Jesse’s Sons: Part 3

Eliab was back in the valley he had grown to love, but this time it was not to herd sheep, it was for war. And the conflict was not going well, for an evil spirit tormented King Saul and apparently his people had fallen out of favor with God. The Philistines were successfully expanding their kingdom into Benjamin and were on their way to raid and loot the Judean highlands. King Saul and his generals decided to stand against them in the Elah Valley. This is a place where they had been successful before. In the days of Joshua God helped His people to win a decisive victory over the Amorites by sending a hail storm (Joshua 10:10-11). Samson, the Judge of Israel had killed Philistines in the area with the jawbone of an ass.

When King Saul called out his army Eliab with two of his brothers, Abinadab and Shammah responded. They were camped below the town of Azekah, an ancient village set at a strategic vantage point where the Elah Valley wraps around a hill.  From the top of the hill the entire valley could be observed from end to end. The high position also enabled communication with fire signals which could be seen in the south at Lachish to the east in Judah and to the north in Benjamin. The Assyrians at a later date said the the place was like the nest of an eagle located on a mountain ridge. Simon bar Kocba set a fort in this area in the early second century and his trademark tunnels still run just below the surface. This defendable position was easily accessible for King Saul from his capital at Gibeah through Beit Shemesh.

Satellite View of Azekah

The army of the Philistines was camped on the south side of the valley near the village of Socoh. The Elah River stood between the two armies and was nicknamed in anticipation of the battle to come “Ephes Dammim” or the boundary of blood.

Socoh Hill

But the battle did not come as anticipated, for the Philistines from Gath had a powerful diversion with them, and after a time of acting out and noise making by both armies in order to bring fear to the opposition the Philistines revealed a secret weapon. His name was Goliath, which means splendor. And he was magnificent. He stood nine feet tall and carried a spear like a weaver's beam. He issued a challenge which according to the rules of war in that day must be accepted, “Choose one man and let him fight me. If he is able to kill me, then the Philistines will become your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then you shall be our servants.”

View from the top of Azekah

The army of Israel trembled, for no one was willing to fight Goliath. He was tall, he sounded mean, he wore a coat of iron and carried a large spear with a sharp tip. By arm length alone a Hebrew was bound to lose, and Israel did not yet possess either iron armor or iron tipped spears.

King Saul called for volunteers, but no one stepped forward. He promised riches to the man who won, but no one was willing. The King even said he would give his daughter as a wife to the successful soldier, but they would not be enticed. The challenge was made each morning and evening for forty days with taunting and ridicule, and every man of the Hebrew army feared for his life.

View from the top of Azekah

Eliab’s elderly father Jesse grew concerned, for he was in Bethlehem and had not seen or heard from his oldest three sons for more than a month. He decided to send provisions by way of his youngest son David because he served the king and knew where the army was camped. David found a substitute to take his place with the sheep, and rushed to the camp of the Hebrews.

As David arrived the Hebrews were gathering to hear Goliath make one of his evening rants. The Lord filled David with grief because no one trusted God enough to step forward. David told his brothers that he would go to the king and volunteer for the battle. Anger flashed in Eliab’s heart, and he told David he was as spoiled as Jacob’s son Joseph who pulled stunts like this to embarrass his brothers.

But discouragement from his brothers did not stop David from going to King Saul. He said, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”

David fighting Goliath

Saul was concerned because of David’s small size and his lack of experience, but David said to the King, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul knew there were no other options, and that time was short before the Philistine’s patience would run out. He agreed that the young shepherd could accept the challenge. The rest is history. Antigonus of Socoh, a voice from the Mishnah who lived 700 years after this event said, perhaps remembering this story, "Be not like servants who serve the master on condition that they receive a reward. Rather be like servants who serve the master irrespective of any reward.  And let the fear of heaven be upon you."

Sign at the entrance to Azekah site

The Elah Valley is quiet now. Azekah and Socoh are now part of British Park, a Jewish National Fund nature sanctuary. Blue Turmus (Lupin) flowers sprout around Socoh rather than Philistines.  Farmers raise crops in the valleys and tourists visit historic sites without fear of being taunted by the giant.