Learning to Cling

After forty sweltering years in the wilderness, Moses is about to die, and the people of Israel stand ready to enter the long-awaited promised land without him. Because a new generation has grown up in the wilderness since Sinai, Moses reiterates the Law in his farewell address, the book we know as Deuteronomy (literally, “second law”). 

As you might expect, the book is full of imperatives—commands God’s chosen people must obey as they live in the special place He has given them. Deuteronomy 10:20 contains four such instructions: 

You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. (Deuteronomy 10:20 NASB95, emphasis added)

Did you notice the third command, or more precisely, the second part of the second command? Moses calls Israel not only to serve God but to cling to Him. Outward obedience alone isn’t enough; it must be accompanied by a heart that holds fast to Him. 

The Hebrew word translated “cling”(dabaq) is also rendered “hold fast” (ESV, NIV, NKJV) and “remain faithful” (CSB), but I love the vivid picture captured by cling. It connotes desperation and tenacity. My husband loves motorcycles, and the first time he took me for a ride, I discovered what clinging really means. I wrapped my arms around him (not a romantic gesture) and held on as if my life depended on it—because, in that moment, it certainly felt like it! I think that’s the idea Moses wants us to see. We are to hold fast to God—and to nothing else—as long as we have breath. 

Understanding that image isn’t difficult. Living it out is.

The Man Who Clung

Though dabaq appears more than fifty times in the Old Testament, only one person is specifically described as “clinging” to God: King Hezekiah, a descendant of David and an ancestor of Jesus.

[Hezekiah] trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel; so that after him there was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor among those who were before him. For he clung to the LORD; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD had commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:5–6 NASB95, emphasis added)

In many ways, Hezekiah seems an unlikely candidate for clinging. As far as Scripture records, he didn’t grow up in a godly home. His father, King Ahaz, was profoundly wicked. The author of 2 Kings tells us he “walked in the ways of the kings of Israel” (2 Kings 16:3)—a serious indictment. After the kingdom divided following Solomon’s death, the northern tribes (known as Israel) cycled through kings and dynasties who consistently rejected the true God.

Ahaz is counted among them. In one of his most grievous acts, he sacrificed his own son—Hezekiah’s brother or half-brother—to a pagan god by making him pass through the fire (2 Kings 16:3). He also filled Judah (the southern kingdom) with pagan idolatry and even reshaped worship to imitate Assyrian practices (see 2 Kings 16). 

And yet, Hezekiah must have learned the truth somewhere. When he came to power, he demonstrated deep devotion to God by overhauling the wicked practices his father had established. By looking at some of the reforms and actions of King Hezekiah, we can uncover what “clinging” to God looks like in everyday life.

Break Down the High Places

Hezekiah was not the first good king of Judah, the southern kingdom, but he was the first to tear down the “high places”—the altars left behind by previous pagan inhabitants. The author tells us again and again that even the faithful kings left the altars standing, without ever going into detail as to why (1 Kings 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 14:4; 15:4; 15:35). But finally Hezekiah did what others had not. He removed the sources of temptation, making idolatry more difficult and demonstrating wholehearted obedience to God’s Law.

If you and I want to cling to God, we too must rid ourselves of the “high places” in our lives—the lingering patterns of our flesh that draw our hearts away from Him. These may be forms of entertainment or an oft-frequented place, a certain app or social media platform, or perhaps even a relationship. Left unchecked, the “high places” in our lives loosen our grip on the Savior and dim our view of His glory. We cannot cling both to Him and anything else. Ultimately, our true loyalty will be revealed (Matt. 6:24). 

What “high place” in your life needs the ax? 

Seek the Lord

Another distinguishing mark of Hezekiah’s life was his faithfulness in seeking the counsel of the Lord. Second Chronicles gives us this insight: 

Every work which [Hezekiah] began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered. (2 Chron. 31:21 NASB95, emphasis added)

Unlike other kings (even the godly ones), when faced with political or physical opposition, Hezekiah turned to God first. He brought his concerns before the Lord. As a result, he witnessed God’s power in remarkable ways, from healing him of a life-threatening illness to defeating a formidable enemy.

God is still answering prayer today. Not long ago, a missionary visited my church and shared how, while attempting to bring Bibles into a closed country, he and others prayed desperately. The Lord answered by blinding the eyes of customs officials, sparing him from prison and allowing the Scriptures to reach believers who were hungry for His Word.

Clinging to God isn’t reserved for crisis moments. Clinging to God means continually drawing near to the “throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). It means that we “pray constantly” (1 Thess. 5:17) and that we cast our every care upon the One who cares for us so much that He gave His only Son for our redemption (1 Pet. 5:7). 

I wonder what we might be missing out on because of prayerlessness. 

Worship the Lord

A major change that Hezekiah brought to Judah was the reinstatement of the Passover Feast and sacrificial system. In short, he brought worship back. I imagine that this would have been quite the learning curve for the people who had gone decades without darkening the door of the Temple or eating unleavened bread. Yet Hezekiah’s commitment to God compelled him to lead—even inviting the northern kingdom to join in celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem.

Clinging to God means worshiping Him as He commands and as He has revealed Himself—not as we might prefer Him to be. It means gathering with His people, as Scripture instructs,and responding with reverent joy (Psalm 2:11–12). It means knowing Him through His Word rather than shaping Him according to our cultural moment.

Jesus is both the suffering Servant and the conquering King. He is the Lamb and theLion. When John saw Him in His glory, he fell at His feet as though dead (Rev. 1:12–18). That is the kind of awe-filled worship God deserves from us as well.

What does your worship reveal about what you’re clinging to? 

United We Cling

Hezekiah’s life shines brightly, but it is not flawless. Like every king, he was still a sinner in need of grace. Yet from his line would come the One who would cling perfectly to His Father.

We are called to remain faithful, but we often fail. Our hope is not in our ability to hold fast but in Christ, who held fast perfectly on our behalf. When we bow to Him as Lord, a great exchange takes place: our sin is credited to Him, and His righteousness becomes ours.

On our own, we will never cling to God as we ought. But in Christ, our labor is not in vain. We can know the joy of holding fast to the One who holds us securely in the palm of His hand.