Israel Trip Day 12: Jerusalem’s Walls and Towers
Today is Sunday, an important day for at least three reasons. First and most important, of course, it is the Lord’s Day, all the more significant in a country where believers in the Messiah who died for our sins and rose again on this day are in the minority. Believers here know what it means to cling to one another as brothers and sisters while feeling alienated from the world that they are trying to evangelize.
Second, it is our last full day in Israel–at least for now! Tomorrow we are planning to fly to Paris on El Al and from there to Atlanta. We could stay longer, but there is a general suspicion here that Hezbollah or Iran or both will repeat the April 13 missile attack tomorrow evening or some day soon thereafter. We feel safe where we are because there are secure places we can go to take cover. But we do not want Judah and others who have to think about their own safety to have to worry about us also. So we will bow out tomorrow with hopes of returning at a better time.
Third, today Judah began his new semester at Ben Gurion University! Yes, on Sunday, he went back to medical training. As many of you know, in Israel, Sunday is like our Monday to them, because Saturday is their religious Day of Rest, the Jewish Sabbath or, as they say, “Shabbat.” Shabbat officially begins on Friday evening at sundown, or when the first three stars (counting Venus or Jupiter, depending on the time of year) are visible in the early night sky. As soon as that hour begins, the towns and cities grow much quieter as all are gathered in their homes with family sharing the Shabbat meal. Until the next evening, those who observe Shabbat do not drive their vehicles (except in extreme cases of emergency), or use an elevator, or ride a bicycle, or even turn the lights off and on. But once those three stars are visible again, like the curtain going up to start the act of a play, all of the activity begins again in earnest.
So, with Judah in class, Bryan and I borrowed his car to join this fast-moving culture and drive up to Jerusalem one last time. Driving in Israel is a unique experience. People drive way too fast, tailgate way too close, pass on the left way too risky on to blind curves, and sport a general demeanor of impatience. In fact, not unlike they drive in other countries. But as an example, when Judah was driving us back from Elat the other night, he was making pretty good time, but not good enough, apparently , for some guys on motorcycles behind us. They roared by on the passenger side of the car and suddenly we heard a loud “Pop!” as one of them purposefully smacked the side mirror with his hand out of anger, turning in the mirror in ward. Not a little unnerving. So thinking of all of this did make me wonder if we were taking our lives into our own hands by traveling through the countryside and city traffic the 90-minute drive to Jerusalem without our faithful and trustworthy guide and companion, Judah.
But we wanted to go, fast traffic or not, so that on the Lord’s Day we could reflect on the ancient pilgrims’ journey to this holy city, Jerusalem, the city that God in his Word set aside as his own special place among his chosen people. We committed our trip to the Lord with prayer and thanked him for all that he had done for us this past week, then while Bryan drove, I read all of the Psalms of Ascent (Psalms 120–134) and we had a great time thinking through those psalms and discussing them.
Many people believe that these are called the Psalms of Ascent because they were sung by the Jews as they ascended the path from the Pool of Siloam to the temple. (Remember the steps they are restoring that I spoke of in an earlier post.) Others think that they may have been sung by the Jews even as they journeyed to the city and the temple from other places far and near. The truth is, we are not fully certain why they are called Psalms of “Ascent.” But the celebration of and yearning for the presence of God in the temple and the safety and exaltation of the holy city that surrounds the temple is a major theme of these songs. So they were full of meaning as we read them while making our own ascent to Jerusalem. One psalm that stood out among the others specifically speaks of the towers and walls of Jerusalem.
Psalm 122
I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!
3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
5 There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
7 Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
8 For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.
The safety of a city in ancient times depended on the strength of its walls and towers. The towers lifted up the watchman to see far and look for approaching enemies, and they added an advantage to archers defending the city. The walls, with their battlements, protected the city from invasion and allowed room for standing and walking for soldiers. So the walls and towers were intended to provide peace and security for the city.
So first we took time today to visit the “Tower of David,” which is a military fortress in Jerusalem that dates to the fifth century AD. It was named the tower of David after the same phrase in Song of Solomon 4:4 because those who built it believed that it sat in part over the ancient palace of David. But it actually sits over the palace of Herod that he built in the first century BC.
So, in the middle of this citadel, archaeologists had uncovered enough of the ancient ruins for us to see part of the palace of Herod, the center of much Jewish and Christian history. Here, in this place, the Magi came looking for one who was born “King of Jews” (Matt 2:1–12). We stood up near one of the high towers looking down and read the story. The sign of the star the Magi saw when they were in the East told them of a Jewish king, so they came to Jerusalem looking for him. Where else would one look for a Jewish king but the palace of the capital city! This is also the place where Pilate sent Jesus on the day of his trial (Luke 23:6–12). Herod’s son, Antipas, was ruling in Galilee, but he was down in Jerusalem for the Passover, staying at the family palace. So when Pilate could find nothing with which to charge Jesus, he sent him over to Herod Antipas, who was delighted. He had always wanted to meet Jesus because he had heard of the miracles. But when Jesus wouldn’t answer him, Herod Antipas and those with him mocked Jesus and put on him the royal garments and sent him back to Pilate.
After thoroughly exploring this citadel and some its history, we sat down to enjoy some lamb shawarma for lunch. (We now have some helpful recommendations for you if you ever have the opportunity to explore the cuisine here.) Then we bought tickets to be allowed to walk along the walls and battlements of Jerusalem itself.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit Jerusalem, remember that they will let you walk along the entire wall except for the wall around the Dome of the Rock, the temple mount, which is heavily protected. (But you can still walk near that part if you go up to the temple mount.)
Walking along the walls of Jerusalem is indeed a unique experience. It give you a full view of the city surrounding Jerusalem as well as a view of what is taking place inside the city from every angle. Outside we could see other popular sites as well as the normal buildings and markets and workings of modern Jerusalem, inside we could see schools and neighborhoods and homes. It also gave us an appreciation for what it must have been like to guard the city, to walk back and forth across the battlements, wait for the attacking enemy, to risk your life defending these walls.
But reflecting upon this experience reminds me that Jerusalem’s walls were breached. The city was still destroyed, and built back up, and destroyed again. Because in the end, walls and towers alone cannot protect the city, no matter how strong (Ps 122:3). The only power that can save the city is the power of God. And that has been proven over the centuries. That is why Psalm 122 says that we must “pray” for the “peace of Jerusalem” (Ps 122:6). Pray for peace within the walls and towers (v. 7).
And if this is true for physical salvation, it is especially true for spiritual salvation. Verse 122:6b is part of the prayer for Jerusalem that must be prayed. “May they be secure who love you.” Who have a relationship with God. The only true security is the eternal security found in salvation through the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who came to show the love of God to the people who dwell in this city, who was rejected from the city when he was crucified by its inhabitants outside the city gate (Heb 13:12), dying for their sins and rising again. So that, through faith in him, all can share this loving relationship with God.
The “Iron Dome” that we hear so much about, Israel’s defense system against rocket attacks, is their new “wall” of defense. And it has proved to be very effective. When the air attacks came from Iron back on April 13 of this year, it was the largest in history. 300 rockets, missiles, and drones were fired and the Iron Dome along with help of Israel’s allies took down every single one of them. There was a little Bedouin girl who was seriously injured by some falling shrapnel, which is very sad. But beyond that, there were no injuries or casualties. Bryan and I have been thankful for this Iron Dome, you can be sure.
But like the ancient walls, the Iron Dome cannot protect Israel from all attacks. And it certainly cannot protect them from spiritual attack. The answer to their eternal salvation is still the One who has already defeated the greatest enemy of sin and death.
We should still obey the call of Psalm 122. We should pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We should pray for the physical safety of these amazing people who are defiant and fearless in the face of danger and disaster. Their resilience and resolve is evidence of God’s common grace to them and of the fact that we are all created in his image. But we must urgently pray also for their true peace, the oneness and harmony with God that can only come through the gospel of Jesus Christ. May Christ be their true walls and towers, guarding them from ultimate destruction, surrounding them with eternal rest and peace.