We’ve been going through the book of Joshua and I have been so blessed by the whole experience. But, when Matthew asked if I would preach on Caleb, it wasn’t fresh in my head because I hadn’t read about him in a long time. When I started diving into the scriptures surrounding Caleb, of course we are reminded he was one of the spies that entered the Promised Land, but the thing that stuck out to me was the incredible faith of Caleb.
To recap: We’re in Joshua 14 and before that we’re coming to a major close of Israel taking the Promised Land. Most of the major battles have been fought and in Joshua 13, Joshua and Eleazar are coming to the time to give out the allotments of inheritances to the tribes of Israel. The Word also tells us that the lands are still occupied, so we know there are still some battles to be fought, skirmishes and fights to be won. And can we pause and recollect how amazing it was for Joshua to stop the sun. God didn’t even command him to do it and in faith Joshua was able to stop this huge ball of plasma and fire that generates our entire planet! What an extraordinary representation of faith! We’re going to see Joshua continue to do that as he is side-by-side with Caleb in much of his travels. And today we’re going to see that faith in Caleb as well. I also thought this was interesting: there is a list of 31 kings that were conquered in Joshua 12. I was listening to it being read and it was crazy how the Lord was just annihilating king after king to give this land to His people. An incredible fulfillment of His promise.
So we approach Joshua 14:6-15 and what’s happening now is the allotments are being passed down to each of the tribes and Caleb approaches Joshua. In the text we read:
Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lordsaid to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”
13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.
Caleb does a pretty good job of unpacking the context of this promise he was given. Have any of us had to hold on to a promise for 45 years? We are a quick turnaround culture that focuses on NOW. If my car breaks down, I need it fixed now. I need my mortgage paid now. To really understand the context of this promise we need to go back 45 years to Numbers 13 and 14 which is about a year and a half after the Exodus of Egypt. The Isrealites now come to the southernmost boundary and the Lord commands them to enter. Numbers 13 tells us of 12 spies, each a chief of the tribe of Israel. One was the chief of Judah, Caleb. There’s a great respect that the people must have had for him. The other spy you know is Hoshea (meaning “he saves”). Hoshea had his name changed here to Joshua (meaning “Yahweh saves”). There’s a lot you can unpack with that, but it spoke to me in the simplest way to show Joshua and the people a precision—it’s Yahweh, not in general some other god. As Christians we look to the Word as our authority and God’s promises to be fulfilled in Jesus Christ. We’ll see Joshua live up to his name when he perceives the Promised Land through the lens of God saving, just like Caleb will as well.
In forty days the twelve spies go from the northernmost point in Cannan and come back in forty days and report to the whole congregation (about 2 million people). Ten spies tell everyone a bad, faithless report. Caleb interjects and says to the people (let’s think about that, what great power, authority and respect the Lord must have given him) in Numbers 13:30, “But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” This is just the beginning that shows the robust faith of Caleb. He was ready for war, faithful and obedient.
The faithless report from the spies was not only fear, it was disobedient because God told them to do it. The bad report affected millions of people who reacted in dread and complaint and at the point where they want to elect a new leader. Can you believe the foolishness? A life of foolishness is what faithlessness leads to. Numbers 14:5-9 says, “Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Caleb shows incredible faith when his life is on the line. People want to stone him. Then the Lord gives His Word which is a punishment for the people and a promise to Caleb. This is a promise that He cannot go back on because He is faithful. To the faithful, He shows Himself faithful. Numbers 14:20-24 says, “Then the Lord said, “I have pardoned, according to your word. 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it.24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”
At this point God gives Moses an opportunity to intercede for the people and Moses holds God accountable to His promise. I’m not sure what is going on here in the spiritual realm. Did Moses change God’s mind? God has had everything planned since before time and the foundations of the earth, but there was something here that was happening. He comes with accountability and confidence—not pride—confidence. Confidence is something we lack so much in the Christian church. You know why? Because we’re constantly preaching pride and humility and it’s very difficult to find the balance of what confidence is and what false humility is and I would encourage you all to seek counsel with people who have an understanding because to find that balance is not in your own strength. It is completely in submission to God and His Word. As He carries you and builds you up and increases your faith—God I’m here to collect because you said so. You’re not banking on your own strength and saying I’m here to collect because my faith is so great.
Who was Caleb? We know he’s a respected leader. A chief of the tribe of Judah. Judah is the tribe from which Jesus would come. He was a man who acted in and understood what authority was. That’s part of finding that balance between confidence and false humility or pride. Caleb is faithful, loyal, and knows his duty. He uses his authority to remind people of God’s promises and with the respect he has he tries to regain the people. And again exercising authority and remaining faithful even in the face of death in Numbers 14. He was a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Some of you may be thinking, “How could he be a disciple of Jesus when he wasn’t even born yet?” It was because of his faith which we’ll talk about more in a second.
