Caleb – Climbing Mountains, Killing Giants | Loving the Word with the MudPreacher
Caleb had Carrying Faith. Faith that could carry his soul the next 45 years. Faith that could carry his family. Faith that could keep his spirit on the back of God, even though all those around him were complaining, murmuring, ignoring the power of God. Caleb had another spirit in Him, That spirit gave him faith that carried him through any discouraging situation. During those forty years I suppose that there were many chances for Caleb to become discouraged, to think he would never see the Promised Land again. After all, his friends were dropping like flies. The complaining continued, the manna continued. I can imagine everyday would say to Caleb, “Oh, brother Caleb, isn’t it terrible out here in this wilderness! It is so hot — it’s 118 degrees today!” But Caleb was a man of another spirit. He had another focus. He had GOD SENSE controlling his vision! Caleb would say, “I really hadn’t noticed. I guess it is pretty warm, but I was thinking about those grapes of Eschol that I saw. And I was thinking about the city of Hebron. Our father Abraham liked that place, and I like it. That’s where I am going.”
Caleb, even in the wilderness, could think of the future. He had a great hope. It kept him young. Those forty years in the wilderness killed off the rest of the crowd, but they didn’t do a thing to him but make him healthy. They grew old, and he grew young. The giants in the Promised Land made the others tremble — they thought of themselves as grasshoppers. But Caleb thought of God. There was freedom from fear in the heart of this man. As Martin Luther said, “One with God is a majority.” God was bigger than the giants.
See What Caleb Did at 85: “From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites — Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai — descendants of Anak” (Joshua 15:14).
Why does the Scripture give their names? Because their names were well known; the giants were what legends are made of. You only name great opponents, and these giants were great enemies with great reputations to match. But Caleb fearlessly drove them out. Doubtless the story was told again and again around the campfires, “Do you remember when Caleb….”
Just How Big were the sons of ANAK?
Caleb said in Numbers: “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us:
- Caleb said, these giants won’t be the means of our defeat but of our growth. We’re gonna eat their lunch! He bellied up to the table and said, please pass the Anakim, Breakfast of Champions!
- Why did your momma make you eat your spinach? Because it was good for you. “But I don’t want to!” But you should, it will make you strong. God says, eat your Anakim!
- We need heroes. We need to know those who have gone before and have conquered the giants of life.
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith….” (Hebrews 12:1-2a, KJV)
Caleb, Holding on for a Blessing. | Evangelical Free Church Stony Stratford (efcss.org.uk)-audio sermon
Joshua 14:6-15: Caleb, Holding out for a Blessing-written article
“I brought back word to him as it was in my heart” — Caleb had God’s Word and promises in his heart (see Num. 14:7–9). He treasured the Lord’s words in his heart. The inheritance was in Caleb long before Caleb was in the inheritance. God’s Word was in his heart before his body was experiencing the promises in God’s Word.
YOUR INHERITANCE HAS TO BE IN YOU BEFORE YOU CAN BE IN IT.
“Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.” — Caleb wholly, completely, followed the Lord.
“Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.” — Caleb knew that he was not fighting for new land; he was simply possessing what was already his. He understood that his inheritance already belonged to him.
“the LORD has kept me alive” — Caleb knew that it was the LORD who had kept him alive. We need to know that it is God who is keeping us alive. Not what we do, not our exercise, not our doctors.
“ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses” — Caleb wholly believed God’s word through Moses that they would claim their inheritance. That’s when he stopped growing old. He WHOLLY believed God’s promise. He wholly kept it in his heart.
The result? God kept Caleb young and strong to possess his inheritance!
“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 had strength for war, and strength for daily life. This is not just spiritual strength. He had physical robust strength! Isaiah 40:31 says, “... those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
“give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day” — Caleb was 85 years old and still strong, still young! God never told Caleb that he was old, but He did tell Joshua that he was old. God kept Caleb young. God honored the word that Caleb had been keeping in his heart.
“It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said” — In the Hebrew, it is not a tentative “it may be that the Lord is with me.” It is a strong and sure “SINCE” the Lord is with me. Caleb knew the Lord had been with him all this time.
Conquering Your Mountains - Grace Revolution Magazine (josephprince.org)
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| "And Caleb drove from there the three sons of Anak—Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai—the descendants of Anak."--Joshua 15:14 |
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