From the mouth of the Ibex: A trip through Old Testament Jerusalem

Students experience life of the Bible from reading the Psalms of Ascent on the southern steps to wading in the waters of the Pools of Siloam.

By ANGELA DE COURCY
City of David 224 88 (photo credit: Courtesy of the Shalem Center)
City of David 224 88
(photo credit: Courtesy of the Shalem Center)
Today was another fun, fact-filled day in the Land of Israel. We ventured through the Old City and the City of David. As we went from site to site, attempting the best we could to cram thousands of years of history into a nine hour field-trip, many events made more sense as we studied the topography and chronology surrounding them. Many truths came alive as we read from Scripture near or at the exact place where the passage took place. Not only did we cover a lot of ground, but we also covered a great deal of information. To be honest, approaching this field-trip, I had miniscule to zero knowledge of Hezekiah, other than revering him as one of the great kings of Israel. All to say, I was very interested to learn that he is esteemed for his great faith in God, which was manifested by his works. He began his rule at the young age of 25 in the year 715 BC. One of his first projects was to build a wall, in efforts to prepare for the imminent Assyrian siege, led by Sennacherib, which occurred in 701 BC. Remnants of the wall are still left today, some of which we got to see. It is known as the Broad Wall. Our teacher explained to us the strategy behind building this part of the wall thicker than the other parts, perhaps because the city was more susceptible to attacks from the north. Isaiah 22:11 may be referring to this wall. In keeping with the theme, let me discuss another one of Hezekiah's great works, Hezekiah's Tunnel. Towards the end of the day, we enjoyed exploring the 533 meters of tunnel. It was refreshing, to say the least. After a long day of trekking up and down stairs and hills, the fresh water served as quite the cool-down. The main purpose of this tunnel was to transport water from its source, the Gihon Spring, to the bottom corner of the Western hills. As we emerged from the tunnel, we poured on out into the Siloam Pool, a place associated with the ministry of Jesus. After Jesus proclaimed that He was the light of the world, he sent a blind man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man washed his eyes and it was here that he received sight (John 9). Concerning Hezekiah's faithful legacy which greatly influenced this Land and this people, the thing I most admired and would like to apply from him, was his steadfast trust in Yahweh. Even when God was peeling away many comforts, such as his alignment with other nations, Hezekiah remained faithful and placed his trust in Him, not himself, or other things. It reminds me of that verse in Psalm 20, in which the psalmist declares that he will trust in the Lord, not in horses or chariots, for with God is the victory. Moving on to another highlight of the day, we visited the traditional spot associated with the Last Supper. While here our IBEX guys sat in a triclinium, which is a Roman way of sitting. However, according to Bill (our professor), we have no way of knowing the exact style or arrangement of the seating that night. Also, I was surprised to learn that women and children were most likely in attendance. While all these things are important and interesting, the main thing that Bill stressed to us was that when Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me," it was in the context of Passover. Jesus claimed to be the focus of the Passover celebration. I also enjoyed reading the Psalms of Ascent on the southern steps leading to the Temple Mount. It isn't until you stand under the scorching sun, that you realize the weighty significance that these verses hold, such as when the psalmist refers to the Lord as his shade. Once again, this goes to show how really truly Israel had to depend on God for everything, including refreshment, both physical and spiritual. On our way to view the Hinnom Valley, we passed by the grave of Oskar Schindler. We reflected on this remarkable man who is known for his efforts to save Jews from the horrors of Hitler. However, I couldn't help but think of the ultimate Saviour, Jesus Christ, who saves us from eternal death. From this cemetery we could see the Hinnom Valley, the place discussed in Jeremiah 7:30, also referred to as the valley of slaughter. In other words, this place was known for its high places and idol worship. Jeremiah depicts a very gruesome picture for us as he describes the destruction God will bring on this valley. He says that the carcasses of the people will be eaten by the birds and that all joy will cease in this city. All of this goes to show God's utter hatred for idolatry. In closing, let me list, in no particular order, a few more things that I took away and would like to remember from today. We visited an old mikvah, or Jewish ritual immersion bath. It was here where Bill called our faith a Jewish faith, explaining how baptism is a Jewish concept. It is through the Jews that we know about concepts like baptism, not to mention the Messiah and the resurrection. Last but not least, the theme I would assign to today's excursions would be that Jerusalem was and is what it is only because of God. We saw at various points throughout the day how God's sovereignty so perfectly ruled Israel as a nation, whether that meant the timing of a project or the choosing of a king. And this observation brings great comfort to me today as I realize that it is the same sovereign God today who rules the momentarily affairs of my life. As the words of the hymn go, "God so wonderously reigneth." Previous Entries A walk through the Old City of Jerusalem