What do we need to do to inherit the blessings that God has promised us? Aren't we promised greater blessings than what the world has to offer? Before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we sought to fulfill our own desires. We recognized that in order to be successful, we needed to measure up to the world's standards by acquiring more wealth. We sought social positions, or positions in our workplace that gave us the sense of accomplishment we needed in order to feel important. We believed that after we got that certain job, or after we moved into the home we have always dreamed about, we would be content and we could sit back and enjoy the blessings of this world.
But after we accepted Christ into our lives, we saw the promises of this world as empty, unfulfilling promises. We recognized that our new relationship in Jesus Christ entitled us to the blessings that God offers. We realized that the blessings God gives to us, an inner peace, a greater understanding of God's Word, the opportunity to live our lives for his purpose, are greater than the things we can buy or the positions we can hold. As brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ we are made heirs to the blessings God has promised us. If we are to receive the blessings that God has promised us, what do we need to do? We believe that we have greater blessings than what this world has to offer. How can we inherit the blessings God has promised us?
Joshua chapter 14 describes the inheritance of Caleb. Caleb's inheritance was one particular section of the land of Canaan, which was given to the Israelites by God. Just like the inheritances we receive, the land of Canaan was also a gift, and it was to be possessed forever. However, this inheritance had one condition: in order to receive their inheritance, the Israelites were to be faithful to God. The land of Canaan was not just given to the Israelites; they were to trust God to help them conquer it. Caleb did not receive this land as an inheritance because he was a member of a certain family. Rather, Caleb received his inheritance because he believed God's Word and he acted on God's Word.
At this point in the book of Joshua, the land of Canaan was in the process of being divided among the Israelites that were in Canaan. Verses 1-5 in chapter 14 describes how the land was to be divided by lots. Chance, however, did not determine the tribal locations, but rather, God, through the use of the lots, determined the division of the land of Canaan. Beginning in v. 6, Caleb reflects on how he demonstrated the faithfulness to God in his life that enabled him to obtain the inheritance that was promised to him. Caleb demonstrated his faithfulness to God in three different ways. Remember, it was Caleb's faithfulness that allowed him to inherit the land that was promised to him.
In vv.. 7 and 8, Caleb describes his faithfulness to God when he was sent into the land of Canaan as a spy 40 years earlier. The report given by the spies upon their return begins with Num. 13:25 ...
Of the twelve spies that were sent, 10 reported that the land could not be conquered. They praised the land itself, but they concluded that Israel could not conquer it. Caleb, however, disagreed. Caleb believed that the land could be taken in spite of the obstacles that were present. The difference between the report given by the majority group of spies and Caleb's report had to do with the difference in where these spies put their faith. The majority of the spies had faith in the power of men. Their faith was based solely on logic. They compared the large, fortified cities of Canaan with it's strong soldiers to what Israel's army had to offer. I coach football at Mitchell, and this situation reminds me of the time we played
Battle Creek, a town in eastern Nebraska. Battle Creek was like these giants that lived in Canaan: they were big and strong. If fact, Battle Creek even had a running back that weighed 260 lbs.! I know many of our players must have thought, "There is no way we can beat Battle Creek, not with what we have". These 10 spies had the same attitude about the Canaanites, and they said: "There is no way we can conquer the land of Canaan, not with what we have." The 10 spies looked at their own abilities to conquer Canaan. Their
faith was in the power of men.
Caleb, however, had faith in the power of God. To Caleb, God was greater than the biggest problem. Caleb did not lie about the fact that Canaan had giants and fortified cities. He did not minimize the problems; rather, he magnified God. It is interesting to note that Caleb did not give in to pressure. After all, 10 spies said the land could not be conquered, while 2 spies, Caleb and Joshua, believed the land could be taken. Caleb did not sacrifice his own convictions in order to make the majority report unanimous. Caleb believed in the promises of God because Caleb believed in God's revealed Word and he believed that God was able to keep His Word. God stated that the Israelites would inherit the land of Canaan to three men in the book of Genesis: first to Abraham, then later to Abraham's son Isaac, and again to Isaac's son Jacob. The promise that the Israelites would receive the land of Canaan was again repeated to Moses in the book of Exodus. Caleb remembered God's promises to the Israelites, and he believed God was able to keep His Word in spite of the fact that the land of Canaan appeared to be difficult to conquer.
