Overlook of the Ramon Crater in the
Wilderness of Paran – We began our day a short distance from our
hotel at the Makhtesh Ramon Visitor Center with a breathtaking view
from the top of the Ramon Crater, which is part of the Wilderness of
Paran. The root of the word, Paran, means glory.
We are not far from Egypt, also close to the actual Mt. Sinai. We
read Psalm 102. David, our guide, talked about the psalm talking about God raising mountains in the wilderness and burying them
again, imparting His glory (source needs to be verified). We also talked about the Israelites and their complaining as Moses led them out of Egypt. The observation was made that when we can’t see or aren’t looking for the purposes of God, we can get caught up in immediate problem.
Zin Canyon – From Mitzpe Ramon we
traveled to the Zin Canyon. We were going to walk through the canyon
and would be climbing a rather steep climb that involved stone steps
and a ladder. The canyon is a popular place and David said school
children come to climb “all the time”.The canyon is stunningly beautiful with towering limestone cliffs and a small stream winding through. On one side is the Promised Land, the other the Sinai. We had the unusual pleasure of have the canyon to ourselves. We stood for several minutes listening to the silence and the birds high above us. We reflected on how seldom in our Western culture we welcome the silence that allows us to listen to and reflect on God’s character and blessings.
We discussed Numbers 20, Miriam &
Aaron’s deaths, the complaining of the people, Moses’ possible
frame of mind, and Moses striking the rock instead of speaking to it
as God commanded. We learned that water can settle into the limestone
after a rain and as it evaporates near the surface salt plugs can
form. Striking the rock can release the salt plug and water will
flow. David made the observation that behavior patterns of
disobedience can reach a point that they inhibit what could have been
& what God intends for us.
After further walking through the
canyon we stopped for Michael to reflect of hesed in the morning. He
read parts of Psalm 130, Psalm 59, Psalm 143:6, Psalm 92 and said
Psalm 90 was written by Moses.
The significance and beauty of this
canyon was awe-inspiring. I don’t have words to describe it. Then
we began the climb up out of the canyon using narrow stone steps and
iron hand holds cemented into the rock that wound up the side of the
canyon. We climbed two metal ladders. Joyce was able to successfully
complete the ladder sections with her eyes on the ladder, facing the
rocks until she had completed climbing the ladder and could look out
and enjoy the view. She had a great sense of accomplishment when she
reached the top!!
Ancient Be’er Sheva – Our next stop
is Tell Be’er Sheva. This was th century. There were several such
administrative centers, Megiddo being another that is virtually the
same.an administrative center at the southern edge of the kingdom which extended from Be’er Sheva to Dan, dating for the 8
The administrative class lived in the city with a gate that could be
We saw the layout of a typical Israeli 4
room house, as well as the house in the wall, like Rahab’s. David
read Amos 5 were 3 towns were mentioned, Be’er Sheva as one for
their idol practices. David interpreted the text as saying the
leaders of these towns killed righteousness as they hated anyone who
spoke the truth.
Lunch today was
at a restaurant David described as a combination of Panera Bread and
Starbucks. Alan & Joyce shared a chicken salad. It was a good
choice as the salad was very large, with a large amount of chicken,
potatoes, and salad vegetable in a Mediterranean dressing,
accompanied by 4 slices of tasty, crusty bread with butter and olive
oil for dipping. After lunch we walked a short distance to a
convenience store for a large bottle of water and at Michael Card’s
suggestion tried a Magnum ice cream bar. The bar was good, but not
great.
Numbers 20
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