Our Strength, Refuge, and Fortress

I cry to you, LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” – Ps. 142:5

After an early wake call, rushed yet extremely satisfying breakfast the group hit the road again with God as our Leader and his ambassador Marty. First stop was to Beth Shemesh with the Sorek Valley along with Mount Zorah and Mount Eshtaol before us. Here we learned was the setting for the birth and raising of Samson, along with the return of the Ark of the Covenant from the Philistines after they had been plagued by it (1 Sam 6).

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The Valley of Sorek where the Ark of the Covenant passed through

Here we learned about the Nazarite Vow and how Samson failed to keep these vows. It ultimately led to his downfall and we were all challenged with the question “why is Samson listed as one of the heroes of faith yet clearly breaks his vows?” We will let you wrestle with these questions as we also did. Following this we saw a really big cistern and Bedouins/Nomads living there nomadic lifestyle!

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Going down into the massive cistern (ask for more pictures upon arrival!)

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A young boy leading his sheep with the Bedouin campsite in the background

We hopped back on the bus and drove to our next site Azekah. This is where one of the greatest, most well-known bible stories took place. You know that one where the “beloved” goes against the “great.” That one that gets used in way too many sport clichés especially attributing to games where a major underdog wins. You guessed it. This is where David (means “beloved”) slays Goliath (means “great”).

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Looking at the battle grounds where David and Goliath may have fought

Here we learned two things. First, the importance of being beloved rather than great. Second, that God used David’s ordinary talent (throwing stones) to defeat what everyone was too afraid to go against. How can God can use our stones (ordinary talents) to defeat our goliaths (greatest fears)?

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The river bed where David grabbed his stones?

Next we saw a place of refuge for David. The cave where he hid from King Saul and possibly wrote Psalm 57 and Psalm 142. The cave of Adullam, which literally means “refuge.” Where is your refuge? Who is your refuge? I know that most days it is not God first. Maybe the doctor, or a drink, porn, maybe casinos? Where is your refuge? Who is your refuge?

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David’s Refuge when he hid from Saul

We were then brought to Bet Guvrin/Maresha. Two cities that are too close to separate so we just label them as one. Here we got to see gethsemane which is the word for Olive press. (Note: Does it actually say ‘garden of Gethsemane ?’) We also saw a Pigeon rookery which is an underground cave where homing pigeons would return or deliver messages from. They also could have been used for their dung as fertilizer and maybe sacrificed.

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A millstone and an olive press – “gethsemane”

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A Pigeon Rookery

Lastly, we drove to Lachish. Lachish had a multi-gate system which fits its literal meaning “impregnable.” However this city still has 11 layers meaning that it has been conquered 11 times as far as the archeologists know (or have dug). This is the place where Sennarcherib, the king of Assyria, besieged and conquered by building a large siege ramp thus destroying the Israelites. He now threatened Hezekiah and the southern kingdom of Judah. However, through some wise counsel, Hezekiah trusted in God and God intervened by sending an angel who put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian army (2 Kings 19)!

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Lachish from a distance