First Day in the Holy Land!

As the sun is setting here in Israel, we await the first three stars to appear, officially ending the day of rest. Although most Israeli Jewish people have enjoyed their day off, our group of 53 souls has been quite busy trekking all around the greater Tel Aviv area. We all seem to have arrived safe and sound!

Our first stop was at the ancient port of Jaffa (Joppa, "Beautiful") https://www.bibleplaces.com/joppa/, known biblically as a primary seaport during King Solomon's reign. The prophet Jonah also sailed from there, against God's wishes. Simon the tanner lived there, Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, and Peter's vision and commission to take the gospel to the Gentiles occurred in Jaffa. From our vantage point in Jaffa, we took in a breathtaking northward view of Tel Aviv and the sea, where we could see the white sails of boats on the blue Mediterranean waters, and thousands of Israelis enjoying a Sabbath swim. As we walked the streets of Jaffa toward our falafel or shawarma lunch, our tour guide, Miriam, taught us that the word "tel" means "mound", and we took in the sounds of Peruvian street musicians.

Our second stop was in Rehovot, a short drive south, where we toured the Ayalon Ammunition Factory https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-ayalon-institute. This remarkable, underground factory produced 9mm bullets for the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary organization during the British Mandate of Palestine (1921-48), which eventually became the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Our tour guide, David, taught our group that without those 2.5 million bullets produced in the secret factory, the war for Israeli independence in 1948 would have turned out very differently.

Another short drive through the Israeli countryside brought us to the Valley of Elah https://www.bibleplaces.com/elahvalley/, the site where God allowed the teenage boy David to defeat a giant Philistine warrior, Goliath. (1 Samuel 17)  Dr. Jim Showers, Executive Director for the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, guided the group with a poignant message on God's sovereignty in David's epic battle, his life, and in our lives today.

"Some of us are fighting giants right now," said Jim. "Our hope is in the Lord. Nothing is by chance." He challenged us further, referring to God's anointing on the young David because He knew David's heart. "What does God see when he looks at our hearts?"

With confident scriptural accuracy, it is easy to see how the stadium-like battlefield, with nearby brook for David's riverstones, allowed both armies a fantastic vantage point to witness the combat and defeat of the Philistines by a shepherd with a slingshot.

Winding our way back to Tel Aviv during sunset, we drove through beautiful acacias, oak trees, olive trees, and plenty of azaleas in bloom. I hear we have an early start and more falafel on the menu tomorrow.

What does God see when he looks at your heart?

Our Team
Blog author: Amy Westphal
Ministry Initiative Specialist
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

Photos: Melissa DiLiberto
Ministry Services Supervisor
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry