(See Judges Chapter One.)

If the people of God are to go on winning their triumphs, it must be by gaining in knowledge more and more of the Word of God. That is just what Hebron is. Hebron means "communion," and Kirjath-sepher, the city that is closely connected with it, means the "city of the book." It recalls to our minds at once this precious book, the Bible, and it is the Bible that we are to conquer. You say, "Conquer the Bible?" Yes, to take possession of it, to take it out of the hands of its enemies, to make it for ourselves a Book of delight, a Book that speaks to us of God. Therefore when this city of Kirjath-sepher was taken, its name was changed to Debir, which means the "Word of God"—a book becomes the Word of God. That is what characterizes true victory; it is the Bible which becomes God's Word to men. If the Church had gone on in that way, and taken full possession of the Word of God, and made its doctrines a living reality—the voice of God speaking to His people—praise, and worship and joy would have been unhindered, and power would have been increasingly manifest. Alas! the Church has not done that.

So it is for us personally. Suppose you or I have this Book closed; suppose it becomes a mere letter of the Word, and not its living reality. What is the result? There is no further progress. No further growth. It used to be the cry in the world, "We don't want doctrine, we want practice"; then it was transferred to the pews; and professed Christians said, "We don't want doctrinal preaching, we want practical preaching." Now they have it, and they get instead of doctrine and the preaching of the truth of God, not practice even, but that which is the sure result of the neglect of God's Word— anything that will cater to the taste of the natural man.

Thank God for every exception to this. But, dear brethren, that is the sad state of the Church, which has turned away from the Word of God. Little wonder then that there is so little joy amongst God's people, that there is so little delight in the things of Christ. How can there be when the truth of Christ is so little known and enjoyed; when the Word of God has been relegated to the bookshelves along with all the other literature; a literature priceless and precious it may be, but not the living oracle of the living God for God's people.

—Samuel Ridout