Please be seated. Let us pray once again. O Lord, we glory in You as our Redeemer and we come now for a time of meditation upon Your Word and we pray that your Holy Spirit will be guiding us, especially, Lord, as we look at the importance of faith and the nature of that faith and how it is exercised practically, Lord, even in the midst of hard circumstances. And we pray, Lord, that your Holy Spirit will guide my words and that our hearts, Lord, and our lives may be transformed in the light of your presence as you speak to us. Be with us, Lord, for the coming days and the coming years, Lord. We entrust our lives to you. In Jesus' name, Amen. Have you ever heard an unbeliever, an atheist trying to give you a tour of Bible stories? Usually it comes with a lot of mockery, a lot of skepticism. He will go through the stories of miracles and skip over them and mock them. He will come to the stories of the absurdity of the cross and on and on it goes. Yet the reality is that with all that boasting, with all that unbelief, That person is going to spend his whole eternity in hell. That person is going to be separated from God, the God he mocked for these cheap words. And that will be a point of no return. And so the believer instead understands that you cannot approach the Bible without faith. You cannot approach the promises of God without faith. and that whatever your circumstance, the goal is to keep God in the picture. And the text that I chose for that meditation tonight comes from the Book of Numbers. If you have your Bible, chapter 14 of the Book of Numbers, we will focus our attention to this entire story that is told of Joshua and Caleb. It started chapter 13, verse 26, all the way to verse 38 of chapter 14. And yet the text of our attention is from the words of Caleb, which in verse 9 of chapter 14 tells us these words, speaking to the people of Israel. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land. for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them." So the Book of Numbers is a book that describes the numbers of vast numbers of people. It starts describing this number of people that come out of Egypt, and they are in the wilderness, and Why does that book start with all these genealogies? Well, God wanted to make a point there with these genealogies. He wanted to show that the reason why Israel, which now in this text is in the wilderness, the reason why they were not able to enter the promised land was not because of the lack of numbers. It was because of their lack of their faith, as we see in the story of Joshua and Caleb. They're described in chapter 11 of Numbers, verse 4, as a rabble with strong craving. I was always fascinated by those words, because they're describing a mixed multitude that has come out of Egypt, and it is mixed also between believers and unbelievers. And here, Israel has left, in our chapter, they have left Sinai. They just saw the Lord, they saw the miracles, they saw the signs, and now they're approaching Kadesh, on the wilderness of Zin, which is on the verge of the promised land. They're about to finally enter the promised land. They wait for 12 spies from 12 tribes that have been sent to bring a report, each from each of the tribes of Israel. It is finally time for Israel to claim the promises of God. Finally the story, you would think, will come to an happy ending. That's what you expect. Instead, in the story of Joshua and Caleb, there is a tragic, unexpected turn of events, which will essentially twist the whole story of numbers. Because the report of the spies come. But it's driven by fear and frustration, faithlessness. And now God sentenced Israel for 40 years to die in the wilderness because of their unbelief. Because they rejected the promises of God. And so, not even an offer to go back and try to conquer the land. after they realize they screwed up, will be able to repair the breach of faith that they have caused too late. And so the book of Numbers after this episode is one missed opportunity after another. Even Moses himself will fail and be unable to enter the promised land. in chapter 20 of Numbers. And so we need to understand what is going on here with the tragic episode in light of the fact that God had said that He was going to give that land. There was a promise of His Word that the people of God had seen in action through miracles. And that's where Caleb, in the words of our text, stands in our episode as the only hopeful note because he has faith in God's promises. Despite the apparent obstacles, He is teaching us that faith in God's promise leads us to inherit life. Faith in God's promise is what gives us inheritance in heaven, ultimately. But unbelief ultimately leads to assured death. And the only reason that you can trust in the promises of God is if you keep God in the picture. And we are going to see four points tonight, briefly. Keeping God in the picture is done by silencing unbelief. We will look at voicing faith. We will look at remembering the mercy of God and also pondering the consequences of our faith or our unbelief. And so, first of all, we see all the way to the beginning of this story, in chapter 13, verse 26 on, that Unbelief is the pessimism that paralyzes, at this point, a great portion of Israel. The spies have come back from bringing the tangible fruits from spying the land. And they say, it indeed is a land that flows with milk and honey, and that would have solved the problem. Isn't that the fulfillment of the promise of God? And yet, they don't stop there. They say, nevertheless. Nevertheless, they look at mere fact. They're ruled by what humanly possible. The cons are outdoing the pro, as they therefore give a bad report to the people of God. They say, this is a strong people. They have 45 big cities. They're giants. This Anak is descending from giants, men of enormous stature that were in the land. And so what are we in comparison to these great things? I mean, we're like grasshoppers ready to be smashed under the feet of these giants. There is no way that we can go. They saw what God had done in Egypt. through grasshoppers, they saw the signs of God in the desert, and still they didn't believe. They even come to say, this is a land that devours its inhabitants, which is an exaggeration to push the people of Israel to just give up and go back to Egypt. They are stronger than we are. Now, technically, that's true. In themselves, they will never do this. They cannot do this. But who is left out of the picture in these words? God is left out of this reasoning. And notice that in chapter 14, the first verses of chapter 14, just show that unbelief doesn't stop there. Unbelief is not just a paralyzing pessimism, but it grows into backsliding. Backsliding. First it starts with the contrasting thought in the mind as they were going through the land. Then the lips start to open up. Then there is a listing of the facts that are against us and the situation. They try to rationally convince themselves that this is out of the question, there is no way. And then from that they move into grumble and they move then to give the fault to God, ultimately. They whine. They are continuously murmuring. Only we have died in this wilderness. Why has the Lord brought us into this land? Which means, God, you're going to kill us. You are unable to bring us into the promised land. That's what they're saying. And then from there, unbelief, the cycle continues. And it gets worse and worse. They start to say, let us select a leader and go back to Egypt. And so, This unbelief spreads like gangrene to the point that in verse 10 of chapter 14, they even want to stone Moses and Aaron. So, we learn here that if our life only focuses on what is visible, what you see with your eyes, our doubts only grow. to the point that it will bring us to the verge of destruction. And that's what's going on. This is our struggle with unbelief. I mean, if you're like me and sometimes you tend to be pessimistic, there's a lot to learn from this story. that God somehow may grant us sometimes even some signs of his faithfulness, like those fruits, those evidence that this is a land of milk and honey. And then he will withdraw and he will test to see the nature of our faith by testing. And that has been going on through the whole wilderness experience. Because God wants to invite us to believe, but he tests us by placing us in impossible circumstances. Circumstances that, from a human standpoint, are impossible. And when you're there, the problem is not necessarily becoming discouraged. Because we are human. God doesn't expect us to be perfect. But when that discouragement leads us to sin, when it leads to cowardice, when it leads to lack of conviction, and even turning against the Lord without words, We don't realize how our thinking and our words impact us and the people around us. We tend to evaluate situation from human perspectives. And what does unbelief do? It overlooks God's promise and power. It magnifies every danger and difficulty to the point that you come to your heart is melted. You just have no strength. There's no courage left. And there is a form of unbelief in the unbeliever that is exactly that. And it doesn't produce a sorrow that leads to repentance. It is only producing sorrow, tears that are not truly repentant. There's sorrows that leads to death. Think of Saul crying over Samuel after he has lost the kingdom. But he's not really repenting and dealing with the nature of the trouble in his heart. And so Israel here sin all the more. And so the answer to unbelief needs to be, even for believers, strong. I like a book by Baptist Puritan, Octavius Winslow. He says in his book on the nature of backsliding, and the spiritual declension in believers. There is no consideration more humbling for a believer. After all God has done for him, after all the rich displays of his grace, the patience and the tenderness of his instruction, the token of love received and the lesson learned, that they shall still exist in the heart at a tendency of secret, alarming departure from God. That is backsliding. That is spiritual declensions. And sometimes we have to turn those doubts down. We have to silence unbelief and redirect our thoughts and words into a position of faith and trust in the Lord. When we find ourselves so much complaining about our lot, when we don't realize that we live in a fallen world and where else could it be better? God asks you in that circumstance, believer, for a specific purpose. Instead of asking what do experts say, what the media says, we should ask, what does God say to my situation? That's how you stop that cycle of doubt and unbelief. How does God bear upon my situation? And that's where we silence unbelief. But secondly, we voice faith. And we see that especially in chapter 13, verse 30, where Caleb now starts to come to the scene. And he shows us the opposite, that faith is the optimism that overcomes. Faith overcomes the world. In direct, sharp contrast with all the Israelites here, Caleb immediately silenced and quieted the people. He says, silence. In the face of all these objections, He says, let us go up at once. Surely, let us go up. That's the Hebrew construction. We can do this. Undoubtedly, let us take possession of the promised land because we are able to overcome. We are able to prevail on that land. So we see that Caleb here has an attitude of confidence. He knows, not