We've reached the point, in the book of Joshua, where it's mostly focused on the allocation of the land to the twelve tribes of Israel. It's important. It needs to be here. You should read it once, at least, if for no other reason than to keep seeing little notes about how Israel still needs to drive out this or that people. But I would have no idea how to preach it.
So we are going to cheat a little, and jump to Joshua 14:6. There's two slightly separated stories about Caleb, and these, I can preach on.
Caleb was one of the twelve spies originally sent by Moses to explore out the promised land in Numbers 13-14. We've read parts of this story a few times, but our focus has been on the Nephilim, and not on Caleb. So, since we have the time (this is a short story), let's start by just reading (NRSV):
13 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites; from each of their ancestral tribes you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the LORD, all of them leading men among the Israelites. 4 These were their names: From the tribe of Reuben, Shammua son of Zaccur; 5 from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; 6 from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; 7 from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph; 8 from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea son of Nun; 9 from the tribe of Benjamin, Palti son of Raphu; 10 from the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel son of Sodi; 11 from the tribe of Joseph (that is, from the tribe of Manasseh), Gaddi son of Susi; 12 from the tribe of Dan, Ammiel son of Gemalli; 13 from the tribe of Asher, Sethur son of Michael; 14 from the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi son of Vophsi; 15 from the tribe of Gad, Geuel son of Machi. 16 These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses changed the name of Hoshea son of Nun to Joshua.
17 Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb, and go up into the hill country, 18 and see what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many, 19 and whether the land they live in is good or bad, and whether the towns that they live in are unwalled or fortified, 20 and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be bold, and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now it was the season of the first ripe grapes.
21 So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. 22 They went up into the Negeb, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the Anakites, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 And they came to the Wadi Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them. They also brought some pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the Wadi Eshcol,[a] because of the cluster that the Israelites cut down from there.
The Report of the Spies
25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the Israelites in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us; it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 Yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large; and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the land of the Negeb; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea, and along the Jordan.”
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.” 31 Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against this people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 So they brought to the Israelites an unfavorable report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land that we have gone through as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people that we saw in it are of great size. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the Anakites come from the Nephilim); and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.”
14 Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. 2 And all the Israelites complained against Moses and Aaron; the whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become booty; would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us choose a captain, and go back to Egypt.”
5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the Israelites. 6 And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to all the congregation of the Israelites, “The land that we went through as spies is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD is pleased with 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 no more than bread for us; their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” 10 But the whole congregation threatened to stone them.
I just have to pause here for a second. All the other 10 spies can see is the Nephilim. But Joshua and Caleb rightly focus on Yahweh. They say, "If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will bring us into the land, and he will give it to us." Caleb and Joshua are confident that Yahweh will do what He has promised. Who are these Nephilim? They are "bread for us. Their protection is removed."
What do Caleb and Joshua mean? Are they referring to a spiritual battle behind the scenes? Did Yahweh's divine army defeat some of the sons of God, so that they are no longer able to protect their Nephilim descendants? I'm not sure. But Joshua and Caleb show great faith here. The Nephilim are like bread that the Israelites will feed on (as opposed to Numbers 13:32, where the people fear the Nephilim will "eat"/consume them).
Picking the story back up:
Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the Israelites. 11 And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? 12 I will strike them with pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.”
Moses Intercedes for the People
13 But Moses said to the LORD, “Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for in your might you brought up this people from among them, 14 and they will tell the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that you, O LORD, are in the midst of this people; for you, O LORD, are seen face to face, and your cloud stands over them and you go in front of them, in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 15 Now if you kill this people all at one time, then the nations who have heard about you will say, 16 ‘It is because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land he swore to give them that he has slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ 17 And now, therefore, let the power of the LORD be great in the way that you promised when you spoke, saying,
18 ‘The LORD is slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love,
forgiving iniquity and transgression,
but by no means clearing the guilty,
visiting the iniquity of the parents
upon the children
to the third and the fourth generation.’
19 Forgive the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of your steadfast love, just as you have pardoned this people, from Egypt even until now.”
20 Then the LORD said, “I do forgive, just as you have asked; 21 nevertheless—as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD— 22 none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. 25 Now, since the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys, turn tomorrow and set out for the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.”[a]
45 years have passed since the events of Numbers 13-14. And in the middle of that, we see two friends, both committed to Yahweh, and to Israel, living from faith. One, Joshua, became the human leader of Israel. But what about Caleb?
Here, in Joshua 14, we read about the conclusion to his story:
(Verses 6-9):
(6) And the sons of Israel drew near to Joshua at Gilgal,
and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him,
"You have known the word that Yahweh spoke to Moses, the man of God, with regard to me and with regard to you in Kadesh Barnea.
