Doy Moyer

I remember when my dad went to Israel. It was 1977, and I was just 12. It did not dawn on me at the time how important this trip was to him, but he came back raving about it. I still have images in my mind of the slides that he showed to the congregation after he returned. It was a trip that he never forgot, one that he cherished the rest of his life. And now I understand why.

I was blessed to be able to make that trip with my wife in March of this year (with one of Ferrell Jenkins’ tours). I realize that many have made the trip (understatement), but allow me to "spill over" just a little about it. I knew it would be exciting. But even in my anticipation, I did not know that it would take me so far beyond my expectations.

I have taught the geography of the Bible in classes. I have stressed the importance of knowing about the land and how it relates to the Bible. But I confess that, standing on the ground in Israel itself, I felt a bit ignorant. I knew many of the facts, but frankly, books and lectures just don’t give the full picture. That week, I dare say, has been the greatest educational experience I’ve had, all rolled into a few days. Even so, I do not in any sense think of myself as an expert on the subject. As I said, if anything, I’ve become more aware of how much I didn’t know. I have a lot of study to do.

Now I’m not saying that one has to visit the land to be saved, or even to understand the Bible. Nor am I saying that we should "worship" the land in any special sense. But what the trip did do for me was to help me become much more aware of how significant the land is in the development of the biblical theme. It created in me a greater thirst for understanding it. It helped bring the biblical story to life in such a way that I had not experienced. Someone told me at the beginning of the trip that this would change the way I read and understand my Bible. How true that was! Now the places are jumping out at me as I read. I can get just a little better mental image now of those events, especially the ones that occurred in the places we visited. This, in turn, will affect my preaching and teaching. And, of course, it makes me want to go back and gain even that much more insight, picking up pieces I missed the first time. I don’t know if that will happen. But I will recommend that if you ever have the opportunity to go, do it. You will not be sorry.

I want to note a few items here that have been re-emphasized in my own mind.

The Land Promise

I kept thinking about the promise that God gave to Abraham: "to your descendants I will give this land" (Gen. 12:7). The land promise and the nation promise were essential elements in bringing about the seed promise (Gen. 12:1-3). God chose a special nation through which He would bring about the "seed." This nation, in turn, was given a special land for their provision, prosperity, and protection. And it was here that the "rest of the story" was told. Regarding the land promise, we are told in Joshua that it was completely fulfilled. "So the LORD gave Israel all the land which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they possessed it and lived in it" (21:43). "All came to pass." Thus, the significance of the land is historical, not future, as if there is something yet to be fulfilled there (i.e., premillenialism). And since we are interested in historical matters pertaining to Scripture, then we are interested in understanding the land where the history happened.

God keeps His promises. That’s one theme that runs through my mind when I think about the land. Visiting the land brought the promises and faithfulness of God to the forefront in a special way.

The Beauty of the Land

The land was described to the Israelites as a land "flowing with milk and honey" (Deut. 6:3; 11:9; Josh. 5:6, Jer. 11:5, etc.). This is a picture of the beauty and richness of the land. When we were up on Mount Carmel, and for the first time I looked over the land, from Galilee and Jezreel to the coast, my jaw dropped. It was absolutely gorgeous, green, and plush. One can see how it would be desired by so many just from its beauty. I wonder if some have had the "wilderness" picture in their mind about the whole land, that it is desolate and ugly. Not so. It is still a beautiful land, worthy of the biblical description. God blessed His people greatly by bringing them to such a wonderful land.

God is rich in blessings. This is another thought that kept making its rounds through my mind. He did not bring His people to a barren, desolate place. It was a land of blessing and richness. So today, God gives His people the richest blessings through Christ (Eph. 1:3).

The Importance of the Land

Land is land, right? True … sort of. You’ve seen mountains and valleys, lakes and rivers. But this was land especially chosen by God. This was the land that God Himself picked out, and upon which His story of redemption occurred. It does not seem likely that God just "willy-nilly" picked a spot. There was a reason that this particular land was chosen. So when we are looking at the land, it takes on a special importance because of its unique role in the biblical story.

The land is quite small, but its historical significance is huge. It has been a land upon which many battles have been fought. It is a coveted land, not just for its beauty, but also for its strategic location. The nation that controlled that land would have great influence. So it was a perfect spot for a nation belonging to God.

Think also of the significance of the land regarding the spread of the gospel. The gospel message started in Jerusalem and spread to the whole world (cf. Acts 1:8). Again, this was no accident. This was the place from which God saw fit to spread His message of salvation. What other place has so much historical value? And I thought visiting Civil War sites was pretty exciting.

Topography of the Bible

One would be hard pressed to visit the land and not be impressed with the accuracy of biblical topography. The way the Bible describes the land is the way you see it when there. I was impressed with this in several locations, but one example will suffice to make the point. One of our stops was at the spring of Harod at the foot of Mt. Gilboa. Across the valley was the hill of Moreh. This spring was the spot where the Lord chose 300 men to accompany Gideon in defeating the Midianites (Judges 7). The lay of the land fits perfectly with the events of the battle. One can easily envision how Gideon and the 300 men could break into three companies and move against the Midianites who were camped at the foot of the hill of Moreh. Being forced out of their position, the Midianites slew each other and ran right into their death-trap. The story really came alive when looking into the valley. Of course, thinking of such events also causes one to remember God’s power and greatness. But the point is that the biblical descriptions of the places are right on target. It testifies to the accuracy of the Bible.

Relating the Land to the Events

In all of the biblical places we stood, we were able to recall so many of the events that took place. From Joppa, one thinks of Peter and his vision (Acts 10). From Caesarea, one thinks of the conversion of Cornelieus (Acts 10), among the many other events. From Mt. Carmel, one envisions Elijah’s confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kgs. 18). Nazareth brings to mind the boyhood of Jesus. The Sea of Galilee causes one to think of the many miracles Jesus performed in that region. The wilderness of Judea makes one think of John the Baptist (and the reason why foot-washing was important). And Jerusalem … how many of the Bible’s events occurred there? From Caesarea Philippi to Jericho, from Capernaum to the Dead Sea, the Bible events are vividly brought to life. And though I knew it, I just kept thinking about how these are real places. These are not mythical fables and legends. These were real places, real people, real events in time. We have a true, historical foundation upon which to build our knowledge and understanding.

I want to give an example of how one biblical event really hit home. We were visiting Caesarea Philippi, the location where Jesus asked His disciples, "Who do you say that I am" (Matt. 16:13-20). Looking from the spring (one of the major sources of the Jordan River), one can view the rock-mountain into which were carved shrines to various pagan deities such as Pan and the Nymphs. This pagan location provided a great backdrop for Jesus’ question and Peter’s response. "You are the Son of the Living God" is a direct contrast to the pagan deities. And Jesus’ reply that "upon this rock I will build my church" could very well be a contrast to the giant rock that housed these pagan shrines. These pagan deities were dead, housed in rock shrines; Jesus is alive, and His people are built upon a living, spiritual foundation that cannot fail. It’s marvelous to see and think about.