The Tel of Dan Tells a Mixed Story

Land stories don’t lie.  They are scrapbooks of victory and defeat, building and destruction.  The layered history where the tribe of Dan acclimated to the Canaanite culture around them is a good illustration. Tel Dan lies north of the Galilee region, near the base of Mt. Hermon.

And before we go any farther, you need to know what tel means in Israel. It is a mound of archaeological layers where civilizations built on top of each other and may be under excavation.

I remember visiting the Tel Dan Reserve and standing before a rushing stream, wondering why we were here.  I had seen better-looking streams in Colorado. Then, our guide began his historical and geographical review.

The not-so-picturesque stream was the headwaters of the Jordan River. Fed by melting snow from Mt. Herman, I realized it could explain the Jordan River's inconsistent depth depending on the snowmelt.  

The Jordan River had witnessed several phenomena.  Joshua led their river crossing at spring flood stage by sending the priests with the Ark of the Covenant first to, literally, clear the way. (Joshua 3:14-17) Elijah crossed the waterway using his rolled-up cloak to push the water to its banks, only to meet the mysterious chariot that took him to heaven. Then there was reluctant Naaman, who was miraculously healed of leprosy by dipping in the muddy waters.  And here was where that many-storied river got its start!

picture by Hanay from Wikipedia

We moved to the mud-bricked open door, covered with a protective canopy.  Most likely it was where Abraham walked through with his army of untrained men to rescue Lot.  Abraham? 

You mean right here? I got goosebumps.  Abraham was on a family mission, not a political one. He fought the formidable Canaanites and succeeded because he fought God’s battle, not just his own. I have to wonder what armies we need to raise, what distances we need to go to rescue our families from the sometimes numbing and always aggressive pull of culture that will not help them find God’s extravagant love.  What success are we ignoring because we feel unprepared or untrained?

The most chilling archaeological relic we saw was the raised platform built for worship to Baal.  This is where the tribe of Dan “forgot” what God had always required: complete, undiluted allegiance to God and His requirements.  They assimilated to the culture around them rather than transforming it.  Again, I have to ask, where is this a commentary on us?  While we may not capitulate with an adulterous frenzy like the Danites,  we slip into conformity without asking, “Does this please the One who gave me life?”

When I began teaching the study on Deborah from Judges, I learned where some of this disobedience started.  I’ve spoken about Joshua’s commanding pep talk before he sent the Israelites to conquer the land God promised.  But what I didn’t know is that when they began their takeover, they never finished it.  The small footprint they conquered never included some of the most important land areas.  They got comfortable where they were. Because they stopped too soon, they stayed surrounded by enemies they kept having to fight off. To get along better, they assimilated. They intermarried. To keep peace in their homes, they shared worship practices that were highly offensive to God..

Scripture tells us to live fully in the world, but never to let the world live fully in us. No watering down moral boundaries.  No rejecting singular worship of God.  Life with God is not about self-actualization.  It is about letting everything about who God is, does, and wants become the priority that shapes life and relationships.

For me, the mound of Dan is a warning: where am I living too comfortably, keeping me from influencing and witnessing?  What victory am I missing that God waits to give?

So will you join me in this prayer?

God of certain victory,

Where have I drawn a comfortable circle

When your circle is much bigger?

Protect me from complacency that dilutes your influence.

I surrender my can’t to find your I CAN!