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By Arlene Bridges Samuels

When John the Baptist saw Jesus walking toward him at the Jordan River, he announced, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Those awaiting baptism may have been startled. They knew all about lambs. Their Jewish culture was saturated with them, as they not only provided a livelihood by means of food and clothing but were also an essential part of the ancient Jewish sacrificial system. So, what did John’s title for Jesus mean?

The slaughter, the lamb’s blood, symbolized a temporary redemption, a covering for sin that God inaugurated in ancient Egypt. Looking into history’s rearview mirror, when Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God instructed them to choose an unblemished, perfect lamb to kill and then apply its blood to their doorposts. In the 10th plague, which took the lives of Pharoah’s firstborn, God promised that when the Angel of Death swept over Egypt and saw the blood, the Israelites’ firstborn would not die. The blood of lambs saved lives!

Some 1500 years later, the Jews who gathered at the Jordan that day could not imagine the significance of John’s greeting to Jesus. They did not know it was a day of beginnings—the day Jesus presented Himself officially for baptism, then ministry. The Lamb of God sent as a sacrifice not in the Temple, but to die on a cross. One death for all sin—a radical idea from God the Father who radically loves us.

Holy Week 2022 begins this Sunday, April 10—our Christian celebration of Palm Sunday with remembrances of Jesus’ last days before His sacrificial death on the cross. Churches have numerous customs on Palm Sunday to celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entrance into Jerusalem.

The Jewish context of our Christian faith, though, is often lost in the annals of history. Two thousand years ago, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what was called the “Day of Lambs”—the day that Jewish shepherds annually herded huge flocks of Passover lambs into Jerusalem, which signaled the beginning of the Passover celebration.

Jesus fulfilled the prophetic descriptions of the Old Testament, poignantly shown in the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. Then, in the New Testament, Jesus’ birth to a young Jewish woman fastened the Old and New Testaments into one glorious story in the history of humanity.

The New Testament reveals an extraordinary one-of-a-kind DNA where Creator God blended Jewish genetics and the Holy Spirit.

Born into a Jewish family and culture, Jesus lived His life on earth engaged in Jewish customs and religious observances. When the time came for His holy destiny as our sacrificial Lamb, our Savior Jesus entered Jerusalem, a city He loved, fully understanding that His interrogation, beatings, betrayals, and crucifixion lay ahead.

Prior to Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, His reputation for teaching and miracles was well known. His fame spread throughout the land, as did the growing rage of the religious and political hierarchy. Jesus healed a blind man, ate with sinners, attended a joyful wedding, and raised Lazarus from the dead.

Throngs of Jewish followers viewed Him as their Savior. Crowds lined the streets, waving their greenery and throwing down their cloaks thinking He was their hoped-for king, a human king to liberate them from their Roman oppressors. Jews waved palm fronds and olive branches shouting “Hosanna,” which in Hebrew means, “God saves.”

Estimates are hard to come by, but the historian Josephus says that a million or more Passover pilgrims were already flowing into the capital from all over the known world. Passover, the highlight of the Jewish year, was one of the three most important Jewish festivals.

When Jesus rode a donkey into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, it occurred on the same day when Bethlehem shepherds annually herded huge flocks of Passover lambs into Jerusalem. The Day of Lambs! It was a divine cultural context with awe-inspiring purpose.

The Sadducees, in charge of Temple sacrifices, also owned the Bethlehem fields and the lambs raised there. They hired shepherds who were experts in animal husbandry. The Sadducees considered these shepherds as Levitical priests, because the lambs they tended when ewes gave birth were destined for Temple sacrifices. Exodus 12:5 instructs, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.” Historian Josephus estimates that as many as 265,000 lambs could be sacrificed in the Temple for Passover.

However, the Sadducees first required that each animal be inspected at Jerusalem’s Lamb Gate to make sure none was blemished. Perfection was the rule! When Jesus rode by on a donkey, the priests missed the fact that He was the Perfect Lamb, considering Him a threat to their power, wealth, and corrupt system. They controlled every step of the sacrificial process, including selling the lambs to the Passover pilgrims. You can now understand why, later the same day, Jesus walked to the Temple Mount in a display of righteous anger. He overthrew the money changers’ tables and coins as recorded in Matthew 21:13, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”

Jesus, the Perfect Lamb of God, rode into Jerusalem with thousands of bleating, scampering Bethlehem lambs that were paraded into the holy city by shepherds from Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplace. I wonder: Did some shepherd priests who beheld Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem live long enough to behold Him once again as He entered Jerusalem among thousands of lambs?

