Amidah - Introduction

A little more about the Amidah before we launch into various sections of this prayer.

The Amidah is written in three sections
- Praise = 3 Benedictions
- Petition = 12 (or 13) Benedictions
- Thanksgiving = 3 Benedictions

As I write about the Amidah, we will begin with the first section which includes Benedictions 1-3. This section is about praise of God. It is always good to begin our time of prayer with praise. Praise and Adoration help us to consider the one to whom we address our petitions. We are speaking to the God of the Universe. We are praying to a God who is able to not only answer our prayers, but He "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20) We are speaking to the Creator, the Eternal God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. We speak to the Holy One. As we offer praise, we ready our minds and hearts so we might approach the throne of Grace and pray in the right manner.

The first three Benedictions are:
- Avot = Ancestors
- Gevurot = Powers
- Kedushat Ha-shem = The Name

Some have connected these three with the Lord's Prayer. Consider the following:
- Avot = Ancestors - Our Father
- Gevurot = Power - Who art in heaven
- Ha-shem = Name - Hallowed be Thy Name

I think these designations will help us understand each of the three praises in the Amidah.

Although today there are words written which people read and follow (some pray this prayer three times per day), in the days of Jesus it was not done this way. The teachers of the Mishna wanted each person to pray with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength.

"Rabban Gamaliel says: A man should pray the Eighteen [Benedictions] every day. R. Joshua says: The substance of the Eighteen. R. Akiba says: If his prayer is fluent in his mouth he should pray the Eighteen, but if not, the substance of the Eighteen. R. Eliezer says: He that makes his prayer a fixed task, his prayer is no supplication. R. Joshua says: He that journeys in a place of danger should pray a short prayer, saying, ‘Save, 0 Lord, the remnant of Israel; at their every cross-road let their needs come before thee. Blessed art You, 0 Lord, that hear prayer!’" (Mishna, Benedictions 4.3-4)

More will be written as I look at the three Benedictions (and those which come after) in future posts.

Amidah Prayer

I am always looking for ways to encourage people in prayer or to enrich our prayer life as I lead prayer meeting at our church on Wednesday nights. Our current session is looking at the morning and evening prayers of the Jewish people known as the Amidah or the “Standing Prayer.”

The first reference to the Amidah is found in the Mishnah and dates back to near the time of Jesus. “Rabban Gamaliel says: A man should pray the Eighteen [Benedictions]’ every day. R. Joshua says: The substance of the Eighteen. R. Akiba says: If his prayer is fluent in his mouth he should pray the Eighteen, but if not, the substance of the Eighteen.” The origin of the Amidah could go back to the time of Ezra.

The idea behind this series is that often we are very limited in our prayer life, offering supplication only for immediate needs that come to mind. This prayer, the Eighteen Benedictions (Shmoneh Esreh) will help to expand our prayer life reminding us of other areas to include as we pray.

To me it seems that an early version of the Amidah is found in the book of Ephesians. Following is the order of these Benedictions:

1. Avot ("Ancestors") - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

2. Gevurot ("powers") - who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

3. Kedushat ha-Shem ("the sanctification of the Name") - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.

4. Binah ("understanding") - In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

5. Teshuvah ("return", "repentance") - In him we have redemption through his blood,

6. Selichah (“forgiveness”) - the forgiveness of sins,

7.Geulah ("redemption") - in accordance with the riches of God's grace

8. Refuah ("healing")

9. Birkat HaShanim ("blessing for years [of good]") - that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

10. Galuyot ("diasporas") Prayer for reunion of Israel - And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,

11. Birkat HaDin ("Justice") - to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment

13. Tzadikim ("righteous") Prayer for the righteous and proselytes - --to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

14. Bo'ne Yerushalayim ("Builder of Jerusalem") - In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,

15. Birkat David ("Blessing of David") Prayer for the Messianic King - in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

16. Tefillah ("prayer") Prayer for the hearing of prayer. - And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.

17. Avodah ("service") Prayer for the restoration of Temple service. - Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory.

18. Hoda'ah ("thanksgiving") Thanksgiving for G-d's unfailing mercies. - For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

19. Sim Shalom ("Grant Peace") Grant Peace - I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

I will write more on this as I develop our Prayer times on Wednesday Nights.

Israel – The “Best” Thing

Some people have asked me to share the “Best” thing about the trip. I can say the high point of my trip was when I looked out the window and saw the blue waters of the Mediterranean. We were 38,000 feet at the time, so that is definitely the high point of the trip. (I also enjoyed Italy, Greece and the Aegean Islands from the air).But to share the “best” part of the trip is something I really can not do. The “Best” thing does not exist, because there were so many things I really enjoyed.

I traveled to Israel with friends (Mike & Inae Parrish, Tag & Lisa Murn, Kenny & Todd Fields; Nancy Rogers) and Family (Denise, Chelsea & Sarah), and have shared experiences with them that will never be forgotten.

John Delancey, our Biblical guide was fantastic. He shared great Biblical insight and brought the Bible and the places visited to life. His experience made the trip. There were no dry spots or unplanned time. There were no “glitches.” The trip was well planned, and John was always there. I would recommend him (website: http://www.biblicalisraeltours.com/). You can see archives of our trip under June 2012.

Shlomo Ben-Asher was also a great part of the trip. His family moved to Israel in 1938, 10 years before there nation was born. They were part of the Zionist movement that lived on the Kibbutz. Shlomo has a passion for what he has done for 29 years, he travels in order to gain a greater knowledge base and and keep himself on the cutting edge as a guide. He brought us into the culture sharing for his Jewish background and shared with us the Christian sites through years of experience. Some of his songs are still with me.

The food was outstanding. Fresh fruit and vegetables were served at every meal. We ate cheeses and eggs at breakfast. The fresh dates were fantastic.

It was a gift to be able to walk in the very places experienced by those of the Bible. We walked in Jabin’s Palace, we saw where Herod and Pontus Pilate lived, and we walked around the shrine of Jeroboam in Dan. We walked the Herodian streets, climbed through the tunnels of Hezekiah, saw the caves of Qumran, visited the heights of Masada, and sailed the Sea of Galilee.

We swam in the Mediterranean, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan, the springs at Sachni where we heard and saw the “Sanhedrin,” the pools of Ein Gedi, and in the Dead Sea.

We saw antelope, coneys, peacocks, muskrats and catfish up close. (See Sarah’s video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0RBpjlJ1EU&feature=share). We saw the headwaters (roaring) of the Jordan River, climbed Mt. Arbel. Looked out from the Mt Precipice at Nazareth, saw Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, and experienced many of the landscapes of Israel.

I went to the Western Wall where I spent time in prayer, and where I prayed with others. We also visited the pool of Siloam and of Bethesda.

I bargained with the Bedouin, Palestinian, and Jewish merchants. We were served coffee in the back room of one of the shops under the arches of the Joppa Gate. We saw celebrations like Bar Mitzvahs at our motel, the Dung Gate and at the Western Wall. We saw dancers at the Bar Mitzvahs and as we walked Ben Yahouda Street.

We enjoyed an unplanned (by our guides) but panned (by God) detour through Modi’in where the Chanukah story was told, Chelsea and Sarah led singing on the bus, and where Sarah and a few others had “A great thing happened there” experience.

And the trip continues. As Daniel Dye read the scripture on the Transfiguration Sunday morning, I saw it, because we visited the land and experienced the Lord.
What is the “best” part of the trip … I think it is all BEST!

Take time to view a few of our pictures. There are two collections –
Jerusalem – https://plus.google.com/photos/115544123164287975321/albums/5761726037763508785?authkey=CKjs4fbz6MOBsQE
The rest of Israel - https://plus.google.com/u/1/photos/115544123164287975321/albums/5761026986035271169?authkey=COqExoL17_GkVw

Israel Day 10 – The Finale

Today was our “free” day in Jerusalem. That means we slept in a little. Our internal clock was not exactly right … or we had awaken up early so many days that we did not sleep in. The day started with breakfast, and then I went with Nancy Rogers and Sarah to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We entered and walked to the right. We saw a stone outcropping, and then began to see the various chapels. The first was the Saint Helena Chapel. It was one floor down to the chapel, and a second floor down to a cave and the old quarry.

We continued around to various other chapels. Near the Franciscan Chapel I asked a priest if he knew where one of Denise’s ancestors was buried – Fulk IV, King of Jerusalem. He showed me a room where the sword and other artifacts of Geffory of Boullon were kept.

