07 June 2011

Apparently I didn’t pay attention to many of the seminary lessons during my junior year of high school. The Old Testament has many, many peoples and stories that I have never heard. I remember learning about Jonah and David, Solomon and Elijah, Daniel and Abraham, but Ahab, Asa, and friends don’t ring any bells. It has been fun reading in 1 & 2 Kings. I am learning many principles and histories of my ancestors. The Old Testament is a history of my ancestors. As a descendent of Ephraim, I am a descendant of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob. I may not be able to visually trace my heritage back to 1200 B.C., but through the study of the Old Testament, I can learn about my ancestors and their faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Their stories not only carry principles, but they became real examples from which I can live my own life. Read the Old Testament. Study it as you would the histories of your great-great grandfather or your deceased grandmother. You will learn from it and begin to understand where you fit into God’s plan more fully.

Classes went well today. I didn’t fall asleep once in Old Testament, Judaism, or Islam. I was attentive and alert; I took active notes during Old Testament and Judaism. I listened to Bashir Bashir for more than half of the class period. It was a fairly productive morning. However, as always, the day just got better once classes ended and I was able to follow Dr. Chadwick’s counsel and “get out of this building”. There is nothing like wandering the streets of Jerusalem with friends and acquainting yourself with new areas and peoples.

For an assignment in Old Testament, Brother Muhlestein asked each student to find a location where he can overlook the City of David, south of the Temple Mount, and the surrounding hills and valleys and read/contemplate 2 Kings 18-19. With six or seven other students, I left the Jerusalem Center to begin the assignment as well as cross off destinations from Dr. Chadwick’s “list of places to see”. We began at the Seven Arches Hotel Overlook where we separated to read 2 Kings 18-19. In these chapters the Assyrians are besieging Jerusalem. Prior to this attack the Assyrians have destroyed and taken many cities, making them a powerful kingdom in the Holy Land. However, through the faith of Hezekiah, the city of Jerusalem is spared and the army of the Assyrians faces many losses (165,000 if I remember correctly) at the hand of the Lord. It was nice to look out over the land of Jerusalem (or rather the current city of David) and imagine what it would have felt like to be living in Jerusalem during the besiege. The city is located in a valley, surrounded by hills and high lands, with no way of escape. The fear of the people during this attack is unimaginable and impossible to comprehend, but through the faith of their king, they were saved by the Lord. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and was blessed. I hope that I can learn from this story and that my faith can be strong like Hezekiah’s, that my trust in the Lord and prayer can bless me in unimaginable and incomprehensible ways.

We left the Seven Arches Hotel Overlook and went to three other overlooks close to the Jerusalem Center: Wilderness Overlook, Wall of Life Overlook, and Hecht Synagogue Overlook. The overlook sites are some of my favorites because you can point out different landmarks and test your knowledge of Jerusalem. The city comes alive; the view is breathtaking. It is something I would recommend doing. While the significance of the overlooks may not seem to compare to the majesty of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Dome of the Rock, they provide the viewer with scenes of beauty and peace and time to contemplate their journey through the Holy Land.

The evening was spent rather calmly. I had an assignment to finish for class which I spent most of the night reading and writing for. I turned it in, making the deadline with ten minutes to spare. I look forward to the morning with anticipation. Classes end at ten o’clock in the morning, and then I will have all day to spend in the Old City, celebrating Pentecost (Shavuot) and exploring the city with friends and classmates.