New Perspective on Scripture
by Pastor Floyd Baker Jr.
Estimated Time to Read: 2 Minutes
Is it possible that a trip to Israel will give you a new perspective on Scripture? Yes! In Luke 19:35- 40, we find the account of Jesus traveling over the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem on a donkey and, upon nearing Jerusalem, the crowd surrounding Him give Him praise as the King and Savior. The Pharisees commanded Jesus to make the crowd stop their cries. Jesus responded that if they stopped, the very stones would cry out.
For thousands of years, the adversary has been trying to bury the truth and silence the witness of God. Today, in Israel, the very stones are crying out. Israel is filled with stones, everywhere you turn. Archaeology is being carried out, the past is being uncovered, and the stones are speaking out to the truth and accuracy of Scripture. Your tour of Israel will make you realize that everything recorded in the Bible is real. The villages, the places, the land, the water, and the people that lived during those times are all very real.
Standing at the overlook on the Mount of Olives, looking down at the Temple Mount and Jerusalem, is not just a tourist spot. It is the general location where this Luke passage took place. Christ had crested the mountain and was looking down at Jerusalem, and Scripture says He wept over their unbelief. The Matthew passage of this account says the people were shouting “Hosanna,” which means “Save Now.” That was the very purpose He had come. In just a matter of days, He would give His life and complete His eternal purpose to provide redemption for all.
I found that every place we visited on my trip to Israel made the Scriptures came alive. I had often read about being on the Sea of Galilee, but then, I was there feeling the wind and the waves against the boat (Don’t try walking on the water; see Job 9:8).
Being present in person causes all of the accounts in Scripture to come alive. That was true in Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and every location we visited. It was real. After my trip to Israel, when I read Scripture now, I can see the location. I can understand the journey because I was there. I can appreciate the history that took place in that very land, going back to Abraham. We can rely on Scripture because it is true and real. The stones are crying out.
Pastor Floyd Baker Jr. and his wife Lois traveled with us on our Berean Bible Society/Berean Bible Institute trip in 2019.
I want to learn more about touring The Best of Israel!
Read another article from this edition of the BBI Bulletin:
The Message and Ministry of the Apostle Paul and Its Importance for Us Today
