The Cry Of The Mountain

The Cry of the Mountain

Joshua 14:6-14 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. [7] Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. [8] Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. [9] And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s forever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. [10] And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spoke this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. [11] As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. [12] Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spoke in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. [13] And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. [14] Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

l. THE SIZE OF THE SOUL

-The size of a man’s soul is often determined when it is under pressure. He betrays himself when the chips are down. The depth of his character will be found out in the deepest trials of life. It is by trouble that the heart of a man is purified.

-On the other hand, prosperity has the tendency to intoxicate the conscience, it causes the hopes and dreams to become lethargic, it will fix the mind on the present and therefore, it will cause the future to perish. Prosperity destroys the imagination of the thinker and wilts the affections of the dreamer.

Lord Byron -- Adversity is the path of truth.

Tacitus -- Adversity has no friends.

-But I would choose to differ with the sentiments of Tacitus. One of the greatest friends of the church and of our lives is adversity and discontentment. I am content but not satisfied!

ll. CALEB’S STORY

-Caleb and Joshua were two men out of twelve who said that God would empower the children of Israel to take the land of Jericho. The other ten, were losers, men who said that the walls were too large and the giants were too big.

A. The Danger of Hesitation

-Israel had left the land of Egyptian captivity. After being captured for a little over 400 years, they came to a place called Kadesh-barnea.

-The name “Kadesh” means “holiness.” Often we associate the word “holiness” with all the “do’s” and “don’t’s”, but holiness in it’s real sense means a separation to God. Here was Israel’s opportunity to separate herself from the tentacles of Egypt. When they got to the point of separation they found their faith and their patience being tested.

-This is always going to be the principle when one really starts stretching himself Godward. Faith and patience are both going to be tested. You will have to listen to the bad report of the ten spies and then you will have to swim against the tide of the majority who do not want to press to go any further. But I believe that this year (2005) is going to be one of the greatest years we have ever experienced in this place.

-Kadesh-barnea should have been a place of conquest but instead it became a place of hesitation. They hesitated at the edge of greatness.

-The Bible is full of people who hesitated at the edge of greatness:

 Lot’s Wife -- A look back changed her into a pillar of salt.

 Demas -- He hesitated too long with a lasting look at this present world.

 Agrippa -- Almost persuaded and allowed his soul to slip out of that conviction.

 The Rich Young Ruler -- He stopped short of the greatest commandment.

 Absalom -- The man who died gambling with the final decision.