Joshua 14:11 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.
Oh Friends, what a powerful statement! Valiant, confident words spoken by an eighty five year old. ‘Lo, I am this day, fourscore and five years old.’ (vs.10) And why is he still so strong and confident at an age when most men stutter and dodder around? ‘Behold, the Lord hath kept me alive…’ (vs.10) Yes Friends, the Lord our God, had kept him alive and strong, as He’s won’t to do when we faithfully do His will. Those are the words of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; one of the twelve men sent by Moses to espy the Promised Land. The only one who agreed with Joshua on their ability to conquer the land. ‘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. 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.’ (Num.13:30-31) They call it democracy; the voice of the many prevailing over that of the few. But what happened here? Because the Israelites listened to the negative ten and not the positive two, they wandered in the wilderness for another forty years, suffering the pangs of want and deprivation, when a land of milk and honey was just over the river. They lacked sufficient faith in the promise and the strength of the Lord God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How sad Friends! But that’s what happens when we call ourselves believers, but don’t obey the Lord’s commands. He won’t tell us to do something and then not fulfill His promise. So beware, the voice of the people, is not, never ever, greater than the voice of God! Years later, that defection still haunted Moses. When the children of Reuben and Gad, cattle herders, saw that the land on the east side of Jordan was excellent for cattle farming, they asked Moses for it. But Moses answered: ‘Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them? Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land…they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them. And the Lord’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying.’ That no man over twenty who came up from Egypt would see the Promised Land, ‘because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb…and Joshua: for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ (Num.32: 6-12) So he allowed them to wander forty more years, till that generation died. Oh people, please understand, our Lord’s punishment can be of great magnitude, just like His generosity! And note, the Lord specifically inserted the word ‘wholly’ when He talked about following Him, because He’s not interested in halfway relationships: It’s either all or nothing at all. So let’s remember that in our decision-making. It’s why Caleb, at eighty five, could claim to be as strong as he was at forty five. He trusted in the Lord completely, through all those rough years. And he could say to Joshua, ‘Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim 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.’ (vs.12) Bravo Caleb! And what did Joshua do? He was no spring chicken either. ‘And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance.’ (vs.13) Ah Friends, today, as we go about the Lord’s work, please let the faithfulness of Caleb strengthen out hearts, minds and bodies in the promises and the goodness of our Lord towards those who follow Him completely. And like him, may we say with certainty, ‘As yet I am as strong as I was in the day that Moses sent me.’ Much LOVE!…no halfway measures please…says the Lord…
Oh Friends, what a powerful statement! Valiant, confident words spoken by an eighty five year old. ‘Lo, I am this day, fourscore and five years old.’ (vs.10) And why is he still so strong and confident at an age when most men stutter and dodder around? ‘Behold, the Lord hath kept me alive…’ (vs.10) Yes Friends, the Lord our God, had kept him alive and strong, as He’s won’t to do when we faithfully do His will. Those are the words of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh; one of the twelve men sent by Moses to espy the Promised Land. The only one who agreed with Joshua on their ability to conquer the land. ‘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. 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.’ (Num.13:30-31) They call it democracy; the voice of the many prevailing over that of the few. But what happened here? Because the Israelites listened to the negative ten and not the positive two, they wandered in the wilderness for another forty years, suffering the pangs of want and deprivation, when a land of milk and honey was just over the river. They lacked sufficient faith in the promise and the strength of the Lord God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. How sad Friends! But that’s what happens when we call ourselves believers, but don’t obey the Lord’s commands. He won’t tell us to do something and then not fulfill His promise. So beware, the voice of the people, is not, never ever, greater than the voice of God! Years later, that defection still haunted Moses. When the children of Reuben and Gad, cattle herders, saw that the land on the east side of Jordan was excellent for cattle farming, they asked Moses for it. But Moses answered: ‘Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them? Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land…they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel that they should not go into the land which the Lord had given them. And the Lord’s anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying.’ That no man over twenty who came up from Egypt would see the Promised Land, ‘because they have not wholly followed me: Save Caleb…and Joshua: for they have wholly followed the Lord.’ (Num.32: 6-12) So he allowed them to wander forty more years, till that generation died. Oh people, please understand, our Lord’s punishment can be of great magnitude, just like His generosity! And note, the Lord specifically inserted the word ‘wholly’ when He talked about following Him, because He’s not interested in halfway relationships: It’s either all or nothing at all. So let’s remember that in our decision-making. It’s why Caleb, at eighty five, could claim to be as strong as he was at forty five. He trusted in the Lord completely, through all those rough years. And he could say to Joshua, ‘Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim 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.’ (vs.12) Bravo Caleb! And what did Joshua do? He was no spring chicken either. ‘And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, Hebron for an inheritance.’ (vs.13) Ah Friends, today, as we go about the Lord’s work, please let the faithfulness of Caleb strengthen out hearts, minds and bodies in the promises and the goodness of our Lord towards those who follow Him completely. And like him, may we say with certainty, ‘As yet I am as strong as I was in the day that Moses sent me.’ Much LOVE!…no halfway measures please…says the Lord…
SCRIP-BITS 