We continued on to the Jaccobite Chapel. There was an old altar there, and behind the altar there were two tombs, said to be the tombs of Joseph of Arimathea and Nichodemus. From there we saw the Stone of Unction and Calvary. The church was very beautiful. Areas dated to AD 340. Some places were very ornate. It was a great experience.

Following our walk in the Church, we went to meet Denise and Chelsea. They were walking toward us from the Jaffa Gate. We did some shopping, some bartering, then met the larger group as an Orthodox Jew shared his faith at his shop called Shoreshim. He talked about his deep love for God.

We ate lunch in the Jewish quarter. I had Latkes. Chelsea & I went to see the Karaite Synagogue (said to be the oldest Synagogue in Jerusalem). After all were finished with lunch Nancy Rogers and I went to see the Upper Room and the Tomb of David. Following this we walked back to the motel. Once all were settled I visited St. George Cathedral in Jerusalem.

Abut 4:30 p.m. our group boarded the bus again for dinner in Joppa. There was a fire on the highway so we took the back road through Modi’n, the home of the Maccabees. Shlomo told us Chanukah stories and we sang Chanukah songs. We even stopped in Modi’n for a restroom stop.

Then on to Joppa. The place we started is the place we finished. We ate a great dinner in Joppa, and then headed to the airport. Following check-in (Security found my bottle of water from the Dead Sea … also the residue of the Dead Sea on my sandles), we headed home. We had a great time, and are talking about wanting to go back in two years. Do you want to join us??

Israel Day 9 – Temple Mount and more

This morning we left early for our place in line to see the Temple Mount, occupied by the Dome of the Rock and Al Asca Mosques. We were second in line to enter at opening. After entering the mount we sat between the two Mosques for an orientation. Then we moved up to the plaza around the Dome of the Rock for a Bible lesson. Chelsea and I wandered to get some pictures of the grounds. The area was most interesting considering the history of the area as a place of worship and prophecies of the future.

We exited through a tunnel toward the Western Wall plaza (the "Kotel"). On the Plaza by the Western Wall there was a group dancing the Hora. Many of the group went down to the wall. I shared with several the Siddur books. As a group the men prayed at the wall. I then went into the covered area under Wilson’s Arch where more groups were praying and where there are shelves of Siddurs.

After prayers at the Western Wall we traveled past Bethlehem to Herodium. This is a mountain which was hollowed out and Herod’s palace built in the bowl. The top was a fantastic look out to communities south of Bethlehem and to the walls of Jerusalem to the north. Recently the tomb of King Herod was discovered on the side of the mountain facing Jerusalem.

After lunch at a Kibbutz, we returned to the City of David which is just south of Temple Mount. We entered an area where we could look down on a recently unearthed Palace of David. This palace is at the top of a steep hill (protection for the Jebusites) which rises above Gihon Spring. We walked down the stairs of the hill, where se could see other houses from a pavilion. They are built stair-step fashion with one home on top of another. If the walls of one home fail, the homes on top collapse. Excavations have told us who lived in several homes and showed what life was like in the City of David.

From the excavations we continued to descend into a water tunnel built by the Canaanites. At the end of this we descended to Hezekiah’s Tunnel. This is a 1,720 foot tunnel which carries water under the mountain to the pool of Siloam. Water begins about knee deep at the beginning of the tunnel and then gets shallower as it descends. There are curves in the tunnel, you can see how it was hand chiseled. And there is a marker where teams tunneling from each side met.

We exited at the Pool of Siloam. We did a mini-drama from John 9, which tells the story of how Jesus healed the blind man. John DeLancey told us how water was drawn from the Pool of Siloam and brought up to the Temple along a stepped walkway during the Feast of Tabernacles. When we departed the Pool of Siloam we walked part of this walkway, and then the recently excavated water drainage tunnel under the walkway. We exited under Robinson’s arch at the South-West corner of Temple Mount.

There is a huge archeological dig around the south end of the Temple. We walked through the digs to steps at the south side of the Temple leading up to the Hulda Gate and the Triple Gate. We walked the stairs to experience how worshippers entered the Temple in the days of Jesus.

