Giants in the Earth
Part vii
Hebron and Kirjatharba
  I suggest that you start at the beginning if you have never been to this site or series before. Since this is a on going series you will be totally lost unless you play catch up.Â
  In Part vii we will be examining the second time that Kirjatharba is mentioned in Scripture. And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:15)
The Word Kirjatharba Recorded Six Times
And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same [is] Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. (Genesis 23:2)
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And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:15)
And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: (Joshua 15:54)
And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. (Joshua 20:7)
And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba: ) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. (Judges 1:10)
And for the villages, with their fields, [some] of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba, and [in] the villages thereof, and at Dibon, and [in] the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel, and [in] the villages thereof, (Nehemiah 11:25)
Hebron was Kirjatharba
  Hebron is mentioned 68 times in the Old Testament. The primitive root is interesting because it can take on a number of concepts: an alliance, a compact, a league, a confederacy, to fascinate or charm, to fellowship with, and communion and to commune with. The concept that intrigues me is ‘one who has crossed over.’
  Many things transpired in Hebron: many battles were fought, won, lost and regained. It was the royal city of the giants, and the first residence and royal city of king David. It played a role in the rebellion of Absalom against his father David. Sarah died and was buried here. Joshua took Hebron away from the Anakims when it was called Kirjatharba, then Caleb retook it. It was visited by the Israelite spies. It was a city of refuge under the nation of Israel. After the Babylonian captivity the Jews re-colonized Hebron and took it out of the hands of the Edomites who had moved into Hebron when the people of Hebron were taken captive and removed from the land by their captors. In the age since Rome, and since the Crusaders, and even into our present age Hebron has an extensive history of being controlled by cultural extremes. This study only deals with what is written in Scripture; therefore, let us stay on point. Kirjatharba and Hebron are linked together in five verses.
  And Sarah died in Kirjatharba; the same [is] Hebron in the land of Canaan: and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. (Genesis 23:2)
  And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:15)
  And Humtah, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, and Zior; nine cities with their villages: (Joshua 15:54)
  And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah. (Joshua 20:7)
  And Judah went against the Canaanites that dwelt in Hebron: (now the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba: ) and they slew Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai. (Judges 1:10)
  I just love how the Holy Spirit is the greatest writer of history, He never leaves anything out, everything is linked together. Kirjatharba, the city of Four, is renamed Hebron, and documented five times, don’t you find this interesting that the city of Four (the number of the world) is not only renamed, but the number of five replaces the number Four. God’s grace (the number five) overcomes the city of Four. You may think that this is a minor issue, but it is not a minor thing at all. God’s grace or favor overcomes a world that is not worthy of His grace and favor. In Kirjatharba and Hebron we have two extremes presented, the city of Arba, the extreme of evil is conquered and overcome by the goodness of God. There is also the extreme not only in the meaning of the names of this one location, this city, but we see God taking back what belongs to Him. <<A Psalm of David.>> The earth [is] the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1)
The face of the LORD [is] against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. (Psalm 34:16)
For God [is] the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. (Psalm 47:7)
The heavens [are] thine, the earth also [is] thine: [as for] the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. (Psalm 89:11)
  Hebron was a place of conflict, it was taken and retaken by the children of Arba, Joshua took it away from the Anakims, and Caleb retook it. Battle after battle was fought over this place called Communion (Hebron). Let us go back and look at another battle that occurred where Communion and Fellowship was first overcome and lost. Many battles have been fought over Hebron (Communion and Fellowship). Whenever you see the word ‘Hebron’ in Scripture have these words ‘communion’ and ‘fellowship’ in the back of your mind.
