Joshua and Caleb are two of the most remarkable men in early Israelite history. They had conviction. They had faith. They had courage. They stood against the flow, even when it was their own people! These men lived out their days believing in God and living for him. They spent their lives well!
We find Joshua as an old man in Joshua 13. It’s been a long time since he and Caleb spied out the Promised Land! He has lived through the wilderness wanderings. He has been made leader after Moses. He has led the people on the daring conquest of most of the land. He is now an old man and “advanced in years.” But those have been good years! They were hard years, no doubt, but good years in the real sense that Joshua followed the Lord! He was a man of war. He was also a man of God.
Caleb is 85 years old in Joshua 14. He never forgot the day he begged the people to enter the land, and they refused from fear and lack of faith in God. 14:8 – “But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God.” Incredibly, Caleb declares that his strength has not wained a bit in 45 years! He is as strong at 85 as he was at 40.
If the Lord allows me to live a long life, I pray that I can say the same when I am 85! Not so much about how strong I am (even though that would be a blessing) but more importantly, I could honestly say, “I wholly followed the Lord my God.” When I am “old and advanced in years” as Joshua, I pray that I will have a similar testimony. He stood firm, led God’s people faithfully, and had given his life for the will of God. I pray to spend my life well!
Joshua 11:23 certainly makes it sound like the job of conquering was finished, doesn't it? "All that land" (v.16), "all the kings" (v.12), all the giant Anakim (v.22)! But chapter 13 begins with God telling Joshua, "I know you're old and tired, and would like to retire, but you're not through yet!" And then...BRAVO for good old Caleb! His attitude must have been a tremendous boost to Joshua! I enjoyed pointing out Caleb's solid trust in God and indomitable spirit to my Daddy when he turned 85! (He's 92 now and still going strong!) In lessons for children I have enjoyed combining Caleb's story (Judges 14:6-15) with the story of the whiners of Ephraim in 17:14-18. The two stories together beg the question, "which is a better description of me??"
ReplyDeleteBut why the mixed message of "finished" AND "not finished"??