This past Monday we returned to travel for a day of field study. We traveled through all of the land that was given to the Tribe of Benjamin. This included Jericho where Joshua began his conquests to take the land for the nation of Israel. Benjamin was given such a large variety of land and many kings in history fought over the land for it's great resources. This is where Joshua and the Israelites began taking over all the land because this was a gateway to Jerusalem and had amazing resources. We started the day walking through a Wadi...which is a natural gorge between the hills where fault line, erosion, and folding of the rock created these deep gorges where water runs. Because we are still in warm weather season, there was no water running through the wadi and we were able to hike through it and walk along the ancient road to Jericho. It was ridiculously hot but also an incredible hike through this kind of land.
As we were down in the Wadi we read through Deuteronomy 32:9-14. This passage talks about this kind of land that we were hiking through and metophorically uses the geography of the land to show God's protection over His people. Verse ten talks about God's people being the "apple of His eye". However, in discussing the whole of the passage and the original word to "apple" we came to understand the vastness of this statment. The word for "apple" is actually "little man" and "eye" is"pupil". If you have ever looked into the pupils of another person's eyes you can see your own reflection in their eyes. In this passage then, it is suggested that we are considered to be the "little men" in God's pupil. Our reflection is in His eyes as we are in relationship with Him. It also suggests that as He looks at us His reflection is also in our eyes. Much like we are created in the image and reflection of our parents, God has created us as a reflection of His image. He sees himself in us and we have the opportunity to see Him in us as well. I'm not sure if you will find this discovery nearly as exciting as I do, but it definitely had me thinking twice about how God has created me and how He looks at me as His own. It's pretty powerful to me that He can look into my eyes and see His own reflection as I look into His and find myself created in the likeness of Him.
As we were down in the Wadi we read through Deuteronomy 32:9-14. This passage talks about this kind of land that we were hiking through and metophorically uses the geography of the land to show God's protection over His people. Verse ten talks about God's people being the "apple of His eye". However, in discussing the whole of the passage and the original word to "apple" we came to understand the vastness of this statment. The word for "apple" is actually "little man" and "eye" is"pupil". If you have ever looked into the pupils of another person's eyes you can see your own reflection in their eyes. In this passage then, it is suggested that we are considered to be the "little men" in God's pupil. Our reflection is in His eyes as we are in relationship with Him. It also suggests that as He looks at us His reflection is also in our eyes. Much like we are created in the image and reflection of our parents, God has created us as a reflection of His image. He sees himself in us and we have the opportunity to see Him in us as well. I'm not sure if you will find this discovery nearly as exciting as I do, but it definitely had me thinking twice about how God has created me and how He looks at me as His own. It's pretty powerful to me that He can look into my eyes and see His own reflection as I look into His and find myself created in the likeness of Him.
Wadi Qilt
View of Wadi Qilt.....there were cross set up sporatically around the Wadi
St. George's Monastery in the Wadi
The undergrad students walking through the Wadi....we walked behind them on the same trail....the Jericho Road
Scott talking with some kids from the Bedouin community
View of Jericho
A view of the Aijalon valley while the sun was setting in the other direction......It's amazing that Benjamin was blessed with land that not only had a vast desert landscape but if you travel 10-20 miles West, you hit fertile and vegetative land. They had the best of both worlds which explains why everyone was fighting over their land in scripture. Their land also accessed all the main routes to the coast in the West and had the best resources of water, agriculture, economy, and security.
1 comment:
Thank you for taking the time to educate us as well. Your spiritual discoveries are fascinating for me to be a part of. I am continually impressed. The metaphor with being the apple of God's eye, wow. I appreciate your detail. I am intrigued and feel so humbled that He has chosen me.
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