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It is only day 4 but already we have learnt so much about women in the bible. It has been invaluable to understand how we can apply the characteristics of the godly women and ask God to help us remove those unfavourable ones. Today was our last day in Galilee. The rest of the tour would be spent in Jerusalem. Along the way we would walk in the footsteps of more wonderful women of the bible.

From Harlot to Heroine

Our first stop of the day and backdrop for the next biblical woman was the ancient city of Jericho. We stood facing the mount of temptation, where Jesus was approached by Satan whilst fasting for 40 days and 40 nights. It was here that Pamela and Rev. Taylor spoke to us about the life of Rahab.

Rahab’s name comes from the Egyptian god Ra and means insolence and fierceness. She was an Amorite prostitute from an idolatrous nation. Rahab was very intelligent and had heard about the reputation of the God of Israel, how he always led them to victory. By faith Rahab chose to protect the Israelite spies who had come to spy out the land of Jericho and destroy the Amorites. Rahab put her faith in the God of Israel and because of this she and her family were saved.

After Israel defeated the Amorites, Rahab married one of the spies. Jesus was a descendant of this union. Her story shows us that God can turn any life around. Through faith she obtained a new life that led to the earthly life of even our Lord Jesus. We too can be changed and obtain a new destiny if we just have faith in God. There is no depth of sin that God cannot lift a person from, if they turn to Him by faith.

Mary and Martha – Which One Are You?

After lunch and fellowship in Jericho we went to Bethany the home town of Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus (Luke 10:38). At Bethany we learnt about the intimate relationship that Jesus had with Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They had true friendship, they loved Jesus and Jesus loved them.

In Luke we see how Mary loved to sit at the feet of Jesus, whilst Martha was encumbered with the duties of serving. When Martha asked Jesus “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” Jesus said lovingly “Martha, Martha you are careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”.

Sometimes we can get caught up in practical things but miss special moments with the Lord. We must be careful of busyness!

Jesus loved both Mary and Martha and both types of characteristics are required in our spiritual lives. Martha was dependable and task orientated whilst Mary was a free spirited woman, spiritually sensitive and wept freely. It was Mary that poured expensive perfumed ointment on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. These sisters were very different and so are we all.

Mary and Martha had a characteristic in common and that was Faith. When their brother became sick they both called for Jesus knowing that he could make things right. Jesus did not come straight away and Lazarus died. When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Martha knew that even then, whatever Jesus asked for God would grant it to Him. Jesus called Lazarus forth and he rose from the dead.

God makes room for so many personalities and we need to embrace the way God made us. There are times when we need to be busy but we must also have those quiet times with Jesus. There will be times when extravagance is necessary (such as Mary’s use of expensive ointment) but God will also lead us to frugality. Loving and serving God is the most important thing.

Leap for Joy

In Jerusalem Rev. Taylor and Pamela highlighted the faithfulness of Mary (Mother of Jesus) and Elizabeth her cousin who had been barren for many years but remained faithful in serving God.

Mary and Elizabeth had a special relationship and are great examples of women celebrating each other. They were both pregnant and although Elizabeth had been barren for years, she displayed no resentment towards her teenaged cousin but was honoured to have the Saviour’s mother in her house. The baby even leaped in Elizabeth’s womb, when she heard Mary’s salutation.

We were all encouraged to keep having faith and celebrate the answers to each other’s prayers even if we are still waiting for ours. With God nothing is impossible.

Taking Refuge Under God’s Wings

Before retiring to the hotel in Jerusalem we journeyed to Bethlehem where we recounted the life of Ruth. Pamela explained that In order to understand the town of Bethlehem we had to look at the features that create the word Bethlehem, which means the ‘House of Bread’ or ‘House of Fruitfulness’. Pamela then showed us an opening blossom of an olive tree with wheat growing all around. Pressed olives and wheat are used to make bread and so the landscape itself was a physical representation of the meaning of the area. The biblical diet was grain, wine and oil and that is what Bethlehem is all about, a fertile place where wheat and olive trees grow. The way that Bethlehem is set up on limestone terraces is that the oil trees are planted with wheat growing in between.

In the book of Ruth we see that a man named Elimelech of Bethlehem Judah went to live in Moab because there was a famine in Bethlehem (no wheat and oil). As we read this, we could actually see the hills of Moab in the distance. Elimelech and his wife Naomi had sons in Moab, who married two Moabite women Ruth and Orpah. Both sons and the Father died. Naomi journeyed back to Bethlehem with Ruth as she had heard that the Lord had “visited his people by giving them bread”.

