Dear Family,
Today is Monday, May 23, 2022, Day 2 of Week 6. This is the 37th Day in our Count to Pentecost.
One of the leaders among the tribes of Israel mentioned in the accounts of the Exodus and Conquest of the Promised Land was the man Caleb (Numbers 13:6). He was of the tribe of Judah, and generally referred to as the son of Jephunneh. He is one of the twelve men (one from each tribe) that Moses chose to spy out the land.
One of Caleb’s most outstanding characteristics was his positive attitude toward the challenges of conquering the land. While ten of the spies admitted the land was flowing with milk and honey, their report discouraged the people. It was filled with their fear of the giants and lack of hope/faith/trust in taking the land.
Numbers 13:32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying; The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
In the face of these negative claims, Caleb asserted steady confidence and “stilled” the people standing before Moses, saying, “We are well able to possess it.”
Numbers 13:30 And 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.
God sentenced the ten spies who brought the evil report to death at some point in the wilderness journey, but Joshua and Caleb were kept alive because of faithfulness and courage. The evil report provided opportunity for the rebellious Israelites to murmur, complain, and wildly threaten to make themselves a new leader who would take them back to Egypt (Numbers 14:1-4). They even threatened to stone the faithful leaders (Numbers 14:10).
Numbers 14:6-9 (6) 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.
Caleb, and Joshua, recognized the rebellion for what it was. And, they passionately appealed to the Israelites to realize “the Lord is with us: fear them not.” For this faithfulness, God assured Caleb he would reach the Promised Land. Notice God tells us that the differences between Caleb and the faithless spies were “another spirit with him” and following God “fully.”
Numbers 14:24 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.
Joshua 14 and 15 recount the story of how Caleb received Hebron, which was the area of the giants (Anak, Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, see Joshua 15:14). Even at age 85, Caleb was ready to tackle the giants and drive them out.
Joshua 14:10-13 (10) And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. (11) 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. (12) 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. (13) And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.
Caleb knew the Source of His strength. He certainly was of a different spirit than those who were fearful, timid, or faithless.
Brethren, once God gives us the faith to truly trust Him as the Wise and Generous Source for everything good, we need to follow Caleb’s example of patience, perseverance, and courage, and put all of our efforts into cooperating with His way of doing things, no matter how long it takes, even if it’s 40 years or more, and even if a majority does not agree with our beliefs.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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