BEMA Episode Link: 29: Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi
Episode Length: 42:21
Published Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2017 01:00:00 -0700
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks continue the series on images found in the desert, seeing God’s continual use of the desert to minister to us and to teach us how to minister to others.

Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi Presentation (PDF)

Lulav — Chabad.org

Flash Floods in Wadi Peres — YouTube

Flash Flood in Israel — YouTube

Israel: Flash Floods Hit Negev Desert — AP Archive, YouTube

Onlookers caught in flash flood north of Oman — AFP, YouTube

Pickup vs. Flash Flood — YouTube

Study Tools

Legacy Episode Content

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode 29: Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 29 - “Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi” (E29v24)
Hosts: Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Elle Grover Fricks
Topic: This episode explores three powerful desert images from the biblical wilderness: wadis (deep desert canyons), living water (maim chaim), and wadi floods. The discussion focuses on how these physical realities in the Negev, Zin, and Paran deserts teach spiritual lessons about trusting God, being sources of life for others, and building on solid foundations.

Key Takeaways

  • The biblical desert experience involves deep canyons (wadis) where you cannot see ahead, teaching complete dependence on the shepherd’s voice
  • God is described as “maim chaim” (living water) - fresh, flowing water that brings life, contrasted with stagnant cistern water
  • Believers are called to be sources of living water for others, not just recipients of God’s provision
  • The Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) water ceremony provides crucial context for Jesus’s teaching about living water in John 7
  • Jesus’s declaration “rivers of living water will flow from within them” emphasizes that believers become conduits of God’s life-giving presence
  • The parable of building on rock versus sand is about location (where you build) rather than building materials, relating to wadi flood dangers
  • The desert serves as a “crucible” that strips away self-reliance and teaches authentic trust in God

Main Concepts & Theories

Wadis: Deep Desert Canyons

Definition: Deep canyons carved by rain runoff from the Judean hills, forming ancient pathways through the desert.

Key Characteristics:

  • Limited visibility (cannot see 200 yards ahead)
  • Walls of rock that bend left and right
  • Form natural travel routes but require complete trust in the guide
  • Create dependency on the shepherd’s voice rather than visual navigation

Spiritual Applications:

  • Teaches believers to be “people of the ears” rather than “people of the eyes”
  • Develops trust in God’s guidance when the future is unclear
  • Mirrors life experiences where we cannot see what lies ahead
  • Emphasizes following God’s voice step by step rather than demanding complete itineraries
Maim Chaim: Living Water

Hebrew Terms:

  • Maim = water
  • Chaim = life/living
  • Combined: Living water - fresh, flowing water that brings life

Biblical Sources of Living Water:

  • Springs that flow directly from God’s provision
  • Rainwater as it falls (before human collection or storage)
  • Contrasted with cistern water: stagnant, “dank,” full of bugs and scorpions

Theological Significance:

  • God as the ultimate source of living water (Psalm 63, Jeremiah 2:13)
  • Believers called to be streams of living water for others (Isaiah 32:1-2, Isaiah 58:9-12)
  • Jesus as the source who enables believers to become conduits of living water (John 7:37-39)
En Gedi: “Spring of the Deer”

Physical Location: An oasis in the Judean desert fed by springs originating from the Bethlehem region.

Symbolic Meaning:

  • Represents people who serve as sources of life in others’ desert experiences
  • Challenge to identify who has been “En Gedi” to you and to consider whether others would identify you as their En Gedi
  • Highlights the irony that sometimes non-believers provide more life-giving support than fellow Christians
Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot) Water Ceremony

Context for John 7:

  • Week-long festival ending with the “last great day”
  • Participants carry lulav (palm frond, myrtle branch, river willow, etrog citrus fruit)
  • Shaking palm fronds creates sound like rain - asking God for provision
  • Water ceremony involves priest carrying empty pitcher, filling it at Pool of Siloam, returning to pour on altar
  • Crowds shout “Hoshana!” (“Lord, save us!”) from Psalm 118

