Caleb, The Giant Killer

The Skipped Over Books of the Bible

Part 1: the Laws

Absolute Laws: obeyed then, obeyed NOW

Holiness Laws: to show how we can LOVE GOD

Civil Laws: to show how we can LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

Wellness Laws: to show how we can LOVE OURSELVES

Part 2: the Gems in the Desert

God’s Hornet, preparing a way for us but LITTLE BY LITTLE

Caleb, the Giant Killer

Preface: The miracles of God and evidence of God’s presence

Ten Plagues on Egypt

Pillar of Fire and Cloud to lead them

Crossed Red Sea on dry ground

Egyptians destroyed on same dry ground

Wealth of Egypt with them

Manna given every morning in the dessert

Water from a ROCK

Quail flying low enough for meet

God’s presence on a mountain, on a tent, on the face of Moses

Numbers 13-14

Send one from each tribe to explore the land

Brought back the GOOD

- flowing with milk and honey

- grapes clusters so big it took two men to carry them

Brought back the BAD

- People are powerful, Anakites

- Huge fortified WALLs

Brought back the UGLY

- Spread a bad report

- Grumbled against Moses

- Let’s go back to Egypt

Caleb and Joshua

- Tore their cloths, a sign of EXTREME anguish, sorry, repentance

- God is please with us!

- Don’t REBEL

- Don’t be AFRAID - BELIEVE!

Numbers 26:64-65

A new census, none alive of those who left Egypt except

Numbers 32:6-13

Tribes of Gad and Reuben don’t want to fight for rest of Israel

Don’t be like your fathers in the desert!

Joshua and Caleb followed God WHOLEHEARTEDLY

WHOLEHEARTEDLY

As opposed to HALF heartedly

That was a “half-hearted attempt”

Basketball practice was a challenge by the coach to turn half-hearted players into whole hearted players. My coach would not be happy unless we had floor burns on our knees. My coach placed a bucket on each end of the court for players to throw up in. We would run until we threw up, drink water and run again. Any half-hearted attempt at a pick, a pass, or getting position for a rebound was answered by the coach with running. He didn’t care about talent, he cut a lot of talent, what he cared about was HEART, a wholehearted attempt at basketball AND LIFE. I still love the man today and would hug him and thank him if I saw him.

As a manager I had good employees and bad employees. Good ones were wholehearted at work, bad ones were half-hearted. Good employees understood the need to work hard and take ownership of their job and the company. Bad employees didn’t care about the work or the company they only cared about doing just enough so they would not get into trouble and would still get their paycheck. I promoted, gave raises to, and more responsibilities to the good, wholehearted employees. I demoted, didn’t give raises to, and took responsibilities from the bad, or simply began the documentation leading toward firing them.

God wants your WHOLE heart!

It is like stepping out in faith out into a chasm like Indiana Jones. BUT

- You have seen God send and angel to carry people across the chasm before

- You have been carried by an angel across other chasms before

- You have seen and been a part of MANY MORE miraculous things before

- You have been trained by your Coach for years to leap

- SO LETS GO LEAP!!!!

Joshua and Caleb wanted to take a flying leap – the other 10 wanted to go back

Joshua and Caleb KNEW God would carry them – the other 10 doubted

Joshua and Caleb couldn’t believe the people didn’t remember all the other miracles

Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in sorrow and repentance while the others spread bad reports and grumbled

Joshua and Caleb made it to the promised land – the others didn’t

WHOLEHEARTEDNESS = Confidence and trust in God

No “BUT” s

Confidence and trust born out of:

- Obedience - “If the Lord is pleased with you” (Num. 14:8)

- Servanthood - If you “do not rebel against the Lord” (Num. 14:9)

- FAITH – “their protection is GONE but the Lord is with us. Do not

Be afraid!” (Num. 14:9)

Caleb, The Giant Killer

Joshua 14:6-15

Caleb now 85, still strong

Give me the HILL COUNTRY

Give me the land of the Anakites, the Giants

Give me the large fortified cities

Give me the uphill battle

With the LORD helping me I will drive them out

Joshua 15: 13-14

Caleb kicked out the Giants BECAUSE he followed the Lord Wholeheartedly

How is YOUR heart today?

David said in Psalm 86:11-12

Teach me your way, O LORD,

and I will walk in your truth;