June 30,2013
Joshua 14:6-15 New
Living Translation (NLT)
6 A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb…,
came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to
Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the
Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and
gave an honest report,
8 but my brothers who went with me frightened the people
from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the
Lord my God.
9 So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of
Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of
your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’
10 “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and
well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this
promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five
years old.
11 I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that
journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then.
12 So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me.
You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there
in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of
the land, just as the Lord said.”
13 So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave
Hebron to him as his portion of land.
14 Hebron still belongs to the descendants of Caleb son
of Jephunneh the Kenizzite because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God
of Israel.
15 (Previously Hebron had been called Kiriath-arba. It
had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)
Joshua 15:13- 19
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 The Lord commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s
territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh.
So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is,
Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor. 14 Caleb drove out the
three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the
sons of Anak.
15 From there he went to fight against the people living
in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher). 16 Caleb said, “I will
give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the one who attacks and captures
Kiriath-sepher.” 17 Othniel, the son of Caleb’s brother Kenaz, was the one who
conquered it, so Acsah became Othniel’s wife.
18 When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her
father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What’s
the matter?”
19 She said, “Give me another gift. You have already
given me land in the Negev; now please give me springs of water, too.” So Caleb
gave her the upper and lower springs.
Intro: Caleb: a man who rose above His limitations
to do great things for God
Caleb was a part of Israel when they left Egypt. Part of
his rich heritage (Judeo-Jews belief in Yahweh)
The peak of their bondage, their cry to God and the
mighty deliverance of God. (Seen Plagues-Water to blood, Hailstorm, The total
darkness, The frogs, flies, the gnats, boils, locusts, the devastation of
Plants & livestock (hail), darkness, the death of the firstborn, the Passover,
the Exodus… the workings/power of God). He was there when
God divided the waters of the Red Sea.
He was one of the 12 spies who had gone in to survey the
land.
A) In v. 7-9 Caleb recounts the story of when in Num 13 –
Moses sent him & the other 11 spies
B) And as the spies came back there were two reports –
the MAJORITY report & the MINORITY report –
1) The Majority report was 2 fold – all the
spies said it was a great land – land flowing w/ milk & honey – but 10
proceeded ….. giants - hopeless
C) The Minority report came from Joshua & Caleb –
Caleb was the Spokesmen – Yes land is great – Yes Giants – too big to miss
1) God has given us the land –
The Majority – the
10 unbelieving spies – measured the giants against themselves
– Caleb & Joshua measured
the Giants against God
The Majority
trembled in Fear / C & J Triumphed in God !!!!
In verse 7 Caleb says, "I brought back word to him
as it was in my heart." It literally says in the Hebrew that his heart was
overflowing with confidence,
This he did in spite of the peer pressure.
10 of the spies
came back with a very negative discouraging report.
- They
only saw the difficulties. Their report struck fear in the hearts of the
people.
- Their
conclusion was that they could not take the land, they would only be destroyed
and their children killed or taken into slavery.
-They
looked at the problem in light of their strength.
Caleb believed God could take this land through them. It was
this faith that led the Lord to describe Caleb in Num 14:24 as a Man of a
Different Spirit- a guy w/ a different Spirit.
– What makes a
person that way?
It is not that they are looking at the world –
through rose colored glasses
But that they see everything in light of
the Lord – From God’s perspective – They factor in the Lord
So recommended that they press forward. But, as a whole,
Israel chose not to believe God and as a result wandered in the wilderness for
40 years.
The wars of Canaan were, for the most part, over. Israel
had found temporary rest in the Promised Land even though there was much land
that was yet to be possessed. The enemy had not totally been eradicated.
Chapters 13 and 14 of Joshua deal with the distribution of the land to the
various tribes.
The story of Caleb is just like the Christian life.
God saves us (Exodus), and promises us that we can have a
life of victory, peace & joy;
But many (Israelites) choose to live in a spiritual
wilderness, defeated and depressed.
Caleb pictures the Christian who is willing to pay the
price, fight the battles and win the victory that God has waiting for him.
Two words combined describes Caleb…wholehearted!
I. Josh. 14:8, 9,
14 CALEB'S WHOLEHEARTED COMMITMENT
Note the repeated phrase "Wholly followed the
Lord." V.8
This is said about Caleb 6 times in the Old Testament.
A) three times in the book of Numbers and three times in
our passage here,
B) v 8. Caleb says of himself to Moses,
"...I wholly followed the Lord my God."
V.9, after Moses has given him the promise of
the inheritance, he says, "...because you have wholly followed the Lord my
God.