Although we may have commemorated decades of Holy weeks, let us make sure we behold Jesus at this Holy season in a new and profound way. Our world is filled with chaos; however, Father God made a redemption plan through Jesus, the Perfect Lamb, giving us the kind of peace that overcomes the chaos.

We invite you to join us at CBN Israel for the holiest week of our year beginning with Palm Sunday, the Day of Lambs. John 1:14 reminds us, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Pray that we will draw closer to God this Holy Week and that we will have an even deeper gratitude for Jesus’ redemptive gift:

• Pray for people around the world to recognize Jesus at the promised Messiah.
• Pray for the safety of the IDF and Israel’s police during the violence of Ramadan.
• Pray for the safety of Christian pilgrims and churches during Holy Week.
• Pray for families grieving the murder of their loved ones by terrorists.

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a volunteer on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.

Rima and Yaakov came to Israel from Belarus and became citizens in 2007—and they’ve always been happy about their decision to immigrate. These senior citizens are committed to staying in their town of Sderot, despite the fact that it is a target for bombings. 

But during a recent barrage of rocket attacks, their daughter, who lives an hour away, insisted they stay with her. Several days later, when the bombs subsided, they returned home—and were shocked to find their building had received a direct rocket hit, with huge damages. 

Their laundry room, washing machine, windows, and water pipes were destroyed. They were also shocked by the insurance assessment, which was much lower than expected. It wouldn’t cover the cost of repairs and replacing their belongings. Rima, 78, has had knee replacements and uses a walker to get around. She and Yaakov needed help—but where could they turn? 

Fortunately, friends like you were there for this couple through CBN Israel. Caring donors paid for emergency repairs, including the broken pipes and windows, and replaced her washing machine. Rima shared, “We are so grateful for your compassion during this difficult time!”

And your gift to CBN Israel can provide food, essentials, and trauma counseling for many other victims of terrorism, as well as reaching out to help single mothers, aging Holocaust survivors, and immigrant families in need. 

The cries continue daily in the Holy Land from those who are hurting. Your support can provide them with groceries, housing, and financial aid—while also reporting true stories and news from Jerusalem. You can be a blessing to this special land—join us today!

Please join us in blessing Israel and her people in need!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

Mark and Matthew identify Gethsemane as the place Jesus went with His disciples after eating the Passover within the city of Jerusalem, prior to His arrest (Matthew 26:36; Mark 14:32). These two Gospels provide the only mention of this place within ancient sources; thus, pinpointing its location proves difficult. 

The Gospel of Luke describes Jesus going to the Mount of Olives (22:39), which sits to the east, across the Kidron Valley (see John 18:1), from the city of Jerusalem. Passover pilgrims would consume their Passover meal, which was the lamb offered in the Temple, within the walled city of Jerusalem, but they stayed outside of the city on the surrounding hillsides. 

The name Gethsemane comes from the Hebrew, gat and shemen. A gat typically refers to a “wine press,” but it can refer, as a more generic term, to any pressing installation. Shemen refers to olive oil, which the olive groves on the mountain gave it the name, Mount of Olives. Thus, Gethsemane most likely refers to an olive oil pressing installation. 

Pilgrims to Jerusalem today can visit four different sites, which Christian traditions (Roman Catholic, Russian, Armenian, and Greek Orthodox) have identified as Gethsemane. All reside on the Mount of Olives. The traditions of these sites only date back at the earliest to the fourth century A.D. The most popular is the Roman Catholic site, maintained by the Franciscans. 

This site contains a church built by the Italian architect Antonio Barluzzi and a grove of olive trees. Some of these trees are several hundred years old, but they do not, as some claim, date back to the time of Jesus. The first century Jewish historian Josephus relates how the Roman army that laid siege to Jerusalem cut down all the trees in the vicinity to build their siege engines (War 6:1). 

