Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God! His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King (Psalm 48:1-2 ESV).
My first impression of the city of Jerusalem is that it is indeed built on a mountain. When the Psalmist cried out, “Let us go up to the house of the Lord,” he meant “Let’s walk up the mountain.” Between the city and the Mount of Olives is the Kidron Valley. To walk around Jerusalem is to walk uphill. Also, everything is compact. Various sites that one reads about in the Bible are just several minutes walk apart. On most days, we walked between five and eight miles visiting various sites. This is not a journey for the faint of heart.
Jerusalem is a city that is both ancient and new. One can see the ancient Jebusite ruins that date more than 3000 years ago, while walking along streets filled with automobiles. Walking through the streets of Jerusalem, one encounters Jews and Arabs who have made this city their home. Most Arabs are Muslim, a few are Christian. There are many African Jews, from Ethiopia, who have immigrated to Israel.
The Psalmist cried out, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name” (Psalm 86:9 ESV). Jews from all over the world have made this city their home. I met Israeli’s whose families lived in Iran, Iraq, and Europe for centuries. Being the Diaspora is like an open wound to these Jews. They never forgot Jerusalem. Also, in walking through the old city, I encountered people from all over the world who are here to visit the ancient Christian sites. I spoke to one group from Indonesia, a group from Spain, and another group of Africans from South Africa.
The thing that surprised me most about the visit is Muslim-Israeli cooperation. When visiting the Israel Museum, I was surprised to discover that many of the artifacts were on loan from neighboring Muslim countries. One day, I was walking along the west side of the Kidron Valley, opposite the Mount of Olives. Suddenly, I heard the Muslim call to prayer. It filled the valley and could be heard for miles. Every official sign is in three languages – Hebrew, Arabic, and English. There are flourishing Arab villages. There are many churches and mosques scattered throughout the city. These people live together in relative peace. I wondered what is the primary source of oil for this country? I was surprised to discover that Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, both predominantly Muslim countries, supply most of Israel’s oil (by the way, gas in Israel is almost $12 a gallon). The engine of the Israeli economy is fueled by Muslim oil. The story of this cooperation is rarely told.
The most poignant time for me was visiting the site of the Nova Music Festival massacre (October 7, 2023). Hundreds of young people were murdered by Hamas terrorists. This site is about four miles from the Gaza border. The park is now a memorial to those who came to dance, but died. “O earth, cover not my blood, and let my cry find no resting place” (Job 16:18 ESV). This country cries out for the blood of its youth. Walking throughout the park, were scores of young Israeli soldiers carrying machine guns – men and women – who are barely 20 years old. We heard the story of a survivor, Adele, a 30 year-old math teacher who attended the festival. She told of horrific violence. She witnessed dozens of young people being murdered. She survived by hiding in an orchard. She lamented that the “world is against us.” Every Israeli citizen has been traumatized by terrorism. The West Bank Wall running through the city demonstrates the precarious nature of living here.
The ancient city of Jerusalem was destroyed in AD 70. So I knew going in that most of the religious sites were of later construction. I am grateful for the Catholics, the Orthodox, and the Muslims, for preserving these ancient sites. These places really are holy and sacred.
I had a conversation with a Catholic priest at Saint Anne’s Church. He is a Belgian national who has lived in Jerusalem 52 years. He told me that Jerusalem has a vocation to be a meeting place for the people of the world. He said, “I am no politician. I don’t have answers. I don’t know international law. Everything is so complex. But, this should be a place of peace and understanding.”
Our guide said, “We have to live with our neighbors – the Palestinians, the Egyptians, the Jordanians, and Lebanese. We’re not going anywhere. They’re not going anywhere.”
“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! May they be secure who love you!” (Psalm 122:6 ESV).
I’m not a theological dispensationalist. I believe that all the promises of God to the nation of Israel are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. God’s promise to Abraham was that his seed would be a blessing to all the families of the Earth (Genesis 12:3). An ancient Jewish theologian, Saul of Tarsus, lamented that his kinsmen rejected the gospel (Romans 9:1-3). He insisted that Jesus Christ is the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:16). Therefore, to be a good Jew is to confess Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10). Jews and Gentiles are the children of Abraham through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:1ff). As a gentile, I am grateful to be grafted into the true vine – Jesus (John 15:1). I pray for the day that all the tribes of the Earth will bow before Jesus as king of Kings and Lord of Lords.
I pray for the peace of Israel, for the peace of the world. I pray that Jews, Christians, and Muslims can live in peace as brothers and sisters through Jesus Christ. Amen!
Click here to read: “All the ends of the Earth shall see the Salvation of our God”
I’ll post later on my impression of visiting the Christian sites.
I am grateful to the Israel Ministry of Tourism and Friends of Zion for arranging and subsidizing this trip.
