A Different Spirit (Caleb)

I entitled this series of sermons, “Echoes of Faith.” As we have studied these different Bible characters, many have demonstrated great faith. But many have shown their imperfection. They have failed to have a heart that is wholly devoted to the Lord. Today, we will hear of a man who has no blemish. I’m sure there were sins and failures, but none are listed. He is truly a hero of faith, a man men like David would look up to. His name is Caleb.

Caleb’s faith wasn’t temporary, based on the momentary high of seeing God’s power. Caleb’s faith remembered what God had done and he clung to God in an amazing way. He is the prototypical example of what God is looking for in us.

Standing Out (Numbers 13-14)

Caleb was a man who experienced the rescue from Egypt. He was a slave who became free through ten plagues and the miraculous walk across the Red Sea. But he appears to look at those events differently than everyone else. They are a clear sign to Him that the God they are worshipping and following can do anything.

Caleb is chosen from the largest tribe, Judah, to go with the spies into the promised land. The Israelites have been in the wilderness for a year and are now at the edge of the land of Canaan. They sent twelve spies to go throughout the land and see what it is like. Did it have trees, food, water, armies? Israel was curious about how good and how bad the land would be.

Imagine moving through the region and seeing the wickedness in every city. They murdered children to worship their gods. They committed all kinds of sexual immorality. They were cruel and harsh, unjust and vile. These men and women in the land were selfish and would gladly betray one another. They were not good people. God was planning to use Israel to wipe them off the face of the earth. Caleb saw all this.

He also saw how lush the ground was. He saw how fruit would grow wild, and might have helped to carry some of the pomegranates or the huge cluster of grapes back to his people. They spent forty days in the promised land surveying all that it had to offer and all the obstacles they would face.

When they returned the people were excited to hear about God’s promised land. Unfortunately, ten of the spies brought back a bad report, “Sure the land is lush and beautiful. There is plenty of food for us all and it’s a beautiful landscape. But there are fortresses and giants we could never defeat. These ten men speak loud and feed the fear of the people. Their conclusion was, “We are not able to go in so let’s go back to Egypt.”

Caleb steps out into this crowd with Joshua, the other spy who believes in God and contradicts the popular opinion. He says what no one wants to hear, “Let us go up. This land is exceedingly good and God has said he will give it to us. Don’t rebel against the Lord, and don’t fear the people of the land. They are bread for us. They have no protection and the Lord is with us!” His words were full of faith and wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord.

The people heard them, but refused to listen. They decided to stone Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb, but God filled the tent of meeting with his glory, letting everyone know that God has a say about this. He wants to disinherit them and destroy them, but Moses intercedes. Still God will not allow anyone over the age of 20 to enter the promised land with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. Every other person over the age of 20 will die in the wilderness over the next forty years.

Enduring Wilderness Life

Imagine that. If you were Caleb, every other Israelite you know over 20 is going to die. Imagine living through that. You see every rebellion. You witness all of these people dying as a consequence of their faithlessness. Everyone is living to help the next generation make it. They have no other purpose than that, and they do help. In their failures, they teach them what not to do.

Listen to what God says about Caleb.

Numbers 14:21–24 (ESV) — 21 But truly, as I live, and as all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord, 22 none of the men who have seen my glory and my signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have put me to the test these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their fathers. And none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.

He has a different spirit. Moses reiterates this to the next generation forty years later. Caleb becomes the ultimate example of faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 1:35–36 (ESV) — 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land that I swore to give to your fathers, 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the Lord!’

He stands out because his heart is completely devoted to the Lord. He doesn’t seek his own will or his own way. He seeks God’s will and God’s way. He doesn’t partially follow God and partially follow his own way. He wants God to be glorified through him.

Not only that. Caleb remained faithful throughout the forty years of waiting. He was willing to endure suffering as a consequence of sinful people who did not trust God like he did. This was a man who submitted his life to God and loved Him more than anything. He didn’t grumble or complain, that we know of. He didn’t question God’s leadership or God’s plans. He trusted in the promises while suffering. What an example for us.

Taking God’s Gift

Caleb was there with the Israelites through everything. He saw all of the miracles and helped Israel finally cross the Jordan river on dry ground and enter into the promised land. He was there as they conquered every city with Joshua as their leader.

In Joshua 14, we read that the people had conquered most of the land and were dividing up the inheritance. Caleb was 85 years old, but he wasn’t satisfied with the land they had already conquered. He had waited 45 years for the land that he knew God would give him and his family. He wasn’t just going to take anything. He wanted the hill country. He wanted to defeat and take over a fortress.

We read that he was just as youthful and able to fight at 85 as he was at 40. He went out against the giants and the great fortified city of Hebron. God was with him and his men and they defeated them, taking what God had promised. He took it because he believed God could give it and he “wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel.

We have to be amazed at Caleb’s boldness and trust in the Lord. He didn’t shy away from the battle. He fully believed that God could give what he promised. So he went out in battle with faith.

Isn’t it amazing that God provided him with everything He promised to give him? God saw Caleb’s faith, trust, and patience. God saw how Caleb believed God could give him more than he could earn on his own. He went after more, not out of selfishness, but out of faith. He wanted to show everyone what was possible if only they would believe. Nothing can stop their God. Not giants, fortresses, or old age.

What do we believe?

God had made us similar promises as He made to Caleb and the Israelites. We have to decide what type of person we are going to be.

The beauty of Caleb’s story is that his childlike faith was rewarded. I imagine people made fun of him and didn’t believe like he did. He stood out. People didn’t last in the wilderness when things got tough. He endured. People settled for what was easy. He boldly took what God offered with faith.

Hebrews 3:12–4:3 (ESV) — 12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. 15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” 16 For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? 17 And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? 19 So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief. 1 Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. 2 For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. 3 For we who have believed enter that rest, as he has said, “As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter my rest,’ ” although his works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Consider your own life. Does your spirit stand out like his or are you one to cower in fear at the enemy? God has made you promises. Do you believe them? Are you willing to go out and conquer your enemies? Are you willing to put your trust in God, and do what you are not able to do on your own? This is the message of Caleb that inspires us to stand out, endure the wilderness, and receive the promised inheritance. We need to wholly follow the Lord with the kind of faith we see in Caleb. Faith that takes over strongholds and works with everything he has.

How?

But, we might ask, “How can we do what Caleb has done?” Caleb’s motivation was the ten plagues. His motivation was what he saw at Mount Sinai and how God was constantly taking care of him and his family. We have one greater than Moses who has set us free from slavery. We have one who has performed greater miracles, the greatest of all being resurrection from the dead. Caleb was protected from death, but we are told we will rise from it, through Jesus our Lord.

Jesus promises us an eternal inheritance. He promises to stay with us as we conquer our spiritual enemies with love and grace. He also leads us with wholehearted obedience and faith. He pioneers the way for us to follow. What we see in Caleb is multiplied when we look at Jesus, and Jesus is the ultimate one we ought to be following.

Do we really believe in the promises, and will we really choose to follow our Lord and savior into the greater promised land. Will we pursue the greatest fortress and fight the largest giants with faith that our God fights on our side?

• Do not turn back in fear and join others who lack faith
• Do not grumble and rebel as you endure the wilderness of life
• Do not settle for safety when God has promised you more

Follow Him fully and wholeheartedly. Love Him with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. He will see it and reward the faithful.