While we do not know the precise location of Gethsemane, its location on the Mount of Olives offers an important geographic window into Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. The Mount of Olives sits on the eastern watershed of the Jerusalem hill country. Beyond the mountain’s ridge, the land drastically falls away toward the Jordan River Valley and the area of Jericho and the Dead Sea. This wilderness served bandits and refugees for centuries as it provided natural concealment to those hiding from authorities. 

When Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, He physically stood at the door of escape. He could have walked less than an hour and disappeared from Caiaphas and Pilate. This heightens the tension of His prayer, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In that moment, He turned His back on the door of escape to face God’s will that lay in front of Him, the cross. 

This is something that can only be truly appreciated when one stands in this geography and realizes the choices that lay in front of Jesus: how easily He could have saved Himself, yet He submitted to His Father’s will.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8 HCSB).

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the fruit from the forbidden tree and God came to walk with them in the garden, they responded by hiding themselves. Children who disobey a parent often respond in the same manner; they hide themselves. But God did not leave Adam and Eve in hiding; He searched and called for them. You could say that, from the time of the Garden, the story of the Bible is God in search of mankind.

The psalmist realized how intimately God knew him, and he recognized that even if he wanted to hide from God, he could not: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol [the underworld], behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,’ even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You” (Psalm 139:7-12 NASB). The psalmist finds himself overwhelmed with the realization that even when he wants to hide from God, he cannot.  

Think about this: Even in those moments when our disobedience and shame drive us to hide from our Father in heaven, He searches us out. He pursues us and doesn’t allow us to remain in hiding. When we want to wrap ourselves in darkness to hide from Him, He dispels the darkness in His pursuit of us. What an incredible reality!

When Adam and Eve came out of hiding, God provided clothing to cover their nakedness; He continued to care for them. He could have unleashed His fury, but He didn’t. The psalmist’s realization that God knows him intimately, that God pursues him to the ends of the earth, elicits in him the response of obedient surrender: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24 NASB). 

While our disobedience may drive us to hide from God, His pursuit and searching of us should cause us to respond with a yearning to walk obediently in His ways.

PRAYER

Father, even in those times when I want to hide from You, You are still there. You search me out and pursue me. Lead me in Your paths. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Palm Sunday and Resurrection Day are fast approaching. For Christians, our Holy Week is the most momentous time of the year and the Holy Land is the most sacred place—because it is the land of our Jewish Savior’s birth, where He taught, healed, died, and was gloriously resurrected. The Bible’s 66 books, from Genesis to Revelation, are a spiritual guidebook for life. Its Old and New Testament pages prepare us to relive the most profound moments in history in the days ahead. The Bible is also a popular textbook of world history and geography, with an estimated 6 billion copies already in print. In 1995, The Guinness Book of Records noted that the Bible is the best-selling book of all time.

Yet despite such amazing credentials, some dismiss it or ignore its reliability. 

What is truly surprising is when that reliability is questioned by such an organization as The World Heritage Committee (WHC), which is part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The WHC is responsible for researching, visiting, and then designating World Heritage Sites—“places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity,” according to its website, such as Machu Picchu. The Great Wall of China. Yosemite National Park. However, their experts deserve a failing grade when it comes to Jerusalem, Israel’s 3,000-year-old capital and the location of Judaism’s most important holy sites. The WHC’s efforts—to erase the unquestionably ancient Jewish heritage from the world’s only Jewish state—are hard to understand amid Israel’s intensifying archaeological discoveries. The unearthed findings keep popping up, adding to the already remarkable body of indisputable evidence. 

Regarding Israel, such bias is a damaging mark on the World Heritage Committee in light of its otherwise-successful focus: providing quality basic education for children, youth and adults and preserving cultural heritages worldwide. Their purpose is valuable and affirms an impressive list of achievements, including a total of 1,154 properties around the globe.

