Role & significance of waters - the Dead Sea 25/05/16
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An examination of what the Bible has to say about the Dead Sea past, present and future
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Role & significance of waters - the Dead Sea 25/05/16
- 1. ROLE & SIGNIFICANCE OF WATERS – THE DEAD SEA Laindon, 25th May 2016
- 2. Dead Sea - Location
- 3. Dead Sea – Overview Picture
- 4. Dead Sea - Shoreline
- 5. Dead Sea – Floating!
- 6. Dead Sea – in Hebrew • Yam ha-Melah - ‘Sea of Salt’ • Yam ha-Mizrahi – ‘The Eastern Sea’ • Yam ha-Arava - ‘Sea of the Arabah’ • Yam ha-Mavet - ‘Sea of Death’
- 7. Salt Sea – References (Judgement) • Genesis 14.1-3, 10-12 • And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations; that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar. All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt sea. • And the vale of Siddim was full of slimepits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there; and they that remained fled to the mountain. And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way. And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
- 8. Salt Sea – References – 2 (Boundaries) • Numbers 34.1-3, 12 • And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:) then your south quarter shall be from the wilderness of Zin along by the coast of Edom, and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the salt sea eastward… • and the border shall go down to Jordan, and the goings out of it shall be at the salt sea: this shall be your land with the coasts thereof round about.
- 9. Salt Sea – References – 3 (Salvation) • Joshua 3.14-16 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
- 10. Salt Sea – References – 4 (Salvation) • Joshua 3.14-16 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; and as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
- 11. Salt Sea – References – 5 (Borders of the land) • Joshua 12.3 • Joshua 15.2 and 5 • Joshua 18.19
- 12. En Gedi • 1 Samuel 23.26-29 • And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them. • But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land. Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.
- 13. Dead Sea – Healing and Prosperous Waters! • Allegedly helps those with:- • * Psoriasis • * Rhinosinusitis • * Osteoarthritis
- 14. A Barrier Breached? • 2 Chronicles 20.1-4 • It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle. Then there came some that told Jehoshaphat, saying, There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria; and, behold, they be in Hazazon- tamar, which is En-gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. And Judah gathered themselves together, to ask help of the Lord: even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the Lord.
- 15. Salt as a Figure - 1 • Mark 9.49-50 • For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.
- 16. Salt as a Figure - 2 • Luke 14.34-35 • Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- 17. Dead Sea Scrolls
- 18. Future Change - 1 • Ezekiel 47.8-9 • Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh…
- 19. Future Change - 2 • Zechariah 14.6-10 • And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one. All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.
Editor's Notes
- The ‘Dead Sea’, like Sea of Galilee, is lake rather than sea, bordered by Jordan to east & Israel & West Bank to west. Surface & shores are 1407’ below sea level, Earth’s lowest point on land. It is 997’ deep, 31 miles long & 9 miles at its widest point. It is ‘hypersaline’, registering 34.2% salinity in 2011- though %ages vary year on year – 25-35 – but at 34.2 = 9.6 times as salty as the ocean. Its main tributary is the River Jordan, the subject of last week’s BC. Harsh environment in which plants & animals cannot flourish, underlining its name, though bacteria and algae do – not overly useful in the scheme of things! Its unique qualities can be seen in next 3 slides:-
- Note the great clusters of salt.
- Dead Sea renowned for fact that it enables anyone going into it to float, as this example shows. The title ‘Dead Sea’ never appears in the Bible, although there is a Hebrew name for it. Only Salt Sea, Sea of the Arabah & Eastern Sea appear. Slide 6! That being said, none of these terms are used prolifically! We will however press on!
- 1st time mentioned in Gen 14, in connection with a less-than-holy alliance . Read verses 1-3, then jump around up to/incl 10-12. It seemed that the slime or bitumen pits were a by-product of the Salt Sea and a deadly one at that! There is the reminder to us that there is much in life that can trap us – cf Nuneaton fraternal addresses. These things are a snare, they can pull us down making it difficult & at worst impossible to escape with potentially deadly consequences. They should be circumvented, avoided at all costs. There is no gain, rather loss, in the offing. This passage, with its reference to Sodom & Gomorrah also reminds us of the judgements which befell the wicked people of those cities a short while later & that God, great Creator & Overlord, has many aspects of his creation at His disposal to effect His will.
- Our next reference is from Numbers 34.1-3; it concerns the borders of the land when Israel were to take possession of it ®. God’s chosen race were given boundaries. There is the reminder here that we, as members of that race by adoption through being ‘called’ by God, need boundaries too, in our case in our everyday lives. They should be there to ensure we do not stray into danger, not put ourselves at risk, rather like the cities of refuge in the lives of those who had unintentionally committed manslaughter. We should operate, live our lives, within spiritual constraints, avoiding the temptation to go outside those borders or boundaries or seeking to redefine them. We are also reminded that the epi-centre of Jesus’ reign will be the chosen land and we pray that we may at that time move from our position of being ‘called’ to that of even greater privilege – being chosen as his true brethren and sisters.
