Joshua 14:6-12
Israel
entered the Promised Land and conquered it. Joshua, chapters 13–14, narrates
how the land was divided among the tribes. In Joshua 14:6, we see Caleb
approaching Joshua with a request. His request is recorded in verse 12: “Give
me this mountain.” The actual translation is “give me this mountainous region,”
because Joshua was not referring to a single mountain but to the mountainous
region around Hebron.
Hebron
was a large city before Israel arrived there. The name of this city was
Kiriath-Arba, which means "the city of Arba." Arba was the
great-grandfather (Joshua 15:13; 21:11) of all the Anakites, the giants. Arba's
children might have been "giants" in body, but in reality, they were
pygmies. Caleb was the true spiritual giant; he triumphed over them. There is a
proverb that says, “It is not the “size of the dog” in the fight, but the “size
of the fight” in the dog.
What
was Caleb doing looking at that mountain? Why did he want that place? He wanted
the highest mountain. That was his mountain. Hebron was where Abraham built his
first altar, it was where Abraham offered Isaac, and it is the place where
David would later be anointed king.
We
know that the physical mountain Caleb speaks of is an analogy for the spiritual
mountains that arise in our lives. We are not facing physical mountains. We
understand that a mountain is a challenge in your life. We understand that a
mountain is anything that is a demanding task in your life that requires
special effort or dedication. Everyone has mountains.
All
these mountains are not from Satan. Often, when we have to climb a high
mountain, God is at work. I believe that God puts mountains in our lives for
growth and maturity. If God is dealing with your life, you will have mountains.
God
declared that the people would wander in the wilderness for 40 years until
everyone in the nation of Israel over the age of 20 died. But then he makes a
surprising statement in Numbers 14:24: “But my servant Caleb because he has a
different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring him into the land
where he went, and his descendants will possess it.” Of the entire nation of
Israel, only Joshua and Caleb were saved.
Remember,
Caleb and Joshua were twenty-five years older than everyone else. They were the
great elders. Joshua was now eighty-five years old, and Caleb was about the
same, but the rest of the army was young in comparison.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START
How
do you feel about getting older? Many of you hope to retire one day, but we
don't expect the health challenges that old age will bring. How will aging
affect your service to the Lord? Will you continue to faithfully serve God in
whatever capacity you can, even in your old age? Caleb had faithfully endured
the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness and the 5 years it took him to
conquer the Promised Land (Joshua 14:10). What sustained him during those 45
years was his faith in the promise God made to him.
Caleb
is a great example of a servant of God who continues to serve God with enthusiasm
and faithfulness even in his old age. He had no intention of resting on his
laurels and withdrawing from his service to the Lord. On this occasion, he said
to Joshua: “I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me; As my strength
was then, so are my strength now for war, both to go out and to come in”
(Joshua 14:11).
I
have great appreciation for older brothers who continue to hold on to God's
promises and faithfully serve God even in old age, whether as preachers,
teachers, counseling the younger generations, or helping to clean the church
building. Sometimes all they can do is simply attend services, but they
encourage others with their faithfulness and faith (Hebrews 10:24–25). Still
others are shut-in and physically unable to attend services but continue to
serve as “prayer warriors” as they encourage others in their prayers. Please
take the time to encourage our older brothers, like Caleb, who continue to
faithfully serve the Lord.
Never
say, my career came to an end, not that time anymore. Caleb said there will be
no giants that can stop me; there will be no mountain that can intimidate me.
Caleb raised his flag of victory (14:10–11). More impressive than his physical
strength were his spiritual strength and his conquering spirit. It is true that
it is pitiful to see an old man who wants to do something, but cannot due to
his age and health, but it is more pitiful to see one who, having strength and
health and being young, has no enthusiasm for anything.
Caleb
did not appear before Joshua demanding his retirement. He didn't use his age as
an excuse to fold his arms. He also did not ask for the mountain dislodge of
his enemies to be handed over to him. He said he felt strong, he wanted to go
to the front of his army, he wanted to conquer that land, and he wanted to
enjoy the fruit of his efforts.
The
truth is that we are only stopped by the self-limitations that we impose on
ourselves and not so much by the limitations of life. There are many who always
talk negatively: about people, about the injustices done to them; they talk
about problems, about impossibilities. Many live defeated, failed, and
depressed, and then wonder why. What you have to do is get out of that circle
of self-pity and change your environment.
WHAT CONTRIBUTED TO CALEB'S SUCCESS?
Caleb
was one of the twelve spies that Moses sent to spy on the Promised Land. While
ten of them brought news that discouraged the people, Caleb and Joshua brought
positive news. They all saw the same thing but the difference was in their
attitude. Joshua and Caleb talked about how good the land was and how, with
God's help, they could conquer it. Caleb wanted to have the satisfaction of
dislodging the enemies who were there.