On our way home we stopped at Gordon’s Golgotha and the Garden Tomb. This is the place commonly seen in pictures of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. After entering the tomb, which was empty, we went to a small chapel and held a communion service.
After dinner Chelsea, Sarah and I went into Jerusalem to see a Light show at the Tower of David, but it was sold out. We waited to see if there were any no-shows, and saw an antiquities store, and then a souvenir shop recently opened by two brothers. One of the brothers was trying to learn English, and invited us into the back room (under stone arches of the Jaffa Gate) for a cup of coffee. We enjoyed the conversation.

No seats were available so we left the Old City and walked towards Ben Yehuda Street. We walked through Alrov Mamilla Avenue, a newly opened upscale mall which combines the old and new Jerusalem. We took pictures at some of the musical statues. Then walked down to Ben Yehuda Street.

At Ben Yehuda Street we saw a clown dancer and took some video. We ate ice cream, and then walked home through the Orthodox neighborhood. We were further in this time, and the streets were narrow. Most of the people were in traditional clothing, and the girls commented that this is what it must have looked like in Eastern Europe. We enjoyed the evening.

Israel Day 8 – Full Day in Jerusalem

Today was our first full day in Jerusalem. Here are some pictures: https://plus.google.com/photos/115544123164287975321/albums/5761726037763508785?authkey=CKjs4fbz6MOBsQE

During the morning our goal was to walk the Via Dolorosa, or the traditional route Jesus took once he was arrested at the Mt. of Olives and taken to see Pilate. Accordingly the bus dropped us off at the ridge of the Mount of Olives. We took many pictures of Jerusalem from this traditional place, from the ridge to a Jewish Cemetery below the ridge to Dominus Flavet (the church of tears). At Dominus Flavet we saw tombs that were unearthed from the first century. We read from Luke 19, Acts 1, and Zechariah 14.

We walked from there to the Garden of Gethsemane where we saw the ancient olive trees and the Church of All Nations.

We continued down hill entering the Old City through the Lion's (St. Stephen's) Gate. Just inside the gate we went past St. Anne’s Church to see the Pools of Bethesda. We walked down into the pools where we saw the five covered colonnades (John 5). Next we went inside the St. Anne's Church. This is the traditional birthplace of Mary (as recorded in the apocryphal Gospel of James) and the home of her parents Joachim and Anne. We sat in the church and John explained to us the acoustics of the church. The ceiling holds the sound for eight seconds. We sang Allelujah and then Amazing Grace – and heard our voices singing back to us. The sound was very beautiful.

We continued to walk the Via Dolorosa, stopping at several "stations" of the cross to remember Christ's journey to Calvary. We stopped at the Church of the Condemnation and the Church of Flagellation then continued down the road to the Ecce Homo Church where we went down stairs to a Roman floor that has been uncovered. It was supposed that this was the place that Pilate used as his seat of judgment because it was close to the Roman fortress of Antonia, however, the seat of Judgment has been uncovered near the Jaffa Gate. The area we visited is thought to be the marketplace during the time of Emperor Hadrian. Part of the triple arched entrance still exists as an arch over the street.

We continued down the Via Dolorosa to see the places that Jesus fell, the place he met his mother, the place where Simon the Cyrene helped him carry the cross, and the location where Veronica wiped his face. (of course none of this is known for sure, and in the case of Veronica, it is not even Biblical).

We followed the Via Dolorosa past the Coptic Monastery and to the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We did not go in, that would wait a couple of days. Instead we went to the Muristan marketplace and ate lunch. After lunch we exited the Old City through the Jaffa Gate and rode the bus to the Israeli Museum.

At the Israeli Museum we first saw the scale model of Jerusalem during the second Temple period. The various areas of the city were explained. Then we went into the Archaeological Museum, where Shlomo explained that this museum is equivalent to the Smithsonian. He showed us a couple of exhibits, and then told us we had 20 minutes to see the rest of the Museum. Impossible!! I tried to snap pictures as fast as possible. This is a place I will need to return in the future without a guide limiting my time.

Following the museum we went to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.. Shlomo shared stories of his family from a book he has written, “Legacy Interrupted.” We saw the Hall of Remembrance which was very visual, and the Holocaust History Museum, which was a picture of anti-Semitism and the sufferings of the Jewish people leading up to and during the Hitler era. The museum showed how they piled discrimination with persecution with torture and death. It showed the movements of the German army to annihilate the Jewish people, even as they were losing the war.