V.14, Joshua writes why he fulfilled the
promise of the inheritance: "...because he [Caleb] wholly followed the
Lord, the God of Israel."
Now That phrase "wholly followed the Lord"
literally speaks of 2 things
1) it speaks of an unwavering devotion.
2)
But it also means that he was filled to the fullest with God,
or
flooded with the presence and power of God.
That new lifestyle was the key to Caleb's success in
life. He completely followed his God.
What set Caleb apart from everyone else is that allowed
God to pervade every area of his life.
His hope, strength, optimism, and sufficiency were from
God. He was totally dependent on the Lord.
Apply:
Now you may think that because you are not Caleb (or a
pastor or a preacher, deacon or SS
teacher), God doesn't expect to have all of you. Wrong - Wrong - Wrong. God
deserves your all, because we belong to him. No holding back
Half-hearted Christians? Our total commitment is important.
Anything less will keep us from reaching your victory.
We need to
give ourselves totally to God and be wholehearted in our commitment
(III. When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain
with his Roman legions, he took a bold and decisive step to ensure that success
of his military venture. Caesar had deliberately cut off any possibility of
retreat! His soldiers saw every ship in which they had crossed the channel
engulfed in flames. Now that his soldiers were unable to return to the
continent, there was nothing left for them to do but to advance and conquer!
And that is exactly what they did.)
II. Josh. 14:12
CALEB'S CONFIDENCE in God’s promise.
A. What was it
that gave 85 year old Caleb the idea he could be a giant killer?
Caleb's confidence (faith) was in God's word. Verses
9, 10 & 12 cf Numbers 14:24
1. He
remembered what God has said to him through his servant Moses through the 40
years of wandering and during the 5 years of battle.
More than a million people died in the wilderness. others complained…How could he sustain that
through all of the yrs of traveling with these people who were murmuring &
complaining about how tough life was?How did he handle seeing family &
friends dying off in the wilderness?
The answer is that even though his physical body was in
the wilderness, his heart and mind were already in Canaan,
Through all those difficult years, & the 7 yrs of
Battling.
Caleb looked forward to the time he would take the
mountain.
He had seen the Promised Land first hand. Now he was
ready to receive the blessings of God.
He was able to see beyond his circumstances.
Caleb caught a glimpse of the promise, of the Reward - He
lived for that Mt. His faith had not wavered!
It takes
wholehearted faith to win the spiritual victory.
1. I can
see Caleb now climbing that mountain with a sword in one hand and a deed in the
other. Caleb knew God had given it to him so he claimed it.
2. Faith is
not positive thinking. not optimism. not
looking on the bright side.
3.
Faith is simply taking God at His Word and acting upon what God says.
4. Faith is
never a blind leap, but a deep settled conviction that God will do what He has
promised!
They see the
realities in front of them in light of the Word of God – In light of the
Promises of God.
Caleb hung on to
the promise that God made him through Moses that he would survive and claim his
inheritance in the land.
III. CALEB'S COURAGE
Commitment led to confidence - confidence to courage.
Caleb had to scale 3 great obstacles in his quest for his
Canaan.
A. He Had To
Overcome Grasshoppers - Num. 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of
Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers,
and so we were in their sight.
For Caleb to claim
what God had promised he had to go against the majority.
The Cants and the Canters will always surround the people
of true faith.
(III. There will
always be someone saying that it can't be done, it's never been done like that
before, we can't afford it, etc. . Sometimes you will stand alone, but if you
are standing on the Word of God in the will of God, then you were never in
better company!
-To live for God
will sometimes/often mean that we will stand in the minority!
Remember only Joshua and Caleb were ready to
trust God and enter in to conquer the land We also must overcome the
'grasshoppers' that will try to convince us that we cannot live victoriously
for Him.
B. He Had To Overcome Giants - All of us
have giants in our lives. Giants of discouragement, finances, sickness, family,
distress, doubt and the truth is - we can't defeat them ourselves. We have 2
options.
1. We can
say look how small we are compared to those giants. This is the outlook of
fear!
Goliath was 9 ½
feet tall, Og, king of Bashan, had to have a bed that was 13 ½ feet long, and
Arba is said to have been 'great among the Anakims'.
2. Or look
how small those giants are compared to God! This is the uplook of faith! Numbers
15
C. He Had To Overcome Gray Hairs. Cf v10-11
1. What
does this tell us?
2. When God
makes a promise, he will give us the strength to see its fulfillment!
3. Never
count God, or yourself out.
A)Now there was no way that this man Physically was as
strong at 85 as he was at 40 – So what does he mean– Strong now as I was then?
