Elah Valley

Washroom break

Many varieties of thistles, and quite large

Our next stop was at the Elah valley, a very fertile area

we walked up and around, looking down on this valley

We practice: 

Aijlon - Gezer

Sorek - Beth Shemesh

Elah - Azekah

Arriving at Shaarayim (2 gates)

Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron

Our faith lesson is David & Goliath

We learned about numbers

40 - time of testing

For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

Saul was the tallest Israeliste

 Kish had a son named Saul, as handsome a young man as could be found anywhere in Israel, and he was a head taller than anyone else

He is the shepherd, that is his job but:

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep

Looking at first use in the bible

Saul is introduced not being able to take care of donkeys

David is introduced  as taking care of sheep

Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.”

David heard Goliath

to hear = She'ma

5 stones, one for Goliath and each of his brothers

David uses a sling to throw a stone

God will use you in the way He prepared you

but it is why he threw the stone:

 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel

We have all been given stones (talents)

throw them so the world will know...

...that there is a God