In 2016, however, the decisions that UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee made were astonishing in their biases when measured against Jerusalem’s antiquity. Its 21 members, prodded by several Arab countries, attempted to “rectify” what they considered a wrong in their “Occupied Palestine” report. Thus, the committee majority voted to rename Israel’s 3,000-year-old holiest prayer site, the Western Wall, with a Muslim moniker: Al-Buraq Plaza. Muslims say that Buraq was a celestial creature belonging to their Prophet Muhammad on his “night ride” from Mecca to Jerusalem and back. The resolution about the wall (also called the Wailing Wall by Christians and the Hebrew Kotel by Jews went on to say that the 32-acre Temple Mount should be referred to as Haram al-Sharif. Indeed, these decisions declared that only Islamic names were acceptable.

It is a worthy footnote to the 1967 Six-Day War that, when the Israelis reunited their capital Jerusalem, they nevertheless allowed the Jordanian Foundation (the Wakf) to remain as the administrative body on the Temple Mount with Israeli police as security. An example in plain sight, but ignored by the WHC, is Israel’s commitment to honor religious freedom by protecting the observances of the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 

In response to the 2016 resolution, Israeli leaders, major American Jewish organizations, and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) weighed in on the attempted erasure of Israel’s ancient history. Dr. Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ’s president, expressed the sentiments shared by 600 million evangelicals worldwide: “We are utterly dismayed that UNESCO has adopted once again a scandalous resolution denying any Jewish connection to the holy sites in Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, including the Temple Mount. The resolution omits the traditional, biblical names of sacred Jewish sites, calling them by alternative Muslim names only.” Dr. Bühler concluded, “This is tantamount to rewriting history and stripping these sites of their 4,000 years of Jewish and 2,000 years of Christian connection. We, as Christians, are deeply concerned that the wording accepted by an international body intends to eradicate any Jewish and Christian bonds to these holy places.” 

Nir Barkat, Jerusalem’s mayor at the time, likewise voiced anger. “Would UNESCO vote to deny … the Muslim connection to Mecca? The UNESCO vote claims that there is no connection between the Jewish people and the Western Wall. In fact, it is the UNESCO vote that has no connection to reality.”

The fundamental facts remain. Whatever the opinion of UNESCO, Palestinians, Iran, or any legislature or government in the world, the Bible towers in truth above every human opinion. 

Looking at only four of my personal archaeological favorites in Jerusalem, I find it incomprehensible that UNESCO and others choose to ignore facts. Not only are they written in the Bible under the impartation of the Holy Spirit, but to dismiss embedded evidence—since archaeological discoveries can be seen and touched—does not make sense. Like every believer, I am compelled by my faith to touch and pray at the Western Wall. That Rabbi Jesus touched the Wall and walked up the southern steps to the Second Temple holds deep, precious meaning. Often, when in Israel, I’ve made a habit of walking to the Western Wall around midnight. I rest my forehead against the Wall, place my hands there, and breathe in the quiet holiness that surrounds me. 

Walking on Jerusalem’s Pilgrimage Road is another breathtaking touchpoint. In 2019, a guide gave a friend and me a VIP tour, where we literally walked in the footsteps of Jesus and His disciples who attended Judaism’s three major feasts. Each year, they walked the same stone street—about one-third of a mile long and 26 feet wide—up to the Temple Mount with thousands and thousands of others. It was easy for me to imagine pilgrims singing the 15 Songs of Ascent, Psalms 120–134, as they walked. Each psalm is called the Hebrew word maʿalot, which means “going up.” 

On the same day, I chose to wade through Hezekiah’s Tunnel filled with knee-high water. To say it was one of the adventures of my lifetime is an understatement! It is an engineering wonder, where ancient workers began on opposite ends of the mountain adjacent to the City of David and connected the 1,750-foot-long tunnel. Halfway through the dark tunnel, I read the notation showing the actual connection point, thanks to my mobile phone flashlight. 

 2 Chronicles 32:30 describes Hezekiah’s plan to protect their water source, since the dreaded Assyrian army was marching toward Jerusalem in the eighth century B.C.E. “This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works” (NKJV). 

