorites – not because it is the most beautiful natural setting (though it is quite pretty), but because of the memories He has with His people on and around its waters. 

Throughout Jesus’s early ministry, He spent time around the Sea of Galilee.  He called His disciples to follow Him from its shores.  He taught sermons from the surrounding hillsides.  He fed thousands on its banks.  He caught scores of fish from its waters.  He stopped raging storms on its waters with a single spoken word.  He even walked on top of its waves to meet up with His disciples as they rowed ahead.  That’s quite a history!  It sure trumps the 87 I shot at Chickasaw Pointe on Lake Texhoma!

It is clear to see that Jesus used the Sea of Galilee as a prominent setting for His ministry . . . but as I visited the Sea of Galilee on my trip to Israel, I began to think more and more about WHY Jesus used this particular body of water.  Though it is impossible to know for sure, I think Jesus used this body of water because it was so familiar to the people He was relating to at the time.

The Sea of Galilee was the most prominent geographic feature of the section of Israel where Jesus grew up.  The entire northern economy centered around this lake.  Towns surrounded its shores.  Fish from its waters and crops from its surrounding fields fed the people.  It is estimated that as many as 250,000 people lived in Galilee at the time of Jesus, and the Lake was what they knew . . . so Jesus used it to teach the people about Himself.

• Everyone in Galilee knew of the fierce storms that could spring up on the Sea of Galilee.  That is why Jesus used these storms to demonstrate His power and sovereignty to His disciples.
• Everyone in Galilee knew of the farms around the lake that were often owned by wealthy people who lived in the southern part of the country.  These wealthy landowners would frequently leave their land for long periods of time in the hands of their servants who would steward the property until the master returned.  It is interesting how Jesus used this phenomena to teach His disciples through parables about our stewardship responsibilities on this earth while we wait for His return.
• Everyone in Galilee knew what it meant to be a fisherman . . . that is why it made so much sense for Jesus to call His disciples “fishers of men.”

Jesus used what His disciples knew to communicate who He was so that they would trust Him with all they had.

Jesus communicated His identity to His disciples in ways they could understand.  I am so thankful He does the same thing for us today.  By preserving the New Testament record for us, we can see Jesus in “3-D,” living life in the world we inhabit.  More than just proverbs and poems, Jesus calmed storms, walked on water, multiplied fish and loaves, and taught in vivid illustrations so that we would know Him!

Visiting the Sea of Galilee was a true treat for me . . . but thankfully God has not required that I go there to find Him.  He pursued me and found me all the way in Oklahoma, speaking a language I knew to reveal to me who He is so that I might trust Him with all I have — and He wants to do the same for you.

Just after lunch on our third day in Israel, our group ascended to the top of a beautiful hill near the shore of the Sea of Galilee to visit the Church of the Beatitudes. This church sits in the traditional site where Jesus first preached the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7.

Unlike some of the sites where archaeological evidence can prove or disprove the historical veracity of a location, traditional sites (like the Church of the Beatitudes) carry no such certainty.  After all, Jesus did not preach this epic sermon in a building that could be excavated.  He preached it on a hillside to a group of the curious and committed.  Jesus never pastored a church with walls, pews, and budgets.  He came instead “to seek and to save the lost.” 

The Church of the Beatitudes was built in the 1930’s . . . many, many years removed from when Jesus first preached His message.  It is a beautiful location with well manicured grounds and a small but ornate octagonal chapel.  Though I appreciated my trip to this location, I could not help myself from thinking that “something was wrong” with my experience there.  The site felt very tame and peaceful . . . and very familiar.  It felt very religious and organized.  While all of these things are totally appropriate in a church today, the Sermon on the Mount was really none of those things.

