The first day we stopped by this tree, can you name it and tell us what was special about it? What was the reason for the city gate? What happened at the city gate? Who sat there and who came there? How can we live out this lesson? How have you put this teaching in practice since you arrived home? Tell us your experience in the comments.
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17 comments:
Hey, I do remember that tree...but not the name of it. It was a thorn tree from the 1st parable of the OT..Judges 9:9-15. The thorn tree accepted the offer to be king after an olive tree and another tree said "no thanks" to the offer of being king. As I recall this thorn tree spreads fast and is hard to control...similar to our cudzu here in the South.
Spencer
It was called a Dar Dar tree I think. Thx for putting the scripture on, Spencer. I couldn't remember and hadn't written it down. The City gates thing really moved me to compassion to help the poor and needy. But quite honestly, I'm not sure where to start. Seems around here we've become very self-sufficient. Am praying that God would bring opportunities my way that the children can be involved in as well. Love to you all, Anne
I remember the dar-dar as the first "picture" we experienced in Shephelah. Right along with that, RVL was encouraging us to ask questions about ANYTHING along the path, because he probably could draw out something interesting from it, like any rabbi would do. We were kinda Greek at first, just "getting to the destination". So the dar-dar was a beginning. And the city gates.....What impressed me was the excellent position, really strategically given by God, a city on a hill has. And are we wasting that by letting Satan control it??? Or are we reclaiming it for Messiah's shalom-spreading opportunities???
It seems the Dar-Dar tree represented satan as he tries consantly to trip us up and get our focus off being "City gates" to others. I love that lesson! Thanks , Roy for reminding me again. Verna
DarDar, Cutzu, Multifloral Rose!!! Don't let time be so consumed by junk!!!
Good morning friends! Thanks, Roy, for keeping the fire burning. It's good to remember the lessons taught and better when challenged to apply them now that we're back in the thick of things! City gates: major function was for protection and defense. The symbol of hope. The heart of the city. Justice, mercy and order was to be found here out of the chaos brought from out there.
Now the hard part (application): I totally agree with the concept of reaching out to the poor and outcast, to insure our churches are the bastions of hope for all who enter its gates - but once they enter in, are we truly prepared to bring order out of their chaos, or will they simply be trading one form of chaos for another? Oh that we together might truly live out Christ as ministers of reconcilliation before a dead and dying world! 2Cor. 5:16-6:10!
Hey, this is great.The thing that hit me the most at Tel Gezer is that the city is a place of refuge and protection if you have paid your taxes and the judge lets you in, and we are a city on set on a hill that cannot be hid, do the people that are looking for refuge in our world see our city and does it look like a refuge and a place of safty and protection? Thanks Roy, Lets keep this up, John Jr
I do remember, altho I had forgotten that it was the first parable. I think the hebrew word for the dar-dar was atod. I've been studying city gates and the signifigence of them is amazing. Something I had never noticed b-4. Gen.22:17 - part of God's promise to Abraham was that his seed would possess the gate of his enemies. How cool! Amen to what you said Jr. That's quite a challenge. Bless God for you Roy! I love all of you, Melissa
who sat in the gates? Wise men - Mordecai sat in the king's gates and Daniel did too.
Thanks for the scripture ref on the Dar Dar tree, Spencer. I went and read it this morn...interesting! The tree was something unwanted that would take over. The farmers all got the message of that parable!
City gates have been on my mind a lot since I'm home. The poor, hungry, weak, stranger, and broken would come to find help in the city gate. When hard times come, people say "Where is God?" But God says "Where are you?"
Something God has been showing me is to be prepared when those people show up.
Kings and judges sat in the gates.
One question if someone could answer it...I forget how the food, etc. got in the city gate. Was it a tithing the people brought?
Interestingly, I will be starting the "That the World May Know" video series in my Adult Sunday School class this Sunday. This will be the 3rd time we've gone through these videos. As you may be aware, Vol. #1..Lesson #1 is on Gezer..City Gates..Standing Stones. I can't wait.
Spencer
The "city gates" are very challenging. It is a place where chaos and harmony meet!To put that into practice can be done in various ways.First of all our own heart needs to be at peace before "true" shalom can be brot to others. Let us be as lively stones inthe city gates.. 1Peter2:5,12. I really like this blog lesson type thing.. Ruby
I remember standing right beside the wall at Gezer and seeing that little house, occupied by a family who impacted history in some way, even though it may have been very small. And realizing that every choice I make and everything I do affects other people too, and not just me. It was exciting to see a real house that people from Bible times actually lived in! They were real, they lived somewhere, and we got to see into their past. Maybe we can say "shalom" to them in Heaven, and tell them that we saw their house! And what is more, maybe they helped to keep the Bible alive so that we, generations later, could be grafted into the story.
The day that we were at Gezer still stands out to me because we are supposed to be a city set up on a hill that other people can see us and that others (those who are poor and hurting and needy) can see that they are welcome at our place where they can find refuge. Also living in such a way that makes others ask questions than we can talk about God! Standing stones.
God bless you all!
Shalome -Josiah
Thinking about the city gates reminded me of the story that RVL told us there. The one about how one of his students broke down crying here, because he had given the wrong coat. (Their school was having a coat collection for Romania and this guy had 2 coats the one was new, and the other one was good but you could see that it was used. And he gave the used one instead of the new one.) And I had to think how that is so me! We think we're the one that deserve the best. Even if other people need it more. I'm so glad we're keeping this blog up so it can keep reminding us of things we forgot. Miss all of you! ~Cherlyn
Hey Roy, this is awesome now I can remember my lessons from yours...RVL said it was the Dar Dar tree in this lesson, but our new tour Guide (Boaz is not with him any more) said it is an Atad tree, and not the Dar Dar, so a couple days later, RVL had us change our notes to Atad...FYI
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