Caleb

Philip Ross McDougall

Caleb a man of God • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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A man of God

The twelve spy's that Moses sent into the promised land each represented a tribe. Caleb represented Judah

Numbers 13:6 NIV

from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

The New American Commentary: Joshua (1) Caleb’s Inheritance: Part One (14:6–15)

Before the narrative in chap. 14 details Judah’s inheritance, Caleb, a prominent figure in an earlier story, is given his inheritance. Caleb was from the tribe of Judah (Num 13:6), and he had been one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan from the wilderness. He and Joshua alone had given a favorable report (Num 14:6–9), resulting in their being the only ones from their generation allowed to enter Canaan (14:30). We are told three times of his taking his inheritance, although with different emphases each time (Josh 14:6–15; 15:13–19; Judg 1:12–15). The fact that three episodes tell of his inheritance highlights his prominent status in Israel.

Numbers 13:5–7 NIV

from the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat son of Hori; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; from the tribe of Issachar, Igal son of Joseph;

Numbers 13:6 NIV

from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh;

We need to note the courageous obedience of Calab

The New American Commentary: Joshua (1) Caleb’s Inheritance: Part One (14:6–15)

He and Joshua alone had given a favorable report (Num 14:6–9), resulting in their being the only ones from their generation allowed to enter Canaan (14:30). We are told three times of his taking his inheritance, although with different emphases each time (Josh 14:6–15; 15:13–19; Judg 1:12–15). The fact that three episodes tell of his inheritance highlights his prominent status in Israel.

Joshua 14:8–9 NIV

but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in 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.’

Caleb had waited 45 years for the Lords promise to be fulfilled.

Joshua 14:10 NIV

Joshua 14:10–11 NIV

“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 wilderness. 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.

Caleb's sense of Gods purpose for his life as expressed in the promise made in the desert by Moses had kept him youthful in outlook. He needed no convincing that God would honor his promise’

Both Caleb and Joshua had gone with the other spy’s into Canaan to check things out. the 10 spy’s had returned with a human perspective that revolved around the idea that the local inhabitants would be to strong and that Israel would be doomed to fail.

Caleb and Joshua had returned with the view that nothing was impossible for God to accomplish and therefore the Land was there for the taking. Their world view point was the same one as expressed in the New Testament, that if God is with us who can stand against us

If we were to do a personal audit of the people that God used, the first reality was that they were ordinary people and the only thing that made them who they were was a belief in God.

Moses did not get into the promised land because in a public way he was disobedient to God, and yet who appears with Elijah and Jesus on the mount of transfiguration

Jonah wanted to run away

Thomas doubted, Peter denied Jesus

Then there is us

Our Parish prayer is based on the concept of Caleb and the desire that I have that we will be a community of faith that is relevant in the midst of our town.

As we are all aware I have endured many days of issues with my legs and on occasions they have been quite painful with a total of twelve days in hospital, however this falls into insignificance along side the thought that I may not be focusing on the right point in faith

There is no way that the faith and commitment that I see here is any less than one would find anywhere in our world, and yet our ability to maintain the integrity of our faith seems to be hampered by the world around us.

In South America, Asia, and Africa there is huge growth in faith while in the western church there is decline

we seem to be caught in the midst of that decline, WHY?

Would we like Caleb and Joshua be able to see the possibility of Gods victory, or would we be like Fraser in Dada army where we were always doomed.

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