When Jesus first preached this message, He did so in the countryside, not in the synagogue – outside the normal religious structures of His day.  He preached a message of a radical revolution of values – where the poor gain a Kingdom and the meek inherit the earth.  He tore down religions of appearances, and demonstrated how even those who look like they have it all together are still in great need for a Savior.  He talked in this message about being a change agent in a culture, not withdrawing from it.  He talked about loving enemies, helping the poor, and looking to heavenly treasure instead of earthly comfort.  This was one wild message . . . and it spoke to Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets and ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Millions of people have visited the Church of the Beatitudes and loved their experience there.  Rest assured, I thought it was an amazing place as well.  I am glad that we visited this location and am sure that all who visit it are blessed by its serene, pastoral feel.  Those who have built this church have created a wonderful place and those who maintain it are doing a fabulous job  . . . it is one of the most immaculate places we visited in Israel.  However, if you visit this traditional location, do not let the familiar/peaceful feel of the site distract you from the radical message that was first preached here.  Take some time today and read Matthew 5-7 and hear the platform of the King and His Kingdom.  Imagine the barren hillside on which it was preached, and hear the passion in the voice of the One who preached it. 

At the end of the sermon, those who first heard it responded this way (according to Matthew 7:28-29):

“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as One who had authority, and not as their scribes.” 

This was no ordinary message.  Jesus is no ordinary man.  He is the Son of God.  Come to Him and be astonished.

If you want to know the history of the Church, you must go to a tiny fishing village on the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee.  This sleepy town of 1,500 people hardly seems like the place where a worldwide movement would start, but that is exactly what was birthed out of the town of Capernaum in the first century AD.

Honestly, my time in Capernaum may have been my favorite stop on my entire trip to Israel.  I love Jesus and His church, and the ruins of this tiny town pointed me right to them both.  A mighty story can be told in three pictures.

On the shores of Capernaum Jesus first called some of His most prominent disciples:  Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  Jesus saw these fishermen, and He asked them to follow Him and become fishers of men.  As fishermen, these four captured live things and made them dead.  As fishers of men, they would free dead men and offer them life in Christ.  This was a wonderful upgrade! 

Inside the town of Capernaum, Jesus would ask another man, Matthew, to follow Him. I have always heard that tax collectors (like Matthew) were disliked by their contemporaries.  Seeing the size of Capernaum, however, gave this new meaning.  Matthew was not some faceless bureaucrat who worked in an office in the big city.  He was one of a few dozen families who lived in a fishing village.  Everyone knew him . . . and his mother . . . and his kids.  Peter, Andrew, James, and John certainly knew him as well – and paid tax TO HIM.  Jesus had quite a job uniting this crew!

The picture of the coastline reminded me that Jesus began the church with an invitation.  The same way He invited us to follow Him the moment we trusted Jesus as Savior.  The fishermen’s story is something we share.

Though Capernaum was a small town, it had a synagogue where Jewish people could gather to read the Scripture and discuss its meaning.  To some degree, Capernaum was Jesus’s adopted hometown during His Galilean ministry, and it was here in this synagogue where Jesus taught some of His first sermons.  Years later, after Jesus death and resurrection, many Jews came back to Capernaum to talk about the teachings of the “Nazarene” (as they described Him.)  In the excavated ruins of Capernaum, the synagogue was easily the biggest building in town.  The large synagogue was a reminder that Jesus was Himself a Jew, and most who first followed Jesus were Jews as well.  Christians (of Jewish or Gentile background) share a common history and the same God.  Seeing this synagogue was a reminder of that.

Capernaum was Peter’s home town.  Peter’s wife and mother-in-law lived there.  It was in this house that some of Jesus’s miracles took place.  Because of these reasons, it is not a surprise that early Christians gathered in Peter’s house to worship God together.  In recent years, archaeologists unearthed a particular home in Capernaum that most believe was Peter’s home.  What is fascinating about this home, is that it appears to have been added onto several times.  The walls of this small first century house just kept moving out.  The reason for this expansion is obvious.  As the church in Capernaum grew, they kept needing more and more room for the new Christians to gather and worship.  Seeing this ever expanding house reminds me that Jesus is on a mission to build and grow His church.  As more are reached with the Gospel, we can praise God as we get to move another wall.

