A TALE OF TWO CITIES

A Review of the March 2007 Israel Tour
by Max Frasier, Jr.

From the May 2007 Philogian

A Tale of Two Cities is the title of Charles Dickens’ 1859 historical novel of the days leading up to the French Revolution.  The title is derived from the cities of Paris and London, the abodes of the two central characters in his novel.  The story is not so much focused upon the cities as upon the people who lived in the cities portrayed in the title.

This past March, I had the privilege of leading a group of 22 Village School students on a fourteen-day tour to Israel and Jordan.  Although we had a rough start of the tour, due to the cancellation of one of our flights because of a snowstorm on the East Coast, God answered many prayers and we were all able to connect to Tel Aviv through Amsterdam.  It truly was a miracle. 

Upon arriving in Israel we began our travels back into biblical times at Joppa, a place that links both the Old and New Testaments.  Then we headed into the Galilee where we spent four delightful days walking where Jesus had walked.  How our hearts were thrilled as we walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  In the quietness one could almost hear Jesus saying, “Simon, do you love me?”  And, in that moment we answered from our hearts as did Peter, “Lord, you know I love you!”  While sailing on the Sea, we were reminded of the miracle of the great catch of fish, not once, but twice.  And then we had the privilege of enjoying one of the fish named after Peter – St. Peter’s fish.  What a delicious dinner. 

Then it was on to Petra inside Jordan.  And it is here that I want to relate the first of the two cities of this article.  I had never been to Petra before.  And I certainly was not disappointed with what I saw there.  But, this archaeological site is unlike most sites in the Middle East.  It is a city of tombs.  There are tombs everywhere.  The mountainsides are filled with tombs, some large, some small.  Some were carved for a royal king or queen, others for the masses of people who called Petra home.  Why is it that all that remains of this city is tombs? 

Let’s look briefly at the history of Petra.  It is not mentioned in the Bible, coming into prominence during the second and first centuries BC.  Settled by an ancient group of people known as Nabateans, Petra became a major city along the spice route linking the Arabian Peninsula with the Mediterranean Coast.  It was later occupied by Romans, and later by the Byzantine Christians, as evidence has been found of a Byzantine Church there in Petra.  A devastating earthquake around 551 AD virtually destroyed the city with its ruins only known to the Bedouins.  In 1812, Petra was rediscovered by the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.  It is now one of the major attractions in the Middle East. 

Petra is a city haunted by the ghosts of the past.  The tombs are a reminder of the greatness that had once been Petra.  But that greatness died.  I asked myself the question, “Why?”  I do believe the Bible gives us an answer.  Petra was located in the ancient kingdom of Edom, named after Esau, the brother of Jacob.  You might remember that the Edomites were a thorn in the side of Israel for centuries.  Finally, the prophet Obadiah delivered the message from God to the Edomites that they would be destroyed from the face of the earth and that the land would be devastated.  Might not the earthquake of 551 have been God’s final punishment upon ancient Edom?  Certainly the many gods worshiped by the Edomites and later by the Nabateans were powerless to stand against the living God of Israel.  The gods perished, the people perished, and all that remains today are the tombs.  Yes, they are beautiful…but they represent death and decay.

After re-crossing the border, our group spent some time along the Dead Sea, visiting En Gedi and Masada and Qumran.  Then we headed toward Jerusalem! 

What a startling contrast between Petra and Jerusalem!  Both have ancient roots, Jerusalem’s history dating back to the time of the conquest of the land by Joshua; in the Bible it is known as the city of Jebus.  Perhaps its history dates back to the time of Abraham where Melchizedek is called the King of Salem.  Yes, there are tombs in Jerusalem.  But, the city is much more than that.  It is alive with over 724,000 people literally from all over the world.  It is the capital city of Israel and its largest city.  It is filled with commerce and industry.  The streets are lined with stores selling almost everything imaginable.  Jerusalem is a blending of the ancient and the modern.  One can see donkey-carts still traversing the narrow streets of the Old City, while a modern light-rail system is being built to connect the major centers of the New City. 

What makes this city so alive?  I believe it is because God has His hand upon that city.  It is because that city has a future established by God.  It is the city of the King!  It will be the capital of the coming Messianic Kingdom.  Oh, it has its rocky days ahead…just read Revelation or the accounts in many of the Old Testament prophets.  But God has promised deliverance.  Destroyed some 21 times over the course of its history, Jerusalem has always survived; not because of its inherent goodness, but because of God’s choosing.  For whatever reasons, God has chosen this city above all the cities of the world as the place where He has inscribed His name.  

Yes, a tale of two cities.  Petra – a city of tombs; a city with only a past; a city dedicated to the worship of the creation rather than of God.  Jerusalem – a city of life; a city with a past, and a present, and a future; a city dedicated to the celebration of God. 

After walking the streets and pathways of both cities, I was reminded of those early verses the Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians.  I close with those words: As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins (friends, that is Petra – deadness) … But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…it is by grace you have been saved (that is Jerusalem – life).  In which city are you making your residence today? 

 

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