NUMBERS 13:26-33 | INTENTIONAL PURSUIT OF GOD

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

12 Men of Israel made their way into the land of Canaan, and for 40 days they searched out the land to examine the incredible blessing that lay before them.

When they returned and gave their report to Moses and Aaron the blessings seemed greater than they could have even imagined.

Numbers 13:26–27 KJV 1900

And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

The grapes that they brought back had to be carried by two men on a pole extending between them

Numbers 13:23 KJV 1900

And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.

The blessings of God were right in front of them.

But then, of those 12 men who had spied out the land, 10 of them spoke up in v.28

Numbers 13:28–29 KJV 1900

Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

I just have a feeling that those 10 weren’t the ones carrying the grapes on the pole.

40 days before, God had told them that this land was theirs for the taking.

These grapes were theirs

The river the flowed with milk and honey was theirs.

This land God had promised was theirs

But now, in fear, they were choosing to turn from the promises and blessings God had laid before them!

In the midst of the panic, one man speaks up.

Numbers 13:30 KJV 1900

And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

I’m convinced Caleb had to set his end of the pole he carried down and then he had to quiet the fearful cries of the children of Israel before he spoke.

His response was one of faith.

His response was one of pursuit of God and His plan.

But the other 10 could not be persuaded.

Their fear had overtaken them as they responded in the next verses: Numbers 13:31-33

Numbers 13:31–33 KJV 1900

But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

And with that, the children of Israel would spend the next 40 plus years wondering in the wilderness.

God had so much in store for them, but when they saw the giants before them, they forgot about the God that was with them.

Psalm 78:41–42 KJV 1900

Yea, they turned back and tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not his hand, Nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.

What a stunning verse.

The God Who created the universe with just a spoken word.

The God Who designed the intricacies of the human body, which scientist can only dream of imitating and duplicating.

The God Who created the mountains all around us that we get to enjoy

The God Who all power to do all things

And yet, that God was limited by finite man because of their fear… Their unbelief!

APPLICATION: I wonder what incredible things God wants to do in your life in 2024?

What impossibilities does He want to make possible?

What incredible works does He want to do in our church?

What ways does this limitless God what to show Himself power this year?

But He wont be able to because of your fear and unbelief?

ILLUSTRATION: When we started last year, Isaac told me that he believed we could see 100 people in a service at our church.

I’ll be honest, I thought it was a great dream but I didn’t think it was possible.

At the start of 2023 we were averaging somewhere around 50-60 people, and the highest attendance we had ever seen was somewhere in the 70’s.

I was kind of like the 10 that came back and said, “That sounds great, but it’s impossible! It’s a giant we could never overcome.”

So you can imagine my shock and surprise when on December 24th, we had 130 people in attendance!

The thought has been ringing in my mind, did I limit God in 2024 because of my unbelief?

APPLICATION: As we begin this road into 2024, I can’t help but wonder, what ways does God want to work that my natural response is to limit Him with my unbelief?

What family member does God want to see saved, that you don’t believe they ever could?

What situation at work seems impossible to overcome?

What spiritual goal in your life does God want you to grow in that you believe is impossible for you to grow in?

Sometimes the fear of what might now happen keeps us from believing God can do it!

Faith is not the absence of fear.

Faith is trusting God more than your fear!

EXPLANATION: And on that day when those 12 men stood before Moses and Aaron, 10 of those men were captured by their fear!

But two of them believed God: Caleb and Joshua.

You know it’s interesting, no one remembers the name of those 10

Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel,

Until this moment, you probably didn’t know those names were in the Bible!

But everyone remembers the names of the 2: Joshua and Caleb.

And they are remembered not because of the great acts that they didn’t!

They are remembered because while others around them responded in fear to the path God had laid before them, Joshua and Caleb INTENTIONALLY PURSUED GOD and His plan!

Now here is where things get interesting:

Numbers 14:1–3 KJV 1900

And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?

The people that rejected God’s plan because of fear, now blamed God for the results of their decision!

ILLUSTRATION: There is a regular occurrence in our house.

I will tell our kids, you better stop doing that or someone is going to get hurt.

And guess what happens… seconds later a child comes crying that they got hurt!

APPLICATION: I’m convinced that most of the time that I find myself in a hole, it isn’t because God put me there.

You can pretty clearly see the shovel in my hand!

Proverbs 26:27 KJV 1900

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: And he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

If you found yourself in a hole in 2023, it just may not have been God that put you there.

Maybe it’s because we are sinners, and sinners make bad decisions and we have to deal with the consequences of those decisions!

EXPLANATION: But that wasn’t the case with Caleb and Joshua.

They had done right and responded in faith.

And yet they found themselves in the same place as the rest of the Children of Israel.

Because sometimes it is situations outside of our control that lead us into a pit.

ILLUSTRATION: Just ask Joseph.

It wasn’t his fault that his dad made the decision to show him favoritism.

It wasn’t his fault that his brothers threw him in the pit.

It wasn’t his fault that they sold him into slavery.

It wasn’t his fault that Potiphar’s wife lied about him.

