CALEB Numbers 13 is the story of the sending of 12 spies into land of Canaan. They spent 40 days and brought back good news and bad. GOOD: It is a land flowing with milk and honey! BAD: People there are giants that make us look like grasshoppers. Numbers 13:31- 14:4 tells us 10 spies overwhelmed the people with their bad report. Numbers 13 is the story of the sending of 12 spies into land of Canaan. They spent 40 days and brought back good news and bad. GOOD: It is a land flowing with milk and honey! BAD: People there are giants that make us look like grasshoppers. Numbers 13:31- 14:4 tells us 10 spies overwhelmed the people with their bad report.

CALEB & JOSHUA Only Caleb and Joshua had confidence in the Lord (Numbers 14:6-9). The people listened to the bad report and spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness. The ten spies died of plague (Numbers 14:36,37). Joshua and Caleb were spared. CALEB was spared because “he…has followed me fully” (Num. 14:36,37; 32:11,12; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8-9,14). What a wonderful epitaph: “He wholly followed the Lord God of Israel.”

Following The Lord Fully Caleb followed the Lord in the wilderness and in Canaan 45 years later (Josh. 14:8- 10). Many do not do this. They turn back like Lot’s wife (Gen. 19:26), even though she had cleared the city, she could not continue without looking back and disobeying God’s rule. Galatians 3:1- tells us many are bewitched like the Galatians.

What About Us Shall we follow the Lord in our Youth? 1 Tim. 4:12- “Let no man despise your youth but be an example in word, lifestyle, love, spirit and all purity.” Shall we follow Him in Old Age? Titus 2:1-5- Aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in love and patience. Aged women be in behavior as becomes holiness…” Ps. 92: “Bring forth fruit in old age…to show the Lord is upright, and my rock there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Following With Our Whole Heart Means- “love the Lord they God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind and your neighbor as yourself” (Mt. 22:36-38) Cannot serve with divided heart. Consider Solomon who was influenced by worldly wives. (1 Kings 11:4)- “when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord as was the heart of his father, David.”

Caleb & Compromise He would not compromise. James 4:4 tells us “friendship with the world is enmity with God.” Matthew 6:24- “you cannot serve God and mammon.” 1 John 2: “love not the world neither what is in the world.” Will we follow without compromise or with divided allegiance? Can only truly follow one way.

What About the Giants ? Caleb was willing to face the giants in the land because he believed God’s promise (Num. 13:33.) He was no grasshopper! He was willing to face wrath of brethren (Num. 14:10- congregation wanted to stone them) Biggest enemies are sometimes our own brethren. Willing and confident he could take a mountain from the giants in his old age ( Josh. 14:10-12)

Are We Convenient Servants? Will we follow despite ridicule, persecution and danger (Matt. 5: “blessed are you when men will persecute you and say all sorts of evil against you falsely”) HOW WAS CALEB ABLE TO BE SO COMMITTED? Num. 14:8-9- they knew the Lord was with them and would give them the land. His confidence was in the Lord not self. He knew the Lord would do what He said He would.

HOW WILL WE DO GOD’S WILL? Heb. 12:1-4 Keep your eye on Jesus, He is the author and finisher of our faith. Considering the hardships he endured we can go through anything. Like Caleb we must have a different spirit- “my servant Caleb because he has another spirit in him and hath followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land. Caleb was not a defeatist, nor complainer and did not have a “grasshopper complex.” He had a “can do” spirit. We have armor to put on today (Eph. 6:10-13) and it will enable us to stand against any evil we face. Do not listen to those who tell you it cannot be done the Lord’s way.

Lessons From Caleb HE WAS A TRUE LEADER OF MEN HE WAS A SERVANT WHO SPIED OUT THE LAND THEN HELPED DIVIDE IT (Num.14:24) HE WAS AN EXAMPLE OF FAITH AND COURAGE (Num. 13:30- “Caleb stilled the people and said, let us go up at once to possess it for we ARE WELL ABLE to overcome”) He inspired others to serve even in old age (Josh. 14:6-12) He was still able to fight at 85.

WHAT MADE CALEB DIFFERENT? HE WAS COMMITTED HE WAS FOCUSED ON WHAT WAS RIGHT HE POSSESSED INTEGRITY HE DID NOT FEAR OR FAVOR MEN HE DID RIGHT BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT HE DIDN’T FEAR –WALKING W/GOD

Questions For Us? How Useful Are You To the Lord? Are you afraid to do what God told you to do? Caleb lived a fulfilled life. 1. Only he and Joshua were allowed to enter Canaan from old generation. 2. He inherited the land around Hebron. 3. His land had rest from war (Josh. 14:15.) 4. He and Joshua only two out of 603,550 men to survive the 40 year wandering. The others fell “for they have not wholly followed me.” FOLLOW THE LORD WHOLLY AS CALEB & JOSHUA.