Hebron is known today as the " City of Abraham " for it was in Hebron that Abraham sojourned and it was in Hebron that he was buried along with Sarah his wife.
Genesis 23 v 19. ch 25 v 9 - 10. ch 35 v 27.
Then Abram moved his tent and went and dwelt by the terebinth trees of Mamre which are in HEBRON. And built an ALTAR there to the Lord.
Genesis 13 v 18.
The altar here speaks of FELLOWSHIP. When Abram previously moved to the mountain between Bethel and Ai the Scripture says -
There he built an ALTAR to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Genesis 12 v 8.
We could ask the question , why did God choose Hebron to be the city of Abraham ?
Why not Jerusalem ?
The answer is to be found in the meaning of the word " Hebron " which means " Fellowship. " For fellowship was the defining characteristic of the life of Abraham. In the days of Abraham the law had not yet been given , but Abraham walked in fellowship with God in a personal relationship.
The Lord in Isaiah describes Abraham as His friend.
But you Israel are my servant , Jacob whom I have chosen , the descendants of ABRAHAM MY FRIEND.
Isaiah 41 v 8.
A friend is someone with whom you have FELLOWSHIP.
Only one person in the Old Testament is described in similar terms ,
and that was Moses.
So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face , as a man speaks to his FRIEND.
Exodus 33 v 11.
Notice that friendship is here described as two people fellowshipping together.
The promised land was God's will for the children of Israel. When the twelve spies returned from spying out the land , it appears that the BEST FRUIT of the land was brought back from a VALLEY in HEBRON.
Numbers 13 v 22 - 27.
Not only was it true of Israel that they found the best fruit came out of HEBRON ( Fellowship ) but it is also true of us today.
For in John's Gospel , it is revealed that it is out of our FELLOWSHIP ( Hebron ) with the Lord that our best fruit comes.
First - Fruit.
Then - More fruit.
Then - Much fruit.
Every branch that bears FRUIT , He prunes that it may bear MORE FRUIT. John 15 v 2b.
He who ABIDES in me and I in him ( Fellowship ) bears MUCH FRUIT. John 15 v 5.
Verse 12 then tells us to love each other which is the correct order. First fellowship with the Lord then as a result we are able to love one another.
It is of note that they brought the fruit back from a VALLEY in HEBRON , the valley here speaks of trials within the will of God.
As David said -
Yea though I walk through the VALLEY of the shadow of death , I will fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me. Psalm 23 v 4.
The pharisees who we know so well from the pages of the New Testament called themselves HABERIM , a fellowship , fraternity or alliance of like minded men , and so they were. An individual pharisee was known as an HABER , a friend , comrade , fellow member. These two Hebrew words share the same root as HEBRON. In modern Hebrew today the word " Haver " is a common word meaning the same thing , friend , comrade.
One finally point , the word stripe in Isaiah 53 v 5 has the same root which is HAVAR. This is probably deliberate and can give another underlying meaning to the verse.
By His stripes we are healed.
By His FELLOWSHIP we are healed.
By His FRIENDSHIP we are healed.
By Steve McGlade
