Israel Tours: Why David Arthur and Kay Arthur Return Every Year

By David Arthur

Precept Ministries celebrates its 50th year of ministry in 2020. As of today, we are working in nearly 180 countries. By God’s grace, our Bible studies are translated in over 80 languages, and growing! So why have we toured Israel every single year for 40 years? The answer reveals our mission:

We engage people in relationship with God through knowing His Word.

Mom (Kay Arthur) and our team firmly believe that visiting Israel, with Bible in hand, enriches your relationship with God. On a Precept Ministries and Inspiration Cruises & Tours event, we encounter God in the land where His book was written. 

Several times each day, we open God’s Word and study what it says where it happened. Israel is the perfect place for gaining a clear understanding of Scripture.

For example, Mom teaches the entire book of Revelation in Megiddo. Why Megiddo? Because it’s literally where this future event will occur! Using tour members as living and breathing props, Kay walks us through the book, visually capturing the outline of Revelation. Seals, trumpets, and bowls are acted out. Beasts, false prophets, witnesses, and even a dragon are represented. 

The conclusion is a beautiful moment of understanding and worship combined. People comment every time—“I get the big picture now. This has transformed my study of Revelation!”

Mom and I are often asked if we get bored doing the same Israel tour year after year. Our answer is always, “No!” The reason it still feels fresh is that what we do is different from many other Israel tours. We don’t give devotionals, sermons, or even historical lectures. Instead, we study the Bible together with our friends. 

Every day, Mom and I are on the buses with the guests. From breakfast to dinner, we are engaging with people one-on-one, discussing and reasoning through the text of the Bible. And these encounters bring us great joy!

One of the highlights of the tour is when we take communion together in the Garden Tomb. Seated in this lovely garden at dusk, every person opens their Bible and fills their notebook with discoveries from Scripture. We start our journey in Exodus 12, studying the very first Passover meal. 

Taking the foundational truths from this significant rescue story, we walk together through the Bible, noting along the way the elements of this Victory Meal. We end up in Revelation at the Marriage supper of the Lamb—with a richer understanding of the meal we are about to take together. And we do all of this in full view of the empty tomb!

Seeing the light bulb come on for so many, day after day, studying Scripture where it happened—none of this ever gets old! People tell us years later that the Israel trip deepened their relationship with God and took their Bible study to an entirely new level.

Another reason the tour feels new every year is because of the new friends we make. When you spend nearly two weeks together, you get to know folks well. We share all our meals, often discussing what we experienced that day. We laugh at new inside-jokes formed on the buses. I have even met future board members while touring Israel over the years!

This year, we will celebrate our 50th year of ministry in Jerusalem! If you are looking to deepen your relationship with God through studying His Word in His land, join Inspiration Cruises & Tours and Precept Ministries this May. It will forever change the way you see our God and His Word.