I love reading scripture. I have to admit I enjoy reading the New Testament more than the Old. When I read the Old Testament I get caught up in the names and places and sometimes miss the true message of the Scripture. On the trip to Israel, I realized I should spend more time on this oft-neglected part of my Bible. A perfect example is Megiddo.
Megiddo is an archaeological site in Northern Israel. This mountain is at a key place in the ancient trade routes and was a highly sought-after prize for its military importance. It has been important for four thousand years. Some of the gates we walked through were built by Solomon. On the planes below, epic battles took place between the Philistines, the Midianites, Saul, Joshua, and many of our favorite heroes of the Old Testament. This is one of those places I often glossed over while reading. Megiddo is mentioned in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1st & 2nd Kings, and 1st & 2nd Chronicles. But there are other places the name isn't mentioned but the valley below this encampment was the place of epic battles.
SO, as I was touring this four-thousand-year-old site, I wondered how this impacts my faith life. That's when our guide stopped us and pointed to a rock stairway leading up the mountainside. He asked if we knew what it was, but none of us did. He said this narrow entrance was known as the "eye of the needle." It was an AHHA moment!
In both the Gospel of Matthew and Mark the story is recorded where Jesus is conversing with a rich young man. The conversation starts with the question, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus ends the conversation with "Dear Children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God."
My entire life I have looked at this verse as duh, it's impossible to get a Camel through the eye of a needle. But, could it be that Jesus was referencing this key place, the entrance into this stronghold, as he told the story?
We do not know for sure if this is Jesus's reference, but I think it is. My point is this. How close am I reading the text of the Bible? Is my daily reading just an item to check off my list? Am I willing to devote the time and energy needed to really research, and dig, into the depths of the stories? Am I willing to learn about the people, and understand their lives, their thoughts, their joys, and their sadness? Should we slow down, take more time in our reading of God's word? What are we missing when we view studying God's word when we speed through the process just to get it done?
I am so thankful for this little revelation on our trip.
The steps above lead to the "eye of the needle"
There is no way a camel is fitting through this opening!
The inhabitants of this military stronghold used high tech to survive possible sieges. They built this amazing water system, hidden from the enemy to give them endless water during long battles.
This was a storage bin for grain. I love the circular stairway to go down to the grain.
This valley was the place of epic battles between the Philistines and Israel and most of our honored Heroes of the Old Testament defended our faith on this plane.
I'm not sure which mountain this is. We could see Mount Gilboa, the place where King Saul and his sons died.
Mount Tabor can also be seen. It is one of the possible places of the Transfiguration.
Some of these gates were built and the city was fortified by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15)
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