pastor’s Message
Geography
by Pastor Lee
When I first began studying the Bible with you, the first thing I introduced was the geography of Israel. Why geography among so many other things? Because understanding the geography of Israel makes understanding the Bible much easier. Israel is a very small country. It's even smaller than our state. From Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, a five-hour drive north takes you from the desolate Negev Desert, past the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley, to the lush Sea of Galilee. This small area exhibits remarkable geographical diversity. This is due to Israel's unique topography and elevation differences.
Israel is very short from east to west, about 60 miles, but very long from north to south, about 300 miles. A cross-section of Israel, centered on Jerusalem and running east to west, dramatically illustrates these elevation differences. From Jaffa on the Mediterranean coast, a one-hour drive east takes you to Jerusalem, located at an elevation of 2,500 feet above sea level. However, just 30 minutes further east from Jerusalem lies Jericho, the lowest point on earth at -1,500 feet below sea level. A little further southeast is the Dead Sea, at -1,300 feet below sea level. This dramatic change in elevation from west to east is reflected in the diverse landscapes running from north to south. Israel can be divided into four main geographical regions: the western coastal plain, the western mountain range, the central rift valley, and the eastern mountain range.
The geographical structure of Israel, characterized by its narrow east-west width and dramatic elevation changes, along with the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Arabian Desert to the south, are the two crucial factors determining Israel's weather. That's why when discussing Israel's weather, it's often described as "the battle between the Sea and the Desert." Cool, rainy winds always blow from the west, while hot, dry winds come from the Arabian Desert. I preached on Luke 12 last time, which says, "When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?"
The first obstacle the Israelites faced after escaping from Egypt was the Red Sea. At that time, God saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea, and the passage describing the parting of the Red Sea also contains a reference to Israel's climate. Exodus 14:21, "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided." In Israel, the east wind is a dry wind that quickly dries everything, while the west wind is a humid wind that brings rain.
The rain clouds carried by the prevailing westerly winds from the Mediterranean Sea bring abundant rain to the western coastal plain, but they do not cross the western mountainous region, which is 2,000-3,000 feet above sea level where Jerusalem is located, and gradually dissipate as they move eastward. Due to this difference in geographical altitude, the prevailing westerly winds and rain clouds, and the hot winds blowing from the south, the natural environment to the east and west of Jerusalem shows a dramatic difference. This is a significant reason why the Judean wilderness (or desert) is formed to the east of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Shalom!
by Pastor Lee
When I first began studying the Bible with you, the first thing I introduced was the geography of Israel. Why geography among so many other things? Because understanding the geography of Israel makes understanding the Bible much easier. Israel is a very small country. It's even smaller than our state. From Eilat, Israel's southernmost city, a five-hour drive north takes you from the desolate Negev Desert, past the Dead Sea and the Jordan Valley, to the lush Sea of Galilee. This small area exhibits remarkable geographical diversity. This is due to Israel's unique topography and elevation differences.
Israel is very short from east to west, about 60 miles, but very long from north to south, about 300 miles. A cross-section of Israel, centered on Jerusalem and running east to west, dramatically illustrates these elevation differences. From Jaffa on the Mediterranean coast, a one-hour drive east takes you to Jerusalem, located at an elevation of 2,500 feet above sea level. However, just 30 minutes further east from Jerusalem lies Jericho, the lowest point on earth at -1,500 feet below sea level. A little further southeast is the Dead Sea, at -1,300 feet below sea level. This dramatic change in elevation from west to east is reflected in the diverse landscapes running from north to south. Israel can be divided into four main geographical regions: the western coastal plain, the western mountain range, the central rift valley, and the eastern mountain range.
The geographical structure of Israel, characterized by its narrow east-west width and dramatic elevation changes, along with the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Arabian Desert to the south, are the two crucial factors determining Israel's weather. That's why when discussing Israel's weather, it's often described as "the battle between the Sea and the Desert." Cool, rainy winds always blow from the west, while hot, dry winds come from the Arabian Desert. I preached on Luke 12 last time, which says, "When you see a cloud rising from the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?"
The first obstacle the Israelites faced after escaping from Egypt was the Red Sea. At that time, God saved the Israelites by parting the Red Sea, and the passage describing the parting of the Red Sea also contains a reference to Israel's climate. Exodus 14:21, "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided." In Israel, the east wind is a dry wind that quickly dries everything, while the west wind is a humid wind that brings rain.
The rain clouds carried by the prevailing westerly winds from the Mediterranean Sea bring abundant rain to the western coastal plain, but they do not cross the western mountainous region, which is 2,000-3,000 feet above sea level where Jerusalem is located, and gradually dissipate as they move eastward. Due to this difference in geographical altitude, the prevailing westerly winds and rain clouds, and the hot winds blowing from the south, the natural environment to the east and west of Jerusalem shows a dramatic difference. This is a significant reason why the Judean wilderness (or desert) is formed to the east of Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Shalom!