Winners and Losers: Part 1 - CALEB

A Man Who Lived Victoriously

Introduction
In the last few months we have been looking at "Spiritual Warfare"-first we looked at "Spiritual Bootcamp" where we saw that not every person is a Christian soldier for God, but only those who have "joined up" through faith in the work of atonement made by Christ, repentance from sin, and submission to the person of Jesus Christ. We saw that changes begin to take place in a new believer's life after his salvation, after "joining up" in God's army; he is a "new creature" in Christ (2Co 5:18) and he begins to identify with Christians as being his people and Jesus as his God; he begins to get a military perspective about life because he knows that he's made a commitment to obey God in everything and that he's engaged in a "life and death" spiritual battle with Satan and the demons that won't end until he gets to Heaven; he adopts "concrete objectives" for his life, evangelism and conformity to Christ; and he begins to walk obediently to God under submission to authority by being publicly baptized, by fellowshipping with and taking communion with other Christians, by giving of himself to the Church in the way of his resources and spiritual gifts. We then saw that to face day-to-day living as a Christian, to be ready to win the spiritual battles he encounters, he must have on his spiritual armor as described in Ephesians chapter Eph 6:11-18:

Eph 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Now we are going to be looking at some individuals from the Bible who were winners and some who were losers in their spiritual battles. Some of these people will defeat Satan at every turn; some will stumble after starting well and end up defeated and useless; others will start well, stumble, and recover. Today we will be looking at the life of one of the Old Testament's shining men of faith, Caleb (Num 13,14, Num 34:19; Jos 14:7-14, 15:15-19; Jud 1:12-20). Turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Num bers, chapter 13, and let's see what we can learn from him that will be helpful in our own "spiritual warfare".

A. Who was he?

1. What was his name? Caleb, which means "dog" or slave.

2. Who were his people?

a) his father was JEphunneh the Kenizzite, who was, according to the Gen ealogies of 1CH 2 and 4, a grandson of Judah through Hezron (Num 13:6; 1Ch 2:9,18, 4:15).

b) his tribe was Judah- he was it's leader (Num 13:6).

3. When did he live? at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, approx.
1400 B.C.

4. How old was he? 85 years old when he entered Canaan (Jos 14:7,10).

Jos 14:7 "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions..."

Jos 14:10 "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!"

B. What did he do?

1. He Was Faithful to God

a) as one of the twelve spies (Num 13)

Num 13:1-33 "The LORD said to Moses, 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.' So at the LORD'S command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran.

All of them were leaders of the Israelites. Num 13:6 ...from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of JEphunneh... So they went up and explored the land from the Desert of Zin as far as Rehob, toward Lebo Hamath. They went up through the Negev and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, lived. (Hebron had been built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes the Israelites cut off there. At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land. They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. They gave Moses this account: 'We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey!

Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.' Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored."

Num 14:5-11 "Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of JEphunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, 'The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.'"

Num 14:21-24 "Nevertheless, as surely as I [God] live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times-- not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it."

1) Why was he faithful?

a] he did not hold God in contempt ("to scorn, provoke") (Num 14:23), i.e. he believed in God (Num 14:11).

b] he had a different spirit ("breath, wind, spirit", the same word used in Gen 1 of the Holy Spirit and in Gen 7 "the breath of life" in Adam) of faith (Num 14:24), not one that did not see the significance of miracles and had a hard heart.

c] he followed ("the following part") wholeheartedly (lit."to be full") (Num 14:24), i.e. he was completely engaged in remaining behind God's lead.

2) Where did his faith come from?

a] the sight of God's glory (Num 14:21)

WHAT IS GOD'S GLORY?

It is the sign of God's presence; the word glory, "kabod", means "abundance"- it is usually described as the fire or brilliant light that surrounds any theophany or heavenly being. The sight of glory usually terrifies men (Exo 20:18,19; Jude 13:6; Isa 6:5; Eze 1:28; Dan 10:7-9, 16-19; Mt 28:2-8; Luk 1:12, 29,30, 2:9; Rev 1:17).

WHEN DID HE SEE GOD'S GLORY?

i] at Mt. Sinai- Exodus 24:1-18

Moses was commanded to take 73 men with him to the base of Mt. Sinai, of which 70 were leaders of Israel; Caleb must surely have been in this group that saw God:

Exo 24:10,11 "And [the leaders] saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank."

