Descending the Precipice - Picture at heading

Our first trip to Israel in 2012 was a learning experience.  The land was not what we expected.  We expected a land which was similar to where we live: tree covered woodlands with rolling hills, rivers and streams, and in places green farmland.  The land was much more arid, similar to Wyoming where I lived for four years, with few trees and few rivers.

We traveled to Israel with Biblical Israel Tours led by John Delancey and Shlomo-Ben Asher who did a great job of orienting us to the land and sharing the Biblical stories connected with each place we visited.  And we visited a lot of places.

On our first trip we drove from Mt. Carmel to Megiddo, across the Jezreel Valley and up into the Galilean highlands to visit Nazareth.  We drove through the edge of the modern city of Nazareth to an overlook known as the precipice.  From this overlook we could see the locations we had visited earlier plus Mt. Tabor, Mt. Moreh, and Mt. Gilboa.  We could see recently harvested wheat and barley fields.  We could almost see from the Mediterranean to the Jordan River.

The precipice is the place Bible teachers believe Synagogue leaders took Jesus after he read from the scroll of Isaiah and announced he was the Messiah.  The leaders and people became furious and “took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff.” (Luke 4:16-30)  Because it was not the time for Jesus to die, he was able to walk through and away from the crowd.

From the top of the hill we were able to look down into the bowl where modern day, and ancient Nazareth sat.  We saw the Church of the Nativity, which is over the place where Jesus lived.  We were told how Jesus probably came out to this cliff and played with his friends.  We were given a sense of what life must have been like when Jesus was alive.

On a second trip in 2014, we saw the site of Sipporis, where Joseph probably worked as a carpenter.  We saw the beautiful mosaic floors and the ruins of this once great city.

The point is Jesus was from a common every-day family, and when the census notice was delivered, Joseph had to travel as most people did in his day: on foot.  The first part of the trip would be difficult as Joseph and his pregnant wife descended from their highlands home into the valley below.  I talk about this trip in my book Advent Journeys.

Chosen by Lot: Isaiah 6

The Bible, New Testament and Old Testament, contains a wonderful mosaic of wonderful interconnected passages.  Many people miss these connections due to lack of familiarity with the wide scope of scripture passages, through skim over and get through reading style, or because of cultural or doctrinal limitations.  But God wants us to see where dots connect and stories correspond.  The interrelationship between Old and New Testament is a source of seeing the truth and authority of a book given by God.

The first chapter of Luke is a great example of an interconnected passage which is an easy skim over to an untrained eye; but a passage of great depth both culturally and spiritually to anyone who desires to dig deeper.

The passage begins with what appears to be a simple priest … but even with the first glance, the reader understands there could be more!  “There was a priest named Zechariah.” Yes, that name is familiar, for Zechariah is one of the final prophetic books of the Old Testament.  Zechariah the prophet tells of the future which includes the coming of the anointed one, the messiah.  Zechariah the priest forms the connection, for the name Zechariah means “God has remembered.”

Zechariah is of the order of Abijah, one of twenty-four courses into which the priesthood is organized.  Week one of the book Advent Journeys gives a bit more information on this organization and what it means for the New Testament story.  Abijah means “God is my Father.”

In the course of his work Zechariah is chosen by lot to tend the altar of incense.  What the reader does not understand is the uniqueness of the selection process.  Indeed there are at least six positions chosen daily by lot, but to serve the altar of incense is a special drawing for a task which is only allowed once in a lifetime.  (Tamid 5:2 of the Jewish Mishnah).  The posting for this work takes a common priest as close as possible to the Holy of Holies.  A point made (and highlighted between the lines) is how God (“God is my Father”) waited until just this moment to call Zechariah (God has remembered) to this important appointment.

Zechariah approaches the altar of incense, and as Isaiah (“God saves”) sees God “on a very high throne. His long robe filled the Temple.”  He is met by an angel (Gabriel) who announces his wife’s pregnancy.  Zechariah’s lips question God, “How can this be?” [He probably should have said, “Here am I, send me.”]  And Zechariah is struck dumb.

But the message was heard, and Zechariah names his son John (“God shows mercy”).  In a symbol reflecting Isaiah 6:6-7 Zechariah’s lips are healed, and he begins to talk again.

Thus begins the Christmas story in Luke.  The story, and the entire Gospel are a continuation of the Old Testament inspiration which brings Immanuel (God with us) into the picture with spiritual forgiveness and healing.  The story goes on, as can be seen through the prophetic quotes of Zechariah, Mary, Simeon and Anna.