DANIEL 1 (PART 2): the north

Yesterday I learned
a little bit about Babylon,
today I will explore just a little more.

The Babylonians were also
known as the Chaldeans,
and they came from the lower region
of the Fertile Crescent
known as Mesopotamia -
which is the land that curves
between the Persian Gulf
and the Mediterranean Sea.

This is the land where
Father Abraham was born,
from a town called Ur.

His father was Terah,
who was a 9th generation
descendant of Noah
from the line of Shem.

For some reason, God chose Abram,
to leave the land of the Chaldeans,
and all his relatives,
and his father’s family,
to go to a land
that He would show him.

God promised to bless him
into a great nation,
who would then go on
to bless other nations.

Abraham traveled
to the land of Canaan,
as far as Shechem.

Shechem is a region known as
the Eastern Mediterranean;
and consists of Israel, Gaza,
Jordan and the West Bank,
and the southern parts
of Syria and Lebanon.

It was in Shechem,
under an Oak,
in the hill country of Ephraim
that Abram’s faith was marked.

He built an altar
and dedicated it to the Lord.
Shechem became the first capital
of the Kingdom of Israel -
now I'm wondering "Where is Jerusalem?"

After that, Abraham set up camps,
to the east, west and south.

I wonder, why not the north?

And this makes me think
of Deuteronomy 11,
where Moses is in the Valley of Shechem,
looking up at two mountains,
one to the north and one to the south,
and this is what he says,
"When the Lord your God has brought you
into the land you are entering to possess,
you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim 
the blessings,
and on Mount Ebal the curses. 
As you know,
these mountains are across the Jordan,
westward, toward the setting sun,
near the great trees of Moreh, 
in the territory of those Canaanites
living in the Arabah (desert)
in the vicinity of Gilgal (eastern border of Jericho). 
You are about to cross the Jordan
to enter and take possession 
of the land the Lord your God is giving you.
When you have taken it over and are living there, 
be sure that you obey all the decrees and laws
I am setting before you today."
Deuteronomy 11:29-32

I wonder...
is Mount Gerizim also known as
Mount Moriah -
the same mountain
that Abraham was commanded
to sacrifice his son?

Is this the mountain
where Abraham's faith was rewarded?
Is this the same mountain
where the Israelites,
who became Samaritans
went to live?

I can see Father Abraham
denouncing the life he once owned;
I can see his tears
streaming down his eyes.
I can see his faith filling up the space;
I can see a promise extending from his lips.
I can hear his heart beating like the sun;
I can feel his strength shaking from his bones.

I believe it's in the place
that Jacob dug a well,
175 years later
and he would settle there.

And then we see,
Joseph being sold into slavery –
to save Israel from famine,
and preserve the nation.

And once again,
hundreds of years later,
Moses would renounce Egypt
and lead God’s people
back to the land of Canaan.

And when Moses was old,
God would raise up another one -
Joshua would bring the blessing
by leading the people across the river Jordan,
and into the land of Canaan.

Beneath the tree,
at Jacob’s Well
is where Jesus would speak
to a lost, lonely and broken-hearted
Samaritan woman.

He extended His hand,
and showed her love
so that she would know
she too had met the Messiah -
and would be saved under His covenant.

“Do not look to Mount Ebal
for there is no hope to the north.”
This is what I heard the Spirit saying.

Lord, help me to understand
what the north means.