Day 01 - Gezer, Elah Valley, Bet Guvrin, Lachish

This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” – Jeremiah 6:16

This verse was highlighted in our morning devotional and guided our steps today. Here are some of the ancient paths we walked:

Gezer

Gezer is mentioned in Joshua 10:33, 16:19, 21:21; Judges 1:28-29, 2 Samuel 5:22-25, 1 Chronicles 20:4, and 1 Kings 9:15-17

There are many Bible stories that mention the city gates. This was where village leaders sat and an

important part of ancient defense systems. As pilgrims in this land, it is fitting that we would start our

day entering through a gate.

We spent some time atop the white stone walls reflecting on the city gates in our own lives. Where do

we hold authority? What is God calling us to do with it?

Standing Stones

We came across an ancient monument. Someone at some time wanted to remember something. But

the story is lost to history. We sat by these large white stones and read other stories about people

erected stones to remember the mighty acts of God. For example, in Exodus 24:2-4, Moses puts up 12

stones after God gives the 10 commandments.

This led to reflection on our stories and the importance of sharing what God is doing in our lives. We

are stories in motion and our stories are meant to be told.

Elah Valley

The story of David and Goliath came to life for us today! We climbed up a steep hill and as we sat at

another gate, catching our breath, Scott pointed to the right, “That’s Azekah,” and to the left, “That’s

Sucoh. Between them is the Elah Valley.” We looked on, racking our brains and coming up short.

Then he asked someone to begin reading 1 Samuel 17:1, “Now the Philistines gathered their armies

for battle. And they were… encamped between Socoh and Azekah…. In the Valley of Elah.” Woah!

But how did we know we were in the exact right place in that valley? In verse 52, it says that the

Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim. Shaaraim means “two gates.” Scott pointed out the other

nearby gate. Every other city from this era only has one gate!

We sat for awhile reading and reflecting on David’s courage, God’s faithfulness, and what brave acts

God may be calling us to. Then we walked a bit down the hill and stopped again. We were standing in 

a “wash” where water would run down the hill. It’s the only one on this entire hill. Historians believe

this is where David picked up his 5 smooth stones! (And many of us picked up some of our own to

bring home.)

Bet Guvrin

After a delicious lunch, we learned a bit more about the practical side of life as an ancient Hebrew.

First, we ventured underground to where they used to house pigeons for sacrifice. Then, we saw an

olive press and marveled at the ingenious way they crushed them to bring out the oil. The mood grew

more serious when we learned that Gethsemane means “oil press” in Hebrew. We reflected on Jesus

being crushed by the weight of the world’s sin. Prayers of repentance naturally followed.

Lachish

The serious mood followed us as we traveled to the site of a bloody battle. Have you ever heard of

Sennacherib? He was a brutal Assyrian king who besieged Lachish with all his forces (see 2 Chronicles

32:9). This historical site still has the scaffolding that the Assyrians built into the hillside so that they

could climb and take Lachish by force.

This battle is also recorded in other historical documents. Tens of thousands of Hebrews died in the

siege even as they called on God to save them. It would be so easy to create our own justifications for

why God didn’t come to their rescue. Instead,we sat in that place of painful memories and bloody

wars. We bore witness and remembered. Human suffering was heavy on our minds as we thought

about the wars and human atrocities in our own lives.

We ended with the affirmation that the story doesn’t end in that dark place. Eventually King Hezekiah

stopped Sennacherib from overtaking Jerusalem. God’s people continued on. And so shall we.