(Senile- Dementia)
B) No both times Caleb Knew his Strength was in the Lord
{ Caleb knew it is not me – But God in me that will allow me to take them; and
because of that here he is at 85 – LET ME HAVE MY MT. I am as strong now as I
was then.
I Love this heart
– that says I am going to press on until the very end
WHAT WAS THE
CONSEQUENCE OF CALEB WHOLLY FOLLOWING THE LORD?
He has been kept
in good health.
Are we feeling stronger every year?
V. Josh. 14:13-14-15?
CALEB'S CONQUEST
A. Caleb
experienced what God had promised!
B. He climbed
the mountains and he defeated the giants - he claimed his possession.
C.The name of
the place Caleb inherited used to be called Kirjatharba (city of the four
giants).
D.Now the name of the place was Hebron. This means
"Fellowship". He refused to stop until he had obtained that place of
fellowship with God.
Folks, that
ought to be our battle cry this morning! We ought to refuse to give up until we
have filled up on everything the Lord wants to give His children! We ought to
settle for nothing less than that place of perfect fellowship with the Lord our
God!
(III. There
will be trials? Well, God had: a flood for Noah, a fire for the 3 Hebrews, a
lion's den for Daniel, a cross for
Jesus, but there was victory in the midst of each trial for these and there
will be victory for you as well!)
Well we can’t leave this study w/out Considering one
more thing about Caleb & that is
VI. the
Contagious Effect of his faith had on others
A)His life of faith impacts his own family, and through
his family it impacts the entire nation of Israel. Ch.15:13-19
B)This is a great
story about Caleb's influence. He encourages his nephew Oth'ni-el as they're
facing this strong Canaanite city.
1)Caleb is saying to this young man,"You can take
it. We can conquer this city."
Oth'ni-el, who has already seen the results of
faith in his uncle Caleb's life LEADS the victory over the city and gains his
young bride, Achsah – daughter of Caleb
In the period of
the Judges, Oth'ni-el will become the very first judge that God raises up to lead the nation of Israel during that
dark, confusing, tumultuous period. - He will continue the family spiritual
leadership.
Now Caleb’s daughter Achsah was also influenced by
Caleb’s faith :
As a new bride, Achsah comes back to her father asking
for his blessing on her life & her
marriage,& also for the gift of these springs of water.
B)Her father's influence
on her is apparent. She is not afraid to ask for the best, the highest, the
greatest good in this place.
C) The possession of those springs are vital for
agriculture & their live stock
So Caleb Became a source of blessing, encouragement, spiritual
influence, and strength in his own family & to those around Him
His Family blessed the rest of the nation for centuries
to follow
1) Kids / Friends / the Church / maybe even
History –
Maybe your sitting here today thinking – Well my kids are
all grown – I really don’t see them – Lost that influence –
A)Never too late – But there are other kids you can
influence – They are in the Class rooms on the other side of that wall
B) I can think back of the Sunday School teachers – youth
group counselors.
Who made a huge influence on my life. I know are part of
the reason I am doing what I am doing today
C) Men & women who modeled Faith – Men & women
who model what it meant to be a Servant
mandate to train
up the next Gen. – We as a Church need to take that more seriously
D) I don’t feel
called or gifted to teach kids – Fine
you can be an extra body in a Class room to keep order so that those who are
gifted can teach
You can be a vessel of love to a child who is hurting –
You can be a source of encouragement to a Child/ Your encouragement ignites
their faith
But it is not just the kids that we influence – All of us
who have been in the Lord for a while – should have some spiritual kids.
People we have brought to the Lord or someone younger in
the faith that God has brought into our lives
We can be the person
who will invest time to help them grow up in Jesus / Help them get
grounded – Help them Develop
Make yourself
available to the Lord & allow him to use you to be a Caleb in the Life of
someone else
Conc:
So we see this inspirational story: Caleb, the ordinary w/ extraordinary faith in
God.
because he wholly
followed the Lord God of Israel, he was a hero, a great encouragement to us.
More importantly Caleb is heroic in God's eyes. The Lord
looks on him with great delight.
Where are you in your personal walk with the Lord this
morning?
Have you entered
into your Canaan, or are you wandering around in the wilderness still
struggling day to day?
God has a place of peace and power for us, but we must be
willing to claim our possession.
It will take the spirit of Caleb…a wholehearted spirit!
that promise must
be actively pursued and possessed before it will ever become a reality in our
lives.
Resources: Alan
Carr, Don Robinson, Rob Salvato, Chuck Smith, Bruce Goettsche & Thomas
Constable
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