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Current Teacher's Article

Signal Fires

We knew that we would be going to a unique location that night, but they didn’t tell us where we were going until dinnertime. Our Israeli tour guide told us to meet at the hotel courtyard at 9 pm and be dresses for hiking and bring a flashlight.

We headed by bus to the Jordan River Valley and then drove part of the way up Mount Sartaba. After leaving the bus we hiked nearly two hour to the top of the mountain. During the hike we had to carefully watch the trail for the trail markers. It was then we learned the truth of the Arab proverb, “The path is wiser than the feet who travel it”.

But why did we climb a mountain during the night? In the typical Jewish fashion, we experienced a location as we learned about the Bible. Upon reaching the top of this mountain we built a fire, waited for the moon to rise, and listened to the story of the mountain.

The biblical calendar is based upon the lunar calendar. During the second temple period the New Moon was officially determined in Jerusalem by two witnesses who then reported it to the Sanhedrin. Once the Sanhedrin pronounced the official New Moon then the communication was sent to those living in the Diaspora (outside Israel). The exact date of the New Moon was important to know because all the dates for the biblical feasts and holy days were determined by the New Moon.

During the second temple period those Jews living in Babylon were told of the New Moon by signal fires which were lit on the tops of mountains from Jerusalem to Babylon, 3,000 miles away. The night we climbed was the night of the New Moon and Mount Sartaba was the second mountain, from Jerusalem, on which signal fires were lit to notify the Babylonian Jews that the New Moon had officially been declared.
As you think about signal fires, what comes to mind? There were several things we learned:
Signal fires communicated a specific message and as believers we have a specific message--the Gospel.

Signal fires were costly; the wood had to be brought cut and then hauled up the mountain. Today, living the Gospel can be costly. We must be diligent to uphold godly character and make sure our “light” shines brightly in this dark world.

Those lighting the fires had to be climb the mountain, wait, and watch for the signal and then be faithful to light the fire.

Finally, when the signal fires were seen, the message had to be passed on. As parents and teachers we must be faithful to pass on God’s Word to the both our generation and the generations following us.

May our prayer be that our signal fires, pointing to Jesus, burn bright for others to see so that the message of the Gospel is passed on to the generations who come after us.

Since our trip to Israel, every time I see a New Moon I am reminded of that mountain top experience and the lesson I learned. The next New Moon is January 23, it might be a great time to tell your children the story of the signal fires and check to see that your fire is burning bright.

Serving Him with Stick Figures,
Dianna
Grapevine Studies

Copyright 2012 Grapevine Studies

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