  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8) The LORD God communed with Adam and Eve, they walked with God, and He spoke directly to them, these two humans saw God face to face. This relationship is beyond our comprehension. Scripture tells us that in order to walk together, there must be an understanding, a harmonious spirit of oneness has to exist between those who walk together, there is an agreement in thought, and in spirit. Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3) However, when Adam brought sin into the world, this communion, this close personal relationship was severed between God and His creature — man. Â
  God’s redemptive plan for mankind was set into motion because of Adam’s rebellious act against God. Eden had become a battleground, and mankind lost. Although God had covered Adam and Eve with the skins of death in His grace and righteousness, our parents no longer walked with God. They kept not their first estate, their estate of sinlessness, their privileged position of communion and fellowship directly with their Creator was gone. This priceless estate from the highest point that mankind could ever exist in was now reduced to the lowest point, the point of death, the point of emptiness, and the point of no longer being accepted by God.
  I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. (Ecclesiastes 3:18)
Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy [endureth] for ever: (Psalm 136:23)
  From now on, for all those who sincerely desire to fellowship and to commune with God who know that the enemy strikes hard at the point of fellowship and communion with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Hebron is a lesson for all Christians to grasp that Satan and his minions fight a hard battle at this precise point of fellowship and communion. The followers of Christ should not settle on their lees, and become comfortable in this realm of evil while the giants of adversity circle and surround waiting for just the right moment to strike. From before physical birth, those who will become part of the body of Christ in the spiritual new birth have been guided and protected through many unseen obstacles and dangers by the unseen forces of evil attempting to distract and hinder one from the knowledge of the Holy. It should not be much of a surprise to the lovers of God that we need to always be alert to our physical and spiritual surroundings. Fellowship and communion with God is one of the areas where our adversary attacks. But, yes, there is a but . . . victory is made sure because of our Joshua, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ has fought and won the battle for us, and we rest in Him. Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28) And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:15) Notice that little phrase at the end of Joshua 14:15, And the land had rest from war.
Side Note: One small point that I wish you to see with your spiritual eyes is the number sequence (14:15) — now don’t get into a tiff, I know that the numbering of verses in the Old Testament did not come into existence until around 1448 A.D. by a Jewish rabbi named Nathan; however, I can only surmise that the Holy Spirit surely did not know anything about the chapters and verses being numbered — do you think? The Holy Spirit of God is quite capable of using all, past, present and future happenings to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. What I say about 14:15 is not doctrine, it is not set in stone, it is merely an interesting observation not to be taken further than it is intended; however, because we have previously written about the number 4 in the city of Arba, the city of Four, and compared with the number 5 in the number of times that Hebron is connected with Kirjatharba (Four). I have found this verse in Joshua 14:15 interesting — it is Jehovah in the number 1 who overcame Kirjatharba, and it is Jehovah in His grace (Five -5) who not only renamed Kirjatharba, but He (through His servants, Joshua and Caleb) overcame the giants of Kirjatharba and the land had rest from war.
And the name of Hebron before [was] Kirjatharba; [which Arba was] a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war. (Joshua 14:15)
  The battle is not over for us, but victory has already been declared. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) We battle daily in Kirjatharba, but God has taken over and destroyed Kirjatharba and we now not only can approach a righteous and holy God, but we can have fellowship with Him around His Word and His Son, our Savior, our Joshua, the Lord Jesus Christ. And through Him we have overcome Kirjatharba, the city of Arba, the city of Four, the city of the world. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (1 John 2:13)
I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. (1 John 2:14)
  Kirjatharba has been replace by Hebron; however, in our field, in our physical realm we battle daily against all the distractions to draw us away from our God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are assured that He will never leave us, and our salvation, our redemption, our oneness in Him is set forever in His precious blood. The sad warning to all can be felt through the hymn, ‘Come, Thou Font of every blessing’ written by Robert Robinson in the third stanza:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love:
Take my heart, oh, take and seal it
With Thy Spirit from above,
Rescued thus from sin and danger,
Purchased by the Savior’s blood,
May I walk on earth a stranger,
As a son and heir of God.
  Hebron is where we need to be, Hebron is where we need to live, Hebron is where we can find rest and peace. It is only in Hebron we can safely reside as ‘one who has crossed over.’ Our prayer is that all would cross over from Kirjatharba to Hebron, and finally find the peace of God and rest in Him.
© Copyright 2019, Mary Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)