Living In A Desert, Promised A Mountain

Living In A Desert: Promised A Mountain

Joshua 14: 10-13

II Peter 2:1-4

I. Intro

A. Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”

B. In other words the heart is sickened when a promise is made and the fulfillment is delayed

II. Caleb’s Report

A. Israel’s wandering

1. The have left Egypt behind; Pharaoh and his army have been destroyed at the Red Sea

2. Moses has sang his song and Miriam her song

3. They have made steady progress in the way that God had prepared for them

4. Numbers the 14th chapter lets us know that they arrive in a place called Kadesh-Barnea

5. Kadesh-Barnea was a place in the desert near which were 4 springs of water

6. It was here that Israel was led by the hand of God before they were to enter the promised land

7. From this place Moses sent 12 spies into the land

B. Initially, it was only Joshua and Caleb that came back to Israel with a good report

1. The others were fearful;

C. Caleb had to stand and hold onto the promise while everyone else was focused on the impossibility

D. He stood against them to the point that they begin to gather stones so that they could kill him

E. Israel was content to dwell in Kadesh-Barnea and forget about the promised land

1. But to Caleb Kadesh-Barnea was still the desert. And only a fool would settle for streams in the desert when he can have milk and honey in the land of promise

F. Because of their rebellion against His promise God sends a strong judgment upon Israel

1. All of those over the age of forty are condemned to die in the wilderness of Kadesh-Barnea that they seem to love so much

2. All of those that is, except for Joshua and Caleb

3. God has something better in store for them

4. Let me tell you, you must always give God your best and keep trusting Him, because you never know what might be in store for you

5. Even in the driest desert of your life God might just come along and promise you a mountain

6. Caleb found out that he could be living in a desert and get the promise of a mountain

III. Caleb’s Promise

A. Because Caleb honored the first promise from God the Lord then gave him a better promise

1. The greatest blessings of God will not manifest themselves until you have honored what God has already promised

B. God gave Caleb a specific promise in 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.”

C. Notice the word shall

1. There would be no question, it was going to happen

IV. Caleb’s Delay

A. Caleb was 40 years old when he returned from Canaan the first time

B. After the rebellion of the people and the promise of God to Caleb it would be another 45 years before Caleb would be able to claim his promise

C. For 45 years Caleb had to live among a bunch of doubters

D. He watched them die off one by one

1. I don’t think that discouraged him one bit.

2. Every one that passed away was bringing him one step closer to his promise

3. Oh, no doubt, he probably had mixed emotions

4. But he also realized that those same people that were now dying had the same opportunity that he did to receive the promise

V. Caleb’s Fulfillment

A. Joshua 14:6-14

1. The time was right