Masada is one of the chain of fortresses Herod made so ready so he could escape to friendlier lands from those who sought his downfall........According to Flavius Joseph, the first century AD historian, Masada had been "built by our ancient kings." It may have been a "stronghold" where David sought refuge from King Saul....(1 Sam. 22:4).When Herod was done with it, everything about Masada belied its bleak location on the edge of the Judean wilderness overlooking the Dead Sea.....This same builder of Jerusalem's Temple and the showcase port of Caesarea spared no expense in hewing out Masada's water system.......suspending its three-tired palace impossibly from its northern face, and stocking its storehouses and armory......Masada is perched on boat-shaped plateau at Sea Level...(look how low the water is...) It is isolated from the surrounding range of mountains....Herod used Masada as a refuge for himself and his family and followers when he fled before the Mattathias Antigonas, who had allied with the Parthians......
Visitors begin their trudge up the ramp the Romans built to conquer Masada 2,000 years ago............................I gaze in fascination at the ramp built by the Roman Soldiers determined to reach their captives.......Scattered around Masada's base are reminders of the enemy encampments.......Amy and I paused at the top of Masada and thought about how it would feel if, day after day, if my enemy worked in plain sight.....tirelessly and contemptuously in an effort to kill me or make me a slave???? How could I sleep night after night knowing that my enemy was prowling around like a roaring lion waiting to devour me????? So interesting because Israel still has to sleep night after night worrying about this very same thing!!!! There are so many enemies who want to wipe them off the face of the Earth!!!!.........They are not just protecting themselves,......their existence is at stake!The Holy Spirit declares the same to Israel as it does to you and me......Put on the full armor of God, so that when the enemy comes our way; that we are able to stand our ground......even after we have done everything we can........STAND......
The table-mountain fortress of Masada rises, from the Dead Sea Valley Floor...........
I was in awe of the views that we could take in standing on Masada.......To see the lazy stretch of the Dead Sea disappearing southward into the rising haze and the waves of mountains that surround it....Masada, so lofty and proud with its squared skyline........Standing atop of Masada sweat beads begin to form on my forehead as the Sun beats down upon our faces.....It is winter now in Israel as the temperature climb to 85 degrees.....
O Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? What does the Lord your God require of me? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul........Oh Father how I pray for Israel......that: "they would have ears to hear, let them hear what the spirit saith....."(Matthew 11:15).
