Numbers 14:6-9 "And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: (7) And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. (8) If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. (9) Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not."
We cannot talk about Joshua without also looking at Caleb. Their lives are very
familiar to all of us. Out of the 12 spies who were sent to search out the
land, they were the only 2 whose faith stood firm. The other ten spies became
afraid and their hearts melted because of the walled cities and the giants that
inhabited the land. But Joshua and Caleb maintained their trust in the Lord.
"... Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at
once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it." (Numbers
13:30) God spoke these words concerning Caleb: "But my servant Caleb,
because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I
bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it."
(Numbers 14:24) The desire of Caleb's heart was to follow the Lord and be
obedient. He knew God would be true to all His promises.
We fast-forward 45 years. Joshua is dividing the land among the people
according to the lots that God had given to them. We read Caleb speaking
concerning his lot in the land, "Forty years old was I when Moses the
servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I
brought him word again as it was in mine heart." Caleb is now 85 years old
and I confess this is one of my favorite passages in the Old Testament. Because
of Caleb's faithfulness, God is allowing him to select his own portion of the
land. He has his pick of all the land. You would think he would want the nice
rich soil of the valleys along the river where he could make a good living for
his family. But we read him saying, "As yet I am as strong this day as I
was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my
strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me
this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that
day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if
so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the
LORD said." (Joshua 14:11-12) As my strength was then, so it is now. I
remember the words of the Lord to Joshua, "As I was with Moses, so shall I
be with you." After all these years, Caleb's strength has not diminished
because the Lord was his strength.
I can see this could easily turn into a written sermon, but for today I want us
to understand that when we are faithful to our Lord, His mercy, grace, love,
and strength abides very close to us. We read in the Psalms, "Delight
thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine
heart." (Psalm 37:4) Tomorrow, we will continue our study of God's
strength manifested in and through Caleb.
1 In the rifted Rock I’m resting, safely sheltered, I abide.
There no foes nor storms assail me, while within the cleft I hide.
Refrain:
Now I’m resting, sweetly resting,
in the cleft once made for me.
Jesus, blessed Rock of ages,
I will hide myself in thee.
2 Long pursued by sin and Satan, weary, sad, I longed for rest.
Then I found this heav’nly shelter, opened in my Savior’s breast. [Refrain]
3 Peace which passeth understanding, joy the world can never give,
now in Jesus, I am finding; in his smiles of love I live. [Refrain]
4 In the rifted Rock I’ll hide me, till the storms of life are past,
all secure in this blest refuge, heeding not the fiercest blast. [Refrain]