If you have your Bibles and you wanna turn with me to Joshua 14, I would like to address Caleb's faith. There's an Old Testament character named Caleb. He was a pretty impressive man. I wanna read his account, his interaction with God, and see what we can glean from it and prosper in our own lives. So if you have your Bibles handy, I'm gonna start reading at verse one. The chapter's not that long, it's not but 15 verses. By way of context, the book of Joshua starts off right after Moses died. Moses had been leading Israel in the wilderness for 40 years. And at the very end of Moses' life, he says, Joshua, you're now the man, the new leader. And Moses passed, and now Joshua took the lead. So as they crossed over, the Jordan River and started claiming the promised land, they had to fight to conquer it, and it took them, at this point, it's about five years' time. So Israel had to enter into the promised land, and they had to subdue it. Joshua was their general. So the Lord blessed them and they had victory. And after that five years, it was time to divvy up the land among all the tribes. So we're at this point in Joshua chapter 14. He's about ready to cast lots. But right before they get to Joshua 14, Caleb says, wait a second, time out. Moses promised me something on the other side. So that's kind of where we're at. Joshua 14. And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eliezer the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribe of the children of Israel distributed for their inheritance to them. By Lot was their inheritance as the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses for the nine tribes and for the half tribe. Now let me try to explain this nine and a half tribe business. If you remember when they were coming up to the promised land and before they had to take that five years to subdue it, two and a half tribes said, we don't want to cross the Jordan River. Matter of fact, we've got cattle and we've got livestock and we're looking at the land on this side of the Jordan and it's just right for us. We don't even want to go over there. And Moses said to the two and a half tribes, okay, we'll give you this. But the problem is, is when we cross, we're going to have to fight. And I don't want Israel to fight with part of the crowd. And they said, Moses said, you can leave your old ones and your young ones and your babies, you can set up house, but when we go over, you've got to promise that you will help us whip all the inhabitants. And the two and a half tribes said, we'll do it. So we're right here, and now they're divvying up the land. They don't have to divvy it up 12 ways. They're only divvying it up 9 1⁄2 ways. Okay, you're saying, how do you divvy up a half a tribe? Well, it turned out that that half tribe, that tribe of Manasseh, half of them said, we want the pasture land, and the other half says, we're willing to wait and go fight and wait to see what the lot falls on us on the other side. So that's why it's 9 1⁄2 tribes. Verse three. For Moses had given the inheritance of two and a half tribes on the other side of Jordan, but unto the Levites he gave none inheritance among them." How do you deliver up 12 tribes? Because I know 9 1⁄2 and 2 1⁄2 is 12, but Levi doesn't get one. Well, if you remember what happened, Joseph had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And because Joseph was such a special guy in God's eyes, he gave him a double lot. So when you read this, there's actually 13 tribes, but Israel only had 12 sons. And the 12 sons, Joseph got two lots. But Levi didn't get a lot. So that's why it's still 12 tribes. Does anybody know why Levi didn't get a tribe? Because they were the priesthood. And they say, your lot is to minister to the Lord and the people will give you your first fruits. And you don't need to grow. You're supposed to be preaching and studying the word and ministering unto the Lord. So we don't want you out there in the farms. We want you in your study, studying the book of God and prayer. Verse four, For the children of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. Therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, and their suburbs for their cattle and their substance. Now, you know, they had a milk cow and things like that, but they weren't cattlemen by trade. Verse six. Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the Kinezite, said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses, the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-Bernia." Now let me explain what happened here. This is really what the whole message is about. If you remember, this is this famous story about sending the 12 spies into the promised land to see what it was like before they crossed in. Well, if you remember that story, and we're going to spend a lot of time talking about that account, 10 of the people said, they're too big. And Joshua and Caleb said, they're too big to miss because he showed such bravery. Moses said, you stood strong when everybody else fell apart. I'm going to give you this one piece of land right here, this choice real estate property. So they're getting all the nine and a half tribes ready. They're going to cast lots and divvy it up. And Caleb turns in his marker. He says, wait a second, wait a second. Take this piece of property off the lot because I am standing in place of Judah and this is ours. So that's where we are in verse six. Verse seven. Now this is Caleb, and Caleb's speaking, and he's speaking to Joshua, because Joshua's about ready to divvy up the nine and a half tribes, and he says, 40 years old was I when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-Berna to espy out the land, and I brought him word again, as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless, my