As a result of Caleb's faithfulness as a spy, he was promised that he would live long enough so that he would someday inherit the territory he had explored near Hebron. In Josh. 14:10, Caleb affirms that God had kept him alive the past 45 years, just as He promised. Now, 45 years is a long time to wait for a promise to be fulfilled. That would be like being given a promise in 1948, and waiting for the promise to be fulfilled today. Keep in mind that these 45 years were difficult years. These 45 years include 38 years of the wandering in the wilderness, and 7 years devoted to conquering the land of
Canaan. However, the promise that Caleb would inherit the land he had spied sustained him during these discouraging, exhausting years. It is interesting to compare Caleb's attitude toward his inheritance to the attitude that the other tribes had toward their inheritances. Turn ahead to Josh. 18:1-3. We are going to look at the approach the other tribes of Israel took toward possessing the land they inherited.
While Caleb knew he was to inherit the territory he had explored 45 years earlier, the seven tribes did not know what they were going to inherit. We also see a difference in the expectations that Caleb had toward his inheritance compared to the expectations the other tribes had toward their
inheritances. Caleb expected the promise to be filled, and that he would receive his inheritance. The seven tribes were indifferent about their inheritance. Evidently, they didn't care if they ever received their inheritance. They were exhausted after the 7 years conquest of Canaan, and
apparently they were content to continue a nomadic existence. Also, there was a difference in how these two groups obtained their inheritances. If you recall in Josh. 14, Caleb requested the land that he wanted; he approached Joshua on his own initiative. But in Josh. 18:3, Joshua approached the tribes of Israel about taking possession of the land. Again, the remaining tribes were in no hurry to receive their inheritances and they left the matter of their inheritances to Joshua.
The difference between Caleb's attitude and the seven tribes attitude toward their inheritances was that the seven tribes lost their faith in God's promise through their discouragement; Caleb, however, kept his faith in the
promises of God. Caleb had faith in the promises of God because God promised that the Israelites would possess the land, and Caleb believed that God was able to keep His Word.
Josh 14:12 contains a request that was made by Caleb: that he be given the same section of land that had frightened most of the spies. This was the inheritance he had waited 45 years to obtain. Forty-five years of waiting had reached a climax, and you get the feeling that Caleb was not going to
leave until he was given his inheritance. The land that Caleb wanted was not going to be easy to conquer. Now Caleb was 85 years old, and you might be thinking: "Caleb, why don't you find a nice section of land and grow a garden. You can spend time with Joshua and the rest of your friends and trade stories about the conquest of Canaan".
What gave Caleb the confidence to go into battle? In verse 11, Caleb states that he felt as strong at 85 as he had at 40. But Caleb did not choose this great task because he had confidence in his own ability. The answer may be found at the end of v. 12 in Joshua chap. 4. Caleb believed God would be with him in his battle. Caleb had faith in the presence of God. Caleb had faith in the presence of God because Caleb believed the promise that the Israelites would inherit the land of Canaan, and Caleb believed that God was
able to keep His Word. In Old Testament times, God often gave material blessings to His people, such as, long life, health, children, possessions. Sometimes God gives His people material blessings today if they follow Him fully. But -without exception - fully following God leads to an inner peace, and an abiding joy. According to John 10:10, to follow the Lord fully is the key to an abundant life.
Like Caleb, God has made promises to us today, but we need to claim them. Some of God's promises to us are: guidance, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the Bible, and the fullness of the Spirit, which equips us for effective service in the church.
Josh 14:14 states that the land Caleb sought became his inheritance because Caleb followed the Lord God of Israel fully. We too can expect an inheritance of spiritual possessions if we fully put our faith in God. Like Caleb, you might think of your inheritance as property to be possessed. Your spiritual possessions include gifts and abilities that God gives us so that we may become useful to Him. You may consider coming up with a plan to claim a part of your inheritance that you do not yet possess. For example, a part of your inheritance which you may not yet possess may be getting to know someone in the church you don't know very well. A plan of action you might take may be to give someone a call and invite them to coffee or lunch. Or perhaps the blessing you wish to inherit is a greater understanding of the Bible. Your plan may be to commit a specific amount of time in personal study, a commitment to attend Sunday School weekly, or attend (or start) a Bible study with other believers. Is the blessing you wish to receive a closer relationship with God? Then you might begin by making a commitment to daily prayer and devotion, asking God to reveal Himself to you, and committing your life daily to His work. Our inheritance is there for us to claim. All
we need to do is be fully faithful to God and claim our spiritual possessions. Would you make a commitment to be faithful to God and to receive the fullness of your spiritual possessions?
