Text: Numbers.13:1-3, 17-33; 14:1-2, 6-10, 21-24
When we talk of strength, it can imply:
- Physical power: the physical power to carry out demanding tasks;
- Emotional toughness: the necessary qualities required to deal with stressful or painful situations;
- Resistance: the ability to withstand force, pressure, or stress;
- Defensive ability: the ability to resist attack.
Every living soul on the surface of the earth has an amount of strength being used in various situations. However, the strength can be limited through sickness, accident, idleness or laziness.
In Numbers 13, Caleb and Joshua, along with 10 other men, were sent into Canaan to see if the land was good or bad and whether the land that God had promised them was even worth fighting for (Numbers 13:17-20). After 40 days of spying out the land during the beginning of the grape harvest, these spies brought back an amazing report. One cluster of grapes was carried by two men on a pole. The spies told of an amazing abundance of fruit, milk and honey (Numbers 13:23-27)
Ten of the spies were fearful of what they found concerning the men and the cities. Their report was that the cities were large and had strong walls around them. The children of Anak, who were known to be giants, along with many of the future enemies of Israel lived in Canaan (Numbers 13:28-33).
While there was much concern for the strength of the cities and the size of the people, Caleb stood up for the promises of God. Caleb, later supported by Joshua, urged Moses and the people of Israel to trust God and possess the land (Numbers 13:30). Majority of the spies scared the people so much that they wept all night after their return and longed for the days in Egypt wishing to die at the hand of their slave masters (Numbers 14:1-4). Joshua and Caleb pleaded with the people to trust God for His promises. The people were so angry with these two faithful spies that they wanted to stone them (Numbers 14:6-10). Surely, Caleb must have seen the walled cities and the children of Anak, yet his message is quite different from those that went with him to spy out the land.
Caleb’s strength was not his own. Caleb was strong in the Lord. Num.14:8 “If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it us.”
Three things stand out about Caleb’s character:
- Caleb was willing to die for the sake of the Lord, at the hands of the Canaanites. Allegiance to God is often profoundly lonely and isolating.
- Caleb did not think of his people as grasshoppers, and the enemy as unbeatable giants. He believed, “The protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:9)
- God judges Caleb very differently to the people; and makes a special promise to him and his descendants by giving them an inheritance on the mountain belonging to the giants; Numbers 14:24; Josh.14:10-14
Discussion:
- From the life of Caleb, discuss the following:
- Majority opinion is not an accurate measurement of right and wrong; Num.14:6-9, 24;
- Boldness based on God’s faithfulness is appropriate; Num.14:10-12, 30;
- For courage and faith to be effective, they must combine words and actions;
- Read and discuss Joshua.14:6-14 in line with the Ministry’s theme; “Strength to strength”
- From the following passages, discuss the sources of Caleb’s strength and what helped him to possess the strength
- Numb.13:30; Josh.14:6-14;
- Numb.14:6-9; 20-24; 26-30; 37-38
- Possessing strength like Caleb:
- From the life of Caleb and the scriptures, discuss how one can obtain strength like Caleb
- How can one obtain strength like Caleb from the following passages? Ps.37:4; 5; Prov.3:5; Num.14:24; Mk.9:23; Mt.17:20
Conclusions:
From these few chapters in the Bible we get a sense that Caleb was a faithful man of God. He trusted the promises of God even when others did not. God blessed Caleb for his faithfulness and what an encouragement to us to be faithful to the promises of God. We don’t have to make God’s promises happen. He is perfectly capable of that. But, like Caleb, we should be prepared to follow God and patiently anticipate the fruition of those promises.