CAVES . . .
“They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.” Hebrews 11:38
Have you ever explored inside a cave? Across our country there are some wonderful caves to tour, like Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Caves are formed by acidic water flowing through the right type of rock. Palestine is littered with caves since much of the hill country is made of limestone.
Caves in the Bible had several purposes. Some were used as places to live. Genesis 19:30 says, “[Lot] and his two daughters lived in a cave.” Some caves were excellent for hiding. First Kings 18:4 says, “Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.” And some caves were used for burial. “[Jacob said] ‘I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite’” (Genesis 49:29).
Some caves were given names. David hid in the “cave of Adullum,” and Abraham bought the “cave of Machpelah” to bury Sarah, his wife. That cave also became the burial place for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, and Leah.
There are two important caves in the New Testament. The first was the cave in which Lazarus was buried. John 11:38 says, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.” The other was the tomb that held the body of our Lord and Savior. That cave was emptied on the third day, showing that Jesus had indeed risen! What a cave of blessing!
From: Precious Words of the Bible by Reynold R. Kremer