Jesus’s Declaration:

  • Spoken during the quiet moment of the water ceremony
  • “Rivers of living water will flow from within them” - emphasizing believers as conduits, not just recipients
  • Connected to the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 7:39)
Wadi Floods: Desert’s Greatest Danger

Physical Reality:

  • Flash floods are the number one cause of death in the desert
  • Begin in mountains and rush down through wadis with tremendous force
  • Warning sign: sound like a train, giving only 40 seconds to 2 minutes to escape
  • Can trap photographers, hikers, and climbers in slot canyons

Parable Connection (Matthew 7:24-27):

  • Building on sand vs. rock is about location, not building materials
  • Sand represents the dangerous wadi bottom where floods occur
  • Rock represents the safe bedrock and cliff faces above flood zones
  • Emphasizes wisdom of building life on solid spiritual foundations

Examples & Applications

Modern Applications of Wadi Trust
  • Parenting road trips vs. following a shepherd: switching from control mode to trust mode
  • Business and life planning vs. accepting uncertainty and trusting step-by-step guidance
  • The anxiety that comes from needing to know the complete plan vs. peace in trusting the guide
En Gedi Relationships

Reflection Exercise:

  • Identify people who have been sources of living water during your desert experiences
  • Consider whether you have been En Gedi to others in their difficult seasons
  • Send a thank-you note with an En Gedi photo to someone who has been life-giving

Challenge Areas:

  • The church sometimes being the “least safe place to be” rather than a source of living water
  • Believers who judge and condemn vs. those who offer unconditional acceptance
  • The irony that non-believers sometimes provide more Christ-like love than Christians
Practical Living Water Ministry
  • Providing shade and refreshment without judgment
  • Being present for others without needing to fix or change them
  • Creating safe spaces where people can be authentic without fear of condemnation
  • Offering practical help and emotional support during others’ difficult seasons

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Historical and Cultural Studies
  • Detailed study of Second Temple period Festival of Tabernacles practices
  • Archaeological exploration of ancient wadi travel routes and their role in biblical narratives
  • Hydrological systems of the Judean desert and their connection to biblical geography
  • Rabbinic literature on living water definitions and applications
Theological Investigations
  • Comparative study of water imagery across biblical books and traditions
  • The role of the Holy Spirit as living water in New Testament theology
  • Old Testament foundations for Jesus’s living water teachings
  • The relationship between physical and spiritual “deserts” in biblical thought
Practical Ministry Applications
  • Developing church cultures that prioritize being “safe spaces” over being “right”
  • Creating intentional practices for identifying and thanking “En Gedi” people
  • Designing spiritual formation experiences that build trust in uncertainty
  • Training in pastoral care that emphasizes presence over problem-solving
Biblical Landscape Studies
  • Field study of Negev, Zin, and Paran desert regions
  • Understanding ancient travel routes and their impact on biblical narratives
  • Geological formation of wadis and their role in shaping biblical imagery
  • Climate patterns and their influence on agricultural festivals and religious practices

Comprehension Questions

  1. Describe the physical characteristics of wadis and explain how they serve as metaphors for spiritual trust. What specific aspects of wadi travel require faith in the shepherd’s voice rather than visual navigation?

  2. Compare and contrast “living water” (maim chaim) with cistern water in both physical and spiritual terms. Why does God condemn His people for choosing “broken cisterns” in Jeremiah 2:13?

  3. Analyze Jesus’s declaration about living water in John 7:37-39 within the context of the Sukkot water ceremony. How does understanding this festival background change your interpretation of His words about rivers flowing “from within them”?

  4. Explain the En Gedi challenge presented in this episode. What does it mean to be someone’s “En Gedi,” and why might it be significant that some believers find more life-giving support from non-Christians?

  5. Examine the parable of building on rock versus sand (Matthew 7:24-27) through the lens of wadi flood dangers. How does understanding desert geography change the emphasis from building materials to building location?