(7) 40 years old [was] I, when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land,
and I returned him a word/report just as [was] with my heart,
while my brothers who went up with me caused the heart of the people to melt,
while I wholly followed after Yahweh my God,
(9) and Moses swore on that day, saying,
"Surely, the land on which your foot has walked, to you it shall be as an inheritance and to your sons forever,
because you wholly followed after Yahweh your God,"
So, the tribes have all assembled because it's time for them to receive the land God has given them. Caleb comes to Joshua with everyone else, but Caleb comes with a request. Caleb has spent his entire life, wholly following Yahweh. The other spies looked at the Nephilim in the land, and they panicked. And worse than this, they made the heart of the people melt-- they destroyed the faith of the people. But Caleb? Caleb returned with a word from his heart-- a word of trust and courage, a word that focused on Yahweh's power and promises.
So Moses swore an oath on that day to Caleb, because of his faith(fullness). Verse 9 again:
(9) and Moses swore on that day, saying,
"Surely, the land on which your foot has walked, to you it shall be as an inheritance and to your sons forever,
because you wholly followed after Yahweh your God,"
Moses promised Caleb that the land on which Caleb walks, that to him it shall be an inheritance forever, because he wholly followed after Yahweh his God.
What an amazing thing it would be, to be able to say this. "I have wholly followed after God, as long as I have lived." Make this your goal. This is what you live for.
Caleb can say this, and every single Israelite knows this is true. Joshua certainly knows all this. He doesn't need the book of Numbers to know that what Caleb says is true. These two have been brothers in faith for 45 years. These two had to experience the agony of waiting out an entire generation because of rebellion, and disbelief, while knowing that none of it was necessary. Yahweh is powerful, and Yahweh is faithful.
In verse 10, Caleb shifts from reminding Joshua of the past, and Moses' promise, to the present. Caleb isn't reminding Joshua of all of this to brag. He's not going senile, reliving the glory days. There's a point to this:
(10) And now then, LOOK!, Yahweh has kept me alive,
just as he spoke this forty five years from the time Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel was in the desert,
and so then, LOOK!, I, today, am 85 years old,
(11) and I am still today as strong as on the day Moses sent me.
As much strength was then, as my strength is now for war and for going out and for coming.
(12) and so then, give to me this hill country that Yahweh spoke on that day,
because you heard on that day that Anakim were there, and cities great and fortified.
Perhaps Yahweh is with me,
and I shall drive them out just as Yahweh spoke,
Let's take each of Caleb's statements in turn. In verse 10, we read this:
(10) And now then, LOOK!, Yahweh has kept me alive,
just as he spoke this forty five years from the time Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel was in the desert,
The fact that Caleb is able to stand before Joshua, is proof of Yahweh's faithfulness. Caleb has survived assault after assault. The law of averages would say, that at some point Caleb's luck would run out. Like pilots in World War 2. You can only go on so many missions, and do what needs to be done, before it's your turn to die. No one lives to old age; everyone dies.
And so Caleb says, LOOK AT HIM. SEE HIM. Caleb is alive because Yahweh kept him alive, just as he promised.
We find the beginning of Caleb's second statement at the end of verse 10:
and so then, LOOK!, I, today, am 85 years old,
(11) and I am still today as strong as on the day Moses sent me.
As much strength was then, as my strength is now for war and for going out and for coming
Caleb starts a second statement with something else he wants everyone to notice. He's 85 years old. LOOK AT HIM. SEE HIM. Dude is 85, and he's still as strong as when he was 40.
Maybe you read this, and you smile. You think, c'mon now, be serious. He's 85. Most people, when they reach that age, set their standards of health far lower. If Caleb was alive today, he's say, "I'm 85, and I still have a driver's license. I can still play card games, as when I was 40. I'm 85, and some of the teeth in my mouth, are actually my teeth."
But Caleb is serious about this. He wants Joshua to see him for how he is. Caleb is still just as capable in battle, and just as capable moving around, as he was when he was 40.
What I'm about to say, you can all take with a grain of salt. Or more. But I'm going to say it anyway, and you can decide if I'm full of it or not.
Without giving his name, a well-known Christian pastor once said that people who are truly committed to God, age differently than other people. They tend to look decades younger than they are. They are stronger, more capable. Maybe, this is partly because it's part of God's blessing on the righteous. Maybe, it's partly because sin tends to age people, and the righteous more or less avoid the things that prematurely age you. Maybe, it's because they are brave enough to claim the promises that God renews their youth like an eagle's (Psalm 103:5), and that He heals all their diseases (Psalm 103:3). I'm not sure.