Ruth had a great capacity for love; she shows this by leaving her homeland and sojourning with Naomi. In Bethlehem Ruth gleans in the field and builds up a good reputation. She chooses the God of Naomi and looks after Naomi, carrying herself in a humble and respectful way. Boaz, the owner of the field in which she gleans notices Ruth for her great character. He comments on how she has left her own land to take refuge under the Lord’s wings. Eventually he marries her. They have a child and he is the grandfather of King David who is in the ancestral line of Jesus.

Ruth’s life shows us that if we give up everything for God he will honour us and we will see the glory of God in our lives.

Today we continued our study on various women of the bible. Whilst on the coach to Mount Tabor, Pamela referred to Ezekiel 36:24 – 28 where we see that God has been in the cyclical process of breaking and cleansing Israel from idolatry and paganism from the nations. His intention is to sprinkle Israel with the clean water of God’s Holy Spirit. The women that we would learn about today were all at different places with the Lord and had differing encounters with the idolatry and paganism mentioned in Ezekiel and other parts of the bible. Some of these women were on the Lord’s side whilst others were themselves idolaters.

Mount Tabor is a high mountain very close to Nazareth and also a place of pilgrimage to commemorate the Transfiguration. The view from the top is not just beautiful but a high point from which other significant locations can be viewed. From here we could see the Jezreel (meaning God will sow seed) valley where the Midianites and Amalekites pitched together against Israel, the hill of Moreh where the Gideonites camped against the Midianites, Mount Gilboa where Saul was killed by the Philistines, the village of Nain and Bethel the home of Deborah.

Deborah was a charismatic and well respected woman who became a Judge of Israel (Judges 4:4). She was the wife of Lapidoth and had an extraordinary relationship with the Lord, He was her ‘one thing’ that meant the most to her. We know this because Deborah despite being a Judge, counselor, prophetess, strong and assertive did not step out of the role ordained by God. For instance, she still acted in her capacity of a wife and moved out of the way to allow Barak to fulfill his role as a warrior for Israel.

Rev. Taylor explained to us that in God’s kingdom the roles between men and women are very defined. This is not the situation in the secular world when the roles have become very blurred. Deborah was the Judge of Israel but God had prepared a man, Barak, to go to battle and fight against Sisera, the enemy of Israel.

Pamela then showed us the obedience of a woman called Jael. She was in her tent when Sisera came near to it (Judges 4:18). Jael invited him in got him comfortable and when he was asleep, she drove a nail into his temple with a hammer.

From these two women we learn the importance of staying within the boundaries of the ministry that God has given to you as an individual. Jael did not step far from the camp to fulfill her purpose in the battle and Deborah did not step outside of her role as a woman. We need to know who we are in Christ – when we know this we no longer feel the need to compete against others. Only then will our primary goal be to please God.

After this teaching we thanked God for how he had spoken to us and praised God for Rev. Taylor and Pamela, who like Deborah and Jael, were individually led by the Holy Spirit and worked together in a God breathed synchronicity.

During the day we travelled to En Dor, the home of the woman referred to as the Witch of Endor (1 Sam 28:7). En Dor is a fertile place full of trees such as the carab, pomegranate, olive and almond trees. But it was also the home of a woman who was reputed for her contact with spirits. We also visited the Jezreel valley to learn about Jezebel, the wicked wife of King Ahab.

The witch of Endor and Jezebel were both violators of God’s laws. One involved in occult practice and the other a murderer, manipulator and idolater. These women were examples of how not to live. It is so important to be aware of those traits in us that are undesirable so that we can pray against them and become what God wants us to be.

Today began with an early start and a boat trip on the Sea of Galilee. We were lulled into the presence of the Holy Spirit by the worship music and gentle undulation of the boat. From the boat we looked along the Northern shores where Jesus’ ministry took place (Capernaum, Bethsaida and Magdala).

Shortly after worship we learnt from Pamela that today was the Holocaust remembrance and that later on in the week would be the commemoration of Israel’s independence when we remember the birth of the state of Israel and God’s purpose. We were amazed that God would have us here at this time during these two significant events in Israel’s history!

Pastor read the group the following scripture:

24 And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all that are round about them, that despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD. 25 Thus saith the Lord GOD; When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to my servant Jacob. 26 And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence, when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God. (Ezekiel 28:24 – 26)

We were reminded that despite all that is going on at the moment in regards to Israel and its neighbouring countries. God will deal with Israel’s neighbours and bring peace to Israel.

