Caleb: Enduring Confidence

 

Have you ever had to suffer for the shortcomings of someone else? Have you ever looked forward to something good in anticipation only to have an unexpected delay? Have you ever felt like those around you didn’t see what you saw, and just weren’t on the same page as you; like they ignored what you had to say and went against you? Well, someone in the Bible dealt with all of these things, and handled it with patience and nobility. This man was Caleb. He was one out of only two of the original generation of Israelites that came out from the land of Egypt who survived the wilderness to enter the promised land. With such a record, it seems wise to see what we can learn from his example.
As was mentioned, Caleb was one of the Israelites who was born as a slave in Egypt, and came out during the Exodus under the leadership of Moses and the power of God. He, like all the Israelites, went through the Red Sea, saw the majesty of God at Sinai, and knew something of the character and purposes of the Lord. As the people were preparing to cross the Jordan River and enter the land of Canaan, God commanded Moses to send spies to scout out the land, twelve men, chiefs among the people, one from each tribe of Israel; one of these men was Caleb. The scouts went out into the land for forty days, to gather the fruit of the land and see what they were up against, and then afterwards came and reported to the people. As an important note, God had promised all the people that He would go before them and give them victory over their enemies, no matter how strong they were; yet when the spies came back from scouting out the land, we see a problem. In Numbers 13:27-31 we see the report of the twelve spies, 
“And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. … But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel an evil report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height … we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers … Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night.”
Here we see the first delineation between Caleb and the other spies; Caleb says, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” This is not a self-confident, boastful presumption or naivety, but rather a declaration of his faith and confidence in the promises of God and His ability to give them victory. On the other hand, the other spies said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” This too is not because they were unaware of God’s promise; they, like Caleb, had seen God deliver them mightily through the Red Sea, and provide manna from heaven; but they manifested a fearful unbelief and distrust in God’s ability to help them, and saw themselves insufficient to do it in their own strength. Not only did they feel this way themselves, but their report influenced the whole camp of Israel. Caleb tried to impart confidence and faith to the people, but the other spies led the people to fearful unbelief, murmuring, and backsliding. The Bible called this an “evil report.”
Here we see the first twofold lesson: firstly, our disposition and attitude towards obstacles is greatly influenced by our perspective of God, and our manifestation of trust or lack of trust in God. Secondly, our disposition also influences the disposition of those around us. If we really believe that God is with us to give us victory over trials, then we will embrace the trial and face it head on, and others will be encouraged by our confidence; and on the other hand, if we do not believe that God will be with us and we are on our own, we will grow fearful in trials and discouraged, and our unbelief will lead others into the same attitude. This principle is seen throughout the Bible, that much depends on where we put our trust. Here are a few Bible verses that highlight this principle:
Jeremiah 17:5 - “This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD.”
2 Chronicles 32:7-8 - “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!”
2 Chronicles 14:11 - “Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!”
2 Chronicles 16:7 - “At that time Hanani the seer came to King Asa and told him, “Because you have put your trust in the king of Aram instead of in the LORD your God, you missed your chance to destroy the army of the king of Aram.”
So we see that when we put our trust in the “arm of flesh” or our own human strength, we will fail, but when we trust in God’s strength and depend upon Him, we are more than able to overcome, just like Caleb said. Instead of trusting in our strength or our wisdom; instead of trusting in our money or resources; instead of trusting in any earthly help, we must make the Lord our strength and our help, claiming His promises and being confident in His assurance of victory.
After this evil report, the people murmured and rebelled, and so God said that they would not go into the land of Canaan, but instead would wander in the wilderness for forty more years until all those who came from Egypt died off, since they rejected God’s rich provisions. The people did not like this and tried to go into the land without God’s blessing, and many were killed in battle. Caleb too, even though faithful, had to endure forty extra years in the wilderness; but Caleb was one out of only two who survived to enter the land. Because of His faithfulness and trust, God preserved him to see the land. Here is a second important lesson: we may lose out on blessings at no fault of our own, but we should not complain or murmur because of this; instead we should rest in God and trust that He is fair and just, and wait patiently for His timing.
Finally, after forty years, the new generation was preparing to go back into the land of Canaan. How does Caleb respond? I will let the passage speak for itself, for it is beautiful! In Joshua 14:6-12 Caleb declares, ““Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. So that day Moses solemnly promised me, ‘The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.’ Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”
What a testimony! Caleb shows no lack of confidence in God even after all these years, and his words testify that God has kept His promise and blessed Caleb for his faithfulness. The call sounds down to us today! Caleb's life teaches us that enduring confidence in God is well-founded, that God is faithful to keep His promises and deliver us through any trial, and that faithfulness to Him is always worth it. Will you murmur and complain about the trials you face today, and try to depend upon your own strength; or will you fight valiantly against the obstacles with enduring confidence in God’s promises?