Samaria

Tina Huber

Reflections Day 6

Samaria

January 9, 2012

Today is our last field trip before our exam tomorrow. I think part of the overwhelmed feeling I get when I think about taking this exam is not only wanting to pass the test itself, but to retain this information. I’ve been fairly good in the past at cramming for tests, learning what I need to for short term memory retention, then forgeting 80% within a week to make room for the next exam information. I do not want that to happen! I want to remember all that I’ve learned. That is why I love this time of reflection on my day. I’ve heard some grumbling over this requirement but I am convinced when they return home and want to share this experience with family and friends they will be grateful, as will I. So, onward! We went back into the West Bank into Samaria. We began by going into Nebolis, which is Schechem, the first capital of the northern kingdom, at an archeological site. This was a fortress or temple area. Many times the temple would be the last stand for a city. The walls for this city were extrememly thick. Extra reinforcements for it because it was an exposed city. This accessibility made it likely that this was a refuge city too. A place that someone could escape to if they had committed manslaughter. This city would protect the person till an investigation, so to speak, could be performed. I saw a huge stone standing at the edge. It was obviously a standing stone. This was placed marked to remember something. It is believed that this is the place that Joshua renewed the covenant with the people. If you read Joshua 24 it says it is in Shechem! This chapter is detailed of how Joshua informs the people what God wants and expects from them. The new generation coming out of the wilderness to the promise land. I couldn’t help but think of an informed consent that we use in the medical field. Here is everything that will happen and could happen, do you still want to do it? The people replied, “Yes, we will serve the LORD our God and obey him!” This is what this giant stone was a reminder of. They renewed their service to the LORD. It was to let all that passed through this easily accessible city, the city of refuge to be reminded of who God was and that his people will serve him. I don’t know about you but I can see from this, that we are called to be this standing stone in our faith. People should look at us and know that we serve our God, our refuge. I love the history and the sites themselves, but my main goal is to have spiritual growth on this adventure. I remember reading a quote not too long ago, “a generation who forgets history has no past and no future.” How true!

We then went to a greek orthodox church that was built over a well. This is in a rather aggressive area against the church. We could see Hamas flags flying proudly. The church itself displays tapestry of martyrs from this area and how they met their death. This is remembered as Jacob’s well and is likely to be this very well. This land in Samaria is rich with springs so there isn’t a need for wells. The church was beautiful. I really like the reverence that is in these churches. They haven’t become so casual that there is a disrespect of who God is. There is an honor of Him that I like. We walked down the into the well, which is under the alter, and was able to pull up a bucket of water from the well and drink from it! Olivia read John 4 outloud to our group to remind us of the woman at the well. How humbling. I don’t know about you but I can certainly identify with the woman at the well. Jesus points out to her that her beliefs are misguided and he is the answer. Here, Jesus makes it know that salvation will be for all. He is the living water for all. As Christians this living water runs through us by His Holy Spirit. We don’t have to come to the well over and over again to get filled up. It is constantly running through us, washing us clean and satisfying our thirst. Good stuff!

Hey, guess what? Herod built another place! Shocking, right? This guy was unbelievable! This temple we visited was built to Cesaer. It had a huge ampitheater and really was an outlet to get into the diverse international culture that passed through here. Herod would have never tried to build something like this in a conservative city like Jerusalem. The people wouldn’t stand for foreign gods there. I reflected on this a bit. A conservative city wouldn’t allow foreign gods in. There is a lesson here in our faith. We need to be careful when we are trying to be in the world and not of the world. It is a slow fade when we allow outside influences to change our perspective on our faith. It affects the generations to come and starts a slippery slope that ends in disaster. This area that we were in was just recently let open to the public. We are still in the West Bank area. A shop owner was very grateful to have tours back in his town and opened up his dining hall for us too eat lunch. Very hospitable culture. After lunch we headed to Mt Gerzim and Mt Ebal and read of the cursings and blessings that occurred there. We had almost got through the discussion when 4 soldiers came and kicked us off this military area. Oops! We went into Samaria and listened to a Samaritan High Priest who claims to be from a Levitical tribe. He says that his people were part of the remnant that was left behind when Assyria came through and carried away the Iraelites to captivity. There are only 700 of these Samaritans alive today and half of them reiside in this area. It was interesting to see their synagague and listen to his story. We left here and went to Shiloh. Horrible things happened in Shiloh. I won't go into a lot of detail because it is rather gross. There is a lot of sexual immorality in the region. A concubine is raped and killed and revenge is sought. This is were the Benjamin tribe came and took the women of Shiloh to replace their women who were killed in retaliation. It is a tragic and confusing story that ends with "people did what they thought was right in their own eyes." Lord I pray that we you will give me the abilitiy to see evil through Your eyes and that I will see people through Your eyes. This world is not what you had planned when we see things through our eyes! Amen.