Caleb
never lost sight of God's promise. Many people have a divided heart that never
takes hold of God's promises. They doubt the reality of what God has promised,
and then pray a prayer with little or no expectation that it will be answered.
Throughout Caleb's life, we find that he never lost sight of God's promise.
Notice
the several times Caleb mentions the name of Yahweh (the promise keeper). The
name Yahweh appears more than 6,800 times in the Old Testament. It appears in
all books except Esther, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs.
Caleb
was a man who had learned to trust in God's promises and risk his entire future
on them. He knew what it was like to have God's help and trusted that the Lord
would continue to do so. This is a triumphant and powerful faith before the
event. It sounds like boasting, but it is faith boasting of God's power to
fulfill his promises.
The
most wonderful epitaph that could be written about a person is that: he walked
faithfully before the Lord. The Scriptures affirm a simple truth: “According to
your faith it will be given to you.” (Matt. 9:29). There is a definite way in
which God responds to our faith. The more willing you are to believe in Him,
the more willing He will be to act on your behalf. The Bible also reminds us
that “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Heb. 11:6).
There
is a story of an incident in the life of Napoleon. Napoleon had taken an island
in the Mediterranean Sea. After the capture of the island, Napoleon and his
generals gathered for a celebration. While they were meeting, they were
interrupted by a young officer. Napoleon looked at him and said, “What do you
want?” The young officer looked at Napoleon and said, “Give me this island.”
The generals began to laugh. They could not believe that he was bold enough to
ask Napoleon for what they had worked so hard to earn. They thought within
themselves: Who does he think he is?
Someone
with the audacity to make such a request to Napoleon was certainly risking his
life. But Napoleon looked at one of his assistants and asked for a pen and
paper. He wrote on the paper, signed it, and handed it to the young man,
leaving his generals amazed. How could you do that? The generals asked
Napoleon. “What made this one worthy to receive this great island?” I gave him
this island, and Napoleon said, “Because he honored me with the magnitude of
his request.” We too must honor God through the magnitude of our requests.
The
Bible promises, “and this is the confidence we have in Him…” 1 John 5:14–15.
Trust is defined as the firm hope we have in something or someone. Caleb
trusted in God and that he would fulfill his promise. All those years that
passed did not change his mind; he waited on God no matter the circumstances or
time.
Caleb
was a person with courage; he was someone with courage and bravery. He was
already 85 years old; 45 years had passed since God made him a promise. As if
his age was not enough, the obstacle that stood between his promise and him was
giants (the sons of Anac); he knew that he had to face them, but that did not
cause him fear. The normal instruments of war are spears, swords, and shields.
But this would be of no use against the giants. Caleb needed to use the weapons
of God…. Faith (Hebrews 11:30; Zechariah 4:6). Hebrews 3:19 tells us that the
reason the Israelites could not enter the Promised Land the first time was
because of their lack of faith.
THE STEPS TO TAKE
Caleb
knew exactly what he wanted. He did not come to Joshua with vague requests. He
specifically stated that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to conquer
the mountain. Many people pray in generalities rather than asking specifically.
If you have a need, clearly identify your need and express it to God.
He
focused on what God had promised him. Even though he had to wait 45 years,
Caleb never gave up hope for what he was promised. His heart kept beating,
waiting for the day when this place would be his. He knew that the promise
would be fulfilled because he knew who had made it. If God has made a promise
to you, then you have every reason to believe that it will be fulfilled, no
matter how long. When God fulfills his promises, you will step forward like
Caleb and say, "Now give me my mountain."
Caleb
followed the Lord "with all his heart." What a testimony! Three times
in Joshua chapter 14, we read that Caleb faithfully followed the Lord (vv. 8,
9, and 14). Caleb's dedication to God was complete, unwavering, and endless.
Many times we follow the Lord primarily, or when it suits us. But when things
get difficult and we must rely on faith instead of sight, we resist. Fear sets
in and we follow our fears instead of our faith. “Now faith is the substance
(certainty) of things hoped for, the evidence (conviction) of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1)
Do
not worry about the giant, do not look at his strength or how great his stature
is, and do not fear those mountains, no matter how big they are. God tells us:
“Don't worry about that problem or its size, worry about following me
faithfully.” It is necessary to focus our attention on Christ and do the
following:
1.
Act decisively. You must take the initiative to get what you want.
2.
Have a plan. You will never reach your destination if you don't know where you
are going.
3.
Trust in the power of God. Phil. 4:13. God is interested in your life.
A
giant is anything that stands between you and God's plan for you. A giant is anything that seems bigger than you
and your desire to serve the Lord.
Giants
stop the progress of God's people:
1.
First, we have “Giants in the earth” (Genesis 6:4).
2.
Next thing you know, you have a “valley of giants” (Josh. 15:8)
3. That
valley will soon become a “land of giants” (Deuteronomy 3:13).
THE GIANTS DO NOT
DISAPPEAR; YOU MUST FACE THEM AND DEFEAT THEM!
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