Personal Summary

This episode powerfully demonstrates how the physical realities of the biblical desert serve as profound spiritual metaphors. The three images - wadis, living water, and wadi floods - all point to fundamental aspects of faith: trusting God when we cannot see ahead, becoming sources of life for others, and building our lives on secure foundations.

The wadi experience challenges our cultural need for control and complete information, teaching us to follow God’s voice step by step. The living water imagery reminds us that God not only sustains us but calls us to become springs of refreshment for others in their desert seasons. The sobering reality of wadi floods warns us about the importance of building our lives on the solid rock of God’s word rather than in the dangerous low places where destruction can come suddenly.

Perhaps most convicting is the En Gedi challenge - the recognition that those who claim to follow Jesus should be the most life-giving people in others’ desert experiences, yet often the church becomes a place of judgment rather than refreshment. This calls for deep reflection on whether we are truly living as streams of God’s living water or merely stagnant cisterns that cannot hold the life we claim to possess.

The desert, as Marty notes, serves as a “crucible” that strips away our self-reliance and teaches authentic dependence on God. These ancient landscapes continue to offer timeless lessons about faith, community, and the character of God who leads His people through uncertainty toward His promised provision.

BEMA Episode 29 Study Notes: Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA 29: Images of the Desert — Wadi and En Gedi (2017)
Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings
Focus: This episode explores three key desert images from biblical lands: wadis (desert canyons), En Gedi (living water/maim chaim), and wadi floods. These geographical features serve as powerful metaphors for spiritual truths about trust, provision, and safety in God.

Key Takeaways

  • The biblical deserts are not sandy dunes but rocky canyons called wadis that limit visibility and require complete trust in your guide
  • En Gedi represents God as our living water (maim chaim) and calls believers to be sources of living water for others in their spiritual deserts
  • Living water must come from God (springs or rain) and cannot be man-made or stored in cisterns
  • The most dangerous place in the desert is not the heat but flash floods in wadis, which Jesus uses to illustrate building life on proper foundations
  • Often non-believers provide more authentic support during spiritual struggles than fellow Christians
  • The water ceremony at Sukkot provides context for Jesus’s teaching about streams of living water flowing from believers

Main Concepts & Theories

Wadis: Learning to Trust Without Sight

Definition: Deep desert canyons carved by seasonal rainfall over thousands of years. Unlike popular imagery of sandy deserts, biblical deserts (Negev, Paran, Zin) consist primarily of these rocky canyon systems.

Spiritual Application: Wadis teach complete dependence on the guide because:

  • Visibility is limited to 50 yards in any direction
  • Every turn reveals uncertainty - sometimes rest, sometimes more barrenness
  • You cannot plan ahead or see the destination
  • The only choice is to trust the shepherd’s voice and follow step by step

Biblical Connection: This mirrors our relationship with God, where we must trust His guidance without knowing the full itinerary of our lives.

En Gedi and Maim Chaim (Living Water)

Definition: En Gedi means “spring of the deer” - a natural oasis in the Negev desert where fresh spring water creates life in the middle of barrenness. Maim chaim refers to “living water” that comes directly from God.

Characteristics of Living Water:

  • Must originate from God’s power (springs from earth or rain from sky)
  • Cannot be man-made or stored in cisterns
  • Represents God’s fresh, life-giving provision versus stagnant, human-controlled resources

Dual Application:

  • Vertical: God is our En Gedi, our source of living water in spiritual deserts (Psalm 63, Jeremiah 2:13)
  • Horizontal: We are called to be En Gedi for others in their deserts (Isaiah 32:2, Isaiah 58:11)
The Water Ceremony at Sukkot

Context: Week-long harvest festival where people brought lulavs (palm frond, myrtle, willow, citron bundle) to the temple. The ceremony involved:

  • Gathering with lulavs that sound like rain when shaken
  • Priest with empty pitcher ascending altar in silence
  • Crowd shouting “Hosanna” (Lord, save us/grant success)
  • Priest filling pitcher at Pool of Siloam
  • Returning to pour water on altar amid celebration

Jesus’s Teaching: During the silence of the water ceremony, Jesus declared: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and streams of living water will flow from within him” (emphasis on “from within him” - we become the source for others).