Conclusion:

The small town of Capernaum demonstrates the growth of the early church.  From the invitation to follow Jesus, to Christianity’s roots in Judaism, to the increasing expansion of the church, this small town’s pictures tell the story of Christianity’s early roots.

One thing that stands out clearly when you visit the nation of Israel is the diversity of the terrain.  Not all acres of land in the Holy Land are created equal.  For instance, the Mediterranean coastlands are lush and beautiful, while the Judean Desert is desolate and barren.  Even though the country is small, it has many different regions.

One of the most striking regions of the country is the far north.  While the south is almost completely devoid of water or plant life, the north has raging streams, mountains that receive snowfall, and abundant farm land.  The section of Israel that most resembled the land of “milk and honey” to me was this land in the north. 

In the past, as I read my Old Testament, I would often skip over the distribution of land to the different tribes of Israel, thinking that they all just got “some land.”  After visiting Israel, however, I no longer thought of this land distribution in such a flippant manner.  In my opinion, the tribe of Naphtali got much better land than the tribe of Judah.  Think of it this way . . . one got Aspen, Colorado, while the other got Death Valley, California.

Though Naphtali got a beautiful and bountiful section of land, they also got some real challenges.  Every major invasion of Israel came from the north, so they were the most exposed tribe to enemy attack.  Also, it seems that the wealth of the northern tribes (like Dan) made them more susceptible to having a weakened faith in God, and a propensity to follow other gods.

While visiting the ancient city of Dan (in Naphtali), in the far northern reaches of Israel, we saw archaeological evidence of what happened in this province nearly 3000 years ago.  The events are described in 1 Kings 12.  After the death of Solomon, the nation of Israel broke into two Kingdoms . . . the north and the south.  While the Southern Kingdom of Judah maintained their fidelity to God longer, the Northern Kingdom of Israel quickly slide into apostasy.  In 1 Kings 12, we see that King Jeroboam wanted to establish a new center of worship OUTSIDE the Temple in Jerusalem.  Jeroboam apparently did not want any from his Northern Kingdom to visit Jerusalem (in the Southern Kingdom) for worship.  So, Jeroboam built places of worship at Bethel and Dan (inside the Northern Kingdom) and commanded his people to worship at these locations.  Listen to what Jeroboam said/did in 1 Kings 12:28-30: “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.  Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one.” 

Seeing the altar that once held a Golden Calf in Dan, I was reminded of the fickle nature of humanity.  As Tim Keller says, “Our hearts are idol factories.”  It is way too easy for us to attribute to something worthless the awesome, loving acts of our worthy God.  For the nation of Israel to think that the god who brought them out of Egypt was the lifeless statue of a golden calf, is hard for me to fathom. 

Though it is easy for us (with the perspective of history) to see the foolishness of bowing before a Golden Calf, we all have the ability to exalt the common and forget the Creator.  Naturalism puts Nature on the altar and asks us to bow down before its textbooks . . . forgetting the God who created nature in the process.  Humanism puts us on the altar and asks us to bow in pursuit of achievements . . . forgetting whose image we were created in.  Materialism puts stuff on the altar and asks us to bow before “newer/bigger/better” . . . forgetting that we enter the world with nothing, and take nothing with us.

As Americans, we live in a land like Dan.  A good deal of the world’s information (and entertainment) comes through our land . . . making us susceptible to the Enemy’s attack.  Couple that with our affluence and cultural propensity to seek after created things, and we have the makings for our own false golden altars.  Let us learn from the negative example of Jeroboam and not build high places where we bow before gods of our own making.  Let us instead have One Lord (Jesus Christ) in our life and worship Him with all our heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.

In the first century, there was one called the “Son of God.”  This person had a VERY famous father, and held a position of great prominence.  All around the Mediterranean, cities were named after this person and buildings were constructed as places to honor him.  In his day, and in this region, he was the most famous person in the world.  Who do you think this person was?

