Abraham's Well

Yesterday we traveled to Be'er Sheva in the Negev desert in order to take part in a worship/intercession meeting related to a court case that is taking place in the city this week. It's a landmark harassment case involving the believers there and an anti-missionary organization. We are praying that the judge will decide in favor of the believers, and that the organization will be held accountable for the severe harassment they have handed out over the last several years. Please be praying. The trial is set for this Wednesday.


We had an opportunity to go down early and visit the ancient city of Be'er Sheva before the meeting last night. This is the well that Abraham actually dug! (Genesis 21:22-33)


Of course, it didn't look exactly like this, because we're talking four thousand years ago, but the stones on the walls deep inside are the ones that Abraham and company put in place. It was very moving to stand in that place and declare that the wells in Israel be re-dug and that they would run with living water that brings revelation of Messiah Yeshua to His people. Wow!


This is a tamarisk tree standing right next to the well. (Can you see the birds? I love birds.) Now I know that this is not the tree that Abraham planted 4000 years ago, but it is pretty cool that it's the same kind of tree. This site has only recently been excavated, and there just "happens" to be an old tamarisk tree right by the well. Hmmm.
Gen. 21:33 "Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he worshiped the Lord the Everlasting God."

These pavement stones were right inside the gates to the city. Just thinking about who might have walked on these stones made my mind reel. Elijah fled from Jezebel all the way from the Jezreel/Mt. Carmel area to Be'er Sheva. I Kings 19:3-4 says he left his servant there and went farther into the wilderness about a day's journey before he stopped to sit under a broom tree. Elijah could have walked on these stones...and Abraham...and Sarah....and Isaac...Hagar and Ishmael.... Wow, my mind is totally blown now!


This is where the judges would sit in the gates of the city. "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the LORD your God gives you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment." Deut. 16:18


Since the well was outside the city gates, they had to have a water source inside the city. These are the steps leading down into the huge water sistern in the city. The women would come down these steps to get water every day.


We went all the way down into the sistern chambers. This is the father of one of our interns at Succat Hallel. They live in Be'er Sheva and he was explaining the sistern to us.
We're so glad we had the opportunity to visit ancient Be'er Sheva. What a great place to start the Summer Internship. This is where it all began.



Here are a couple of pics of the worship/intercession/solidarity meeting we had last night. Because of security concerns, I am not posting names. This meeting was so powerful! We sensed such a unity and love among the leaders there. God's grace is on them.

Ok...now on to my next project.... We are having all the interns over for dinner tonight. The first thing on our list for House of Prayer Internship orientation this week: Mexican food! I'll let you know how it goes....