Israel Trip Sixteenth Day: Mount Carmel, Caesarea

Though we have one more day, today is actually the last day in this trip because we will leave the hotel for airport at 1:30 AM.

St. Gabriel Hotel Church at Nazareth

Before we left the St. Gabriel Hotel in Nazareth, I went to the Hotel Church. It was not that huge one, but beautiful one. It is not used currently.

Elijah on Mount Carmel

Then we went to Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is not just one peak of mountain but a whole range, and we went to the highest point where the Carmelites are living. This is the prophet Elijah’s statue in the yard.

View from the Mount Carmel

This is the view from the top of the Mount Carmel eastward. If Elijah competed with other prophets of Baal on this spot, he would have dragged them down to the valley on the picture above (according to Old Testament professor Ted Hiebert). This is such a beautiful view. On clear day, we can see the Mediterranean sea, Nazareth, and whole area.

Caesarea

Then we went to that famous Caesarea. Caesarea is built by Herod the great, named after, of course, Caesar. Herod wanted non-Jewish totally Roman city.

Theatre

This is the theatre. You can see the two levels of seats in the restored theatre, but originally there were three levels, containing total five thousand people. It also has many exits for emergency. And they filled the lower part of the stage and floated small boat for the marine scene.

Original Seat

In the picture above, you can easily identify which is original and which is restored seat.

Pontius Pilate

Caesarea is one of the important sites for Christians including Peter’s visiting Cornelius. And there is one more thing for Christians; Pontius Pilate, the name which Christians cannot forget. This is the replica to show what was found. Here we can identify “Tiberius,” the name of the emperor. “…tius Pilatus,” part of the name of Pontius Pilate, and “Praefectus Iudaeae” which means Prefect of Judea.

Caesarean Harbour

This is the ruin of the ancient harbour.

Hippodrome of Herod

There was one more entertaining thing beside the theatre – Hippodrome, the Formula one in the ancient days. This is very impressive to me because of the movie BenHur.

View from the restaurant

Then we had lunch all together at the Port Cafe at Caesarea, and this is the view from the restaurant.

aqueduct to Caesarea

Caesarea was built by Herod, but August borrowed him architects which means this city was not only Roman culture, but also Roman technology. When we say Romans, we always think about two things: Roman Road and Roman aqueduct. Consequently Caesarea also had two aqueducts. And this is one of them.

Depth of the aqueduct

The aqueduct was connecting the city from the spring in the mount Carmel. And the depth of the aqueduct reaches my waist and if we consider the water was constantly flowing, the amount of water was huge.

Beach boy

And I enjoyed the beach of Mediterranean sea. Sadly after I came out of the beach, I cut one of my toes on the asphalt.

Seasons Hotel Lobby

Then we drove to the Seasons Hotel in Netanya. This hotel is very good. I stayed at crappy hotel in Nazareth for many days, and I cannot even stay one full night at this awesome hotel!

View from the room

This is the view from my hotel room.

On Bullhorn

I watched a Nooma Video by Rob Bell – Bullhorn.

He was talking about Bullhorn guy – who shouts out on the streets to repent. I know many people are really annoyed by bullhorn guys. Rob says that too, it’s not working and annoying, so put down the bullhorn and stop it.

I was very surprised and perplexed with this video.

Jesus and John the Baptist were shouting to the people on the streets beginning with “Brood of Vipers.” They spat out the words of condemning and judging.

All of the prophets in OT also shouted and proclaimed the words of judgement. At 1 Kings 22, we can see that false prophets says only good words while the true prophet spat out almost curse like words. The true prophets didn’t say kind words but harsh words of judgement. Think about Isaiah, Jeremiah, Malachi and all other prophets were persecuted because they spoke harsh words.

In the NT too. Stephen and all the apostles spoke pricking words by which they were eventually killed and martyred.

From the old prophets through Jesus and unto the apostles, they all shouted extremely annoying words on the streets, they just didn’t have electrical bullhorn. By requesting “Put it down and stop,” Rob Bell is actually saying Shut up to all of them including Jesus Christ.

He also said that Jesus didn’t condemn the adulterous woman, and told the bullhorn guy not to condemn. But he actually condemned by saying no condemn.

Rob Bell said that God loves us just as we are. He loves even serial killer. But we should not be confused by this. God surely loves (the soul of) serial killer, but that does NOT mean He loves serial killing. God’s love is towards our soul, not our sins and stains. We cannot go to heaven unless we repent and be washed away.

That is why we must proclaim the annoying words to them. God loves the serial killer. But without repent, he cannot be with God in heaven. And without the annoying words, how can he repent?

Please read Ezekiel 3:17-21(New International Version):

‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.When I say to a wicked person, “You will surely die,” and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself.

‘Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling-block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.’

Again, Jesus was annoying. John the Baptist was annoying. All the prophets were annoying. All the apostles were annoying.

You don’t have to go to the streets with bullhorn, but at least you shouldn’t say stop to them.