You might want to answer, “Jesus Christ” . . . but if you did, you would be wrong.  The person described above was NOT Jesus Christ but Augustus Caesar.  In His lifetime, Jesus would have only known regional fame, and in His lifetime no one built a building in His honor.  However, Caesar Augustus . . . well, that is a different story.

Though Augustus was the nephew to Julius Caesar, Julius selected Augustus as his successor due to the strength in leadership he saw in Augustus.  After the deification (post-humously) of Julius Caesar, Augustus began calling himself the “son of the divine” . . . or the “son of god.”  Throughout the Roman Empire, shrines or temples were dedicated to the name of Caesar Augustus.  There is a massive amount of historic irony that Caesar Augustus was the leader of the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus Christ’s birth, and this irony created a beautiful backdrop for one of the New Testament’s most compelling stories.

One day, Jesus went with His disciples to a largely pagan city in the far northern reaches of Israel – Caesarea Philippi.  This city (on the edges of the Golan Heights) housed one of the springs that formed the headwaters for the Jordan River . . . but abundant water was not the only thing in excess in this city.  Caesarea Philippi also had an abundance of temples to false gods.  Sitting on a hillside above the city was an interesting looking cave.  Due to an earthquake that happened here years earlier, the locals had associated that cave with the Greek god Pan.  Pagan worshippers had gathered around this cave for years and offered sacrifices to this goat/man god.  King Herod had come along later and built a new Temple at this site dedicated to Caesar Augustus — the “son of god.”  Next door to that was another temple built in honor of Zeus.  All these temples were surrounded by grottos and courtyards referencing other gods.  This “outlet mall” of pagan worship made this ancient city infamous . . . some had even called this collection of pagan shrines “the gates of hell.”

So, as Jesus entered Caesarea Philippi with His disciples, He asked them a question in Matthew 16:13, “Who do people say that [I am]?”  Jesus had been growing in popularity for quite some time.  He had developed a following by teaching with authority and performing many miracles.  Some were dismissing Jesus, but others were wondering if He was indeed the Messiah.  The disciples answered Him in 16:14, “Some say John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Then Jesus asked the disciples a more penetrating and personal question in 16:15, “But who do you say that I am?”  At this point, Peter responds in 16:16, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”  Jesus blessed Peter at this point and said in 16:17-18, “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah!  . . . You are Peter, and on this rock [the confession that Jesus was the Messiah] I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Did you catch that?  Standing in the shadow of the pagan shrines . . . with the temple of Augustus in the background . . . Jesus asked Peter who do you say that I am?  Peter’s response is that Jesus is the true Son of the Living God (not the adopted son of the dead Julius Caesar.)  Jesus affirms Peter’s declaration and informs him that no collection of other “gods” or influences will ever hold a candle to who He was or what He was offering to the world.

We live in a world of options . . . a world that promotes diverse thinking and relative truth.  We live in a world like Caesarea Philippi that wants to tell us there many different ways to God and all are equally valid.  This worldview, however, is fatally flawed.  There are not many ways to God . . . only one.  Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Humanism, etc. all line up before us like a shopping mall of temples, providing different recipes and formulas by which we might appease the gods.  However, there is one Way that offers a different approach.  Jesus stands before us (with these other constructs in the background) and says, “Who do YOU say that I am?”

As I visited the remains of Caesarea Philippi, I was blown away at the contrast between the living Son of God and the lifeless temples at the gates of hell.  Augustus died in 14 AD and is still dead. His temple in Caesarea was destroyed a few years later.  Jesus Christ was resurrected about 20 years after Augustus’s death, and continues to reign in heaven to this day.  Why dedicate our lives to the dead and dying when we can follow the resurrected and the Living?  Jesus IS the Son of God, demonstrated by power and evidence . . . unlike Caesar who simply gave himself a divine nickname. 