After a time of reflection, we went to the motel and ate dinner. Then Chelsea and I went to Ben Yehuda Street to go shopping. I found a Mezuzah and a Kippah, and was able to bargain for both. We saw a group of Syrian protesters march down the street. We walked back by the Orthodox neighborhood on the Street of the Prophets.

Israel Day 7 - The Dead Sea

This day was the Sabbath in Israel, and many shops and attractions would be shut down in Jerusalem, so, our group went a different direction … to the Dead Sea. Because the day was going to be hot we started out early, eating breakfast and then leaving by 7:15a.m. We drove down the road (4,000 feet) from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea. The terrain was very sandy. This was the Judean wilderness. One could literally see how Jesus could be tempted to turn these rocks into bread.

Our first stop was at Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is a nature preserve. We saw the trees along the road. There were Coneys in the trees and also atop some of the rocks. Normally Coneys run when they see you. When I walked up next to one, I noticed it was panting, affected by the heat. It did not run, but it did walk. We were also able to get close to antelope.

From the entrance we walked down a valley between the hills on a rock path. There were caves along this rock path. This was the place David hid from King Saul (1 Samuel 24). There was a stream there, a rare bit of moisture in a barren wilderness. Grass and other plants were growing, more and more the further we hiked into the canyon. Up stream at the 2nd water falls the pool was deep enough to take a dip. Many took their shoes off and got into the water.

We traveled further south to Masada. This was King Herod’s desert fortress. It was built to withstand attacks. The top of the mountain (fortress) sits 1,000 feet above the Dead Sea. There is a path up to the top, called the snake path because of its curves. John & Sue DeLancey ran the path (20 minutes). As they arrived, the path was closed for heat. The rest of the group took a cable car to the top. The view was amazing.

Some believe that Jonathan, one of the Maccabees built the original fortress upon the mountain. King Herod greatly expanded it, knowing it would be a place of safety for him. There were storehouses that contained food for years. There was a 1,440,000 cubic feet cistern on top of the mountain which would catch what little rain fell (and we were told about a huge rain storm that comes every several years). Herod could be protected for years if his people ever turned against him. They did not.

What did happen, though, is that at the time Jerusalem fell, a group of Zealots displaced the small Roman garrison upon the mountain and fortified it. The Romans tried to remove them as they worked to end the resistance. But the fortress was too strong, and 967 Zealots were occupying the top. The Romans eventually sent 10,000 and 15,000 troops commanded by Roman General Silva to conquer the Zealots. The Romans built a retaining wall and 8 separate camps around this fortress to lay siege, but the fortress was too well stocked. Finally the Romans built a ramp up the back side of the fortress, and after 3 years of confrontation, entered, only to find the Jews had committed suicide rather than suffer at the hands of the Romans. Shlomo read a passage from Josephus which contained the impassioned speech by their leader.

From Masada, we headed north to Qumran, after lunch several of us took an optional hike up the mountain to see the caves. This is the place where in 1947 a shepherd boy found the Dead Sea Scrolls. Several climbed through one of the caves, which was several caves chiseled together to form one larger unit.

Following our hike John and Shlomo shared how the scrolls were written, and what went on in the Qumran community. Following our tour we went to the Dead Sea to “swim,” or should I say float. To get in, you wade out to mid thigh, then you lay back. We floated. We floated beyond where we could stand up, and then someone said, “Try to put your feet down.” We managed to do it, but this was difficult because of the mineral content of the water. It felt much like a water bed as I lay and rested in the water.

On the return trip to Jerusalem we visited Jericho. We saw a sycamore tree. (Luke 19) We visited the Tel at Jericho and saw the layers of city and excavations including the clay wall from Joshua’s time period. (Joshua 6) We saw a fountain which proclaimed Jericho as the world’s oldest city, 1300 feet below sea level.
On our way we pulled off the main road to find an overlook where we could see the old road from Jericho to Jerusalem. (Luke 10) This area is also known as Wadi Qelt. Below us at the location we stopped there was St. George's monastery. This monastery is built into the rock. It is very beautiful.