얼마전에 Rob Bell의 누마 비디오 중에 확성기(Bullhorn)이라는 걸 봤다.

길거리에서 확성기를 들고 회개하라고 외치는 사람들에 대해서 이야기를 한 것인데, 이런 사람들이 종종 짜증난다는 것은 나도 안다. Rob Bell도 그런 얘기를 했고, 효과도 없고 사람들 짜증만 나게 하니 확성기 내려놓고 멈추라는 게 요지였다.

나는 이 비디오가 꽤 불쾌하기도 하고 놀랐다.

예수님과 세례 요한도 사람들이 많은 거리에서 “독사의 자식들아”로 시작하며 외치셨고 비난과 심판의 말씀을 내뱉으셨다.

구약의 모든 선지자들도 심판의 말을 외치고 선포했다. 열왕기상 22장에 보면, 거짓 선지자들은 듣기 좋은 말만 해대고 참된 선지자는 거의 저주에 가까운 말을 한다. 참된 선지자는 좋은 말을 하기보다는 듣기 싫은 심판의 말을 한다. 이사야, 에레미야, 말라기를 비롯한 다른 선지자들을 생각해 보면 듣기 싫은 소리를 했기 때문에 박해를 받았다.

신약도 마찬가지다. 스데반 집사와 모든 사도들도 찌르는 말을 했기 때문에 결국 죽고 순교하게 된 것이다.

구약의 선지자로부터 예수님을 거쳐 신약의 모든 사도들은 거리에서 극단적으로 짜증을 유발하는 말을 외쳐댔다. 단지 전기  확성기가 없었을 뿐이다. 결국 내려놓고 멈추라는 말은 Rob Bell이 예수님을 포함하는 성경의 모든 이들에게 닥치라고 말하는 것이다.

예수님도 창녀에게 정죄하지 않으신다고 말을 했으니 확성기 든 사람들에게도 거리의 사람들에게 정죄하는 말을 하지 말라고 한다. 하지만 정죄하지 말라는 말로서 자신이 (확성기든 사람을) 정죄를 하고 있다.

Rob Bell은 하나님이 우리를 있는 그대로 사랑하신다고 말한다. 하나님이 연쇄 살인범도 사랑하신다고 말한다. 하지만 이런 말에 혼동되면 안된다. 분명 하나님은 연쇄 살인범(의 영혼)을 사랑하신다. 하지만 그렇다고 하나님께서 연쇄 살인을 좋아하고 사랑하신다는 것은 아니다. 하나님의 사랑은 우리의 영혼을 향한 것이지 우리의 죄와 잘못에 대한 것은 아니다. 회개하고 죄를 씼기 전에는 우리는 천국에 갈 수가 없다.

바로 그렇기 때문에 우리는 그들에게 짜증나는 말씀을 선포해야 한다. 하나님은 연쇄 살인범을 사랑하신다. 하지만 회개하지 않고는 천국에 갈 수가 없다. 그리고 우리가 짜증나는 말씀을 전하지 않으면 그가 어떻게 회개하겠는가?

에스겔 3:17-21을 읽어보기 바란다(개역개정)

인자야 내가 너를 이스라엘 족속의 파수꾼으로 세웠으니 너는 내 입의 말을 듣고 나를 대신하여 그들을 깨우치라 가령 내가 악인에게 말하기를 너는 꼭 죽으리라 할 때에 네가 깨우치지 아니하거나 말로 악인에게 일러서 그의 악한 길을 떠나 생명을 구원하게 하지 아니하면 그 악인은 그의 죄악 중에서 죽으려니와 내가 그의 피 값을 네 손에서 찾을 것이고 네가 악인을 깨우치되 그가 그의 악한 마음과 악한 행위에서 돌이키지 아니하면 그는 그의 죄악 중에서 죽으려니와 너는 네 생명을 보존하리라 또 의인이 그의 공의에서 돌이켜 악을 행할 때에는 이미 행한 그의 공의는 기억할 바 아니라 내가 그 앞에 거치는 것을 두면 그가 죽을지니 이는 네가 그를 깨우치지 않음이니라 그는 그의 죄 중에서 죽으려니와 그의 피 값은 내가 네 손에서 찾으리라 그러나 네가 그 의인을 깨우쳐 범죄하지 아니하게 함으로 그가 범죄하지 아니하면 정녕 살리니 이는 깨우침을 받음이며 너도 네 영혼을 보존하리라

다시말하지만, 예수님도 짜증나는 말씀을 하셨다. 세례 요한도 짜증나는 말씀을 전했다. 구약의 모든 선지자들도 짜증나는 말씀을 전했다. 신약의 모든 사도들도 짜증나는 말씀을 전했다.

여러분들 보고 직접 확성기 들고 뛰쳐나가라고는 강권하지는 않지만, 적어도 그런 사람들에게 멈추고 그만하라는 말을 하지 말아야 한다.