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| Oldest City Gate ever discovered - one of 7 Wonders of the Ancient World |
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| Entrance to Tel Dan |
Ancient of Days, I’m having trouble taking this all
in. I was actually standing in front of one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world – the city gate located at Tel Dan in the Northern Region of Israel, just
below the Golan Heights . There was no ticket
booth, there were no roller coasters or food kiosks and not one souvenir shop:
Just You, me, my fellow pilgrims and a deep sense of spiritual history.
What I’ve learned, because of the geography of this
land, is that this was THE place, (perhaps the very spot on which I stood while
snapping pictures), where Abraham would have approached Your Promised Land.
Here he would have had to seek favor with the locals, making sure they did not
consider him, or his clan that accompanied him, as a threat.
“Wait a minute,” some might say. “Why couldn’t he
have just skirted the gate, snuck in around and avoided the risk of confronting
the Canaanites?” Before this trip, I had
considered that very question.
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| Mt. Hermon to the North |
Abe would have been seen coming from a long way off
– again because of the terrain – and the mountains on either side would have
prevented any easy way around into the land. The “locals” were well aware of
his approach and would have sent scouts to determine his intent. Abraham would
have little choice but to approach honestly and declare his purpose…
“My
God, the one true God, told me to come here and live in the land.”
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| Fellow Pilgrims at Tel Dan |
Hmmm, wonder what the locals might have thought of
that? Did Abe proclaim his faith or did his just declare and interest in
seeking out some good grazing ground? When You, Lord, told him You were going
to give him this land for his descendents and he discovered it was in sever
drought conditions, did he have a conversation with You? Did he express
confusion, possibly even doubt about the opportunity You offered him?
Father A. was amazing in a lot of ways, Adonai. But
You knew that, You saw that in him before he was even in the womb. A man who
gave up his family business – You know the one, where his dad was an idol maker
– shirked the ire of his relatives, took a flock of sheep (not an easy trade to
pick up when you’re 70 years old) and headed to an unknown land at the bidding
of a God no-one else recognized.
Abe had to have courage, Lord. There was no map, no
GPS, nothing but legend and stories from other travelers. What would cause a
man to radically redefine his lifestyle in such a way?
…And
he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness. Gen 15:6
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| Crusader Fortress at Tel Dan |
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| Go Forward |
It makes me wonder about our relationship, Father
God. Am I willing to abandon all for You? Are You sending me to unfamiliar
places for reasons I can’t yet comprehend? Abraham didn’t hear Your purpose for
him until he was already in transit and at risk. Do I have the faith necessary
to go with only Your Spirit as my assurance?
Do I understand that You don’t offer anything more
than relationship and that could mean anything – life, death; any and all of
what You offer is blessing if I offer obedience.
I saw that in the land, Lord: A place of wonder for
a wondering people. And I stood at a gate that represented a choice, just as it
did to Abraham – turn back and resume your old life, or take a total leap of
faith, a risk venture into the unknown Kingdom of the One True God.
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| Patti and Mark at City Gate |
Thank You Ancient of Days for seeking relationship
with Abraham and all his descendants: establishing a role model and inspiration
for those like me, who might say, when offered the same opportunity, “That’s
impossible, no one would risk that much.” And thank you for the ultimate
historical and spiritual demonstration of Risk For All; he who even could teach
Abraham, Your son, Jesus, my Messiah. By these examples, my walk is filled with
possibility, not impossibility, the gate is opened wide and I walk through now
in confidence, knowing You are leading me by example.
Mark C.
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