“And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 14:13-14).
Beginning at the end of Joshua chapter 18, and continuing with chapters 19 through 21, we find that Israel received the portion of their inheritance by tribe and family. But not so with Caleb. He is the only one we read of who received a personal inheritance. What a reward for his personal faithfulness all those preceding years! The Lord is no man’s debtor. “Them that honor Me I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).
It is instructive to notice that Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb. Hebron, is a place that has at least a quadruple connotation.
Firstly, it was the place of death. “Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre: the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 23:19). Earlier in that chapter we find that Abraham had purchased the field for this very purpose, that is, to bury his dead.
This would remind us that all blessing depends on the death of another. The Lord Jesus has paid a great debt to secure our blessing. We deserved death, in that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Yet we are assured that life, blessing and the inheritance have been secured through the death of our Saviour. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Not only so, but it is not just a question of Christ’s death for me, but my death with Christ. It is the end of the first man. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Secondly, we find, that Hebron was the place of communion. In fact this is the way it is first introduced to us in the Word of God. The father of faith had an altar there, which denotes worship and communion. “Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord” (Genesis 13:18). Here this man of faith enjoyed many happy hours of fellowship and sweet communion with his God.
For us, we have been brought into a wonderful place of fellowship with God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and with one another as believers. “That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ....But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another” (1 John 1:3, 7).
Thirdly, the name Hebron means, a sure alliance. This denotes the union we have with Christ. As His bride we will be united to Him in that day when the “marriage supper of the Lamb” takes place. Revelation 19:9. The wedding day is set, and it will be a wonderful moment for the heavenly bridegroom and His bride, the church. Many a wedding day is fixed in this life, and never comes to pass for one reason or another. Not so with the heavenly wedding: the date is determined, and nothing will delay it, or deter it from happening according to His schedule. The apostle John records; “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband ... And there came unto me one of the seven angels ... and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:2, 9). Union with Christ forever! What a stupendous thought!
Oh, glorious wedding morning,
When on that golden strand,
Christ and His own united,
At last, together stand;
Arrayed in pure resplendence —
Fine linen, oh, so white;
No spot or wrinkle marring,
That garment fair and bright.
Oh, happy wedding morning,
When in that home of light —
The Father’s house — the mansion,
Where sorrow cannot blight;
Adorned as for her husband,
The bride, His wife, His own,
With Jesus Christ, reflecting,
His glories — His alone!
Oh, blessed wedding morning,
When there with Christ above,
His bride surveyed in splendor,
The object of His love;
He will rejoice with singing,
The Bridegroom o’er the bride;
His heart, and hers, forever,
Completely satisfied.
Oh, joyful wedding morning,
For all who know the Lord;
The marriage of the Lamb come,
He by His bride adored:
Blessed are they, the called ones,
Those for whom Jesus died;
They shall rejoice, beholding,
Christ and His blood-bought bride.
Fourthly, Hebron also became one of the cities of refuge. “Thus they gave to the children of Aaron the priest Hebron with her suburbs, to be a city of refuge for the slayer” (Joshua 21:13). This figures to us the security that we have in Christ, the sureness of the promises in Him, and the eternal link with Himself that can never be broken, and will be enjoyed forever. “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand” (John 10:28-29).
So, in conclusion, Hebron, with its remarkable history, brings before us four very distinct truths:
• Death, the ground of all our blessings.
• Communion, the place and privilege of all believers.
• Union, the place of relationship we have, and will share with Christ forever.
• Security, the eternal refuge we have in our Saviour.
What a wonderful inheritance! Do we value and prize it as Caleb did?