Tuesday July 09
Be Encouraged in Your Pilgrim Journey
Joshua 14:6-14
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: "You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.'
10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said."
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
The first lesson we learned from the twelve tribes receiving their inheritance, is from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh. We don’t want to become borderline believers. Now, in Joshua 14:6-14 we notice our second lesson which is, we should be encouraged in our pilgrim journey because no matter how long we must wait our inheritance is still available!
We were introduced to Caleb back in Numbers 13 when he was asked by Moses to be one of the twelve spies to go into Canaan at Kadesh Barnea some forty-five years earlier. Only he and Joshua had given a good report by faith, that even though there were giants in the land the Lord would be with them, and they could conquer it.
Since Caleb belonged to the tribe of Judah (Num. 13:30), and had been one of the two faithful spies, he received his inheritance first. Joshua, the other faithful spy, was the last to receive his inheritance (Josh. 19:49-51). In Joshua 14, Caleb reminded his friend Joshua of the promise Moses had made to them forty-five years before (Num. 14:24, 30; Deut. 1:34-36), that they would survive the years of wandering and receive their inheritance in the land. This promise gave Joshua and Caleb joy and courage as they endured years of wandering and waiting.
Can you imagine having to wait forty-five years because of someone else’s sin? Yet, Joshua and Caleb never gave up and were encouraged on their pilgrim journey even in the difficult years in the wilderness because of the promise of the inheritance that had been made to them! My friend, we should be encouraged especially since we have already received our inheritance in Christ and can claim "every spiritual blessing" (Eph. 1:3,).
Caleb was eighty-five years old, but he didn't look for an easy task, suited to an "old man." He asked Joshua for mountains to climb and giants to conquer! His strength was in the Lord, and he knew that God would never fail him. The secret of Caleb's life is found in a phrase that's repeated six times in Scripture: "he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel" (Josh. 14:14; also see Num. 14:24; 32:12; Deut. 1:36; Josh. 14:8-9). Caleb was an overcomer because he had faith in the Lord (1 John 5:4).
Since we also have a glorious inheritance before us (1 Peter 1:3-6), we should be encouraged and keep looking up! The best is yet to come!
God bless!
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