On our second full day in Israel we travelled south from Jerusalem to Masada. Along the way we met a Bedouin young man named Achmed and rode his camel named Sushi. Yes, I have pictures. Over the years I have ridden a donkey (thank you Paul Scholtz), a cow (don’t ask), a hog (two wheel version) a horse, a high-horse, and now – a camel.
A short drive later we arrived at Masada, an ancient fortress situated on top of a large plateau a couple of miles west of the Dead Sea. Its cliffs rise 1,300 feet on the east and 300 feet on the west, making it an ideal refuge from danger. Herod the Great built two palaces there which he used as winter retreats. The fortress contained barracks for an army and cisterns to collect rain water. They grew pigeons for their meat and had a system in place where they could have grain for their food. It was developed to be a self-contained home effectively shut off from the rest of the world.
Historian Josephus wrote that when the Roman troops invaded Jerusalem around A.D. 70, hundreds of Jewish people fled to Masada. As we stood atop Masada, I could see why the Jewish people thought they were safe from threat. From that vantage point you could see the Dead Sea to the east, the plains and hills for many miles giving you early warning of danger. The Roman army continued its march south and encircled the plateau. The Romans were relentless and spent months building a 400 foot ramp from the desert floor to the western wall of the fortress. When the Romans breached the wall they discovered that 960 men, women and children had committed suicide so as to avoid being captured. Only two women and five children were found alive.
Pardon the over-simplification of my thoughts this morning, but I see a parallel with the story of Masada and what is happening in our world today. Just a few weeks ago our economy was soaring, and we had little worries. Now millions of people are out of work, hundreds of thousands have reportedly been infected and thousands have died. Last Friday morning I preached the funeral of a 50 year old man who had been the epitome of health and success, but was struck down by this insidious virus. I stood at Stewart’s grave with the reminder of how precious life is and how quickly it can change.
I do not advocate we live in fear, but urge all to exercise wisdom and cooperate with the mandates given by civic and medical leaders. I believe we can be proactive in this season of isolating ourselves from the threat. Begin each day giving thanks to the Lord for His rich blessings, and spend time in the scripture, in worship and prayer. Be purposeful in looking out for your neighbors, which fits in with the Lord’s teaching to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Pray scriptures like Psalm 91 over your property and family, then place your trust in Almighty God, knowing that He is with us in every season of life (see Matthew 28:20), and He promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Let’s sing: “The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe…”