Wadi Floods: Foundation and Safety

Phenomenon: Flash floods are the leading cause of death in the desert. Rain 50+ miles away can create walls of water rushing through wadis with only 40 seconds warning (sounds like an approaching train).

Jesus’s Parable Application:

  • Sand: Found in wadi bottoms where floods occur
  • Rock: Bedrock/cliff faces at the top of wadis, safe from floods
  • Message: The issue isn’t building materials but location - wise people build where they’re safe from spiritual floods

Old Testament Connections: David’s imagery of being stuck in mire (wadi mud) and God lifting him to solid rock takes on literal meaning in desert context.

Examples & Applications

Personal Trust Examples
  • Marty’s experience getting lost with Ray Vander Laan for seven extra miles, learning to trust the guide
  • The practice of not providing detailed itineraries on Israel trips to teach dependence on the leader
  • Americans’ struggle with control versus trust, especially in unfamiliar environments
En Gedi Relationships
  • The practice of taking photos at En Gedi springs and giving them to people who have been “living water” during difficult seasons
  • Marty’s observation that non-believers often provide safer spaces for authentic struggle than fellow Christians
  • The challenge of creating judgment-free environments within faith communities
Modern Wadi Flood Parallels
  • Building careers, relationships, or identities in spiritually dangerous “low places”
  • Recognizing early warning signs of spiritual danger
  • The importance of establishing life foundations on solid spiritual bedrock

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  • Study the complete Psalm 63 in its desert context for deeper understanding of David’s spiritual state
  • Research the historical accuracy of the Sukkot water ceremony and its connection to harvest festivals
  • Examine other biblical passages that use water imagery (John 4 with the Samaritan woman, John 7:37-39)
  • Investigate the geological and ecological systems of the Negev desert and ancient water sources
  • Explore the concept of “living water” in Jewish thought and its development through Scripture
  • Study modern applications of being “En Gedi” for others in practical ministry contexts
  • Research archaeological evidence of ancient cistern systems versus natural springs in biblical lands

Comprehension Questions

  1. How do wadis challenge our modern approach to planning and control, and what specific spiritual disciplines might help us become more comfortable with limited visibility in our faith journey?

  2. What is the difference between “living water” (maim chaim) and cistern water according to Jewish understanding, and how does this distinction apply to our sources of spiritual nourishment today?

  3. In Jesus’s teaching during the Sukkot water ceremony, why is it significant that streams of living water flow “from within” the believer rather than from Jesus directly, and what does this reveal about our role in others’ spiritual journeys?

  4. Why might non-believers sometimes provide safer spaces for authentic struggle than fellow Christians, and what does this suggest about how faith communities should approach those going through difficult seasons?

  5. How does understanding wadi floods as the primary cause of desert death change your interpretation of Jesus’s parable about building on sand versus rock, and what “wadi bottom” situations should modern believers avoid?

Personal Summary

This episode transforms our understanding of biblical desert imagery from romantic sandy landscapes to harsh, rocky realities that demand complete trust. The three images - wadis requiring blind faith in the guide, En Gedi as oases of life-giving provision, and deadly wadi floods threatening those in vulnerable positions - create a comprehensive picture of spiritual life.

The most challenging aspect may be recognizing that we’re called not just to receive God’s living water, but to become sources of living water for others in their deserts. This requires the kind of authentic, non-judgmental presence that sadly seems more common among non-believers than within faith communities. The episode calls us to examine both where we seek refreshment in our own spiritual deserts and whether we provide safe oases for others in theirs.