But I think we should take Caleb's words at face value, and not cheapen them, or fail to take them seriously. Caleb is still just as capable as any young soldier. He's still a warrior. And if that's true, it's because Yahweh is faithful. Yahweh is the one is still giving Caleb his youth, at 85 years old-- who has shaved forty years off his true age.
Why does this matter? Why does Caleb bring this up? Verse 12:
(12) and so then, give to me this hill country that Yahweh spoke on that day,
because you heard on that day that Anakim were there, and cities great and fortified.
Perhaps Yahweh is with me,
and I shall drive them out just as Yahweh spoke,
What's the goal of the conquest? Here again, we find ourselves talking about the nephilim. Israel is systematically wiping out the descendants of the Nephilim. And Caleb knows full well that the job is undone (as Yahweh had just told Joshua in Joshua 13:1-7).
Caleb isn't ready to be done, any more than Joshua was ready. Caleb has walked a lot of places. He has a right to claim land, more than any other Israelite. But what he asks for, is a place where there is still work to do. There are still Nephilim to kill. So, this is not the time to retire from serving God. Even at the age of 85, Caleb knows that wholly following God, means living in faith(fulness), and living for God. He has his health; he has his strength. There's no reason to stop serving God.
I love verse 12. My favorite word in the whole Bible is here: "perhaps."
Caleb wraps up his petition by saying this: "Perhaps, Yahweh is with me, and I shall drive them out just as Yahweh spoke." Yahweh has made a promise. What's left, is to claim it. Perhaps, Yahweh will honor his promises. Perhaps, Yahweh will continue to be with him, if he lives out of faith.
A few weeks ago, in connection with the Gibeonites' cunning, I talked about how sometimes in life, the Bible is not enough. Sometimes in life, it's really helpful when God gives you a message through a vision, or a dream, or a prophet, or the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
But at other times, life looks more like Joshua 14. You know something is important to God. You know God has given you great promises. You know God is a good God-- good, and powerful.
And then you have to decide what the next step is. Perhaps, if you take enormous risks in faith, God will do great things through you. Perhaps. Or, you can let fear cripple you, like it crippled everyone else in Israel, and you can live in a way that melts everyone else's hearts. It's up to you.
Perhaps, God is with you. Perhaps, God has given you unbelievable promises through Jesus. How can you know for sure? You have to live dangerously. You have to live in a way, that God has to decide whether or not He will honor his promises and his commitment to you.
But if we are honest, most of the time, the way we live really doesn't require much faith. We don't find ourselves taking such big risks, that we genuinely have to fight fear. Perhaps, you aren't seeing the world as God sees it. Perhaps, you aren't taking the risks of faith that God wants you to take. If you never find yourselves on your knees, in tears, fighting fear, asking God to be faithful, you maybe aren't really living from faith. Or perhaps you've decided that you're too old to very useful any more. You think it's time for the younger generation to step up.
In verse 13, we find Joshua's response. Here stands before him an 85 year old man, who has lived wholly for Yahweh his entire life. Who is not ready to settle into retirement under his own fig tree. Who knows there is still much to do for Yahweh. What will Joshua do, when he LOOKS at Caleb, his friend and fellow soldier of 45 years?
Verse 13:
(13) And Joshua blessed him,
and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
(14) Thus, Hebron became to Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite as an inheritance until this day
because he followed wholeheartedly after Yahweh the God of Israel.
(15) Now, the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba.
The greatest man among the Anakim [was] he (Arba),
while the land rested from war.
This is great. The land Caleb asks for, had (has?) the biggest, baddest Anakim of them all: Arba. And Arba was so fierce, and so great, that the city was named after him.
And so Caleb is going to live out of faith. Perhaps, Yahweh will help him put Arba in a body bag.
In closing, I just want to say two things:
First, this chapter (along with Numbers 13-14) is as good a picture of faith as you will find in the Bible. Consider whether or not you are truly living from faith. Consider whether or not you are wholly following after God, and be ruthless in weeding out the parts of your life where you aren't.
Second, some of you are old. You've maybe reached the point in your life where you think there's not much you can do for God. And maybe you're part of a church that doesn't value your wisdom--that doesn't really want or expect you to contribute. You've been shunted off to your own separate Sunday school class, where the old people go, and you don't really have a connection to people in the church who could benefit from your wisdom. If this is you, and if this is your church, first of all, I'm sorry. I don't understand why churches are organized like they are. I don't understand why each generation doesn't value the wisdom and service of older generations.
If this is you, secondly, don't be content with this. Jesus has given you, as a gift to his church, to serve it and build it up. Maybe you physically aren't nearly as capable as Caleb, but it doesn't matter. There is something you can do, to serve God and his church. Find it. Fight for that opportunity if you have to.
1 Timothy 5:9 was written to widows, over the age of 60:
9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
Find your good deeds (Eph. 2:10).
