OVERWHELMING (In a good way)

Tuesday afternoon was our first day out in the city and by the time we made it back to campus we had hiked over 7 miles!  You know as I type this 7 miles doesn't sound like much, but since it included about a billion stairs my body was pretty sore by the time I plopped onto our bed at 8pm!  We are having an amazing time!  We started off by  quickly walking through Old Jerusalem to not only orient ourselves with the maze but to take a look at Hezekiah's Wall (the Broad Wall) We were staring at a structure that is dated some 700 yrs BC! It is an amazing feat for Hezekiah's to enclose this part of the city and protect his people from Assyria.  The rest of the day was hiking down the Tyropoeon Valley to the City of David, walking through Hezekiah's tunnel,  and sitting on the stairs of the pool of Siloam. 

  My thoughts and emotions are all over the place.  Hezekiah save the day by protecting the city and its water supply.  

The "Large Stone" ruins which could have possibly been David's palace(as it is dated 10th century BC) and the Burnt house are evidence of the destruction brought about during the Babylonian invasion about 100 years later.  God used the Assyrians and the Babylonians to bring judgement to His unfaithful children.  God had given them the promise land and they had renewed their commitment to follow God in Joshua 24 and in verse 13 Joshua reminds them what God had promised them. " I gave you a land on which you had not labored and cities that you had not built, and you dwell in them. You eat the fruit of vineyards and olive orchards that you did not plant."  Of course God's promise came with action on their part and when they had turned their back on God and His ways over and over again Zephaniah predicts that they are about to be evicted from the promise land.  

“On that day,” declares the Lord,

    “a cry will be heard from the Fish Gate,
a wail from the Second Quarter,
    a loud crash from the hills.
¹¹ Wail, O inhabitants of the Mortar!
    For all the traders^[c] are no more;
    all who weigh out silver are cut off.
¹² At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps,
    and I will punish the men
who are complacent,^[d]
    those who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will not do good,
    nor will he do ill.’
¹³ Their goods shall be plundered,
    and their houses laid waste.
Though they build houses,
    they shall not inhabit them;
though they plant vineyards,
    they shall not drink wine from them.”

First thing I thought as we reflected on this is HOW COOL!  Our Wednesday night bible study had just finished Joshua.  God's Word is never studied in vain.  It also brought me fear to think of God's judgement and how he used other nations to bring it.  I felt an urgency for our nation.  We need a revival of faithful believers! We ended the day climbing back up to the Old City through an underground tunnel that was probably how sewage filtered down the hill under Herodian Road.  It was so stinkin' awesome! (pun intended) 

Today was FABULOUS!  We went to my favorite places.  The 1st century road, temple steps, and the Church of the Holy Seplecher.  Mark and I sat in awe as we thought about the fact that we are sitting where God in flesh walked and sat.  Where He emptied himself for mankind to save us.  To think that everyone in His time thought that God's presence was in the temple but He was standing right in front of them.  Fully God. Fully human.  Mark and I standing where the creator of all things once stood. There are no words to describe it. I am more emotional this trip.  Maybe because I'm not as worried about where we are going or getting separated from the group and just enjoying the moment.  Our time at the church left us astonished.  We touched the actual rock that Jesus was crucified on and saw the empty grave He left behind.  It is just the most magnificent experience!   We ended the day on the roof top of the upper room where Jesus ate his last supper and likely appeared to the apostles after his resurrection.  This is where the first church gathered, the day of pentecost occurred, and possibly the Jerusalem counsel met.  OVERWHELMING!!!  In a good way!  We are so blessed to be on this journey together.  I cherish the memories we are making!  I can't wait to come back with Otto ;-)