Year 1, Day 199: Joshua 14

Caleb

Today I am going to focus in on Caleb.  We’ve talked at length about Moses.  We’ve learned at lesser length about Joshua.  It is fitting to spend at least one day upon Caleb.

Remember that Caleb was one of the twelve spies who went into Canaan to scout it out.  Caleb and Joshua returned, convinced of their ability to succeed with God’s help.  The other ten persuaded the assembly of Hebrew people that success was impossible and as a result the people wandered for 40 years in the desert.  And like Moses and Joshua, Caleb wandered with them.

A Patient Man

Take a second and imagine what is being said here.  Caleb wandered the desert suffering a punishment that he did not deserve.  He had already received a promise of his inheritance (See Numbers 14:24 and Deuteronomy 1:36).  He already was told that portions of Canaan would become his.  Yet he wandered in the wilderness for 40 years with the ungodly generation!

Let’s take that a little deeper.  Caleb walked 40 years with people who grumbled at how bad a leader Moses was.  Caleb walked 40 years with a people who grumbled against the nature of God.  Caleb walked 40 years with a people who had minimal spirituality – if any.  How much unspiritual behavior did he tolerate as he watched those spiritual people around him fail to impact the lives of that wicked Hebrew generation?

And we grumble when we have to spend a month or two dealing with unspiritual matters and unspiritual people.  Caleb went 40 years!  Oh how insufferably short-sighted I can be.  {I’ll not speak for anyone but myself in that comment.}

A Confident Man

Caleb tolerated all these unspiritual elements of life because he had confidence in God.  Caleb is a great example of Romans 8:5-6.  “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”  Caleb endured because his mind is set on the things of the Spirit.  Caleb endured because his heart is confident that God will work it out in His timing.

A Spiritual Man

And in this passage for today we see that Caleb’s faith in God is built on solid ground.  Caleb’s faith is proven.  Caleb enjoys the land that was promised to him over 40 years prior!

Oh, how fickle my heart can be from time to time.  I want the glory of God now!  I want the demonstration of God’s power now!  I want a great spiritual community of God now.  But I’m not really willing to walk through 40 years in the wilderness to allow God to set that up, am I?  Well, maybe I am – now that the Holy Spirit has convicted me that I should be.

I’m not saying it was easy for Caleb.  I’m not saying that he didn’t have his days where he wished he didn’t have to go through the 40 years.  But the bottom line is that he did go through them.  And he got to the promise of God in the end.

Do you want spirituality?  Sometimes getting into true spirituality means walking through the desert for a period of time.  Sometimes it means walking through the desert for 40 years.  Sometimes we walk through the desert because God needs to make us ready.  Other times we walk through the desert because God needs time to make ready those who will become our spiritual community.  But in almost every case of which I can think, if you want to be spiritual you have to do a little walking through the desert.

I guess it’s time to get my sandals on, then!  Who’s up for a walk – knowing it’s going to be pretty hard out there?

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