What did Caleb do? He believed God. That sounds familiar. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. Our father of faith, Abraham. The same spirit ran through Caleb. There’s several times that Caleb is said to have fully followed the Lord. He had no fear and was confident of the promise especially when viewing the giants. I can’t say that there was no fear and trembling from Caleb, but he maintains reverence, humility, and confidence in the promise. Think about this, everyone 20 years and over will not enter the Promised Land, but Joshua and Caleb. That means it’s just two people and the 19 years and under. The bible says they didn’t have the knowledge of good and evil yet. Think about the possibility for Caleb to get puffed up. Out of millions, he was only one. In a sense he might have been able to supplant Moses with that compliment from God. But he continued to show humility and submission. He also showed courage, persistent obedience, and faith.
Let’s look at Caleb’s heart. Caleb was faithful, loyal, and trusted the Lord his God. He was courageous, obedient, bold, humble. These are the attributes of true faith. We see Caleb walk the walk in the midst of some of the greatest dangers by his own people and giants. These are attributes of true faith, that of a conqueror. What’s the difference here? What were the ten spies missing? Why didn’t they get it? They were side by side and all saw the same thing – the 10 plagues, the waters of the Red Sea part, water from the rock, Moses’ shining face, pillar of cloud and faith. They saw incredible, supernatural things. What does that tell you? Faith is not by sight. Sovereignly, Caleb and Joshua had true faith. I just think that it is mind-blowing to see the things they saw and still not believe.
Hebrews 4:1-3 has a direct reference, “Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.” The rest the people of God are given is the promise of eternal rest with Jesus Christ in His perfect presence forever and ever. If you are a believer of Jesus Christ today that is a sure promise. If your faith is true, like that of Caleb’s and Abraham’s. It will never be removed from you. It can’t be because God doesn’t break His promises. Let’s look at that part of verse 2 – they weren’t united by faith. The ten spies were not united in this faith. Their faith was of their own strength and self-justification. It wasn’t supernatural. It wasn’t of God. Faith that unites us is true faith. Your faith is the same as Abraham, Caleb, Isaiah, David, the prophets.
What is faith? It is not something that is achieved or earned. It’s a gift. Faith is a supernatural work of God in your spirit. You can’t always explain it, but you can respond. There is a transactional part to play. We have to believe the promises of God, that’s how to define faith. We can also believe in His Word. The Word is personified in John 1 as Jesus. It is ultimately belief in Jesus and his perfect word.
What does conquering look like? It’s when you believe in those words and hold on to them and no matter what as God strengthens you and builds you up and you do not waver. The things that God does in your life may be supernatural or maybe more intricate like getting a job you never thought you would get or sparing a child that was in an accident. Whatever God has done in your life, those things increase your faith, but they are not the source of your faith. The source of faith is the word and why Jesus went around for three years healing people was to confirm the word of God. To show God’s complete sovereignty and dominion over this world. Do I believe God can heal people? 100% Are we content when He doesn’t? There are a lot of movements that are built off of that. It’s like a hyper-spirituality. Faith is good enough and wherever God takes you in the faith He has given you. Romans 12:3 talks about how God gives believers in Jesus Christ a measure of faith.
How can we conquer in different degrees of faith throughout this life? Abraham was told in Genesis 17:8, “And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” Moses summoned Joshua and told him in the sight of all the people to be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the Lord has promised to give them and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the Lord who goes before you and He will be with you and will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. A promise to David – The Lord makes firm the steps of the one when he delights in his way, he will not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. To Isaiah – For I the Lord your God hold your hand. It is I who says to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.” A promise to the disciples: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” These are solidified promises and God cannot go back on them. When we believe in these things, we conquer.
The last promise is to the bleeding woman in Luke 8: it’s a little different, this woman was bleeding for 12 years. We don’t understand the gravity today. It was a lonely life and she was unclean and broken. I believe she was seeking healing from that brokenness. She desperately reached out to touch Jesus’ cloak and he said to her, “Go in peace, your faith has made you well.” He’s astounded by her faith. There are a lot of different degrees here of faith. But when you look at these heroes of faith we see a measure of faith that Romans 12 talks about and I think the measure between Caleb and the bleeding woman was different. I think a lot men in here look at Caleb and think I want to be like Caleb!. Strike that from your mind. If we leave here today we must understand that our confidence is not in the heroes of the faith but in who was in them. The supernatural faith provided to them was of God and not of themselves. That’s hard for us to admit. It’s very easy to look at a man like Caleb and we get this feeling of mustering up – we have to do better, we have to be more faithful. Don’t do that. It’s okay to be encouraged. But it is always by the strength God provides, by looking to His word and trusting His promises. I’ve looked at a few – there are thousands. Some promises don’t sound as obvious, but God’s word is a promise that will be fulfilled. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. We can hold on to it.
Every promise of God is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:20 says, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” You see we can look to Abraham, Caleb, and the OT saints, but we have something they didn’t have. They didn’t have the revelation of the mystery revealed from the beginning of time. Jesus Christ is that mystery. He is the fulfillment and we go through him and everything He has provided we give our thanks to Jesus Christ as he is the perfect form. We have victory in Jesus. It’s in him that we are united to Abraham. It wasn’t an achievement he worked and chiseled away at. God just chose him to believe and he responded. We are conquerors in Jesus Christ through faith.
Back to Caleb, a conqueror. Joshua 15:13-14 says, “According to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak).14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.” These were the same leaders of 45 years ago. He believed he could take them then. He believed he could take them now. He came to collect on a promise even before the enemies had left. In faith he took them down. There was a demonic presence about these giants. They are descendants of the Nephilim. There is spiritual and physical power that they have. Caleb through God destroys them. Caleb believed in faith and received in faith the inheritance belonging to him and there was rest from war.
The Promised Land is a symbol for rest. Six days God worked and on the seventh day He rested. As it said back in Hebrews that those who believed shall enter my rest, He’s talking about our eternal resting place and inheritance in Jesus. We will have rest from war and work. We’re going to work unto God. I don’t know what that looks like, but there’s going to be rest in Him because we are in Christ. We are conquerors just like Christ. Romans 8:37-38 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is why we’re conquerors. Because salvation can never be removed from you. People may say that. But if your faith is through Christ like Caleb and Abraham then it can never be removed because our God’s promises aren’t removed or fades like grass.
We can’t even understand that these things have been dictated from before the beginning of the world because we are lowly creatures, but God in His grace invites us into relationship and the power and how that power was ultimately manifested when He gave us Jesus Christ to transform us. I think that’s the greatest miracle of all. I don’t need to see a leg grow back. Could God do that? Yes. But I don’t need to see it happen. That doesn’t mean I’m perfect, but as we walk in faith with the Lord in prayer and communion and abide in that victory in Jesus, not in arrogance, pride, or entitlement, knowing that Jesus paid the price and it was always through the lens of Jesus Christ that I was going to be redeemed, that the Promised Land would be given to me. We can always lean on him.
There’s a quote here from James Hastings, “The inheritance of the saints in light, like that of Caleb, is to be the inheritance of the conqueror. Caleb had caught this essential aspect of a noble life. The reward of the man who has done well is that he shall do more.” We can’t get tired as we grow in our faith. Yes, our bones will weaken. I’m not quite there yet but I’m sure some of us can attest to that right. It’s just the way of the curse. We don’t have as much energy and we become weak. We don’t have as much pizzazz or passion. But as we grow there might be this conception that things are going to get easier in our faith. Now that doesn’t mean that God won’t bless you with a more comfortable life. If He wants to make you a steward over a more comfortable life, do it to His glory. But look at Paul the apostle, he had a pretty cushy life and then he came to know Christ and his life was completely miserable in a worldly sense, but not to him. As life grows harder there may be more people we have to shepherd or people that we need to serve. There might be more we have to do. Our schedules are packed. But it’s the joy set before you to do the work of God. Because as you grow and mature your mind will be fixated on heavenly things, not earthly things. Our hope and inheritance and expectation is what strengthens us.
What do you think carried Caleb for 45 years? He knew and he believed and his hope carried him to that moment and he still wasn’t done doing the work of the Lord. Matthew 25:23 says, “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Don’t assume that things are just going to become easy-peasy. Let’s not become the frozen chosen.
I want to say one thing. We talked about our measure of faith. Don’t put a number on that. Don’t try to calculate that or compare with others. What do you do? Just continue to look to the promises of God and His Word and believe them and you’ll see what measure of faith God has given you. You’ll see how he teaches you to submit to His and His way. That’s what I mean when I say it might not get easier. As you grow in your faith, it might not be simple. But in trust and submission to the Lord, it doesn’t matter because you’re working toward something infinitely more valuable. We have to run our race as conquerors. We don’t run our race to conquer. We run our race as conquerors. That’s who we are. The walk of a CHristian is walking into what Christ has already provided. That’s very important to understand and He reveals those things as we walk with Him. So we look to that hope – the finality and faith. We have victory! Revelation 21. “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”
How do we conquer? If you haven’t today put your faith in Jesus Christ. It sounds general and easy enough. Pray for it. Pray that the Lord would reveal Himself to you. Seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened to you. Do you desire to have victory and are you ready to admit that the victory may not look like what you expect it to? I promise you that it will exceed all your expectations. We can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like. I’d encourage you all to grow in your faith and that in everything that you do you would acknowledge the Lord your God. Everything. We are all guilty of that misconception. We go to the store. We hustle and bustle. We go to work. Do this, do that. We can get distracted. Acknowledge that the wisdom is all from Him. He provides everything that you’ll ever need as He has graced you with a measure of faith to fulfill His purpose for the glory of His name and not your own. Amen!