And yet another piece of evidence is written in stone! In 2018, workers excavating near the International Convention Center in Jerusalem found a limestone column, two-and-a-half feet high and one-and-a-half feet in diameter. The workers immediately summoned the Israel Antiquities Authority, which examined the words etched in stone: “Hanania son of Dudolos from Jerusalem.” The sensational fact is that the city name “Jerusalem” is spelled in Hebrew Yerushalayim—exactly as it is spelled today. The column is 2,000 years old. I saw the glass-encased column on display at the Israel Museum, where it is now housed. I am left to wonder if UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee consulted the Bible—which mentions the name Jerusalem 660 times. 

The great preacher Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) once said, “The Bible is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. You just have to let it loose.” As we approach Holy Week, let us take Spurgeon’s counsel to “let it loose” in our lives to celebrate Resurrection Day in a more resolute, profound way amid the chaos in our world and share it with others who need hope. 

Join us at CBN Israel in prayers this week for Israel and the Middle East: 

• Pray for archaeologists and volunteers to uncover more ancient artifacts. 
• Pray that Holy Week 2022 will reap a harvest of new believers. 
• Pray for peace on the Temple Mount, where tempers can quickly ignite. 
• Pray for the even stronger ties between Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and members of the Abraham Accords.

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a volunteer on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.

By Marc Turnage

Masada, a palace-fortress built by Herod the Great (Matthew 2), sits on the south-western shore of the Dead Sea, fifteen and a half miles south of Ein Gedi. The fortress sits atop an isolated rock plateau that overlooks the Dead Sea Valley below. This naturally fortified rock was first built on by the Hasmonean king Alexander Jannaeus (ruled from 103-76 B.C.). Herod the Great made it into a palace fortress that could provide protection if he needed to flee Jerusalem, as well as protecting the balsam industry at Ein Gedi, which provided the cash crop for Herod’s kingdom. 

Herod built two palace complexes on top of Masada, one on the western side (the oldest), and one on the north, which boasted three levels cascading down the northern slope of the rock scarp. Both had functioning Roman style baths, living quarters, storerooms, and decorations fitting for a king. Herod also had a pool on top of Masada, as well as gardens. 

Masada receives on average only an inch to an inch and a half of rainfall annually. The need for water of Herod’s luxuries on Masada required an ingenious water catchment system using gutters, the natural slope of the plateau; he also captured the rainwater that fell to the west of Masada diverting it into channels, which flowed into cisterns along the slopes of Masada. The cisterns on Masada held millions of cubic liters of water ensuring that the residents of Masada could survive along the arid shores of the Dead Sea, as well as enjoying the luxuries of the pool and bathhouses. 

Masada’s popularity derives from the story told by Josephus about the defenders of Masada during the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-73). According to Josephus, a group of Jewish rebels, Sicarii, led by Elezar ben Yair held up in Masada through most of the revolt. A couple of years prior to the fall of Masada, which took place on Passover of A.D. 73, this group of rebels slaughtered the Jewish community at Ein Gedi. 

Josephus tells a tale how the Tenth Roman Legion laid siege to Masada, built a ramp up its western slope (the remains of which visitors can still see), yet when they stormed the mountain, they found that the defenders had killed their families and then themselves instead of facing slavery at the hands of the Romans. Josephus provides our only account of this story, and while it offers a daring and captivating tale, it most likely did not happen in exactly that manner. Nevertheless, visitors to Masada see evidence of the lives of the Jewish rebels. 

Not needing the luxury of Herod’s royal palace-fortress, the rebels converted portions of the palaces into more serviceable and functional purposes. The room that served as the stables for the donkeys used to bring water from the cisterns below, the rebels converted into a synagogue. Archaeologists found ancient scrolls fragments from the remains of the Jewish rebels. Some fragments preserved portions of biblical books, like Ezekiel; other fragments contained portions of other ancient Jewish literature, like Ben Sira. 

Masada offers a fascinating window into the changing political landscape of the land of Israel in the first century. In this way, it enables us to understand themes and trends that we find within the New Testament.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“God, we have heard with our ears—our ancestors have told us—the work You accomplished in their days, in days long ago: to plant them, You drove out the nations with Your hand; to settle them, You crushed the peoples. … Why do You hide Yourself and forget our affliction and oppression? For we have sunk down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up! Help us! Redeem us because of Your faithful love” (Psalm 44:1-2, 24-26 HCSB).