The geographical realities of the biblical world weren’t just background scenery but intentional teaching tools that Jesus and the biblical authors used to communicate profound spiritual truths about trust, provision, safety, and community.

Original Notes

Introduction

  • Talking about three images in the desert.
    • Sight
      • There are three deserts of the bible. Negev, ???, and the Sin.
      • Wadi
        • A wadi is are a deep desert canyons that are carved out by the rainfall.
        • The rain in this region is very little but it will rain for about two months a year, during the rainy season.
        • It rains, not in places like the Negev but in areas like the Judean Hills, the Judah mountains, but because the land is so dry, it simply rushes toward east and south into the Rift Valley, toward the Dead Sea, and this rushing water over the thousands of years has cut these deep canyons in the desert.
        • When you’re in the bottom of the Wadis, you cannot see around you.
        • The desert teaches you how to follow voice because you do not know where you are going.
        • Marty shares a story about when RVL got them lost in the desert and they had to trust the guide to find their way out.
        • “Let’s see what’s around the next bend.” “Let’s see what the Lord provides around the corner.”
        • Learning to rely on just enough.
        • Learning to trust in this way is very hard for Americans.
    • En Gedi (Mayim Hayim which means living water)
      • En Gedi means Spring Of The Deer.
      • It is an oasis in the middle of the Negev.
      • Psalm 63 (desert image)

        A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.
        1 You, God, are my God,
        earnestly I seek you;
        I thirst for you,
        my whole being longs for you,
        in a dry and parched land
        where there is no water.

        2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
        and beheld your power and your glory.
        3 Because your love is better than life,
        my lips will glorify you.
        4 I will praise you as long as I live,
        and in your name I will lift up my hands.
        5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
        with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

        6 On my bed I remember you;
        I think of you through the watches of the night.
        7 Because you are my help,
        I sing in the shadow of your wings.
        8 I cling to you;
        your right hand upholds me.

        9 Those who want to kill me will be destroyed;
        they will go down to the depths of the earth.
        10 They will be given over to the sword
        and become food for jackals.

        11 But the king will rejoice in God;
        all who swear by God will glory in him,
        while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

        • In this dry and thirsty land, G-d is our living water, our mayim hayim.
        • David calls out to G-d and says that in the desert, I have learned that you are my living water, my En Gedi.
        • Just as we have learned with shade, we will learn with water that not only is G-d shade and water for us, but G-d asks us to be shade and water for other people.
        • Jeremiah 2:13

          13 “My people have committed two sins:
          They have forsaken me,
          the spring of living water,
          and have dug their own cisterns,
          broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

          • G-d offers to people living water and they instead choose to dig cisterns (which don’t even hold water well) that offer gross, stagnant water.
        • Isaiah 32:1-2

          1 See, a king will reign in righteousness
          and rulers will rule with justice.
          2 Each one will be like a shelter from the wind
          and a refuge from the storm,
          like streams of water in the desert
          and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

        • Isaiah 58:9

          9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
          you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

          “If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
          with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
          10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
          and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
          then your light will rise in the darkness,
          and your night will become like the noonday.
          11 The Lord will guide you always;
          he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
          and will strengthen your frame.
          You will be like a well-watered garden,
          like a spring whose waters never fail.
          12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
          and will raise up the age-old foundations;
          you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
          Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

        • What is Living Water?
          • Living water must come from G-d which means if can only come in two forms.
            1. Coming from the ground, like a spring
            2. Falling from the sky as rain.
          • Rain comes during the festival of Sukkot.
            • Jesus has a teaching at the Festival of Sukkot but to understand the teaching, we must understand the festival.
            • During the festival there is a water ceremony where everyone creates a lulav with palm fronds.
            • Psalm 118
            • When the palm fronds are shaken, they sound like rain.
            • When Jesus
          • Being loving water for others.
    • Wadi Floods

      • Floods, especially Wadi Floods, are the number one cause of death in the desert.

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