Chasing Almond Trees on a Day Trip

On my walk last week, I spotted a couple of almond trees blooming. The almond tree is the first to bloom in Israel and the blossoms only last 2-3 weeks. On Saturday, March 3rd, I rented a vehicle and some of the young volunteers joined me in a day trip to find almond trees. We do work long hours at Christian Friends of Israel. While serving the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem is such a privilege, it is also good to remember that Israel encompasses all His Land. It is also fun and exciting to travel outside of Jerusalem where Bible stories truly come alive. Below are the blossoms of an almond tree.

We started our drive by heading through Ein Karem just southwest of Jerusalem. Ein Karem is traditionally the little town where the infant John the Baptist "lept" in his mother's womb. Luke does not specificaly say Ein Karem but a "city of Judah". Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 1: 39-41

We drove thru the Jerusalem Forest in the Judean Hills and then came to the Martyrs Forest. The Martyrs Forest was created in 1951 when the newly established Nation of Israel planted six million trees in memory of the lives lost in the Holocaust. Below is a magnificent sculpture called Scroll of Fire. To give you an idea of the size of the monument, I asked a young CFI volunteer from Canada, Stephan, and his friend, Marcus, from Finland, to "pose".

The sculpture is very detailed and was done by the same Polish artisan that did Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.

One of Christian Friends of Israel's outreaches is to Holocaust survivors. We have a multi-talented, multi-lingual caring team of volunteers that visit survivors all over Israel. The project team, called Forsake Them Not, can speak Hebrew, Russian, Dutch, Finnish, English, and probably some other languages that I am not aware of.

The Biblical verse inside the monument is from Ezekiel's "valley of the dry bones"... ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,” says the LORD.’” Ezekiel 37:12-14. The world will definitely know it when the Lord pours out His spirit on the Jews on the Israel.

A single poppy along the pathway to the monument.

Delicate flowers in the Judean Hills of Israel.

The view north from the Martyrs Forest.

Only God Almighty can grow flowers from a rock. The rock could speak if need be just like on the triumphal entry of the Lord Jesus. But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Luke 19:40

As we approached Bet Shemesh (House of the Sun), we were at the foot of the Judean Hills. I don't know if the two milk cows that carried the Ark of the Covenant have a monument in Bet Shemesh or not. That will have to be another trip. And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart ... Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand
or the left... 1st Samuel 6:10-12 Near the Latrun exit on Jerusalem Highway One, one of the newer attractions in Israel is called "Mini Israel". "Mini Israel" is just what it says. A scaled reconstruction of many of the popular places to visit in Israel. Below is the "mini" Western Wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. It is accurately portrayed with separate mens and womens section. Many of the tiny worshippers move "back and forth" with their "prayers".

"Mini" Tel Aviv complete with tall buildings, a beach, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Below is "mini" Joppa where Jonah tried to avoid God. But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish. Jonah 1:3 In the distance of the photo are the real foothills of Judea and in that direction a little further south would be the Valley of Elah where David slew Goliath. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah ... The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath ... 1st Samuel 17:2-4

The Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Jacob told his 12 sons to bury him there beside his father, Isaac, and grandfather, Abraham. Then he charged them and said to them: “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave ... the cave that is in the field of Machpelah ... which Abraham bought ... for a burial place. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah. Genesis 49:29-31.

A mini "city under construction". Construction is everywhere in Israel especially in Jerusalem. For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory. Psalm 102:16

A little-bitty Absalom's Pillar that I took a picture of last week.

The "mini" Mount of Olives where I walked last week. The Church of all Nations with the Garden of Gethsemane next to it. The triumphal entry pathway of the Lord Jesus is shown.

The Augusta Victoria hospital on the Mount of Olives. Kay and I went in the real bell tower back in 1998. Kaiser Wilhelm and Germany built this around 1900. His wife's name was Augusta Victoria. All before World War I.

The "mini" port city of Haifa on theMediterranean Sea.

A "mini" bus advertising "mini Israel". It was a fun place to visit. Too many photos to post. What was missing was a "mini" "mini Israel" where little bitty tourists are taking pictures of real live big tourists who are taking pictures of them. If that makes sense.

Teddy Stadium in Jerusalem where football (soccer) is played. There is a ball that actually moves up and down the field then goes in and the crowd says "goallllllllll". Teddy Stadium is named after the long-term mayor of Jerusalem, Teddy Kollek, who passed away a few years ago.

Daisies at mini Israel.

The mini Ben-Gurion Airport with an El Al plane.

Southwest Airlines does not fly to Israel but must have some advertising dollars invested.

Right next to mini Israel was a complete grove of almond trees.

There was a gentle breeze and you can see how the petals are falling off already.

It was beautiful day in Israel. About 30 miles south of us, the IDF was forced to enter Gaza on Saturday because of the hundreds of kassam rockets fired at Ashkelon, Sderot, and the western Negev desert this week. Quite a contrast in our afternoons.

The almond tree blossom was part of the design of the lampstand (menorah) in the tabernacle. “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. Exodus 25:31-35

Below are Stephan and Kim from Alabama. Just so you know how young these volunteers are, when we pulled up to mini Israel, the young Israeli guard said "you could drop the family off over there". I should have asked for a senior citizens discount. And a cane.

Below are the Lord's bees just doing their job. Their ancestors may have known Samson. ... and she pleased Samson well. ... And behold, a swarm of bees and honey were in the carcass of the lion. Judges 14:7-8

This may be last years almonds still on the tree.

I forgot what the joke was but it must have been good. Jacki from New Zealand with Kim.

On the way back to Jerusalem, we stopped at a guest ranch called Yad HaShmonah (hand of the eight). It is run by Christians and set in the mountains on the way up to Jerusalem. After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. John 5:1

More flowers of the Judean Hills (mountains).

Springtime's close.

This sculpture below is designed around Joel 2:13. “Now, therefore,” says the LORD, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.

The scripture rock.

Looking west from the Judean Hills. I have seen some beautiful photos of sunsets from here and look forward to taking one someday. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. Matthew 4:23-25