Have you ever found yourself frustrated reading the Bible? Not confused, but frustrated. Frustrated because in its pages you read about God’s mighty acts, His deliverance of His people, His signs and wonders, then you look to our world, to your life, and the thought comes: “Where is God, why do we not see Him act as we heard Him do of old?” 

The psalmist felt the same way. He found himself frustrated because of God’s mighty acts in the past, but in the present, the psalmist feels that God has rejected His people. The psalmist cannot even console himself by acknowledging Israel’s sin (44:17-22). He declares that the people have not forgotten God’s name or turned back from Him, yet because He does not act, the people suffer. 

It is such a raw and honest psalm. Most of us would not have the audacity to pray in such a manner. But the psalmist does. He recognized that in a covenantal relationship, both parties have responsibilities. God held Israel to their obligations to the covenant, and so, too, they could hold Him to His. 

The psalmist’s appeal to God’s steadfast covenant love called upon God to remember the covenant He made with Israel. Amid the psalmist’s frustrations, however, he recognized that the God of Israel kept His covenant. Reminding God of His covenant responsibilities had merit because God was faithful to His covenant with Israel. 

We often speak about relationship with God, and we sometimes even criticize the “religion” of the Bible. Yet true relationship allows for the visceral frustrations expressed by the psalmist. True relationship enables both parties to remind the other of their commitments, and it stands upon the confidence that the weaker party can trust the stronger party to remain true to the obligations of the agreement.

The Bible presents God as a covenant-keeping God. He keeps His promises and obligations to His people. Within the Old Testament, this acts as the basis of His love, the covenant. Even when He became angry with Israel, He still acted in faithfulness to the covenant He made with them; He did not give in to His emotions because He keeps His covenant.

He is the same for us. He is faithful. And He is big enough to handle our deepest questions and frustrations. We can trust Him to redeem us for the sake of His steadfast love.

PRAYER

Lord, we have heard about Your mighty deeds of the past, but at times we feel frustrated and forsaken in our present. Please rise up for the sake of Your steadfast love to us. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels 

To Iranians, Sunday March 20 marked not only Iran’s Persian new year—the year 1401, according to their solar calendar—but also a new century. Iranians worldwide celebrate their beloved new year holiday, called Nowruz—“new day”—on the first day of spring. The overall themes of Nowruz mark the triumph of hope over despair, the end of darkness (winter), and the arrival of light (spring). Regrettably, under the authoritarian leadership of imams and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, the arrival of light is still on a long sabbatical. 

After the Iranian Revolution, the current Islamic Republic was established in 1979 by Ruhollah Khomeini, who became the country’s first Supreme Leader. The Government of Iran is an Islamic theocracy which includes elements of a presidential democracy, with the ultimate authority vested in an autocratic “Supreme Leader,” a position held by Ali Khamenei since Khomeini’s death in 1989. It is no surprise that these hardline theocratic leaders also wanted to reduce the popular Nowruz celebrations in the world’s first Islamic state. The Iranian people, however, were furious—and the celebrations remained. However, their society has dramatically changed in the last 43 years. 

Speeches this week from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Raisi reflect aligned ideas. Raisi boasted about the past solar century as being the century of the Islamic Revolution, saying the nation would “remain brilliant in history.” He went on to point out, “God willing, the next century will be the century of the emergence and exaltation of the Iranian-Islamic civilization that emerged from the glorious Islamic Revolution.” Underlying that message is another, unspoken one: that the Iranian-Islamic civilization of the next century will include nuclear weapons.

Yet not all Iranians support their government. In fact, opposing demonstrations in city streets during this year’s Nowruz showed a rift in the oppressive regime. Some shouted “Death to America”—the Great Satan—with pride in the newest missile they hope to launch next year. Another group, the National Council of the Resistance of Iran, chanted “Death to Khamenei” in the lead-up to the holiday.

Nowruz, with its rich history, is taking place in an economy with a stunning 40 percent inflation. A large sector of the Iranian population will sit down at holiday tables reflecting the skyrocketing prices that forced them to forgo or reduce traditional customs of sweets, new clothes, new furniture, and gifts for their children. One of their traditional dishes is fish and herbed rice. Today, it costs a family of four up to 4 million rials (Iranian currency)—about $95 in U.S. currency. 