Moses was commanded to come up the slopes of the Mt. while the rest waited below and this is what they saw:

Exo 24:16,17 "...and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain."

ii] reflected in Moses' face

Exo 34:34,35 "But whenever he [Moses] entered the LORD'S presence to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. And when he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they saw that his face was radiant. Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD."

2Co 3:7 "Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was..."

iii] at the dedication of the Tabernacle- Exodus 40:33,35

When the children of Israel had finished constructing the Tabernacle, the "Tent of Meeting", God filled it with His glory:

Exo 40:34 "Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."

iv] at the inauguration of the priestly sacrificial system- Lev 9:23

Lev 9:23,24 "Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown."

v] at the time of the return of the twelve spies- Num 14:10

Num 14:10 "But the whole assembly talked about stoning them. Then the glory of the LORD appeared at the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites."

b] miraculous signs witnessed in Egypt

i] the ten plagues (Exo 7-12)

1st plague: blood; 2nd plague: frogs; 3rd plague: gnats (or lice); 4th plague: flies; 5th plague: pestilence on livestock; 6th plague: boils on man and animal; 7th plague: hail; 8th plague: locusts; 9th plague: darkness; 10th plague: death of 1st born son.

ii] plundering the Egyptians (Exo 12:35,36).

Exo 12:35,36 "The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians."

iii] the pillar of cloud and fire (Exo 13:18, 21,22).

Exo 13:21,22 "By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people."

c] the parting of the Red Sea (Exo 14:19-31).

d] the miraculous signs in the desert

i] the waters of Mara cured with a tree (Exo 15:23-25).

ii] manna given (Exo 16).

iii] the miracle of the water from rock in Horeb (Exo 17:6).

iv] the battle with Amelek when the sun did not go down (Exo 17:8-16).

v] the giving of the Law (Exo 19:-32).

vi] the Judgment of Nadab and Abihu (Lev 10:1,2), Taberah (Lev 11:1,2), Aaron and Miriam's rebellion (Exo 12),the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram which led to the earth swallowing them (Num 16:1-34), fiery serpents whose fatal bites could be healed by looking at a bronze snake on a pole (Num 21:6,7).

3) What was the result of his faith?

a] he would not die in the wilderness- everyone else who was 20 years old or more (except Joshua) would die before they reached Canaan.

b] he would enter the land of Canaan to possess it- he received the inheritance promised to Abraham and his heirs (Gen 15:18), one of the first Hebrews to actually own the land he lived on.

c] he would have descendants who would inherit his land- his name would not be cut off from the Gen ealogies and his children would also live in the land and prosper.

4) Can you see the armor of God on him?

Did he have on the belt of truthfulness, i.e. commitment and sincerity? YES. Did he have on the breastplate of right living? YES. Did he have on the shoes of peace with God and, therefore, believe that God would fight for him? YES. Did he carry the shield of faith which quenched any doubts or fears? YES. Did he have on the helmet of salvation and rest in the security of knowing he was safe with God? YES. Did he fight with the sword of the Spirit to defend himself and God's name? YES.

b) As a commissioner of the land (Num 34:17)

Num 34:17-19 "These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua son of Nun. And appoint one leader from each tribe to help assign the land. These are their names: Caleb son of JEphunneh, from the tribe of Judah..."

His job was to help distribute the land to his tribe, Judah.

This was done by lot (Jos 14:2, 18:6,10; 1Ch 6:54). The casting of important lots may have been done by the Urim and Thummim which were objects, possibly two small round stones, placed in the Ephod of the high priest by which God's will could be discerned- one rock may have signified a "yes" and one a "no".

But lots were also cast without the Urim and Thummim, by using marked stones. The O.T. saints trusted that God was supernaturally overseeing the proceedings and that He controlled the outcome:

Pro 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD."

c) As a settler in Canaan (Jos 14:6-15)

Jos 14:6 "Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of JEphunneh the Kenizzite said to him, 'You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brother who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.

