En-Gedi Resource Center

09/29/2025

Do you remember how Jeremiah 17 describes the blessed as like a “tree planted by water…that sends out its roots by the stream, its leaves remain green, and does not cease to bear fruit”? Believe it or not, this is actually the CURSED tree! Find out why in today’s article, “Where’s the Juice?”

A comparison of a person's life to that of the Arara plant. The fruit looks attractive from the outside, but there is no living water within.

09/22/2025

Irrigation vs. rain. What is the spiritual lesson to be learned from the source of water?

In Egypt the crops were irrigated by the labor of hand-watering, while in Canaan the land was entirely watered by rain: "geshem" in Hebrew.

09/16/2025

When God begins a new thing, winds blow and waters part. You may remember this from Genesis, but this motif occurs throughout Scripture in surprising and interesting places.

There is a theme of God beginning a new creation that runs through all of the Bible, often illustrated through either wind or water.

09/15/2025

Last week I gave a talk online for CMJ-UK called "The Good News Starts in Genesis." I started off by telling a few shocking stories from my past, about struggling with the God I found in the Bible, and how I'm getting answers to my hardest questions now.

I posted the video at this link:

https://ourrabbijesus.com/events/cmj-uk-shofar-event-online-talk-wed-sept-10-2025/

09/08/2025

In the blazing desert heat, Ezekiel has the most amazing vision of a trickle of living water flowing out of the Temple that widens into a vast river as it flows, bringing life to the parched world that surrounds it.

It is beautiful to see how the image of the river of life in Ezekiel 47 describes the outpouring of the Spirit that occurred at Pentecost.

09/04/2025

Lois will be speaking on zoom for the CMJ-UK Shofar Event on Wed, Sep. 10 at 2 PM EDT, 7 PM UK.
Click on the link to learn more and to register for this event.
https://ourrabbijesus.com/events/cmj-uk-shofar-event-online-talk-wed-sept-10-2025/

09/02/2025

When no rain falls for 6 months, dew is actually an important source of fresh water in Israel. We find the imagery of dew throughout the Bible.

Dew is a form of living water in the Bible. In Israel it does not rain for half the year, and were it not for the dew in summer, all plant life would die.

08/25/2025

The lovely imagery of “living water” goes beyond just meeting our physical needs to saturating our soul.

Living water is one of the physical images used in scripture to express truth. Understanding the imagery of the scriptures helps us hear God's word better.

08/04/2025

Shade is something we all long for on a hot summer day. What gift from God does shade represent?

Many times in the Psalms, God and protection are referred to as "shade," Tzel. This is a powerful image in the heat and sun of the land of Israel.

07/28/2025

I did an interview for WOODTV8 last week where I talk about the unusual story about how I got started writing about the Bible in context and the project I'm currently working on. Check it out! :-)

https://www.woodtv.com/news/news-8-digital-series/lets-get-literary-a-biblical-scholar-a-romance-bookstore-and-a-lighthouse-story-time/

07/21/2025

Did archeologists find a new psalm to add to the Bible?

This psalm was found in Cave 11 of Qumran as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is not in our Bible, but is part of what is called "Psalm 151."

07/14/2025

What spiritual lessons can we learn from the topography of Israel?

Over the history of Israel, there have been few flat places - it seems the nation was either ascending or descending spiritually, like the land's terrain.