Call it a sea, call it a lake, call it Kinneret, the Sea of Tiberias (see John 21), or the sea of Galilee, it is certain a beautiful place, but a sea, by any normal modern definition, it is not. It is a largish fresh water lake and the Jordan feeds into and out of it. It sits in a bowl like structure of surrounding hills which explains some of its unique features, namely the ability of a wind to suddenly come up, swirl around in the bowl and cause havoc for small fishing vessels.
Today of course this lake has the modern (and ancient) cities of Tiberias, Migdal, Capernaum, Bethsaida on one side, and the Golan heights on the other. The lake is considerably lower today than it was in Jesus’ day, as is especially evident at Bethsaida, which used to be pretty much next to the sea, but is far from that today. One of the keys to understanding how Jews viewed this body of water is understanding how they view large bodies of water in general—- namely with some fear and trepidation. Large bodies of water were where sea beats like Leviathan dwelt (think Loch Ness monster), and where the spirits or ghosts of the dead dwelt, and even where demons dwelt. These theological notions added to the terror of fishermen when a storm came up on the sea while they were fishing or rowing, churning up what lay below the surface. It is not a surprise that the disciples mistook Jesus for ghost one dark and stormy night on the sea of Galilee. It is also no surprise that no disciple but Peter volunteered to try that walking on water thing. You can tell how desperate Jonah was to get away from God that he booked a Tarshish sea cruise. Below you will find three pictures of the northern end of the Sea of Galilee and you can just see how small a fishing boat still is, in comparison to the size of the lake.
posted July 26, 2010 at 11:24 pm
The Sea of Galilee can be compared to the Bible in many ways, it is small but vast at the same time. The waters of Galilee, like God’s word can some time overwhelm even the most experienced and knowledgeable passenger as we ride the alongside our master Yeshua. The winds of the Galilee come from no where and begin to move the waters of the sea and that which was calm and peaceful begin to move as the raging waters of a great sea.
The Lord moves in our lives the same way. When things are going along so peaceful and calm and we know for sure are faith is strong and nothing could move us from following Him.
Along comes the Spirit “Ruach” the wind and shows us just how much we must trust Him, when the storm begins. You see the story of Peter “Kefa” and the disciples on the Sea of Galilee is a story and a prophesy of the tests and trials in their lives and the ones that are coming for us to see. To see if like Peter, we will keep our eyes on Him, that calms the storm, or will we fall, and be swept away by the raging storm of the great sea, humanity.
The story reveals to us the future of Peter’s trial. The Gospel account in Matthew 14:19-33 tells us of a time when Yeshua fed the five thousand,and broke bread with His disciples. He then seeks out a private place to pray and sends His disciples in a boat across the Sea of Galilee.
In the fourth watch of the night as His disciples struggle with a great storm. The disciples see Yeshua, but fear He is a ghost. Some one that is returned from the dead. Yeshua assures them that, it is He, and they should not fear. Peter (Kefa) ask to go come to Yeshua but his faith fails him along the way and he has a great fall.
Yeshua reaches out to Peter with His salvation and saves him with an out stretched arm and then comes in the midst of His people and clams the storm and frees them all.
This is just the foretelling of the passion week when Yeshua broke bread with His disciples in Matthew 26:26 and then sought a private place to pray in the garden of Gethsemane Matthew 26:44. Yeshua then comes to His disciples and they believe Him to be a ghost, but He assures them it is He, and to “Fear not!” Matthew 28:10
Peter just as he did at the sea fails when he took his eyes off Yeshua and falls into the denial of Yeshua and once again Yeshua has to save Peter with His out stretched arm at the sea. Luke 22:31-32 and John 20:25-28.
So, the Sea of Galilee is a place that stirs the hearts of all men when we think of the waters that have been touched by the feet of the creator of the universe. The beginning and the end, the Alef and Tav.
He causes the calm and the storms.
Thank you so much for reminding me of this special place, the Sea of Galilee and the picture that reminds me just how small I am in this world, yet our Master He walks before me and in the calm and raging storms.
posted September 21, 2010 at 10:02 am
Damn, that sound’s so easy if you think about it.