So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'

'Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.' Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of JEphunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of JEphunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)"

2. He Trusted God

a) he claimed God's promise to receive land (Jos 14:6,9)

1) he believed that God was faithful to His promises through
Moses (Jos 14:6,9)

2) he believed it was his reward for faithfulness (Jos 14:9)

b) he trusted in God's sovereignty (Jos 14:10)

"as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years..."

c) he expected to battle for the land successfully

1) he still had the physical strength and vigor of a young man though he was 85 years old (Jos 14;11).

Jos 14:11 "I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out [when he was 40]; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then."

CONTRAST THIS WITH THE CONDITION OF JOSHUA WHO WAS CALLED

"OLD AND ADVANCED IN YEARS" (Jos 13:1) AT 90 OR 100 YEARS OLD.

2) he believed God would fight for him (Jos 14:12)

Jos 14:12 "...but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

Jos 23:9-11 "The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the LORD your God."

3. He Encouraged the Faith of Others

a) He used his life to display God's power

1) he took the toughest land to settle (Jos 14:12-15)

a] it was hilly land (and hard to drive out the inhabitants)
(Jos 14:12).

b] there were great fortified cities (Jos 14:12)

Num 13:28 "the cities are fortified and very large."

Hebron was the city named in that area (Jos 14:13,14).

Hebron is located about 20 m. west of the Dead Sea, situated about 2800 feet above sea Level between two ridges. A large Num ber of springs and wells are in thearea of Hebron and the soil is rich and fertile. Accordingto excavations it was occupied as early as 3000 B.C. with an exterior wall thirty foot wide and at least 330 feetlong. It was at Hebron that the spies found the large cluster of grapes (Num 13:22-24). Earlier Abraham hadsettled near Hebron (Gen 13:18) and purchased the cave of Machpelah, which was opposite Mamre (Gen 23:17), and wasnear Hebron. After the settlement of the land Hebron became a "City of Refuge". (This information came from "The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible", Zondervan publishers, (C) 1978, vol. 3, pgs. 107-110.)

c] the inhabitants were Anakim (giants) (Jos 14:12).

Num 13:33 "We saw the NEphilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the NEphilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."

HOW BIG WERE THE DESCENDANTS OF ANAK? WERE THEY REALLYGIANTS? According to Scripture they were very tall (9 1/2feet at least) people but not the giants of fairy tales.

Deut 9:2 says about them, "The people are strong and tall--Anakites! You know about them and have heard itsaid: 'Who can stand up against the Anakites?'"

SCRIPTURE LISTS SEVERAL CANAANITE "GIANTS" OF VARIOUSSIZES:

Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, was a giant... 1Sa 17:4 "A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath,came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feettall."

Og, the Canaanite king was apparently a giant:Deu 3:11 "Only Og king of Bashan was left of the remnantof the REphaites. His bed was made of iron and was more than thirteen feet long and six feet wide. It is still inRabbah of the Ammonites."

2Sa 21:19; 1Ch 20:5 "In another battle with thEphilistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed [1CH says Lahmi, the brother of] Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like aweaver's rod [about 17 lbs.]."

2Sa 21:20 "In still another battle, which took place atGath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot--twenty-four in all. He also wasdescended from Rapha."

2) he was successful

Caleb drove the Anak from Hebron; they eventually settled inGaza, Gath and Ashdod (Jos 11:22).

Jos 15:14 "From Hebron Caleb drove out the threeAnakites--Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai--descendants of Anak."
b) He rewarded bravery

1) he offered his daughter's hand to the victor of a battle

Jos 15:16,17 "And Caleb said, 'I will give my daughter Acsahin marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath SEpher.' Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; soCaleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage."

Othniel later became one of the Judges of Israel (Jude 3:9-11).

2) he awarded springs of water to his daughter because sheasked

Jos 15:18,19 "One day when she came to Othniel, she urgedhim to ask her father for a field. When she got off herdonkey, Caleb asked her, 'What can I do for you?' Shereplied, 'Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.' So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs."

C. What can we learn from him?

1. We can learn to fear God and trust Him more if we look on His glory found in Scripture and in His Son, Jesus Christ.

2. We can be encouraged by the miracles recorded in the Bible for our benefit because the God who worked those miracles has not changed; not in power, truth, love or commitment.

3. We can be victorious in our spiritual battles if we are faithful to God through trust and obedience.

4. Our faith can be an encouragement to others.

"I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly" Jos 14:8b

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