I wanted to show you a few pictures to give you a geographic location to help with a point of reference to the Christmas Narratives from TREES.  This past Sunday I gave you the backstory of the nation of Moab.  It is a dark and twisted part of the story in which Abraham’s nephew Lot got his family into several messy situations.  The one I referenced Sunday was the time when he and his family were living in Sodom when God finally said, “Enough is enough!”  God warns Abraham of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to give him a chance to go get Lot out of there.  On their exit out, Lot’s wife looks back and turns to pillar of salt and was struck dead.  Lot escapes the destruction with his two daughters to the Mountains and caves of Zoar.  (Genesis 19). 

While in the caves, Lot’s daughter see their reality as bad.  They have no heirs for their father’s inheritance.  And they have no future hope for marriage, children, or sons.  So they go from bad to worse.  They get their father drunk, and sleep with him.  They both get pregnant.  (Genesis 19:30-38)

I know, I know, you didn’t realize this was part of the Christmas story.  It is perverted!  It is twisted!  The oldest daughter gives birth to a son, and names him Moab.  Moab becomes the nation that leads the nation of Israel to bow down to idols.  This made Moab a wicked enemy to Israel and to God. 

Now to the pictures.  Pastor Zac and I traveled to Israel a month ago.  We had the opportunity to visit the Dead Sea.  The Dead Sea is 50% minerals.  It is thick, and nothing can live in this water.  When we got into the water, we actually floated.  The mud on the shore is also filled with these rich minerals so we rubbed the mud all over our bodies (Spa like!).  Now once you get past our white fat bodies, look up to the horizon…

Across the Dead Sea is where Moab was.  It is now occupied by the Country Jordan.  Can you imagine Elimilech and Naomi and sons traveling from God’s Promised Land to Moab for rescue.  It’s twisted!