Sermon notes from Sunday 22 July 2012 Mr Ian Booth, LIMC
Numbers 14 verses 6 - 9, 2 - 24 and Joshua 14 verse 6 - 15, chapter 15 verses 13 and 14
Caleb - a Gentile by birth, the son of Jephunneh. He was of the same people that Moses had married into. He was outside the nation of Israel. We too are born outside of the family and fold of God. Even though he was disadvantaged by his birth he went on to be a man of God, did exploits for God.
"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Ephesians 2 verses 1 - 3
In the life of Abraham God promised this great land. He was alien to those promises. Caleb at one time was a possessor of a different spirit. Whenever we come to trust and put faith in Christ, the Spirit of God came into our lives, we are the possessor of a new Spirit, born again of the Spirit of God. Our lives are changed as a result of what God has done.
"Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood."
We cannot follow the Lord unless we are born again of the Spirit of God. We can never see the Kingdom of God unless that has happened. Caleb had a different spirit, a spirit that changed his life and brought him into the family of God.
Caleb enjoyed a surrendered life
The challenge of his heart - the proclamation of his heart. He said with absolute assurance "I will wholly follow the Lord." His life was changed as a result of having that different spirit. Everything that God said Caleb was going to do it. Look at verse 10 "And now behold the Lord hath kept me alive as he said" and again in verse 12 "if so be able to drive them out as the Lord said." Caleb despised half heartedness. He had seen the richness of the land. The other 10 spies had talked about the giants in the land and how they were so large. Caleb was different. He had his eyes fixed on the Lord of heaven. It was all for God or not at all. Caleb's name means surrendered to God. Sometimes it is easy to say the words but to live it out is a different matter altogether. Caleb doesn't say it in a boastful way or from assumption. He had a heart that is fully passionate for God. He was fully in God's plan the moment he had handed his life over to God. You and I, we must never be satisfied just with intellectual awareness of how we can live for God.
"But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Jams 1 verse 22
Caleb knew he had been promised the land. There is no substitute for personal obedience. As God speaks to us we must do as he asks. Two military men were having a discussion when one said "all that a soldier needs is to know how to march and how to shout." The other man said "you forgot one key ingredient - every soldier needs to obey the commands of his superior."
The confirmation of his surrender. Moses said in verse 9 "because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God." Moses was someone to look up to. He had been educated in all the mighty wisdom of Egypt, he had spent 40 years in the wilderness. Moses knew without a doubt that Caleb wholly followed the Lord. A lady once made a claim that she had surrendered into a deeper relationship with God. A sceptic asked her "have you any more power in our life as a result?" The woman said "no I don't think so." The sceptic asked again "so have you any more great plans or positions you need to fulfil in life then?" The woman replied "my friends are beginning to ask me more questions about spiritual things, asking me to pray for different situations in my life." The woman had given more of her life to God and it was displayed in her life. There was a difference. When we surrender to God others will see the difference and begin to ask questions. A life that is surrendered to God - what a confirmation that others have seen it.
The commendation for his surrender. We read in Numbers about God speaking and God has spoken about the nation of Israel disobeying his commands because of unbelief. They would not surrender to God. God said "But my servant, Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully ..." (Numbers 14 verse 24) What a commendation from God regarding Caleb! Caleb knew what it was to present his life as a divine sacrifice.
"I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12 verse 1
The world will put pressure on us to do all kinds of things but Caleb didn't care, he wholly trusted the Lord. What a challenge to us all today. Do we all stand for God in a day when we must be counted? We need to re-examine whether we are surrendered to the will and plan of God.
George Mueller said "There was a day when I died, utterly died - died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren and friends - and since then I have only to show myself approved to God."
Caleb enjoyed a separated life
Caleb was separated from discouragement. In Joshua 14 verse 10 Caleb referred to the 40 and 5 years the Lord had kept him alive. While Caleb and Joshua spied out the land they were spared from discouragement. It didn't matter how much opposition or trials they faced they never lost faith in God. Today there are many who can discourage us The bible tells us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to ever creature." Sometimes people get discouraged because of the numbers attending meetings, because of individuals who are perhaps of a different religion. Numbers don't matter much to God, it is the presence of God that makes the feast. These men were spared from discouragement. Caleb stood up amongst the people and quieted the people.
"Never be afraid to stand with the minority when it is right but always be afraid to stand with the majority when they are wrong." William Jennings
If you focus on the problems alone they will get bigger and bigger. Joshua and Caleb looked beyond the problems. God is able to fulfil all that he has promised. His eyes were fixed on the God of heaven.
"So amid the conflict whether great or small
Do not be discouraged, God is over all
Count your many blessings! Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you to your journey's end."
God is still on the throne today as he was in the day of Caleb and Joshua. There is no need for us to be discouraged. The way to overcome discouragement is to get on your knees and fix your eyes on the God of all glory.
Caleb was separated from disbelief. All the children of Israel who were aged 20 years and over didn't enter into the Promised Land because of the unbelief. God is still with us today. Caleb laughed at the impossibilities and cried "it shall be done because God had promised."
Caleb was separated from death too. For 40 and 5 years God had kept him alive. God kept him alive that he might fulfil his promise. God has given us tremendous promises if we believe he will. God had promised Caleb he would enter into the promised land and he cannot lie. God has promised us life after death. In John 11 we read of the resurrection of Lazarus when Jesus himself said:
"I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die, Believest thou this?" John 11 verses 25 and 26
God will spare us for eternity so that we may enter into His promised land. For a Christian who is dead spiritually his life will be a wilderness and barrenness experience. Yes you will enter into the promised land but you will die never having borne fruit in your life.
Caleb also knew a strong life
As we think of this man and the strength he had at 85 years of age it is not humanly possible to have the same strength physically but spiritually he was still able to live for God. The Anakims were cast out of the land - there were 3 giants that Caleb drove out, the 3 sons of Anak "Sheshai and Ahiman and Ralmai". These 3 giants are seen as the passions, pressures and power of the flesh. They can be devastating even in the life of the church. No-one is beyond temptation - that is why Paul said
"take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand." Ephesians 6 verse 13
So many today live for the things they can see but the unseen things are eternal and those are what we should be seeking after. Man is essentially a show off. He always likes to be number 1. That is why everyone is looking for that bit of power and fame today, to become socially powerful. People accumulate knowledge to impress others around them. We need to stand against them but can only stand against these in the strength of the Lord.
Caleb knew a satisfied life
Joshua gave unto Caleb "Hebron for an inheritance." Caleb enjoyed peace. God has given us every spiritual blessing in Christ. Are you satisfied with all God has given to you? An old man went on a cruise and to save some money he took his own food with him. On the last day he decided to try out the food that was available on the ship. He asked if he could have a meal and was told "yes everything was paid for at the beginning of the cruise." The Lord has given us all things that pertain unto life. Are you satisfied with all that you have in Christ? Caleb was satisfied because he was strong in spirit and his life was surrendered to God. There was once a train crash in which hundreds of people were injured. One man spotted someone who he knew to be a doctor. He went up to him and said "why don't you do something to help people that are suffering?" The doctor replied "I would love to do so but I don't have my instruments." Outside today there are people crying out for God to help them but God has to say "I don't have my instruments, those people who are fully surrendered to me." Will you wholly trust the Lord?" Caleb had and God blessed him as a result.
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