It wasn’t his fault that he was thrown into prison.

It wasn’t his fault that he was forgotten about by Pharaoh’s butler.

No sometimes things happen to us that are out of our control.

APPLICATION: But here is the key that Joseph understood and Caleb and Joshua understood as well: You can’t control your circumstances, but you can control your response to them.

EXPLANATION: Turn over to Joshua 14,

I heard one preacher say, “What happened between Numbers 14 and Joshua 14? All the people who feared and doubted God died.

And now we find our way to Joshua 14:6-7

Joshua 14:6–7 KJV 1900

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. 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.

Caleb recalls that day, now 45 years ago when he was 40 years old.

But don’t miss Caleb’s response to the circumstances that were out of his control for all those years.

Joshua 14:8–9 KJV 1900

Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord my God.

Caleb “wholly” followed the Lord!

For 45 years, while it seemed like his prayers would never be answered

While it seemed like he would never see God’s plan come to fruition

While he faced struggles, and difficulties, and uncertainties, Caleb continued wholly following the Lord!

He INTENTIONALLY PURSUED GOD!

And I love what he goes on and says in Joshua 14:11-12

Joshua 14:11–12 KJV 1900

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. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake 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.

Here this 85 year old man stands before Joshua and says, “Give me this mountain.”

“I’m not done pursuing God and his plan!”

And the result after 45 years of intentionally pursuing God: Joshua 14:13-14

Joshua 14:13–14 KJV 1900

And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. 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.

APPLICATION: It’s the first Sunday of 2024.

You have the whole year in front of you!

Many of your are undoubtedly making plans for things you want to do this year.

You have goals that you have set for yourself

You have hopes for where you will be at the end of the year.

We heard a message last week from Isaac about the importance of being intentional with our planning and our schedule.

But I wonder, how will you respond when things don’t go according to your plans?

What will you do when situations are our of your control and circumstances leave you in a place you never imagined.

My prayer as a church is that you will determine today to intentionally pursue God!

Friend, you will not stumble into a closer relationship with God, you must be intentional about it

You will not grow spiritually on accident, you must be intentional about it!

So today, as we finish the service I want to ask you some practical questions that require intentional answers:

I. DO YOU WANT TO GROW CLOSER TO GOD IN 2024?

EXPLANATION: If your answer is no, well then we have a different problem!

It could be that you have never began a relationship with God

Today would be a great day to get that settled.

It could be you’ve just never experienced what a relationship with God is like.

I echo the Psalmist in Psalm 34:8

Psalm 34:8 KJV 1900

O taste and see that the Lord is good: Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

If you answer yes, then the next question is:

II. HOW DO YOU WANT TO GROW CLOSER TO GOD?

EXPLANATION: Do you want to grow in your knowledge of the Scriptures?

Do you want to grow in your knowledge of a specific area of the Scriptures?

Do you want to grow in your prayer time with God?

Do you want to grow in your Bible memorization?

Do you want to grow in your service to God?

Do you want to grow in your faithfulness to worshipping God?

III. WHAT HABITS DO YOU NEED TO INPUT TO BE CLOSER TO GOD?

EXPLANATION: I read a quote recently that said, “We overemphasize the importance of setting big goals, and underemphasize the importance of establishing small habits to achieve them.”

If you want to grow in your knowledge of the Scriptures, what habits will your put in place and resources do you need to invest in?

If you want to grow in your prayer time, what habits are you going to establish for when to pray and how to develop your prayer list?

If you want to memorize scripture, what plan do you have for which verses to memorize and when will you do it?

If you want to grow in your service to God, in what area are you going to serve and when are you going to do it?

Friend, whatever area God has spoken to your heart about, be intentionally about your pursuit of God!

IV. HOW WILL YOU STAY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE HABITS AND GOALS YOU HAVE SET

EXPLANATION: Who will you tell about your goals and habits?

If you are seriously going to grow closer to God in 2024, and you think it is just going to happen by accident, it’s not going to happen.

You are choosing to allow life to happen to you without any intentionality of how you will respond to it.

No, if you are truly wanting to grow spiritually in 2024, you must choose to be intentional with your pursuit of God!

And part of that intentionality is staying accountable!

That’s one of the reasons being a member of a church is so important because you are choosing to make yourself accountable to a group of fellow believers!

It’s a wonderful blessing of being a part of a local body of followers of Christ!

CONCLUSION

It could be that you are here this morning and you are thinking that you good where you are.

Coming to church is checking off enough boxes for your life and you are good to go.

Can I challenge you this morning to ask God to give you the spirit of Caleb!

The spirit that even at 85 years old he still was pursuing God!

The spirit that come what may during those 45 years in the wilderness, he wholly followed the Lord!

He intentionally pursued God!

This morning if a church full of people would make the decision to intentionally pursue God in 2024, there is no telling where we could be come the end of the year!

So let’s come with the heart of Caleb and purpose to wholly follow the Lord!

To join with Paul’s words in Philippians 1:27

Philippians 1:27 KJV 1900

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;