Friends and families will gather excitedly for the two-week holiday—especially after COVID-19 restrictions had kept them apart—yet some platters may have less of the items. The markets are full of delicious fruits and goods; however, merchants say that many people come to the market only to look because they cannot buy. Meanwhile, officials like President Raisi describe the market in glowing terms simply because the food stalls are full.

Despite the new year’s festival that heralds the arrival of spring and light, under the iron fist of imams and President Raisi, darkness is all too easy to find. Raisi has a shadowy past as a judge and is often called a butcher and executioner. He was sanctioned by the U.S. government for his role in the massacre of 5,000 political prisoners (1988) and the 2019 slaughter of 1,500 peaceful protestors. Last year, Khamenei refused to buy COVID-19 vaccines from the United States and United Kingdom—a decision estimated to have caused the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of citizens between June and September.

Iran, the world’s biggest state sponsor of terror, clearly does not prioritize the needs of its citizens. The quality of life would improve dramatically for Iranians at home if the regime decided to abandon its terror operations, its nuclear ambitions, and its hatred for Israel, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states. What they have spent to pay for terror is vast—more than $140 billion in the past 10 years, as reported by Global Security. These billions could surely ease the increasing hardships among Iranians. 

Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov, the Soviet nuclear physicist turned dissident and human rights activist, said it best: “A country which does not respect the rights of its own citizens will not respect the rights of its neighbors.” Iran is a prime example. 

The Obama/Biden administration’s 2015 Iran deal released Iran’s frozen assets of around $100 billion. Yes, the assets were frozen, they belonged to Iran. The fact that Iranians are still living under substantial hardships is an indicator that the regime is more interested in a revived caliphate to rule the world via means of nuclear weapons than in helping its citizens.

Brigadier General Ran Kochav, spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces—wished Iranians a “Happy Nowruz” in Persian, adding: “I wish the Iranian people a new spring of hope and respect. Missiles and drones will not fix the country’s acute water crisis, just like enriched uranium will not be able to feed any hungry child in Iran.”

The Russians announced that talks on the 2022 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will begin again in Vienna after the Nowruz holiday ends. Thus Russia, another purveyor of terror who recently began warring against Ukraine, now heads up the most dangerous deal in the world. The 2022 Iran deal is already much worse than its 2015 predecessor. President Biden is now considering removing the elite and deadly Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the terrorist designation list. 

Reacting to news about Biden’s possible decision, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid expressed astonishment. They could hardly believe the U.S. would do such a thing, especially since the IRGC was “behind plans to assassinate senior American government officials.” They also pointed out that IRGC members “kill Jews because they are Jews, Christians because they are Christians, and Muslims because they refuse to surrender to them.” They know that the IRGC has ruined Lebanon, Syria, and oppresses the Iranian population. We simply cannot forget that Iran’s hatred extends to the United States. 

In the Christian community, we can base our prayers on one of the significant themes of Nowruz and throughout our Bible: the triumph of light over darkness!

The light is dawning already for many in Iran. All Israel News wrote an excellent article last year about Iranian pastor Hormoz Shariat, called the “Billy Graham of Iran.” Reports about Dr. Shariat’s ministry indicate that his satellite is beaming the Gospel into Iran, where many are meeting the “Man in White” in their dreams. Shariat himself was a Shia Muslim who converted to the Christian faith. Jesus the Light of the world!

Daniel 2:21 is a reminder of God’s sovereignty: “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

Please join CBN Israel in prayer this week for Israel, Iran, and the Middle East:

• Pray that JCPOA talks will go in a better direction or cease altogether. 
• Pray for Iran’s Christian community to grow in strength and faith. 
• Pray for blessings on all ministries that are reaching out to Iranians. 
• Pray for those imprisoned in Iran who are innocent. 
• Pray for Israeli security to remain an effective deterrent against terror. 

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel and has traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a volunteer on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on her website at ArleneBridgesSamuels.com.

Israel needs your help! She needs Christians like you to stand in solidarity with her and help care for her people who are streaming in by the thousands from Ukraine.