On the day of Jesus birth, Caesar Augustus looked powerful and Jesus looked vulnerable.  Even during Jesus’s lifetime, Augustus had a temple, while Jesus was mocked and beaten.  However, don’t let the size of the earthly temple fool you.  Augustus stands at the gates of hell, while Jesus opens the highway to heaven. 

The Living Son of God asks you a question, “Who do YOU say that I am?” How will you answer?  Who will you follow?

Isn’t it interesting how easy it is for us to see faults in others, even when we have the same flaws ourselves?  This is true for individuals . . . and it is also true for societies.

Case in point: as a part of our tour of Israel, we visited the remains of the ancient city of Beit She’an.  Though I knew very little about this city before my visit (the city is only very briefly mentioned in the Bible), I was fascinated by the ancient remains we witnessed.  The city sat at the crossroads of two significant valleys, the Jezreel and Jordan River Valleys.  In a day when virtually all travel was done on foot, this city’s physical location was the ancient equivalent of being located at the intersections of I-35 and I-40 . . . it was the crossroads of the land. 

Beit She’an’s physical location made them very cosmopolitan and wealthy.  People from all over the region would visit Beit She’an as a prime stopping point on any journey, and the city had a number of entertainment themed attractions to capture the imaginations of their visitors.  The ruins we visited included a large bath house, a sports stadium, and a massive outdoor theater.  The wealth of the city was easily shown in the mosaic covered main street that had been covered with marble (apparently mosaic roads went out of style at some point.)  While we do not know exactly all of the activities that took place in this city, it seemed clear from the remaining architecture that what happened in Beit She’an was supposed to stay in Beit She’an. 

Though we were able to see many beautiful ruins in this city, there was one thing we did not see.  Though this city was located in northern Israel, near the birth place of both Judaism and Christianity, we did not see the remains of a single synagogue or church.  Apparently, the inhabitants of this city spent their money and time on entertainment instead of worship.

Standing in that city it was easy to spot their societal blindspot.  Upon further reflection, though, our modern American culture has many similarities with the pagan community of Beit She’an.

Neil Postman famously wrote 40 years ago that America was “Amusing ourselves to death” — and this was before the advent of the internet, much less a smartphone.  Our lives, too, are filled with theaters and bath houses.  Every year, every new invention, every “improvement” in youth sports, every modern convenience can (if we are not careful) take all of our money and time, so there is nothing left to focus on our relationships with God and others.  The greatest enemy of our hearts are things — sometimes good things — that seek to become ultimate things and keep us from God.

I hope, like me, you allow the ruins of Beit She’an to challenge you to not let our modern world pave our hearts with marble and our minds with a mosaic of technology and entertainment.  We were made for so much more.  We were made for relationships with others:  our God, our family, our friends, our neighbors.  The things of this world tempt us to make the world all about us.  But the truly rich understand that life is best lived in relationship with others.  It is not bad to enjoy things . . . but don’t be owned by them.  As we live out our lives in a land of prosperity, may the “city of our hearts” be organized around our Heavenly Father, and not around theaters and bath houses.

Hanging on many walls inside public places are glass boxes containing fire extinguishers.  These boxes are usually accompanied by a sign that says, “In case of emergency, break glass.”  The idea is that if a fire started roaring down a hallway, someone could crack open the case and free an agent that could stop the blaze.  Though I have seen these many times, thankfully, I have never had to use one.

I was thinking about those glass encased fire extinguishers today as I reflected upon the monumental archaeological finding in the caves of Qumran near the Dead Sea.  Throughout the 1800 and 1900’s, modern scholarship and textual criticism had sought to discredit the biblical texts by saying they were poorly copied and full of errors.  Up until the time of World War II, the oldest copy of the Hebrew Scriptures known in existence had dated to around 1000 AD. This long gap between the authorship of the Old Testament and its oldest copy (a gap of at least 1,500 years) had fueled the fire of biblical criticism, filling the halls of Christianity and Judaism with the smoke of modern critics.  Then, in 1946, a Bedouin shepherd boy kicked a rock into a cave at Qumran . . . and heard a piece of pottery break.  This led him to pursue what was in that cave, and the discovery of what we know of now as the Dead Sea Scrolls.  This discovery suddenly gave the world copies of virtually all the Old Testament books that dated back to the first century BC — traveling our oldest manuscripts back in time 1,000 years!!  Even more significant, the Dead Sea Scrolls showed great integrity to the Biblical text over 1,000 years, revealing no major content changes.  This inspired a much greater sense of confidence that the Old Testament, indeed, had avoided corruption and was reliable.

