Go To Hebron

We read in I Samuel 27 that David and his company moved to Gath, a Philistine city, to flee from King Saul. Gath as you recall is the birth place of Goliath whom David killed. David lived a year and four months in the enemy's territory (verse 7). During this time, David and his men raided the land and lied to the Philistine king saying he had attacked southern Judah. This embolden the king to believe David was his ally since he was raiding his own people.

David was tired from running around the desert with an insane king at his heels. He was in survival mode and operated in his own strength. It's telling of his reasoning to live side by side with the enemy just to escape another enemy. During this time it's not recorded that God spoke directly to David or David spoke to God until the city of Ziklag where he lived was destroyed.

But still God was in control of David's every step to the throne as a shepherd king.

On the day the Philistines were ready to launch an attack on Israel (the same battle which killed King Saul and his sons) David was turned back (chapter 29). God used the rejection of Philistines princes not only to preserve his life but also to prevent him from being part of a coalition that would destroy King Saul, God's anointed king.

When David returned to Ziklag the city was completely destroyed (30:1-3). Sometimes God must destroy the places were we often run for relief and comfort. Sometimes in our exhaustion and weariness we will act or do things for a moment's relief. We compromise and negotiate with the enemy for a little peace at the altar of convenience. These same places become strongholds - an argument - to why we won't move forward with the call of God on our lives. One reason is that we draw the anger of the enemy. Why risk being a target when it's safer inside our own walled city?

It says David encouraged himself in the Lord and at His direction won a great victory in recovering all that was stolen (30:18-19). Following the death of Saul, David enquires of the Lord before moving back to Judah. In 2 Samuel 2:1 God tells him go to Hebron.

Hebron means alliance or friend. Here is where Abraham buried his wife after buying the land. Caleb took down the giants after Joshua divided the land. Here David is anointed as king and ruled for seven years before moving to Jerusalem. I believe the word that God has for His people is to get up and go to Hebron. That spiritual place that returns us back to a covenant relationship when all our efforts and alliances on worldly things are broken from holding us back. We as a people of God must come back to that promised land having moved outside the enemy's ground to a place where Abraham the friend of God once walked. So too God is speaking to His people to be His faithful friend just as He always has been to us.

It's time to come back to Hebron. It's time to "unfriend" the world (or God will do it for us) and be a friend of God. Our allegiance to Him must be pure and unfettered by worldly pursuits. To do so takes His grace to walk in the Spirit of unity where our hearts are undivided and our devotion strong and sweet.

Oh, Lord bring us out of a place of compromise to Hebron where our friendship with God is restored!