(Parting ways with the “Lot” in your life)

Sun am 26 April 2009 – Kobus Swart

Gen. 13:1-18; (2 Sam. 5:3-7); (Num. 13:27-33); 1 Chron. 11:1-3; 2 Sam. 2:1-7

The Old Testament contains types and shadows which are only fully understood through the eyes of the New Testament. The city of Hebron in the O.T. can be considered as a ‘gene pool’ of apostolic principles which will help us for where we are today. Something that happened at Hebron will help us find the root cause of many problems in today’s churches.

“So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, he and his wife and all that belonged to him, and Lot with him ….. The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him…” (Gen 13:14). Now God speaks, after Lot has been separated. Why are you not hearing the Lord yet about your allotted portion? Because “Lot” is too close to you; he is still with you.

HEBRON is a “place of joining”. It means to unite, to associate or to be allied; a place of alliance; coming together in synergistic relationship, in unity. Hebron is also the highest geographical site in all of Palestine. Before God could give Abram His promise, he had to separate from Lot.

Covenant relationships do not come cheaply; it is something that God puts together. In order to build covenant relationships at Hebron, you must break soul-ties. Most people who have not yet faced their Hebron experience (separating from “Lot”- cutting soul-ties) will not be qualified to proceed further to Zion, your place of fully functioning spiritually.

The same thing happened in the life of David. “So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD through Samuel” (1 Chron. 11:3). At Hebron many came to David realizing that: “We’re of the same bone and flesh”. The weakness of so many churches is that people are “members” on a list; they are not joined in heart.

Again the Lord told David to go up to Hebron. “Then the men of Judah came and there anointed David king over the house of Judah.” (2 Sam. 2:1). The tribe of Judah represents the “apostolic” through the eyes of the New Testament. Both the second and third anointings of David took place at Hebron.

At Hebron David learned about the treatment his men had given the man (Saul) that persecuted him! He was impressed because they gave Saul an honorable burial, and he blessed them (2 Sam. 2:4-6). Past conflicts and offences in your life must be dealt with in this way, before you can move on to effective ministry. When you come to your “Hebron” you break soul-ties, but you also forgive and give kindness even to those who hurt you in the past. Hebron is going to teach us that no one has the right to hate anybody else; we have no right not to love. This is a Hebronic principle. You will not be able to function corporately in Zion unless you have spent time in your “Hebron”.

What is the relevance of Hebron for us today? From “Hebron” a corporate army – galvanized together by the Holy Spirit – will emerge into the place of “Zion”, functioning on the highest spiritual level. The breakthrough is going to be corporate. This is why the Lord is working so deeply into relationships! This is the breakthrough the world is waiting to see.

Note also, that the tree of Mamre at Hebron has two meanings, one is “fatness and strength” and the other is “a place of rebellion”. Already somewhere in Hebron a seed of rebellion is waiting to germinate. More about this as this Word unfolds…