because he's stronger than these giants. Of course, he is not. But because he's keeping God in the picture. Because God is with us. Therefore, we can do this. And that's where faith grows, not into backsliding, but into perseverance. And we see this in chapter 14, verses 5 and 9 of our story. First of all, notice that if you rightly understand unbelief, you mourn for it as a great sin before God. You have Moses, you have Aaron, they are falling on their faces. Joshua and Caleb, they tore their clothes. This was a sign of mourning. They do so because they care for God's glory more than their need. And they show here a sorrow that leads to life. They understand that the only hindrance to take the land is sin. You see, if God delights in us, if God is pleased with our behavior, then fear and rebellion are what can take away us from the favor of the Lord. And we must deal with that at once. But if the Lord is with us, that no protection of the enemy can deliver him. No fear should overcome us as believers, because God is with us. In fact, instead of being grasshoppers, the enemy becomes our bread. Which is, in Italy we say the same thing, you know, bread for my teeth. Well, that means that he's gonna make a mess of them. And that's the opposite, the very opposite That instead of focusing on the visible, you focus on the unseen presence of God. Then all the doubts vanish. And you are able to stand against any obstacle. But not because of your great faith. but because of your great God. You see, the object of faith is what makes the difference here. That Caleb believes in a great God. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge, as Psalm 46 tells us. Faith overcomes the world, and the key factor is the faith in who? In an omnipotent, all-powerful God. who is with me as I face those obstacles. And so we need to remind ourselves in our challenges and circumstances of the character of God, unchanging. Caleb is not important because he has great faith. Caleb is important because he believes in a great God. That's what gives boldness. That's what gives courage. Not only to believe, but to act in faith. And to show that faith in actions. Because of who God is, therefore we can do it. And that often goes beyond all odds. When everything is against... That's the way that God gets His glory. To make the circumstance so impossible. And yet the majority opinion... In these days we see a lot of that challenge. That we sometimes measure what is right or wrong according to what everyone else is doing. And if anything, teaches us in this story is that the voice of the minority, which is often overlooked, is instead to have a central place. I mean, times like this with the virus and other fears that we can be tempted as Christians to follow the majority. But you see, truth cannot be measured by numbers, by the strength, by what other people are doing What is humanly possible? You have a choice here. You either fear the Lord, or you fear your enemies. And so, if you only would keep God in the picture. If you only would seek to honor God with our trust, rather than dishonor Him with our doubts. See, in fact, if agreeing with a majority may cause you to go against God, you might have to stand alone and defend. the glory of God. You see, only lack of faith becomes the true obstacle. But again, this is a grief that leads to life, a sorrow into life. Caleb, Joshua, Moses, they don't show that the sorrow into life of true repentance is willing to deal with the root of our sin and to examine ourselves beyond the circumstances, our reaction in that circumstance. then and only then we can turn to God for mercy. And that's what we do next, our third point from verse 13 to 20, we see that Moses recites the mercy of God. And he teaches us that we must turn, wherever our position is, whether it is unbelief or belief, we must turn to the mercy of God. I mean, as it happened before in the wilderness, that God is in the verge of wiping out Israel for their unbelief, Moses intercedes for them. And he holds on to the glory of God and to the reputation of God. Lord, if you're going to do this, then the nations are going to say that. So don't do that. And God listened and pardoned the iniquity according to the intercession of Moses. And yet, the consequences will still be high. Because by not keeping God in the pictures, Israel failed to see the consequence of unbelief. And there's a last point. We keep God in the picture by calling out the consequences. And there's two consequences here. That unbelievers forfeit the promise. And they lose the promise. And all throughout this story in chapter 14, that a consequence of unbelief and its fruit are lethal." Their complaint was before the glory of the Lord. God's presence in the tabernacle, dwelling with the people of Israel. They didn't reject the land. They didn't reject Joshua or Caleb. They're rejecting the Lord. They didn't believe in God. And that is inexcusable because of all the signs that they saw ever since from Egypt. And they saw the glory of God, the signs and the miracles, and yet they complained. Complaint after complaint. God says, they tested me 10 times in a row. Moses, we're trapped at the sea. Moses, this water is bitter. Moses, we want bread. Moses, we want meat. Moses, we're thirsty. Moses, we're hungry. We want more. We need an idol. And now that's enough. And if you have children and they come to you, one complain after another, what a father does after a while, that's enough. And that's what's going on here. that they cross the line. And as a consequence of their forfeiting of the promise, those spies who have given a bad report will die of pestilence. And the whole people of Israel will lose the inheritance of the promised land. 40 years, for 40 days of each expedition into the spies, as they rejected God, so God will reject them. They will not even see the promise. by no means shall they enter it." These are harsh words. Surely this is not to happen. Yes, I forgive, I pardon, but they shall not enter the land because they didn't believe in me. And so He invites the people of Israel to go back on their steps and to go back into the wilderness on the way of the Red Sea. and their carcasses will be consumed and die." That's frightening result of unbelief. That is a warning for us. But why? Our text says something interesting here. That the reason of this, and we find this especially in verse 25 to 29, it says, "...all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord." Israel, you and all coming generations will see of this. And nations shall come to know the God of this passage. And it is me that you have attacked. It is my glory that you have tested. And so now, because of that, no matter your human failure, my purpose will not be defeated. And so, The promise of God extends to us, but to those who believe. And that is the consequence, that is the outcome, that believers inherit the promise. Joshua and Caleb chapter 14 verse 24, verse 30 and verse 38 gives us the reward of that faith. In direct opposition to the rest of the people, you have Caleb and Joshua. And Caleb and any true believer is characterized by having a different spirit, a different attitude. They follow me fully. Now the name Caleb literally means wholehearted. Wholehearted. And for that, God will bring him into the promised land. He will inherit it. God makes an exception for him and Joshua. In fact, Joshua, as you know, is coming in the next conquering of the whole land. They remain alive among all the spies. And later, Caleb, in the book of Joshua, we are told he conquers Eberron. And why Abraham is important? Because that's where the tombs of the patriarchs are. He wants to get the best spot. He wants to get the best spot where Abraham is buried. He is bringing that faith of Abraham ahead. And so, despite the tragedy here of this entire apostasy of the nation of Israel, God has still His chosen people. And Caleb is that bringing of the covenant with Abraham forward. He receives field and villages. And this is interesting. He is 85 years old by that time. At 85 years of age, Caleb drives the giant Anakites from the place of Abram. We're told in Judges 1.20. And listen to his words. It's like, imagine a man 85 years old saying this. In Joshua 14. Verse 11 to 12, I am still as strong today as I was in the day when Moses sent me. My strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said. Now that's a man of God to his deathbed. That turns from unbelief to faith. in the mercy of God for eternal life. Because if you don't do that, eternal death awaits us. We are speaking of an inheritance, friends, that is far greater than the land of Canaan. And there is an inheritance that can only be accessed by mercy. That indeed we receive full pardon because of that promise ultimately fulfilled in Christ. that forgives us. That you could say, remember Caleb comes from the tribe of Judah. That same tribe where the Savior will come from. And he is the greater Caleb who obeyed wholeheartedly to the law of God. Fully, to the last bits. Even when Caleb, human Caleb, had failed, we're not told, but he's still a sinner. And so he obeys all the way to the cross, where he was banished from God. You could say that his carcass was there displayed for the curse of the wilderness. Like a scapegoat going into the wilderness. And pay the judgment and the wrath of God for our sinful unbelief. And that's where we need to turn in faith and trusting in that perfect provision of Jesus Christ. to be saved from the coming hour of a greater judgment than the one of the Israelites in the wilderness. That's where we receive full pardon for our sins. The same God who gave the believing spies a promised land. He's the one who offers us and many of the saints who came before us and died in faith, not having received what they were promised. An eternal inheritance, incorruptible in the heavenly places. But it is only accessible through the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. And so, if you falter in unbelief, ask Him, Lord have mercy. Realize that, I like what Thomas Brooks, another Puritan, who wrote an entire book on murmuring and the sin of murmuring, which is, again, chief sin of Israel in the desert. Realize this, O believer, it was love that laid those heavy crosses on your shoulders, grace that placed those yokes on your necks, so you might become like your Savior. This should cause quietness and calm into our spirit. Otherwise, again, there is another inheritance. And in fact, the forfeiting of the inheritance points to a damnation of anyone who doesn't have real, genuine, lasting, persevering faith. Persistent unbelief as a cause. That is what we see here in the text. We don't realize the seriousness of unbelief. That God may spare you for the moment, but you can be sure that your sin will find you out. Beware especially of slandering the gifts of God. And I'm afraid that many in the church rely on the fact that they have embraced this forgiveness, but they don't see the consequences of their sin. They don't practically turn from sin. And they prove to be carnal professors, just like the majority of Israel in the wilderness in the end. In the end. These Israelites did not persevere to the end. Gradually, the deserts swallow them up because they are holding to sin, pretend to be among the people of Israel. They think that they can keep their adulterous way and still