brethren that went up with me had the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord. And Moses swore unto me that day, saying, surely the land whereon my feet have trodden shall thine inheritance and thy children's forever, because thou hast wholly followed the Lord. So basically what he's saying, he says, when I was 40 years old, Moses sent out 12 spies, Joshua was one of them. And one of the spies was Caleb. All the other ones said, we can't do it. Caleb said, we can do it. And Moses said, you can have this property. Now, I want to do some more math with you. At this point in time, when the lots are being divvied up, think about the people Joshua was talking to. You got Joshua, that's 110 years old. You got Caleb that's 85 years old, and everybody else, not everybody else, everybody else is 64 and younger. Think about that. When those two old geezers were walking around, you know how weird that must have looked? Everybody else is 64 years and younger. You're probably thinking, well, 64 is a pretty old geezer anyway, right? Well, don't say it around me. In essence, they're kind of living monuments. Every time you see one of these two men, Joshua, who's 85, that's clearly about 20 years older than anything else around, and you've got, I'm sorry, Caleb, that's 20 years older than anybody around, and you got Joshua that's even older than that, as they're woven around. It's like, can you imagine having your child or your grandma, who's that old guy? I never seen anybody that old before. He's forever old. And that's what they had to look like. But you know what the cool part is? Do you remember when they were wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years? What never wore out? Their shoes. They never had to go to the shoe store and get soles put on their feet. But you know what else happened? Caleb never wore out. we're gonna see he's just as strong and vibrant at 85 as he was at 40. I don't know how that happened. Chronologically, he's 85 years old, but here's this 85-year-old that kinda has the muscles. I'm just thinking, just from 60-something to 40, how much hair has turned gray? How much hair has turned loose? and how loose my skin's gotten, right? And my muscle tone. But he's just as fit and fiddle there. What a monument that should have been. I don't know if he had a six-pack and gray hair. I don't know. All I know, he was pretty stout, and he was pretty energetic. When he got up, he didn't have to brace himself and go, oh, okay, and stretch your legs and get your legs working again. Verse 10. And now, behold, the Lord hath kept me alive, as he said, these 40 and five years, even since the Lord spake his word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. That's 85 years old. 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, five years of conquering, and now he's 85 years old. 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." What a miracle that was. Joshua is what I would call a summary of everything that happened during that period of spying. Now, what I'd like to do is, after we read this summary, I wanna go back to Numbers 13 and 14 and look at just a few of the details that was going on there. I think that'll help us. Because ultimately, I wanna ask this question. Why did God send out a search party? Why did Moses send out spies? I'll give you a hint. It wasn't to find out if we should go take this thing on. I'll give you another hint. It wasn't to ask, how shall we take these people on? Who do you think it was for? Well, let's keep that one. Let's read the rest of this chapter. That's kind of heading where we're going. Now therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day, for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced. If so be the Lord will be with me, then I will be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. And Joshua blessed Caleb and he gave Caleb the land where Hebron was as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb and he represented Judah because that he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron was Kirjath-Barba. And Arba was a great man among the Achaeans. And the land had rest from war. So at 85 years old, there's still a little bit of cleanup, a mop-up operation that goes on, and he leads the charge, and he mops them up, and then he's got peace for the rest of his life. You know, there's a count in scripture, it's in Matthew 14, when Jesus is walking on water, and all the disciples are in the ship, and they're scared. They're scared because it's a bad, now these are seasoned fishermen, and they're seeing the storm, and they're scared. And they see Jesus coming, walking up, and they're even more scared. And then finally someone said, hey, that's Jesus. And you remember, Peter actually gets out of the boat and starts walking to him. What happened? He, what happened to his eyes? Peter's eyes? He took them off Jesus, he started looking at a situation, and as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus and looked at a situation, what happened? He started sinking. Let me ask you something. I believe this account right here with Caleb is very similar to what we just talked about in Matthew 14. We've got 12 spies in an entire nation. And you know what they're gonna do? They're gonna take their eyes off of God, and looked at giants, and looked at walled cities, and looked at their fortified cities, and they're gonna get scared, and they're gonna start to sink. But this time, God did not reach out and grab them and pick them up. This is just not a historical count where we can look out our noses and say those 12 spies, 10 of them were fools and Caleb was a faithful, good for him. No, how many times do we, like the disciples, where we take our eyes