It's Been Raining Here.

By Elon

This first appeared in the Moriel Bulletin April 2011.

Passover has just finished here, and we thank God indeed for the rainfall that we have had here. It was totally undeserved considering the state of the nation, and it was a welcome blessing, to a water starved country like Israel. Rain here is rarely drizzle like in Europe. In fact its a fairly violent affair with very loud thunder and spectacular electrical storms. It is easy to see why the Psalmist exclaimed when he saw the glory of God in His creation :“the voice of the LORD is upon many waters, the God of glory thunders... the voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty”.

Just recently we returned from a trip down to Eilat. The desert is a strange place indeed, and at times breathtakingly beautiful as the light changes the colour of the rocks in hue throughout the day. (It's also probably the only place in Israel where you can get some peace and quiet.) Being in Israel is like living in a Bible Encyclopedia. You get to see things that enhance your understanding of the Scriptures right in front of your own eyes. On a little jaunt into the desert, we visited one or two of the camping sites of the Children of Israel before they crossed the Jordan river. It was a very hot day, and as we stood there in the heat our guide was explaining to us about the species of Acacia tree that we stood under, that in some cases its roots could go down to 150 feet below the surface, where it could reach the water even in the driest summers. Israel, unlike, for example, the U.K, (where it rains nearly all the time) enjoys rain only on a seasonal basis. This is particularly so in the Aravah (from a Hebrew word meaning “dry”) desert, where the rivers too are seasonal. In the rainy season these river beds (Hebrew: nahal, Arabic wadi) can be raging torrents, washing away roads, bridges and anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to be caught in their path. The sky may be blue and cloudless overhead, but it may have rained in the mountains miles away and the unsuspecting hiker will know nothing until a raging flood some metres deep comes racing down the wadi smashing them against its rock walls and carrying them off. People die every year from not taking heed to the warnings. This has something to teach us too. In Isaiah 59:19 in the context of the LORD marching forth in judgement we read:

"And so shall they fear the name of the LORD from the West and from the Rising of the Sun (the East) His glory, for He (i.e. the LORD, or "it" meaning His judgment both are possible renderings from the Hebrew), shall come like a pent up river which the Spirit of the LORD drives along."

This reminds how vitally important it is that we know the times and seasons and be watchful to avoid being swept away. That day should not overtake us like a thief if we remain awake (see 1Thess. 5:1-6, and in Luke 21, Jesus commanded us to watch for the signs of His coming and when we saw certain things we would know that the season of our redemption draws nigh.).

During the dry season the surface river water dries up and the only water is deep underground. Only trees that have deep roots can survive. This illustrates for us the need to be rooted and grounded in the LORD and His Word to survive in a hostile enviroment.

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”

May we be deep-rooted and frutiful for Him!