Ramparts and Roommates

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say "ramparts?" I thought so. "Oh say can you see" came to my mind, too. To be honest, I didn't even know what the word meant until a friend suggested that we take the "rampart tour" around Old Jerusalem on Shabbat after church. A rampart is actually a defensive wall made of stone or earth, which surrounds a castle. When the Turks were here in 1536, they built a huge wall all around Old Jerusalem which still stands today. So, the top part of the wall is called a rampart, and we got to spend a few hours walking all around the city on the rampart. In other words, we took Psalm 48:13a literally. Apart from the birds' eye view of the city, it was an amazing time of reflection on God's provision for Jerusalem throughout the ages. From a human standpoint, Jerusalem should be totally insignificant. But it's not. Our tour came to an end at Lion's Gate. We walked down Via Dolorosa and went into a Catholic church where Jesus was supposedly flogged.

We took about all we could of the priest and nuns chanting in Latin, and were about to leave when one of the nuns handed us a "Praise and Worship Songbook." Our ears perked up when priest started to play "Here is love, vast as an ocean," which we had just sung in chapel the day before, and we were more than happy to join along and worship our Savior. You never know what you'll find in Jerusalem ;)

But then it justs gets better. The next day we had our second field trip to Jerusalem: the "Old Testament Walk." We started out at the Broad Gate, which Hezekiah built to prepare for the coming Assyrian siege ( II Chr. 32:1-5). Next, we visited a museum that had a lot of artifacts (or replicas) from the First Temple Period, like the Ivory Pomegranate, which provide external evidence for the Scriptures. I was reminded that the Word of God is not just a book of faith, but is deeply rooted in historical reality.

Next, we went into the traditional (but probably mistaken) location for the “Upper Room” where Jesus had Passover with his disciples and others. We read Luke 22:7-20 together and discussed why Jesus wanted to keep the location secret from Judas, so that Judas could not make an agreement with the high priest before Passover. I had always supposed that Jesus was prophesying that a man would be carrying a pitcher of water, and never stopped to think about how He had sovereignly arranged this ahead of time in order that God’s plan would not be thwarted. We talked about how the Last Supper was in commemoration of the Passover, which symbolized God’s intervention on His children’s behalf. In other words, by telling his disciples to remember Him when they celebrated Passover, Jesus was identifying with this event in Jewish history and showing them that He was (and is!) our ultimate Passover. How sad that in most Western evangelical churches, we do not emphasize the Passover at all during the Lord's supper. Something to think about.

After seeing many other biblical sites, we finally got to the place we had all been waiting for: Hezekiah’s tunnel. First, we passed through Warren’s shaft, where Joab was thought to have climbed to get into the city. Over the summer I studied a lot about the life and military career of Joab, and was amazed to see firsthand what an astonishing feat this truly was. As we entered Hezekiah’s tunnel, we read II Chron. 32:30 and thought about how in building this tunnel, Hezekiah probably saved the city. We then got to walk through the 1,070 foot long tunnel, with the water sometimes up to our thighs, and sang “Hodu L’Adonai” (Give thanks to the Lord) as we walked through.

We came out at the Pool of Siloam and read John 9:1-12. I had never thought about the fact that in giving sight to this blind man, Jesus was authenticating His claim to be the Light of the World (an extremely bold statement) in ch. 8.

At the end of the day, though, I was hot, sweaty and dirty, with a few scratches and feeling somewhat disappointed at how much of Jerusalem is not biblical and "holy" at all, but swarming with Muslims (the calls to prayer broke my heart) and full of tourist traps. No magnificent temple, hardly any emotional experience, just a bunch of bells and smells.

But praise the Lord that there is HOPE. Yesterday I was reminded more than ever that I should long for the New Jerusalem, when Christ will reign and holiness will prevail.

On another note, I am thoroughly enjoying every minute of sweet fellowship with my roommates, April and Sarah. I am learning so much from their heart for evangelism and devotion to God's Word, and from their gentle and quiet spirit.

Hodu L'Adonai for fellowship. For His Word, and for graciously confirming it for us. For His promise of a perfect heavenly Jerusalem. And for all of you who are reading this and praying for me.