Pulling the Word

After the boat trip we took the coach to Capernaum. Whilst travelling, Pamela initiated the purpose of the tour which was to study a selection of women of the Bible. As contextual information, Pamela described to us, the importance of ritual purification to the Jews. In Jesus’ time ritual cleansing was very important and every town, with a Jewish community, had to have a ritual emersion bath.

We were then ready to be introduced to our first two women of the Bible for study; the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus’s daughter. Rev. Taylor gave a clear and comprehensive exposition on the uncleanness attributed to both these females, and how Jesus took them from being outcasts and touched them with his love and acceptance.

In Luke 8: 41 – 49, Jesus is on his way to see Jairus, a wealthy man, because his 12 year old daughter was extremely sick. Whilst on His way the crowd is thronging Him, yet he feels the touch (virtue/power left him) of a desperate woman who had suffered an issue of blood for 12 years. It was against the law for a menstruating woman to be in the presence of people and even more of a problem for her to be in the presence of a rabbi, yet by faith this woman (separated from people for 12 years!) broke tradition and rules to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment and she was healed. Furthermore when Jesus asked “who touched me?” the woman bravely admitted it, her faith was commended and she was sent away in peace.

The fringes of the hem represented the 613 precepts in the Torah – the promises in His Word. This has spiritual significance to us who believe in Christ. We too can ‘touch the hem of His garment’ when we ‘pull on His Word’, or ‘pull on the Word’ – which is Jesus. It means that when we have an issue in our life we can ask Jesus to help us and use the word that He gave us as the basis for having our need met/resolved.

By the time Jesus reached Jairus’ house, his daughter was dead. She was now unclean as it was against the law to touch a dead body. But praise God – Jesus broke tradition, spoke to the girl and death released her.

The testimonies of the woman and Jairus’ daughter show us that Jesus saw no difference between the outcast and accepted or the rich and the poor in regards to their access to Him. Jesus transcends the traditions and barriers put up by men. Therefore we should praise God for his loving kindness and mercy to us all.

From Last to First

After Capernaum we had lunch and then went to Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew meaning Tower). This was the home of Mary Magdelene. This was a zealot (men who actively fought against Roman rule) oriented town in close proximity to Gamla – the centre of Zealot activity. This was also the back drop to Mary Magdalene’s life.

Jesus released Mary from the domination of seven demons and after this her life was never the same. She went from being under satanic control to being completely devoted to Jesus even being near to him at his crucifixion and present at his burial. She went from having an oppressed low life to being the first to see the stone rolled away, the first to declare Jesus’ resurrection and the first to see the risen Lord.

This is the nature of our Lord, to take a broken outcast thing and make it new. This is what he does when he gives us new life. In return we should be devoted to Him.

A Path of Parables

We then travelled to Arbel the location of a war between the Zealots and Herod’s soldiers. It was also a place that Jesus would have walked with his followers. Pamela posed the group the question “How would Jesus have commented on the battle and dealt with the politics? Jesus’ answer was the Kingdom of God and that is why he spoke to His disciples, through various parables about the Kingdom of God.

As we walked the path in Arbel we saw with our own eyes, thorny ground, stony ground, the wayside, mustard seeds and mountains. Jesus used all these to show the disciples, in terms that they could relate to and understand the characteristics of His Kingdom.

The zealots, pharisees and saducees all thought they knew what was best in regards to ruling the people but the answer was and still is today the Kingdom of God.

Worship at the Jordan

Finally we had a time of worship at the Jordan with prayers of thanksgiving. We poured out our hearts to Jesus asking for His will in to be done in our lives.

We all arrived in good time for the 3:30pm flight to Tel-Aviv from Heathrow.  Expectancy was in our hearts and we could not wait to get on the plane and step into Israel.  However the journey was delayed by 2 hours.  We often hear that what is our disappointment is God’s appointment but we discovered firsthand the truth of this saying.

Once we arrived at Ben Gurion (almost midnight) we were met by or Guide Pamela Suran, who informed us that for one hour there had been a heavy sandstorm which was so strong it blew a stage down.  The storm had finished passing through the area just before we landed.  Praise God that our delay was God’s protection and deliverance from danger.

Unfortunately a 20 year old female soldier lost her life when the stage collapsed on her.  Let us pray for the family – that they will be comforted.