off of God and start looking at our circumstances? Have you ever thought about the book of Acts? Do you realize how many obstacles the disciples had when they were trying to set up a church? Plant churches, ordain elders, start congregations. And they run into the Roman authorities. Oh, I can't do this. They took their eyes off God and started looking at Roman authorities. The Jewish authorities, I can't do this, they're trying to kill us. Took their eye off of God and started looking at their problems. Brethren from within, I can't do this, there's too many people within the church, they're naysaying me. Took their eyes off of God and started looking at the brethren that were causing the trouble. The professors, remember on Mars Hill? I can't do this, the professors, they're fussing at me. I take my eyes off of God and start looking at the professors. There's all kinds of things. You jump on a ship, how many times did Paul have a ship fall apart from underneath him? Can't do this, too many storms, the travel's too tough. So if you have your Bibles, now I'm not gonna read all this detail in Numbers 13 and 14, but if you wanna go with me, I'm gonna kinda give you a little bit of overview, so can you backtrack just a couple books? Go to Numbers 13, and I'm gonna do some summarizing here. So in Numbers 13, there's 16 verses there, And there's a whole bunch of names and a whole bunch of tribes. And I'm not gonna read the detail there, but basically I want you to know that there was a representative from all 12 tribes. Again, Levi was left out, because they were the priesthood. But you'll notice here that there was one from every tribe. Caleb represented Judah, and Joshua represented Ephraim, but the other 10 were there. These were the spies. And he sent them in. Now, I asked you a question a little earlier. Why did he send these 12 men into the promised land? I don't think was to answer the question, should we go? Matter of fact, they said no, and they got in a whole mess of trouble. So that wasn't it. And I don't think it was how. Let's go back to the New Testament. Let's look at Jesus for a little bit. How many times did Jesus, with a disciple, and there was a young man there, a boy talking to his father, and he says, how long has this kid been all messed up and possessed by a spirit? Why did Jesus ask that question? Do you think he didn't know the answer? He was setting the context for the miracle. The woman with the blood issue. How long have you had this blood issue? Do you think Jesus didn't know? He knew, but his disciples didn't know. What have you tried so far to fix this blood issue? I've spent every dime I've had on doctors for the last 13 years. Do you think Jesus didn't know that? He knew that he was setting the context. Do you understand? I believe God sent these 12 disciples not to do a reconnaissance mission in terms of finding out should we take this undertaking or should we try to set a strategy of how to do it, but he did it to set the stage for the magnitude of the miracle that was supposed to happen. How many times do you read in the book of Joshua, where Joshua was going into war with Israel, and they had a whole mess of soldiers, and they outnumbered the other people 20 to one, and he says, some of you try us, but stay home, we got this. And they got whipped. And then how many times did they go into battle, and they had inferior numbers, and they whipped the inferior numbers? What was the difference? The difference was one soldier. You know who that soldier was? It was God. Whether you have a lot, or whether you have a litter, whether you're outnumbered, or you outnumber them, the key is, is if God's on your side. And what happened was, when Peter walked out on the water, he took his eyes off of God and looked at his circumstances. And what happened here, these spies took their eyes off of God and started looking at their circumstances. But Caleb had lockjaw or lockneck. He didn't look down. He looked at God. So here we are, here's all this representation here, and that's this first 16 verses. When you go to Numbers 13, if you read 17 through 25, when they went and crossed over and did the reconnaissance mission, they were looking for 40 days. Now, if you know the size of Israel, they couldn't cover the whole thing in 40 days, but it describes their travels, and they came back and they looked, and they found out everything that they were supposed to do in those 40 days. So they reported back in 40 days, and that 40 day was a pretty important number because that 40 days had something to do with the sentence that Israel got, but we'll get there in a second. So then we come over here to Numbers 13, 26 through 33, and after that 40 days of taking notes, Here is the debriefing. They came back and they said everything they saw. Now they didn't have cell phones to take the pictures, so they had to take physical inventory. So they went and whacked off a great big branch of grapes and they hauled it back and they showed everything that was going on and they told how fruitful the land was and how plenteous it was and how bountiful it was, but he also told them how big the walls were and how big the soldiers were. and how many soul people there were. So the debriefing occurred. Then we move forward into Numbers 14, and that's when it gets interesting. Huh, Joshua 14, Numbers 14, and Matthew 14. Is there a message there? I don't know. Israel responds with hysteria. Actually, I think I wanna read this. Let's go to Numbers 14. Let me read one through five. So you have the context. The 12 spies come back. and they're all gathered up, and they don't come back and give the report to Moses, and they don't come back and give the report to Joshua, they come back and everybody's listening. And Israel responds with hysteria. So I'm in Numbers 14, let me read one through five. And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, would God that we died in the land of Egypt, or would God have died, I'm sorry, would God we have died in the wilderness? And therefore, hath the Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be for prey? Were it not better for us to return to Egypt? And they said one to another, let us make a captain and let us return to Egypt. Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation because they were depressed because Israel rejected their leadership. No, that's not why they cried. Anybody reason why they cried? Because they just didn't get it. These people saw all the miracles in Egypt. They saw the miracles of coming through the Red Sea. You know, that 40 years was not any piece of cake. They had plenty of battles during that time, and they were delivered every single time, conquering lands. That's how the two and a half tribes got all that land east of the Jordan. Plenty of victories. And they had a meltdown, and they say, we trust prosperity in Egypt better than prosperity with God. God's not too happy about this decision. He's gonna say, enough's enough. God is long-suffering, but he's not forever-suffering. We're still in Numbers 14. If you move on to this next section of five verses, six through 10, Joshua and Caleb are going to do a rebuttal. So you got the picture? The 10 tribes speak up. And they say, we can't do it. And the people listen, and they jump on the negative. Their fear is really contagious. They were so afraid, and that fear spread through the congregation, and they're ready to do mutiny, kill Moses and Aaron, elect another captain, so they can march right back to Egypt. Isn't that something? Joshua and Caleb says, wait a second, time out. Now I'm figuring there's probably close to a million people here. Are you and Joshua, are you and a friend ready to take on one million hysterical people? Are you brave enough to do that? You're seeing what God is impressed in Caleb for and why he was rewarded. Let's read that account. So I'm in Numbers 14, let me start reading at verse six. You guys are pretty attentive. This Old Testament stuff's pretty neat, isn't it? I got news for ya. If you're ever with little boys and you're putting to bed at night, this is good stuff. This is better than those kid books, okay? Verse six, and Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jethunah, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes. So now it's four against a million. Amen? Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Caleb against a million. I don't like those numbers, but you know what? It's not four against one, it's really five against one, right? You know who the five is, the fifth one? The fifth one's God. I don't care what the numbers are. Whatever God's side on, that's the side I wanna be on. Verse 7, and they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land which we pass through to search it, it is exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into the land, and give it to us, a land that which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land. for they are bred for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us, fear them not." There was a time when you got pretty scared when the Egyptian army was bearing down on you. He got you out of that mess, didn't he? Yeah. But all the congregation bade, stone them with stones. So now the million are starting to reach down and pick up stones, and they're looking at Aaron, and Moses, and Caleb, and Joshua. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of God. Looks like God had the fours back, didn't it? Told you, I'd rather be on the side of four plus one than on the million. God had their back, and I would just love to be there. Can't you hear, plunk, plunk, plunk, plunk, all those stones being dropped? God's got such a sense of humor. So we go to this next section, and if we were to read this, this is 11 through 19. See, what happens is God's gonna get really angry. The glory of the Lord shined and he says, that's it, I had enough. I said I had enough of these people, I'm just gonna wipe them out. Moses, come here, we're gonna start a brand new nation. Now, we think Moses hit the ground and fell on his face because he was depressed because his leadership was rejected. No, that's not why. He was sorry about the people. And God's saying, okay, Moses, I'm gonna get you a brand new country, and we'll multiply them, and we'll start all over. And Moses has the audacity to say, no, God, don't do that. Show mercy on them. And you can see their conversation between God and Moses in 11 through 19. And Moses gives all his reasoning, and he actually talks God into showing some mercy, but not the mercy you expect. Because God was ready to just go wipe them out in one fell swoop. And he didn't wipe them out in one fell swoop. His final judgment was, OK, I'll let them live, but not one of them will ever cross over and enjoy the peace of this promised land. They're my children. but they're not going to get to enjoy the fellowship and the inheritance on the other side. And that conversation is right there. And then let's go to the final part of Numbers 14. That's the last half a dozen verses. Here's God's final verdict. And I'd like to read those. So I'm still in Numbers 14, starting to read at verse 20. And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word. But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be with the glory of the Lord, because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles, which I have did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these 10 times. I just want to show this 10 times. I made the comment earlier, God is long-suffering, but he's not forever-suffering. Just look at you as a biological child. You can look your way so much from a biological child, but there's a time where you say, enough's enough, he's gonna have to pay the price, or she's gonna have to pay the price. That's the way it is God in a earthly sense. I'm not saying in an eternal sense. I'm saying in a earthly sense There's a difference There's a time where dad finally cracks down and that's exactly what he was doing here as a father and verse 22 and have Not hearken unto my voice Surely they shall not see the land which I swear unto their fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it but My servant Caleb, because he hath another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into this land whereunto into he went, and his seed shall possess it. Well, what's this another spirit stuff? Can you have that other spirit? Well, I look at scripture. And you remember those three promises I give you all the time? Well, I don't give them to you, God gives them to you, I quote them all the time. Do you remember those three promises you can take to the bank? Number one, wisdom, James 1.5, Lord, I don't know what to do. I want to do whatever it is. I just don't know what it is. Please tell me." And James 1 says he's going to answer that question every time. The second one is I heard forgiveness. Lord, I messed up. I'm really, really sorry. I'm going to do my best to not repeat that. He promises to forgive us every single time. And the third one is when we ask for the Holy Spirit. Lord, I'm scared. Lord, I'm confused. Lord, I'm anxious. Lord, I'm unsettled, give me your spirit, give me peace, give me understanding, give me comfort. Lord, that's what I, he promises to give the Holy Spirit every time. So what I'm looking at is with Caleb, I'm not gonna put a whole lot of stock in Caleb in terms of his strength or his faith. I'm gonna put more stock in the spirit he asked for that God filled him with. There was a preacher in the Old Testament named Elisha, not to be confused with Elijah. Elijah was Elisha's father in the ministry. And right before Elisha was to take over for his father in the ministry, Elijah asked his son in the ministry, Elijah, what do you want? Do you remember what he asked? He says, I want a double portion of your spirit. So here is a scripture cross, another spirit. We see in scripture a special portion of a double spirit. And then if you go through the scripture, you're gonna see all kinds. In John 20 and 22, you're gonna see an extra measure of the Spirit giving the disciples. In Acts 1 and 5, they were baptized with the Spirit. There was an extra ministry of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. In Acts 10, 45, they were given the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, you know, there's the Spirit that comes at regeneration, but you know what? The Holy Spirit just doesn't kick his feet up and just rest. He's there blessing us all the time. And anytime we're facing something difficult, like walking on water, or facing a million people. Now, how many people have faced a million people? Okay, let's knock a zero off it. How many people have faced 100,000 people? Okay, let's knock another zero off it. How many people have faced 10,000 people? No, let's knock another zero. You see what I mean? It doesn't matter who you're facing. It could be just one nasty old boss. but you need the Lord with you. That's the difference. Caleb had another spirit. He needed an additional measure of the Holy Spirit. And that's why we count on Luke 11, 13. Lord, bless me, fill me with thy spirit. That is not asking to be born again. I don't think a person that's not born again has the sense to ask for the spirit. He's dead. He's too rebellious. Some of the spirit asks for the spirit. Lord, I want some more spirit. I want some spirit in this earthly manner. I can't make it work any other way. So, tempting God 10 times. I'm not going to say, here's the line. I think that line is relative with your age and your circumstance, but there does come a time where you push him, you ignore him, you rebel against him, and finally he's saying, okay, I'm backing away. As a biological father, I've had to do that with children and saying, okay, Lord, I've tried doing my fathering stuff, it's not working anymore. Okay, let's see what happens. Because you can't rebel against him forever because sooner or later he's gonna say, I'm backing away from you too. But the key is about dads. I think about the prodigal son's father. Where was he? He was on the porch. What was he doing on the porch? Looking for his son's return. And when the son returned, what did he do? He hopped off the porch, ran to him, hugged his neck, and threw a great big party. That's what we're talking about here. May the Lord bless us in that. So, I told you I was gonna tell you about Caleb. I tried to tell you about Caleb, so let's wrap it up. Caleb's an Old Testament character. He's a good character, he's a faithful character. He stood up to some very adverse circumstances and he went anyways. How was he able to do it? Really two reasons. One, he was full of the Spirit and he refused to look down. Amen? He kept his eyes focused on God. You can do that at work. You can do that in a traffic jam. You can do that with a president in a political situation. You can do that with an angry customer. You can do that when you're in a fight with your spouse. You can do that with a rebellious child, because it's will against will. No one's going to win. You got to ask for that spirit. You need that special portion of the spirit. May the Lord bless us in our trials in this world and may they glorify him. May God be glorified, thank you.