The Bible Makes the Holy Land Come Alive

Testimony by Ho Xiao Wei, FEBC Student

Going to the Holy Land was not always a dream of mine. Unlike some who really desire to visit the place and long for the opportunity to go, I never was immensely attracted to it. The Holy Land does not have the most staggering mountains, the most breathtaking sunsets, or the most sun- bathed beaches. Neither does it have the most mouth-watering food nor the most adrenaline- pumping activities, and surely no one would call it a shopping paradise. It has few of the qualities I would normally look for in a holiday destination. So, when the opportunity came for me to go to the Holy Land with the FEBC/True-Life team, I asked around and prayed about whether I should go or not. I had to make sure the trip was well-worth the hefty sum it costs, and also that it was good use of my time. I pondered and pondered. Finally, I was moved by what someone who had been to the Holy Land said. He said that if a person goes there with the right attitude, the trip can be a life changing experience. It was then that I saw the trip not as a holiday, but as a pilgrimage. It was then that I sought a spiritual refreshment above a physical one especially after a busy semester in school. The Lord laid in my heart the conviction to go for the Holy Land Pilgrimage, with the purpose of drawing closer to Him. I was not going there in order to have a lot of fun and laughter, or simply for sight-seeing. I was going there with a spiritual focus.

Importance of God’s Word

The greatest lesson that I have learnt from my Holy Land pilgrimage is how important the Word of God is. As mentioned earlier, I wanted to draw closer to God through this trip, and therefore, I really hoped that going to the different places in the Holy Land, visiting the sites of significance, walking the path Jesus once trod down the Via Dolorosa etc would somehow achieve that. I was hoping to be filled with great emotions and a sense of the presence of God when I went to each location and heard the tour guide giving an explanation of the place. But this was not the case. A lot of times, the places have been so disfigured, be it by commerce, politics or simply natural civilization, that it hardly bore any resemblance to that of Jesus’ time. I do not know what I was thinking, but during the trip I somehow wished that I could go back to Jesus’ time, and see things as He did. I did not want to see churches being built over the place where Jesus was supposedly born. I wanted to be there at the stable of the small little inn. I wanted to be right there when the angels proclaimed Christ’s birth to the shepherds. I yearned to, if possible, travel back in time. Of course, this was not possible. So, I was slightly disappointed at times.

However, even during those times that I went to places which have not been so disturbed, for  example,  the  Garden of Gethsemane with the saplings which accompanied Jesus during His agony now fully grown, I was not greatly stirred. This really made me quite puzzled. Surely, being at the place where my Lord went through such intense agony for my sake, I cannot be unmoved. I started to wonder. Then, I realized what the problem was. The place alone, without the Word of God, is just a place to me. It is only in relation to the Word of God that the place has any meaning or significance. It is only when the Word of God is read and remembered and brought into the picture that the place is of any use in touching me. Until then, it is no different from any other place on earth. The place had no intrinsic value. On its own, it had no power to draw me closer to God. If I want to know what Jesus went through when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, it is not by being there; it is by reading the portion of Scripture that records for me the words He uttered, the blood He sweat etc. If I want to know the suffering Jesus endured when He bore His cross to Golgotha, it is not by walking down the Via Dolorosa; it is by reading the account in the Bible. If I want to know anything about Christ, about God, it is in the Bible that I will find my answer, and not in any geographical location.

Some people say that being in the Holy Land makes the Bible come alive. I want to say that the Bible makes the Holy Land come alive. Without the Bible, the place is merely a place. But with the Bible, the place is given a new dimension. The Bible makes the place meaningful. I really really thank God for this lesson I learnt. I went to the Holy Land with the wrong expectation, thinking that being there would be sufficient. But no, it does not work that way. It is still His Word that will draw me to Him and bring me into a deeper relationship with Him. I am really encouraged and spurred on to read my Bible more. I want to seek God, I want to find Him, I want to know Him, walk closer to Him and love Him more each day. And to do so, I must read my Bible, for it is in His Word that He reveals Himself. On top of that, I desire to read my Bible more devotionally, instead of treating it as a textbook for my studies. I thank God for using this trip to convict me of my sin in not loving His Word enough. I pray that the Lord will help me.

If anyone were to ask me which was the best part of each day for me, it would not be the meal times, it would not be when I lay my head down on the pillow after a long day out touring. Rather, it would be the evening/morning services/devotions we had. I really treasure those times. It was during those times that the Biblical significances of the places were mentioned. It was during those times that my heart did burn within me.

Of all the services we had, the most memorable one for me was at the Garden Tomb. It was a short service, coupled with the administering of the Lord’s Supper. Though the physical conditions were not the best (just rained, cold weather, hard benches) compared with other services in the hotels, this was the one in which I reconsecrated myself to the Lord. Somehow, amidst the flurry of activities, we were given this quiet moment and the Lord showed me how far I had been from Him, and that I had not been living a life that is pleasing to Him. I thank God for that. I asked the Lord to forgive me of all my sins and my waywardness, and I surrendered myself to Him once again, laying all on the altar, and letting Him do whatever He wants with my life.

I also thank God for the privilege to have the Lord’s Supper at the Garden Tomb. I thank God for providing us with a minister who can administer the Lord’s Supper. Having a minster there who could do so made me more appreciative of God’s servants. I thank God for blessing the B-P Churches in Singapore with some good and faithful servants. This is something many of us have taken for granted. The opportunity to study God’s Word, the opportunity to hear His Word faithfully expounded, the opportunity to grow and serve etc, these things I will cherish more from now on. Amen.

[Ed: The next pilgrimage to the Holy Land will be from 29 November to 11 December 2010 (DV). If you wish to participate, please see Mrs Jemima Khoo or write to her for the details (email: jemimatow@yahoo.com).]