Caleb’s Example
Joshua 14:1-6; I Corinthians 10:1-6
Introduction
A couple had been married for 50 years. "Things have really changed," she said. "You used to sit very close to me."
"Well, I can remedy that," he said, moving next to her on the couch.
"And you used to hold me tight."
"How’s that?" he asked as he gave her a hug.
"Do you remember you used to nudge my neck and nibble on my ear lobes?"
He jumped to his feet and left the room. "Where are you going?"
"I’ll be right back," he said. "I’ve got to get my teeth!"
Children touring a retirement home were asked by a resident if they had any questions. "Yes," one girl said. "How old are you?" "I’m 98," she replied proudly. Clearly impressed, the child’s eyes grew wide with wonder. "Did you start at one?" (Contributed by Ruth Naylor, Reader’s Digest)
An older couple went to their 60th high school reunion. There was a dance off that took place and of course they tried their best to win. The judges gave them first place citing all of the difficult dips that they attempted. The old man said "Dips, Dips? We were just trying to hold each other up."
All of us over the age of fifty can relate to these stories if even only a little. Today is our Senior Adult Luncheon. We are honoring all of you who give us young "whipper snappers" an example of how to live the life of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 10:1-6 the writer says,
For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
The Exodus from Egypt gives us examples of what not to do. Paul says it is so we will not be ignorant. In an effort to avoid ignorance, I would like us to focus on one of the examples from this epic account that is positive, the life of Caleb.
It’s About "Whose" You Are, Not Who You Are - v. 6
Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me.
Caleb was a Kennizite. According to Genesis 15:19 the Kenizzites were a tribe of Canaan in Abraham’s day thus Caleb’s family then was originally outside the covenant and commonwealth of Israel. He was not of the nation of Israel by hereditary. His name is translated "dog".
It was not the lineage that made Caleb a stand out, it was his obedience and follow-ship that made him a part of God’s mighty plan.
You might be from a family of dedicated preachers of the gospel. You might be the son of Billy Graham, but if you do not belong to Jesus Christ you will never enter the Kingdom. It’s not about who you are or how wonderful you are but whose you are. Do you belong to Jesus?
“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.
Promises of God Are Always Good - v. 7
“Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert.
Much of the land has been conquered by the 12 tribes. The Israelites have taken the large part of the land but in order to take possession of it all, there is still fighting to be done. Joshua, being of old age, divides the lands among the tribes so they may take their portion as the Lord had promised. He has assigned much of the territory.
Caleb approached Joshua as they were casting lots and reminded him what was said those 40 or so years ago. Forty years ago he had been one of the 12 spies to enter the land of Canaan. Instead of reporting the bad news like ten others he had remembered what the Lord had said those years ago.
But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
The Lord had promised him the territory on which he had walked. Here he is 45 years later claiming the same land. It was his by promise of God. Caleb knew it was his if the Lord said so. He was still following the Lord after all those years. And he believed God had kept him alive so he could still follow the promise of God given him then.
No One Is Too Old - v. 10
So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.
Those of you who are about to be honored today are not too old. When the Lord is done with you He will take you home. Too many churches put aside there seniors thinking that there ministry days are over. Our bodies fail us, vision blurs, thoughts get confused, and our friends of years are dieing. Life seems to be pretty much over. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
The great evangelist George Whitefield was relating the difficulties of the gospel ministry to some friends. He said that he was weary of the burdens and was glad that his work would soon be over and that he would depart this earthly scene to be with Christ.
The others admitted having similar feelings -- all except one, a Mr. Tennant. Noting this, Whitefield tapped him on the knee and said, "Well, Brother Tennant, you are the oldest among us; do you not rejoice to think that your time is so near at hand when you will be called Home?"
The old man answered bluntly that he had no wish about it. When pressed for something more definite, he added, "I have nothing to do with death. My business is to live as long as I can, and as well as I can, and serve my Savior as faithfully as I can, until He thinks it’s time to call me Home." Whitefield accepted that word as a gentle rebuke from the Lord, and it helped him go on with his work calmly and patiently.
History records that many people made some of their greatest contributions to society after the age of 65. The Earl of Halsburg, for example, was 90 when he began preparing a 20- volume revision of English law. Goethe wrote Faust at 82. Galileo made his greatest discovery when he was 73.
At 69, Hudson Taylor was still vigorously working on the mission field, opening up new territories in Indochina. And when Caleb was 85, he took the stronghold of the descendants of Anak, the giants of the land.
Caleb knew he was as strong at 85 as he was at 40. Now I don’t believe he was physically as strong nor do I believe his body didn’t age during those years. He was an old man.
Standing those years ago on the other side of the Jordan, Caleb realized it was God giving them the land. It had nothing to do with there physical abilities. It had to do with the promise of God. Numbers 13:2 says,
Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.
There is one key word in the passage. It says, "The land, which I am GIVING to the Israelites". I hope you noticed the word giving. All they had to do was follow the Lord’s command and cross the Jordan. The rest was a foregone conclusion.
Caleb knew with the Lord he could accomplish whatever He commanded. The strength he had was in his trust of the Lord. His faith had grown over 45 years. He was stronger spiritually.
Caleb was not as strong physically as he was before but he was as strong in faith as he was before. As he said at forty, it was the Lord who was giving the land to them. Caleb and Joshua knew that truth and pressed to go ahead with the conquest. Tragically the ten others looked at their abilities in relation to the Canaanites and were filled with fear.
We Reap What We Sow - I Corinthians 10:6
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
The scripture in Corinthians reminds us that "we reap what we sow". Caleb and Joshua enter into the Promised Land 45 years later. They eventually received what the Lord had promised the nation the first time around.
Tragically, 670,000 to 680,000 men didn’t enter the land but perished in the desert. Estimates with women and children reach as high as 2 million.
The LORD replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times—not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
God forgave His chosen people their sin, but they missed out on His blessings for them. All they had to do was cross the Jordan. To many of us it would have been like crossing the creek. But they decided to turn back because of the enemy.
Have you missed the "promised land" and its blessings because you are not listening to the Lord or willing to obey His commands? Two million or so died in the desert as a consequence of being disobedient. It was not a good choice to say the least. They were unwilling to take the step of faith to cross the creek.
Caleb listened, he heard what the Lord said and he received the promises.
The choices seem clear. If we are willing to follow and obey we will receive the blessing of a promised land, heaven, and the blessings associated with that decision.
Are you in your later years? It’s time to stop thinking as though you can’t do anymore for the Lord. Caleb was used at 85 because he believed that the Lord’s promises were as good at 85 as they were at 40. How about you, are you ready to take that challenge and serve at any age?