It is almost as if God put the scrolls in the halls of Qumran behind glass waiting for the fire of modern criticism to crack them open and thus extinguish the skeptics flames.  Had the scrolls been found 1,500 years earlier, they would not have been preserved and would have been lost to future generations.  God kept them hidden just for our generation’s crisis.

Our God is good, isn’t He?  It may have seemed strange to angelic onlookers why God did not allow those scrolls to be found before He did, but (like always) God had the scrolls show up just in time.  As a good friend of mine often reminds me, “God is never late and seldom early.” 

Growing up in Oklahoma, I had very little concept of a desert oasis.  All I knew about the desert I learned from Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner cartoons I watched as a kid.  In the cartoons, oasis were small and unnecessary . . . mere eye candy in the background of the next gag.  After all, when you can have ACME send you anything you need, the desert does not seem so deserted.

After spending some time in Israel, I feel like my understanding of an oasis is more realistic and less animated.  The southern wilderness of Israel has virtually no vegetation and very limited water supply.  The Judean wilderness looks like a pile of rocks wrapped in sandpaper (except only drier).  Against this harsh backdrop, the oasis of Engedi (located on the western shore of the Dead Sea) stands out with life saving clarity. 

Engedi is a sliver of paradise in the desert.  The natural springs that feed this steep valley resuscitate the desert with spectacular water falls, bubbling streams, vegetation, abundant wildlife, and caves.  This combo provides water, food, and shelter for all its refugees.  Because of these characteristics, it is not a surprise that King David chose this spot to hide out when Saul was chasing him (as recorded in 1 Samuel 24).  The oasis’s resources could sustain his life (at least temporarily) while David awaited the Lord’s timing for coronation and the transition of power.

While David was in Engedi, he wrote Psalm 57.  Given the beauty and life that Engedi had, it is striking to me how David clearly saw the Lord as His true refuge (not the oasis).  David says:

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.  He will send from heaven and save me; He will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah. 

God will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness!  My soul is in the midst of lions; I lie down amid fiery beasts—the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!

They set a net for my steps; my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my way, but they have fallen into it themselves. Selah.

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody! Awake, my glory! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn!

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!  Let your glory be over all the earth!”

Notice the language of his prayer. Though David’s body was sustained in Engedi, his soul was protected “in the shadow of Your (God’s) wings.” David knew his needs were more than physical, so he turned to the God who could sustain both body AND soul.  Heaven and earth provided the oasis, but it was God who gave David his spiritual strength to honor Saul even when Saul wanted to kill him.  Remembering this, David concluded his prayer by exalting God ABOVE the heavens and the earth.  It was as if David was saying, I am not just thankful for Engedi, I am thankful for the God who created Engedi and gives my soul an oasis as I walk in the wilderness of this fallen world.

The world we live in is harsh and hurtful.  At times, it can even put us on the run.  God has placed hundreds of “oasis-like” environments on this earth where we can physically recharge and recoup when life is hard.  These oasis can be as dramatic as the Rocky Mountains or as common as the red chair and ottoman in my living room where I often seek refuge when I have had a hard day.  Make no mistake, God has given us these streams of refreshment to nourish our bodies.  Let us not forget, however, that our need is more than physical.  We need spiritual nourishment and encouragement as well.  If we cry out to Him (as David did) He will send us reminders of His love and faithfulness like a waterfall, enabling us to glorify Him in the desert.