- Our next point of call is under the umbrella of ‘salvation’. Scripture has a habit of repeating key events and the crossing of the Jordan - with apologies if referred to by last week’s speaker is one such. We recall the process of salvation & symbolic ‘baptism’ when Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea. The generation that followed those who had perished in the wilderness – honourable exceptions of Caleb & Joshua – also were symbolically ‘immersed’ when they crossed the Jordan under Joshua’s leadership ®. How appropriate that the type could also be seen in Joshua, the Hebraic name for Jesus! The crossing was achieved safely & securely under the watchful eye of the Lord Almighty. Note also the words
- Note also the words – highlighted in green – ®. ‘Very far from’. We are reminded that the 2nd Adam was also ‘very far’ from the 1st in his outlook, manner of life & ultimately, achievements. Joshua arrested the ‘waters that came down from the salt sea’. His later namesake did the same but to far greater effect, ‘arresting’ the ultimate effects of mortality for the likes of us, as undeserving as we are. He caused their effects to ‘fail’ as far as the future is concerned for those that are truly his. There is also the figure of baptism. Just as the Israel that left Egypt were ‘baptised’ in the waters of the Red Sea, so the generation led by Joshua were ‘baptised’ as they crossed the Jordan, a superior ‘type’ being led by the man who bore Jesus’ name in Hebrew & fact that they went into the promised land, an event that we look forward to and pray may be ours.
- Remaining references that specifically mention the ‘Salt Sea’ again relate to Israel’s borders and aside from showing them on this slide and mentioning them to those who have audio only, I do not plan to look at them now. They reiterate the fact that the Salt Sea was at the southern and eastern ends of Israel’s territory. Now going to move to the shores of the Dead Sea, specifically Engedi.
- Area called ‘En Gedi’ is on the Western shore of the Dead Sea. It is the largest oasis and is near-unique, in that – unsurprisingly – most of the inlets & adjoining areas only have salt water, whereas En Gedi is one of only 2 places where fresh water prevails; the springs here have allowed nearly continuous inhabitation of the site over many centuries. The area was allotted to the tribe of Judah (see Josh 15:62). Today the Israeli kibbutz of En Gedi sits along the southern bank of the Nahal Arugot. This area was a place of refuge for David, his band of men & their families. (see above). It was an area rich in caves, where they could hide, as evidenced in the following chapter, where David cut off part of Saul’s clothing when he went into the cave where David and his men were taking refuge. We see again salvation at work and one could argue that just as one would not expect to find fresh water not only so close to salt water, but close to so much, so we try to live in the oasis that is provided through God’s word, drinking from its life-giving spring. See Samaritan woman John 4.10-14.
- In the annals of history & in our own times, there is an aspect of the Dead Sea, which whilst not ‘life-giving’ in the context of this incident, suggests life-enhancement. The unique concentration of the Dead Sea waters has long been known to have medicinal value. It is said that in days of old, amongst others, Aristotle & Cleopatra were familiar with this & Herod the Great used it as a spa. Modern doctors also have often recommended that patients with skin ailments go to & bath in the waters, which clearly would be a lot easier if you have ready access to the area. Why is this so? Scientists and medics point towards the special mineral content, which, it is said, is very different to that of ocean water. Outside of this, the salt & minerals from the Dead Sea have been used & are still used to create cosmetics & herbal sachets. A business by the name of ‘The Dead Sea Works Company’ today employs around 1600 people to harvest the valuable minerals from the Sea. The all-round nature of the Dead Sea perhaps reminds us of the versatility of the Scriptures, with their ability to touch every aspect of our lives & the fact that, if we are led by them, we will prosper. We also hope to be at the in-gathering of the Lord’s harvest, of people, not product. It has been calculated that although approx. 7 million tons of water evaporate on a daily basis, the minerals remain and in so doing, increase the salt content. We can replenish ourselves through constant inter-action with the word, with our hope building up even as the salt does.
- Unlike Galilee, its northern counterpart, as you will have noticed , the Dead Sea does not crop up on a regular basis within our Bibles. It is said that it fulfilled an important role as a barrier, in the days of the divided kingdom, blocking traffic to Judah from the east. There was a time when an advancing army of Ammonites & Moabites seemingly crossed a shallow part of the Sea en route to attacking King Jeshoshaphat – see above ^ The critical factor in this was in those closing words. It was a collective, united, initiative, even as we, as a fellowship, are united with common purpose and together seek the Lord (and do battle with the world & our flesh).
- The detail in this passage may well have a practical resonance with our sisters & those amongst the brothers who make occasional ventures into the kitchen. Salt generally has a good shelf life and from earlier times, prior to invention of refrigeration, was used as a preservative (Nelson etc.,). When it has outstayed its welcome, it is less than useless, potentially doing more harm than good. We need to ensure that we are spiritually ‘seasoned’ , leading to us offering a genuine, appropriate & above all, acceptable sacrifice.
- Above is Qumran cave 4, where 90% of the scrolls were found. The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in a series of eleven caves around the site known as Wadi Qumran near the Dead Sea in the West Bank (of the Jordan River) between 1946 and 1956 by Bedouin shepherds and a team of archaeologists. Carbon-dated to around AD 33, plus or minus 200 years (moved on, but estimates of prehistoric life being 100s of million years old?!)
- The Dead Sea may be so called because of its inability to support normal aquatic life, but we are told in Scripture, that in the future, this will change (as bro Simon mentioned in his Rugby Study Day address). ® Although, as said earlier, the Dead Sea does support some life forms though of a ‘lower’ level, it will be wholly supportive in the coming age. Whatever we see in the world around us, whatever natural wonders, whatever bears the hallmark of the world’s Creator & Overlord, are as nothing compared to the world to come. There will be life for all, not for some. There will be prosperity; nature will flourish again without human interference or coercion. We doubtless know passages that speak of this time – corn on the mountain-tops & the like.
- Our final reference & comment see a return to the idea of living waters touched on in incident with Samaritan woman.