Visual Proof

Early in the morning, Jerub‑Baal (that is, Gideon) and all his men camped at the spring of Harod. The camp of Midian was north of them in the valley near the hill of Moreh. The Lord said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’  Judges 7:1-2

When I was seven years old, I made my first photo scrapbook. I know I am dating myself when I say that I used those thick black pages with the black sticky corners to place the photos in the book. I have made dozens of photo scrapbooks since then. It’s a way for me to remember visually my life and my story. In 2019 when I returned from my first trip to Israel and Jordan, I put together a more modern digital scrapbook as a way of remembering the history of what I had seen and also read about in the Bible. Having physical and visual proof of Biblical events has helped my faith grow as I recall that these Biblical texts are about real lives and real stories that happened in real time.

My Holy Land photobook contains a picture of a 4000‑year‑old Canaanite gate that Abraham and Sarah passed through. In Jordan at Mt. Nebo, the photo landscape shows where Moses overlooked the Promised Land. Another photo shows where Joshua and his people marched around Jericho seven times and “the walls came a‑tumbling down.” And a digital image taken at the bottom of Mount Gilboa shows a cave with a pool of bubbling water. It’s called Gideon’s Spring (The Spring of Harod).

Gideon, an unlikely warrior chosen by God to lead the charge against the Midianites, was camped with about 32,000 of his men at this spring. While the opposing forces nearby were too numerous to count, God wanted to reduce the number of fighting Israelites to just 300 men. He wanted Israel to know that a victory over the Midianites was by His own power and not theirs. These 300 men were chosen based on the manner in which they drank water from this spring. When the battle began and the trumpets were sounded, the Lord caused the men in the Midianite camp to turn on and kill one another. It was yet another miracle of God for the people of Israel. This story is forever marked in time and place exactly where the water is still flowing and bubbling today at Gideon’s spring.

For Reflection

What Biblical story have you recently read that connected with your life?
Can you search to find historical evidence and photos to help you learn more about that story and deepen your faith?

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your words and stories given to us in Scripture. While some of the stories are hard for us to understand, others give us hope in Your power to do the miraculous. As we read and study, give us a clear, visual picture of what You would have us take away and then apply to our lives today. Amen.