Mountain Moving Faith:
“Mt. Hebron”
Joshua 14
Throughout history some words have inspired the human soul, raising it to new heights of honor and greatness. Perhaps you can still quote the words of Thomas Jefferson that you learned in grade school, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” Abraham Lincoln said at Gettysburg, “Four Score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal…we highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
EHistorians declare that Churchill’s words inspired not only Britain but the world to stand against Hitler. Speeches like his “finest hour” speech instilled confidence in soldiers to fight for freedom. “Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization…Hitler knows that he will have to break us on this island or lose the war. If we stand up to him, all Europe may be free. Let us therefore brace ourselves and bear ourselves that if the British Empire lasts for a thousand years, men will say, ‘This was their finest hour.’ ”
Other examples like FDR’s radio broadcast after the bombing of Pearl Harbor or Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream!” speech stand out as some of the most memorable words ever spoken in American history. Long before American forefathers “conceived of a nation of Liberty,” an 85 year-old leader from Israel declared with tremendous passion words that could be included in the category mentioned above. The seasoned warrior, Caleb, inspired a nation and subsequent generations when he boldly declared, “Give me this mountain!” (KJV). Joshua 14: 6-15 contains the inspiring story of Caleb’s request for Mount Hebron where the giants of Anak lived.
Hebron is a mountain town located in the “hills of Judea” about 20 miles from Jerusalem. Though the town of Hebron actually sits in one of valleys of the Judean hills, it enjoys an elevation of 3,300 feet, making Hebron a formidable military stronghold. However, it is the former inhabitants, not the topography that elevate this mountain to a place of supreme significance for Israel as the nation prepared to take possession of the Promised Land. When the spies returned from their reconnaissance mission, they reported of amazing fertility. “The land flows with milk and honey,” they said. But, there was a big problem. In fact, the problem was so big that the spies convinced the people that God could not overcome it. What was this God-defying obstacle? Fortified cities and the giants of Anak who lived at Hebron paralyzed Israel from possessing what God had promised (Num. 13:28).
Fast forward 45 years from the negative report given by the ten doubting spies to the setting of Joshua 14:6-12 where Joshua divides the land among the tribes of Israel. After five years of war, Joshua led the nation in securing enough peace to begin establishing permanent dwellings. What appears in just a few verses of Scripture probably took months of planning. The distribution of the land would be similar to Republicans and Democrats agreeing to create new voting districts before an important election.
Imagine the scene. The only two men who survived the wilderness punishment now meet to receive the fruit of their labor. Caleb and Joshua never doubted the power of God to defeat the enemy and to keep His promise of providing a land flowing with milk and honey. After some administrative allocations for the priests, Joshua calls Caleb to step forward. I imagine the two embracing with tears running down their cheeks like beloved teammates who just won a championship. Joshua says, “Old friend, I have saved the best land for you. Choose from all of Canaan where you want to establish your household.” Caleb shocks everyone. Pointing to Hebron, he says, “Give me this mountain!” I wonder if Joshua explained that Hebron was one of the “hot zones” where battles were still being fought. I imagine him offering Caleb Mount Carmel along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea or the fertile valleys along the Jordan River, but Caleb says, “Give me this mountain.” Then with poignant reverence, Caleb explains that God promised to give the land where he had once walked, and God preserved his strength for this mission. Even though he is 85 years-old, he is “vigorous to go out to battle” (Josh. 14:11). Caleb pledges that with the Lord’s help, he will drive the Anakites from the land. The giants who caused Caleb’s brothers to doubt and spend forty years in the wilderness would never threaten Israel again. “Give me this mountain!”
In the geography of the soul, everyone has a Hebron. This mountain represents the promised blessing of God and the obstacles preventing you from experiencing all that God desires for your life. Nobody is perfect. Some struggle with finances. Others have been wounded by a painful experience in the past. Immorality and addictions threaten to destroy the lives of some saints. Depression is a quiet thief robbing the joy of many who attend church every Sunday. Marriages hang on by a thread in one family, while another experiences the heartache of a rebellious child. Cancer, personal tragedy, aging parents with Alzheimer’s… and the list goes on. Obstacles threaten your effectiveness as God’s servant and create doubt that God can deliver. Our natural tendency is to ignore the severity of the obstacle or to run from the battle, but there is a better option. By following Caleb’s example, we can overcome by asking God to “Give us the mountain.”
I. SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY
One of the interesting aspects in the biblical account of the bad report given by the ten spies and the subsequent faithful report of Caleb and Joshua is that Joshua never speaks. While the Bible is clear that both men demonstrated great faith and escaped the judgment of God, Caleb is the only one who verbally challenged the other ten spies and the outraged crowd. If you were reading this story without the prior knowledge that Joshua became the successor of Moses, you would assume that Caleb would be the next leader of Israel. Woven into the tapestry of Caleb’s life is an incredible humility demonstrated by his willingness to submit to the LORD and those whom God established as leaders. Caleb did not arrogantly claim his inheritance. He pledged to take the mountain with the LORD’s help, and he submitted to Joshua’s leadership by asking that Hebron be assigned to him.
Caleb was chosen to spy out the land because he was a proven leader among his tribesman. He was a faithful servant about whom God said, “Caleb serves me with his whole heart.” He demonstrated the ability to communicate in a public setting, and he was recognized as a mighty warrior. Caleb had an impressive resume’, but God chose Joshua to lead the nation after Moses’ death. Perhaps you have been overlooked for a promotion. Maybe, your boss is less qualified for the position than you are. Regardless of vocation or position in life, everyone has some authority to which they must submit. God establishes earthly authority to teach us how to submit to His ultimate authority. Through submission we place ourselves in a position to be blessed by someone with greater resources.
During the days when general stores provided supplies for rural communities, a young girl and her family made their weekly trip to town. While mom and dad shopped, the girl sat quietly at the counter watching the customers pay for their merchandise. When her parents finished shopping and approached the counter to pay, the clerk commented on the excellent behavior of the little girl. He asked if it would be alright to give the girl some bubblegum. The clerk said, “Reach in the jar and grab a handful of gum.” The girl gave a shy smile but shook her, No. “Do you want some gum?” asked the clerk. Without saying word, she nodded, Yes. The clerk reached in the jar and gave the girl a handful of gum, and she said with great enthusiasm, “Thank you sir!” As they were leaving the store, the mother asked the girl why she would not put her hand in the jar. The wise little girl smiled and said, “Mommy, his hand is bigger than mine!”
Submission is the humble recognition that God’s resources are bigger than your resources. The Bible says to “humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand that He may lift you up due time” (1 Pe. 5:6). God’s hand contains greater glory, honor, and power. Caleb understood that by submitting to God and Joshua, he was positioning himself to receive divine blessings. Mount Hebron will never be conquered in your own strength or great skill but in the power of almighty God.
II. SEIZE YOUR DESTINY
Another important lesson illustrated in the request for Mount Hebron is Caleb’s recognition of his personal destiny. Hebron was more than a promised blessing; it represented God’s calling upon Caleb’s life. He was a man with a mission. Hebron tugged at his heart for over forty-five years. I’m convinced one of the reasons that enabled Caleb to submit to Joshua’s leadership was his clear vision of the calling to be a warrior. Joshua was a great administrator, strong leader, wise judge, and spiritual mentor. Caleb was called to fight. If people came to Caleb whining about civil affairs, he would have settled the issue with his sword. I can hear him saying, “Quit belly-aching and grab your sword. We have an enemy to fight.” A similar clarification of roles occurs in King David life when he seeks to build the temple. God lovingly rejects David’s offer by telling David that he was called to be a warrior who shed blood, not the builder of a house of worship.
God created and redeemed you for specific destiny. Nations, churches, and the kingdom of God need skilled civic leaders and valiant warriors. The Bible reveals that the body of Christ consists of different members with different gifts working together for the glory of God. Mount Hebron stands as a powerful reminder that you are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepares in advance just for you (Eph. 2:10). These divinely prepared works require your wholehearted commitment.
III. SERVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY
God described Caleb as a man possessing a different spirit, who followed with his whole heart. The Scripture clearly reveals that God promised Hebron to Caleb because he demonstrated unshakable faith against overwhelming odds. In the journey of faith, many saints confuse God’s unconditional grace offered in salvation with God’s blessings granted for effective service. Eternal life is the free gift of God to those who trust Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sin. You cannot contribute anything to secure salvation, but once you have been saved, God opens the door of opportunity to secure blessing through Christ-honoring obedience. Before salvation you were “dead in sin,” but as a child adopted into the heavenly family, we receive a new identity with new opportunities and responsibilities. Jesus promised, that through faithful service, we should expect to do even greater things than He did while on the earth (John 14:12). The incredible promise to do “greater things” is not just an optional appetizer on the menu of faith; great things, like conquering mountains, should be a main entre’ in your faith diet.
Our culture celebrates compromise and tolerance as esteemed virtues, but Caleb did not have a compromising bone in his body. He experienced 40 years in a desert wilderness as the consequence of weak, half-hearted commitment demonstrated by Israel. His loyalty to God eliminated compromise and inspired a belief that God could do the impossible. Hebron is the place where you decide to pick up your cross to follow Christ or stay with a compromising crowd and suffer the consequences.
One of my favorite stories that illustrates the consequences of compromise involves a family who moved to the country to escape the fast pace of city life. Desiring to raise cattle, they bought a western ranch. Some friends from the city visited a month later and were surprised by the absence of cattle. The father said, “The problem started when we tried to choose a name for the ranch. I wanted to call it the Flying –W. My wife preferred Suzy-Q. My son pleaded for Bar-J, and my daughter liked the name Lazy-Y. We couldn’t agree, so we compromised and named the ranch the Flying-W, Suzy-Q, Bar-J, Lazy-Y Ranch.” The friend asked, “Where are the cows?” The father said, “They’re all dead. None of them survived the branding!”
IV. STRIVE TO CAPACITY
Caleb understood the consequences of compromise and the joy of living life to its maximum capacity. The word capacity describes the limit an object can hold. Even though we often think in terms of limitation, capacity guides us to strive to a maximum level. Jesus told the parable of the talents to illustrate the responsibility of using gifts to their maximum potential. Caleb’s desire for Mount Hebron is a powerful example of living a full life. Many saints serve faithfully for a season of life, but they quit before reaching the fullness of God’s call upon their life.
The psalmist declared that “all my days are ordained by God” (Ps. 139:16). Christ-followers do not retire from Kingdom service. We enlist in the army of God and serve until death or rapture. Caleb never stopped growing and striving to honor God. A poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes entitled The Chambered Nautilus says, “Build me more stately mansions, O’ my soul…Let each new temple be nobler than the last…Till thou at length art free, Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea.” Is your soul outgrowing its shell? When was the last time you outgrew something other than your pant size? Caleb was 85 and still looking for “noble temples.” Colonel Sanders was 70 when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken. Ray Kroc founded McDonalds after his seventieth birthday, and Casey Stengal became manager of the New York Yankees at age 75. Strive to live all your days for God’s glory.
V. SHARE THE VICTORY
Caleb’s quest for maximum capacity was fueled by his desire to share God’s blessing with others. Notice that the request for Hebron was for Caleb and his children. Psalm 112:1-2 says of those who fear the LORD, “their children will be mighty in the land, and the generation of the upright will be blessed.” Caleb’s request for Hebron reminds us the importance of leaving a legacy. In the extremely popular leadership book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey states that every person has four critical needs: To Live, To Love, To Learn, and To Leave a legacy. The giant sized challenge of Hebron helps silence the tempting voice of selfish indulgence and reinforces the call of God to make your life a blessing to others. Are you living “your mission” to the fullest so that others receive a blessing? Have you submitted to the authority of almighty God so that His hand of favor would rest upon you? I exhort you to pray with the boldness of Caleb, “Dear God, give me this mountain!”
