There are several chapters that we can get bogged down in: Chapters 13,14,15,16,17,18 are all about dividing up the rest of the land. Chapter 13 begins with saying that Joshua was old and advanced in years, but there is still much land for the Children of Israel to possess. In 13:6,7 the Lord tells Joshua to go ahead and divide up the lands that are left as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh. The Lord tells Joshua He will drive out the people of the land from before the Children of Israel. But Caleb does something interesting in Chapter 14. Remember Caleb? He was one of the twelve tribes that Moses sent out to spy on the land. Only he and Joshua came back with a good report of the land.
Caleb reminds Joshua about the situation...how the other men that were with him made the heart of the people melt at that time, but he does not talk about Joshua. He reminds Joshua that Caleb wholly followed the Lord. Caleb goes on to say:
Joshua 14:10-11 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. (11) As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
Caleb says he may be an old man, he may have walked through the wilderness to get to where he is, but he is still strong and ready for battle. Caleb asks one thing:
Joshua 14:12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."
Now, Caleb reminds Joshua what he too heard from the spies when they returned from the recon mission. Caleb not only wanted his inheritance, but he asked for the mountainous terrain, the enemies that presented a great challenge with fortified cities. The Anakim were a race of giants on top of everything else. But Caleb knows the Lord will be with him and that Anakim will be driven out of the land that was promised. How could he not know? Look at everything God had done for the Children of Israel up to that point. Of course Caleb had confidence that God would fight with Him, even for Him. Caleb was not afraid of the strong cities or their fortification. He was not afraid of the giants that stood greater than 9 feet tall. He was not afraid of the mountainous terrain. Caleb knew he was at a disadvantage, but he was confident in the Lord.
Wouldn't you like to be so confident in the Lord that you have no fear in the face of adversity? Wouldn't you like to be so confident in the Lord that you have no fear in your old age? We like to say that all we have to have is faith. But, I put before you that only do we have faith in the Lord, but we have to trust Him. There are many scriptures that say to do just that.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Caleb reminds Joshua about the situation...how the other men that were with him made the heart of the people melt at that time, but he does not talk about Joshua. He reminds Joshua that Caleb wholly followed the Lord. Caleb goes on to say:
Joshua 14:10-11 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. (11) As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
Caleb says he may be an old man, he may have walked through the wilderness to get to where he is, but he is still strong and ready for battle. Caleb asks one thing:
Joshua 14:12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."
Now, Caleb reminds Joshua what he too heard from the spies when they returned from the recon mission. Caleb not only wanted his inheritance, but he asked for the mountainous terrain, the enemies that presented a great challenge with fortified cities. The Anakim were a race of giants on top of everything else. But Caleb knows the Lord will be with him and that Anakim will be driven out of the land that was promised. How could he not know? Look at everything God had done for the Children of Israel up to that point. Of course Caleb had confidence that God would fight with Him, even for Him. Caleb was not afraid of the strong cities or their fortification. He was not afraid of the giants that stood greater than 9 feet tall. He was not afraid of the mountainous terrain. Caleb knew he was at a disadvantage, but he was confident in the Lord.
Wouldn't you like to be so confident in the Lord that you have no fear in the face of adversity? Wouldn't you like to be so confident in the Lord that you have no fear in your old age? We like to say that all we have to have is faith. But, I put before you that only do we have faith in the Lord, but we have to trust Him. There are many scriptures that say to do just that.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; (6) In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Mark 12:29-30 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'HEAR, O ISRAEL, THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE. (30) AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' This is the first commandment.
Can you love someone without trusting them? I don't think so. We have to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, but we have to trust Him, too. Caleb did. Caleb knew that God would deliver the land to them because God said He would. We say we believe God. We say we have faith in God. We say we love God. But, do we trust Him? We say we believe in the Word of God. But do we trust in that word? When will we stop being fearful of challenges that lie ahead? The same God that delivered the promised land into the hands of the Children of Israel is the same God today that goes before us.
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