September 18, 2023 THE SPIRIT OF CALEB
Numbers 14:24 “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring Him into the land he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.”
Joshua 14:10-12 “And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke the word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken.”
The story of Joshua and Caleb is one of my favorites. Joshua and Caleb were the only two out of ten spies that believed that God would let them take possession of the promised land, even though giants lived in the land. Because Caleb had a different spirit about him, and because he followed the Lord fully, God promised that He would bring him into the promised land. It’s quite simple; Caleb followed the Lord fully-even when in the natural it looked foolish to some. I am forced to ask myself if I have a ‘different’ spirit and do I follow the Lord fully. Caleb is a great inspiration. God made the promise to Caleb that he would possess the promise land-but it did not come to pass for forty-five years! Caleb, and the children of Israel, faced physical enemies, and how they dealt with their physical enemies and life in the natural in the Old Covenant is a type or foreshadowing of the spiritual battles we face as those living in the New Covenant. Just as Caleb faced physical enemies, we face spiritual enemies; and just as Caleb drove out physical enemies, we must, with the power we have in Christ, drive our our spiritual enemies. We are spiritual beings who temporarily live in a physical body, but our battles are spiritual battles. For example; if we have anger and bitterness, then we are yielding to a spiritual force of darkness; and if that is the case, then that is the enemy we must drive out. Self, or flesh can be our biggest enemy, and dying to ourselves may be the biggest mountain we face-that is a spiritual battle. Caleb possessed the promise land; the promise land represents life in Christ. For us, as we drive out spiritual enemies, as we die to our flesh, we then possess the life we have in Christ. It is crucial that we recognize the lies of our spiritual enemies so that we can reject the lies. We must be grounded in the word of God and the ways of God and make the choice to walk in His ways. Our enemies are subtle and deceitful; and it is their desire to cause us to turn away from living as unto Christ. As Caleb remained physically strong in old age, we can remain spiritually strong no matter our age. Caleb was not intimidated by his enemies; he never wavered in regards to the promises of God; and He followed God fully. Caleb wanted the high country that God had promised. The ‘high country’ that God has promised every believer is abundant life in Christ. Even though our battles are spiritual in nature, often they impact the natural or physical. God has spoken to us and given us great promises; let us take and possess what He has given. God does not always answer immediately; so continue to seek what He has promised.
Joshua 14:14 “Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord
God of Israel fully.”
Blessings, Buddy
Numbers 14:24 “But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring Him into the land he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.”
Joshua 14:10-12 “And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke the word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord has spoken.”
The story of Joshua and Caleb is one of my favorites. Joshua and Caleb were the only two out of ten spies that believed that God would let them take possession of the promised land, even though giants lived in the land. Because Caleb had a different spirit about him, and because he followed the Lord fully, God promised that He would bring him into the promised land. It’s quite simple; Caleb followed the Lord fully-even when in the natural it looked foolish to some. I am forced to ask myself if I have a ‘different’ spirit and do I follow the Lord fully. Caleb is a great inspiration. God made the promise to Caleb that he would possess the promise land-but it did not come to pass for forty-five years! Caleb, and the children of Israel, faced physical enemies, and how they dealt with their physical enemies and life in the natural in the Old Covenant is a type or foreshadowing of the spiritual battles we face as those living in the New Covenant. Just as Caleb faced physical enemies, we face spiritual enemies; and just as Caleb drove out physical enemies, we must, with the power we have in Christ, drive our our spiritual enemies. We are spiritual beings who temporarily live in a physical body, but our battles are spiritual battles. For example; if we have anger and bitterness, then we are yielding to a spiritual force of darkness; and if that is the case, then that is the enemy we must drive out. Self, or flesh can be our biggest enemy, and dying to ourselves may be the biggest mountain we face-that is a spiritual battle. Caleb possessed the promise land; the promise land represents life in Christ. For us, as we drive out spiritual enemies, as we die to our flesh, we then possess the life we have in Christ. It is crucial that we recognize the lies of our spiritual enemies so that we can reject the lies. We must be grounded in the word of God and the ways of God and make the choice to walk in His ways. Our enemies are subtle and deceitful; and it is their desire to cause us to turn away from living as unto Christ. As Caleb remained physically strong in old age, we can remain spiritually strong no matter our age. Caleb was not intimidated by his enemies; he never wavered in regards to the promises of God; and He followed God fully. Caleb wanted the high country that God had promised. The ‘high country’ that God has promised every believer is abundant life in Christ. Even though our battles are spiritual in nature, often they impact the natural or physical. God has spoken to us and given us great promises; let us take and possess what He has given. God does not always answer immediately; so continue to seek what He has promised.
Joshua 14:14 “Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord
God of Israel fully.”
Blessings, Buddy
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