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(3) Some of the names of these cities indicate their strength as fortresses, e.g., Azmon
(Josh. 15: 4), while others reveal the nature of the false worship carried on, e.g., Adar
(Josh. 15: 3), which means "Fire God", Beth-Shemesh (Josh. 15: 10) meaning "House
of the Sun", and Chesil or Cesil (Josh. 15: 30), which refers to the star group Orion.
The name of the city Kirjath-sepher (Josh. 15: 15) is important, as the word means
"Book Town".
This point leads us to the record of Othniel, Caleb's brother or nephew, who went up
to Kirjath-sepher, also called Debir ("Oracle"), and smote it. This is a most suggestive
lesson and must be associated with Caleb's faithful following of the Lord, when we
consider him as a type of the Overcomer. All true overcoming is intimately concerned
with the Word of God. The fight is the fight of faith. The contention is for the faith once
delivered to the saints. The Lord Himself has left us His own glorious example, for He
overcame temptation in the days of His flesh by an appeal to "It is written" (Matt. 4:).
And in the days of His glory He will appear riding out of heaven as the King of kings and
Lord of lords, still bearing the title: "The Word of God." So also it is written of the
Overcomers in Rev. 12::
"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word
of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death" (Rev. 12: 11).
The failure of Judah to drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem may teach a deeper
lesson than the inability of many of God's children to overcome their spiritual foes.
Caleb drove out the Anakim from Hebron, and Othniel took Kirjath-sepher. Fellowship
(Hebron) was thus restored, and the false teaching of the enemy (Sepher = "Book")
destroyed. This, however, does not touch the seat and origin of iniquity. That is
enthroned in the royal city Jerusalem. It was left for David the King, and type of Christ,
to drive out the Jebusite from the royal city. Let us, however, not undervalue the lesser
victory of faith, for David was crowned King in Hebron before he reigned as King over
all at Jerusalem.
As he contemplates the nature of Joshua's foes, the awful character of their idolatry
(including as we find in 15: 8 the savage worship of the valley of Hinnom, the
"Gehenna" of the Gospels), the essential features of the Overcomer, the Priest-King
suggested by the co-operation of Joshua and Eleazar, the sabbatic year, and the failure to
expel the Jebusites, the reader will not fail to appreciate how fully these records of
Israel's history foreshadow the spiritual conflict of practically every believer throughout
the ages.
In conclusion, may we once more emphasize the necessity to try the things that differ
and to distinguish between the inheritance which all Judah received as a gift, and that
special portion which Caleb of the tribe of Judah received as a reward. The same
principle underlies the Epistle to the Ephesians (the free gift) and the Epistle to the
Philippians (the prize), and those who ignore this distinction are bound to suffer
themselves and mislead others.