THE GLORY OF TEL HEBRON

BySanpete Messenger

The eleventh OFF THE BEATEN PATH RARELY SEEN BIBLICAL SITE is Tel Hebron. The stories of three important biblical figures come together at Hebron. These individuals are separated by thousands of years yet are all part of the same story. Matthew 1:1 sums it up in one short verse, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”

The Bronze Age (2,000 B.C.) fortification walls in the center of this photo mark the location of the ancient biblical city of Hebron. (Photo by Chip Thompson, 2016)

Despite its importance, tourists rarely visit Tel Hebron. This ancient city is located in modern-day Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in Israel. In 1948, when Israel once again became a sovereign nation, a group of courageous Jews built homes on top of Tel Hebron which caused much turmoil. Today, the only people allowed to enter the site are archeological study groups. Because the Solid Rock Cafe tours are archeological study tours, we are granted access after a lengthy process of proving our credentials to the IDF (Israel Defense Force) that guards this Jewish community.

Hebron has an interesting history. It originally enters the biblical story in about 2,000 B.C. when Abraham pitched his tent near Hebron. Abraham’s summer camp was located beneath the huge terebinth trees of Mamre, less than two miles south of Hebron. It was at Mamre that Abraham’s wife Sarah died. And, because Abraham was a foreigner living in the land of Canaan, he owned no land in which to bury his beloved wife. So, in Genesis chapter 23, Abraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah from the Canaanite rulers of Hebron. This cave, located in the valley just outside the eastern gate of Hebron then became what has been known for the past 4,000 years as the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Looking east from Tel Hebron is a 2,000 year old structure that was built by King Herod the Great over the Cave of Machpelah — The Tomb of the Patriarchs. (Photo by Chip Thompson, 2016)

Yahweh God, the God of Israel, made a covenant with Abraham that included AMAZING PROMISES (Genesis chapters 12-28). When we consider the fact that Abraham was nothing more than a nomadic shepherd, these promises would have been ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE. Yahweh told Abraham, “I will make your name great.” “I will make you the father of many nations.” “I will make your offspring like the stars in the heavens – if indeed you can count them.” “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you.” And, in keeping with the next important figure in this story, Yahweh God promised Abraham, “Kings will come from you.”

Now, jump forward from Abraham (2,000 B.C.) to David (1,000 B.C.). If you remember the story of David, he was on the run for almost 15 years from a king of Israel named Saul who wanted him dead. But God protected David and following Saul’s death (1 Samuel 31), God commanded David to take up residence in Hebron. It was here that David was crowned King of Israel (2 Samuel 5). Can you imagine David’s thoughts as he stood on the wall of Hebron, looked down at the tomb of his great ancestor Abraham, and recalled the promises God had made. In fulfilment of these promises, David stood as King over all Israel – the very place where Abraham had dwelt as a foreigner in the Land of Canaan. Wow, what a moment that must have been for King David.

Shortly after being crowned King, David fought and took Jerusalem from the Jebusites (this city was one of the final strongholds of the remaining Canaanites). David made Jerusalem his capital and built himself a palace where he ruled over Israel for the rest of his life.

Photo: These massive foundations supported King David’s palace in Jerusalem – known today as ‘The City of David’ archeological site. (Photo by Chip Thompson, 2017).

It was in this palace that Yahweh God made a covenant with King David (2 Samuel 7). The Davidic Covenant includes this AMAZING promise, “Your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” In our world, some royal dynasties lasted for many generations, but none lasted forever. Telling David his dynasty would be eternal was also an ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE promise.

Now we need to return to Abraham and think about the most AMAZING of all the promises found in the Abrahamic covenant. God told Abraham, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Just imagine telling a shepherd, a nobody, who lived in the fields with his sheep, “Dude, some day you will become a blessing to people in every nation on earth.” HOW? We all know the answer, “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37).

“Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” is how “all peoples on earth” have been blessed through Abraham. Jesus is how the dynasty of King David was “established forever.” So, what is The GLORY of Tel Hebron? The GLORY is the ultimate fulfilment of the ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE promises made by Yahweh God to Abraham and to King David. STOP and think this through – What are the chances that promises made to Abraham in 2,000 B.C. would directly link to promises made to his descendant King David in 1,000 B.C. and then would link directly to Jesus 1,000 years later. I think we all have to admit this is just too much to be pure coincidence. The fulfilment of all these ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE promises is only possible because this is God’s story. And, God’s story was created by God to point us to Jesus, the Savior of the world.