Day Two In the Promise Land
The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom -- We have heard a report from the Lord, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, "Arise and let us go against her for battle" -- Behold, I will make you small among the nations; You are greatly despised. The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, You who live in the clefts of the rock, In the loftiness of your dwelling place, Who say in your heart, "Who will bring me down to earth?" "Though you build high like the eagle, Though you set your nest among the stars, From there I will bring you down", declares the Lord. --Obadiah 1:1 - 4
Day two of our Israel Trip found us at Petra. We boarded our bus for the three hour drive south, and our guide Feras gave us some history of this area. The Old Testament gives historical detail of this area being controlled by the Moabites and the Edomites. The Edomites were the decendents of Esau, and God pronounced judgement against them in Obadiah 1:1 - 4. Petra is a great area to build structures in the cliffs, and today we saw lots of those! The tour begins with a mile walk through a narrow canyon that at times narrows to about ten feet. Towering cliff faces extend to the sky on either side of you. Eventually you come to a opening and are confronted with a massive structure carved into the rock called "The Treasury". It was called that because people once thought it contained great treasure. Feras our guide pointed out that they have since discovered that the structure was simply a tomb all along. The godess Isis sits atop the structure, with six massive pillars. The structure was completed in 50 B.C. but no one seems to know how with primitive tools anyone could do that! There are more structures in the cliffs than I first imagined. Petra seemed to me a wonderful place to hide for awhile. We wandered that wilderness until our feet gave out. Mary Ann, her Dad Lyle, and her Mom Barbara eventually found themselves atop two camels. I continued to wander on foot and shoot the photos. As I walked I was conscious of the fact that this area is no longer inhabited by any Edomites. Perhaps that is the result of God's judgement in the verse we read earlier. Tomorrow we cross the border to Israel. We plan to see Megiddo, Caesarea, Mount Carmel, and a traditional Baptismal Site on the Jordan River. In fact we have a few people who want to be baptized in the Jordan River, and that is how we plan to end the day. Although I did not meet any Edomites today, I fully intend to meet some Israelites tomorrow. This is due to the fact that our great God always keeps His Word. If our great God is anything, He is faithful. God Bless =)