“They lost everything. That’s the reality,” said an Israeli medic at an overwhelmed Ukrainian border crossing. “Many are coming with nothing. Most are women with children, grandmothers, and the elderly.” Men must stay and fight the Russians.

“All are very hungry. There are no grocery stores along the road out,” added the medic. “And what normally takes a few hours to exit Ukraine, now takes several days because of the mass exodus.”

This is the tragic situation for thousands of Jewish refugees who struggle to leave their war-torn homes in Ukraine for safety and freedom in Israel. With Russian bombings and shelling right behind them, Israel is in fact the Promised Land.

This international “humanitarian crisis” of up to a projected 4 million refugees has deeply impacted Israel and the Jewish refugees who are fleeing there. 

Sadly, the most vulnerable ones are hit the hardest: the elderly, Holocaust survivors, children, and poverty-stricken families. What little they had, is even less now. Many left with just the clothes on their backs and what they could carry in their arms, or drag behind them. 

Thanks to compassionate friends like you, CBN Israel is once again on the front lines of defense and rescue for Jewish people struggling in Israel to make new lives for themselves. 

There is a great need for food, clothing, temporary shelter, blankets, ground transportation, medical care, and a long list of other critical needs.

It is essential that we move quickly. We must provide more lifesaving necessities and rescue for these displaced Jewish people and many other children of Abraham like them.

Through God’s grace, and with your prayers and gifts, the Ukrainian Jews who have safely reached Israel can receive the life-changing assistance they desperately need as they cope with their world turned upside down.

And as you send your gift of Christian love and care, remember that your blessing is also at hand as Genesis 12:3 promises us:

“I will bless those who bless you [Israel].”

Will you join us in helping our Jewish brothers and sisters in great need?

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, at 1,300 feet below sea level. It formerly received six million tons of water daily from the Jordan River. It forms part of the Rift Valley. It is forty-three miles long and nine miles wide. It is deepest on its northern end, at 1,310 feet deep. 

The Bible never refers to it as the Dead Sea; rather, it uses names like the Salt Sea (Genesis 14:3; Numbers 34:12), the Sea of Arabah (Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 3:16; 2 Kings 14:25), and the sea of foul waters (Ezekiel 47:8). The first century Jewish historian refers to it as Lake Asphaltitis (Antiquities 1:174). By the latter half of the second century A.D., Greco-Roman writers began referring to the body of water as the Dead Sea. 

Its biblical name, the Salt Sea, derives from the salt-mineral concentration within the water of about 30% (most oceans are about 3% for comparison). The density of the water enables modern tourists to float, and it also means that the water remains relatively calm. In antiquity, the sea was valued for its salt, a valued commodity in the ancient world, and the bitumen found floating on its surface. 

The saltiness of the water, as well as the salt flats around the Dead Sea, give the name, the Valley of Salt, to the land south of the Dead Sea in the Bible (2 Kings 14:7). While the waters of the Dead Sea are too salty for normal life to live, fresh-water springs and oases, like En Gedi and En Feshkah, enabled the growth of vegetation, trees, like date palms and balsam, and agriculture in the region of the Dead Sea. 

The Dead Sea divides into two parts. The boot-shaped peninsula that extends into the water from its eastern bank divides it between its northern part, approximately thirty miles long, and the southern part, about fifteen miles long, but it is only thirty to thirty-five feet deep in this area. 

The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 14:1-12) resided near the shore of the Dead Sea. Biblical writers, especially the prophets, often used the imagery of the barren, arid, and salty landscape around the Dead Sea to communicate their messages. Isaiah (35) and Ezekiel (47) envision a day when the salty water of the sea will become fresh and sweet, and only the salt flats on its shores remain. 

During the time of the Bible, people used the Dead Sea for travel between the western and eastern shores. Herod the Great (Matthew 2) built two palace-fortresses, one on the western shore (Masada), and one on the eastern shore (Macherus) to protect and watch over the industry and agriculture of the region. 

Today, the mining of the minerals of the Dead Sea by the Israelis and Jordanians, as well as the restricted flow of the Jordan River into the Dead Sea, and natural evaporation is resulting in the shrinking of the Dead Sea. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast