Aragorn: Gentlemen! We do not stop ’til nightfall.Pippin: But what about breakfast?Aragorn: You’ve already had it.Pippin: We’ve had one, yes. But what about second breakfast?Merry: Don’t think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.Pippin: What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn’t he?Merry: I wouldn’t count on it. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring What is it like being part of an archaeological dig? Now that I’ve been doing it a week, here’s an example rundown of a day: 4:45 am – wake up, eat pre-breakfast in my room that I got the […]
Yearly Archives: 2016
Welcome to Dan
Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. […]
The Journey North
The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there. They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel—though the city used to be called Laish. Judges 18:28b-29 I mentioned last time how the tribe of Dan had trouble controlling the territory allotted to them. Therefore, at some point a group of them went exploring and found the city of Laish, way up in the north. They conquered the city and settled there. Like the Danites, I’ve moved locations. On Sunday we took a train up the coast from Tel Aviv to Akko, then a bus from Akko […]
Joppa
To reach a port we must set sail –Sail, not tie at anchorSail, not drift. Franklin D. Roosevelt Before the tribe of Dan settled in the city of Dan, they had a tribal allotment like the other eleven tribes of Israel. Their allotment was in a small stretch along the Mediterranean and inland, west of Jerusalem. This is where they were supposed to settle. I’ve been in the inland part of their territory on past trips, but today I’m in Joppa, one city allocated to Dan (Joshua 19:46) that’s on the coast. Dan, however, had difficulty controlling the coast because […]
Digging a New Trip
I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you in the lack of bloggage the last few months. That will now change, which means a new trip. Yes, I am sitting in an airport, waiting for a Boeing 777 to take me back to Israel. This will be my fifth time there. It’s almost becoming routine. If I’ve been there so many times, what keeps drawing me back? There is more to see! More to experience! More to learn! What’s more, this will be a new experience; I will be joining an archaeological dig at the site of Tel Dan. For years I’ve […]
Sermon – Eagles
Sermon from June 12, 2016
Wrong Season
The last week we’ve had several inches of snow. It’s April and people here are ready for spring. It’s one thing to have snow in January when it’s expected. It’s another thing to have snow when the flowers are starting to bloom. Granted, here in Michigan snow in early April happens more years than not, but rarely in these quantities. Something similar took place in the Bible. The people of Israel asked the prophet Samuel for a king. After he appointed Saul as their king, Samuel gave a farewell speech. In it he warned the people to not turn away […]
To What Can it be Compared?
I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old Psalm 78:2 The sages in Jesus’ day used two basic teaching methods: aggadah and halachah. Aggadah involves using stories and parables to convey a message. Halachah is a more direct approach, diving directly into the legal details. Both methods are important. Parables make complex ideas easier to understand but can lose some of the details. Halachah can communicate the raw, technical details, but it can lose anyone who doesn’t have enough knowledge. Jesus used both approaches, depending on his audience. He was in […]
Walk
Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11 I got a fitness tracker last month. These little gadgets seem to be all the craze right now. I see I’ve walked over 7000 steps today. By showing me how much I’ve walked, it encourages me to get in my required steps each day, hopefully leading to a healthier lifestyle. How I walk has impacts on the much of my life, not just while I’m walking. The Bible uses the word ‘walk’ […]