access to the holiness of God and inherit the kingdom of God. That is profound deception. I love what Deuteronomy 29, verse 19 says to that. is warning the people who are, again, about to enter the land. "...may it not happen when someone hears the word of God, he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart. But as the Lord says, the Lord will not spare him. His jealousy will burn against that man and will blot out his name from under heaven." This is serious. Trampling the Son of God. Make sure not to reach that point of non-return. That's the last straw of divine patience. And this morning you went through the book of Hebrews. Well, the greatest purpose of that book was indeed to warn. warned Jewish believers or nominal believers who are tempted to go back to Judaism and apostatize. And the example in chapter 3 of Hebrews, verse 16 and 19, is Israel in the wilderness. With whom was God provoked for 40 years? Was it not with those whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they will not enter His rest? He will not enter promised land. But to those who were disobedient. So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. And when false believers reach that level of stubborn rebellion, Hebrews warns that it is almost impossible to lead them to repentance. Because they have been partakers even of heavenly gifts, they have come so close to the truth and failed. Only true believers by faith can enter God's rest. There is no other way. And so it needs to be by faith that you enter into this inheritance. What will make your condition better is not a removal of any obstacles, but to place your spirit in a frame of faith and of trust in Jesus Christ. Not to walk ahead of God, being willing to deal with the hypocrisy of your heart, so that you might follow the Lord fully, without disputing And there is a great reward in that faith. That you will be vigorous even in old age. That you live a blessing even to your children. Isn't that what we all crave for? But that's the reward of faith. That without faith, you cannot please God. You cannot approach God. You cannot inherit heaven. And if any difficulty in the way of assurance is found in you, they can vanish. only through a lively and active faith in what God promised. God says in His promise, so I bow to that. That is the trust in the promise of God. And so who understands this? Very few. And that's what we see here. Joshua, Caleb, Moses, Aaron. And then you have the 99% of the people of Israel at this point. 1 Corinthians 10.5 says, Nevertheless, with most of them, God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. The astounding thing is that only two out of the whole congregation understood this. And that is the nature of the election of God, a truth that we often forget. You see, true Israel, Paul says in Romans, is the one who is circumcised in the heart. and not the one fleshly and outwardly. And that is not something that only came about as Jesus comes. No, it was there in the Old Testament. It was there here. There was only a remnant. Only few. And are we among the few? Are you among the few? Have you placed your trust in Jesus Christ and in the mercy of God? So a few concluding postscriptum, you know, PS. What do we make of this story of Caleb? That first of all, submission to God and trust to His plan and provision are essential. This is an essential thing for you as a believer. The best way to resign yourself to the will of God and to surrender your understanding, whatever circumstance you face, Secondly, how can you escape and neglect such great salvation? And this is a warning for those who do not possess that faith, and they are walking in unbelief. Either you put your confidence in the judgment of man, or the judgment of your mind, and the judgment of your circumstances, or you put your confidence in the Word of God. So may God help us believe. And also as believers, a third one is that there's no way to face the challenges, especially that lies ahead for us in the coming weeks and months, apart from faith. That no matter the difficulties, you have to commit to give your entire life to God and to stick to the Lord's. That if God is with us, And we better be on His side, then nothing can be against us. So will you follow the Lord? Not just follow the Lord, but follow the Lord fully, wholeheartedly. Will you trust the Lord all the way, and just limit yourself to the marching order He gives us? Now this will be impossible again, apart from the model we have in Jesus Christ. And here's the marching orders. Believe in Jesus. Because that's how you access life, ultimately, true life, eternal life. Fail to believe in Him? Then it doesn't matter how much you saw God at work around you. It doesn't matter how much you had witnessed to the reality of God, even if you tasted, His doing, even if you joined outwardly the community of God, like many of this Israel in the wilderness, you will face eternal death. That is the price of unbelief. And so, Lord, help our unbelief. Turn to Jesus Christ in faith. Let us pray. Lord, we thank You for Your Word. and we pray that indeed you will engrave it into our hearts, that we help us in our unbelief, whether we are as believers still struggling in a fallen world to trust in You, facing great challenges, looking at the circumstances, giving our list and complaining before You, how we wish it was different, Lord, forgive us. And grant us, Lord, to exercise faith actively in our actions. And Lord, if there's anyone that does not embrace fully this faith in Christ, may tonight they turn around from their unbelief, their thoughts, their trust in themselves and trust only in You. And in Jesus Christ's name that we pray, Amen.