A Splash of Color on the Pages of History

From the moment Ben Gurion Airport came into view and the plane touched down on the runway, the weight of the glory of the Holy Land struck me. My wife and I and a number of others on our tour were stepping foot into Israel the first time. But both the rookies and the seasoned veterans in our group were immediately eager to explore. Our tour guide, Tito, was eager to get back into the action as well, having missed out on two years of leading tours. We have a small group, just 25 of us, but we look forward to the opportunities for friendship and flexibility in the tour that our size provides.

After boarding our comfortable tour bus, we got our first impression of the land on the stretch of road that took us south from Tel Aviv down through the mountains of Judea and Samaria. My first thought was that the first couple miles of our drive didn’t seem much different than driving through the United States. That was until I realized what an anomaly this is in the Middle East. This is a region that should be dominated by dry, brown, desert geography. Yet we were met with lush green pastures and meadows of red, yellow, and purple flowers. It reminded me that God has greatly blessed both the land of Israel and its people. The road was peppered with long-standing fortresses that stood as a testament to Israel’s defense, as ancient and modern Israel converged on our drive. 

Our first stop was high atop the Valley of Elah. We climbed to the summit, which opened on a breathtaking view of countless miles of Israeli beauty in every direction. Here our executive director, Jim Showers, shared the context of this site, the same location where David improbably defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath. We could see how narrow the valley was, which meant that God put the mighty Philistine army and the frightened Israelite army on either side, setting up the epic showdown between the lightweight and heavyweight warriors. David, of course, was victorious. Yet it wasn’t his confidence in himself that brought Israel victory. It was his confidence in the Lord, revealing his humble heart that we would be wise to adopt too. Here we also learned why Israel is so full of beautiful greenery: Its citizens actively plant trees, counting over 250,000,000 in the nation today, a visible difference from its neighbors in the West Bank who don’t value their vegetation the same.

Soon after this we walked a trail leading to the very brook where David collected his five smooth stones, one of which was used to take down Goliath in the nearby Valley of Elah. We had a chance to take home a stone for ourselves and even practice launching them from a slingshot.

We finished our day in the city of Jaffa, a strategic seaport with biblical and modern intrigue. Jonah sailed from Jaffa to escape God’s command to prophesy against it. The wood Solomon used for the Temple was transported from Lebanon through Jaffa. And Simon the tanner made his home in Jaffa, where Peter had his vision concerning unclean animals and revolutionized his ministry. It also still has part of its gate from the 13th century B.C., a remarkable piece of history we enjoyed learning about just before we saw the city’s incredible coastline. Jaffa is considered part of Tel Aviv, highlighting its southern end. Its population and allure have gone up and down throughout the past century, but today it boasts a thriving artistic community. Bright, colorful, creative artwork coats the walls and gives the city an exciting personality.

Now we’re off to enjoy a relaxing evening at the Dan Tel Aviv Hotel where we’ll enjoy a buffet, the Mediterranean beach, and lots of sleep after our long flight this morning!

Our Team
Author: Jesse King
Staff Writer
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry

Photos: Mary Hopp
Human Resources Manager
The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry