Caleb Inherits The Promised Land

Transcription

1 GRADE 7: PART II GOD S WONDERFUL PEOPLE Caleb Inherits The Promised Land AIM: Trust God, even if it doesn t make sense for you now! Refuse to retreat when others around you do, and follow God wholeheartedly. Theme: Trusting God Wholeheartedly Joshua 14:6-15 (NRSV) 6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal; and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 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 him an honest report. 8 But my companions who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God. 10 And now, as you see, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel was journeying through the wilderness; and here I am today, eighty-five years old. 11 I am still as strong today as I was on the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day; for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as the Lord said. 13 Then Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 So Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba;[a] this Arba was[b] the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war. Numbers 32:11-12 (NRSV) 11 Surely none of the people who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not unreservedly followed me - 12 none except Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua son of Nun, for they have unreservedly followed the Lord.

2 Page 2 Student Introduction Trust issues! What s new, right? But trust issues with God is not something you should have a second thought about, because no matter what, that trust with our almighty should be the prime priority of our lives and it has to be wholehearted. But, this trusting does have its blessings for sure. That is what we will see from the life of Caleb, who awaited a very long time (almost 85 years) to be blessed with the entrance to Canaan, the promise land. Such a wait could make a person go insane or waver off from the path we all are determined to walk. To get this into context let s look at a real life example: In the spring of 2009, a video clip of a woman singing transfixed people all over the world. In just three weeks, the video of the woman's performance was viewed more than 150 million times! No one expected much of Susan Boyle when she stepped onto the stage of the reality television program "Britain's Got Talent" and that's partly why her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables is so compelling. She was an inspiration to old and young alike. Susan Boyle might not have been at an age like Caleb was, but still in today s success scale she beat all the odds to win and make a great successful career. Another lesson the video also teaches us is the importance of humility and to never judge anyone from their physical appearance or any other features! Let s look at some more personalities who prove that you're never too old to make your mark or cut past that finish line. But, this doesn t mean you can slack right now and do nothing! These personalities all toiled their whole lives to get to their successes and you can never take away the fact, there was a greater power guiding them for sure. Although Mother Teresa became a nun at 18 years old, it wasn't until she was 38 that she left her convent and opened a school in the slums of Calcutta. In 1950 at age 40 she established the "Missionaries of Charity" order with 13 nuns. This eventually became a world-wide organization that helps the sick, the poor, the dying, as well as disaster victims through a network of religious houses, schools, hospices, and charity centers in more than 120 countries. In 1979, at age 69, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work. Known for his struggle against apartheid, the system of racial segregation that was in place in South Africa since 1948, Nelson Mandela was a revolutionary who didn't see the fruits of his labor until much later in life. In 1994, when he was almost 76, Mandela was elected president of South Africa in the first election that was open to all races in that country's history.

3 Page 3 Bible Exploration Caleb is an outstanding example of Jehovah s warriors. Caleb was 38 years old at the time of Israel s exodus from Egypt. He belonged to the tribe of Judah. As we compare and contrast the differing skills of consecrated men, we are reminded of the varied talents God has always supplied and used among his people of every dispensation. Let s look at the main life events of Caleb and the lessons we can learn from his life and from the events surrounding him during the greatest conquest of God s people. The Ten Frightened Two years after their exodus from Egypt, Israel was camped along the southern border of the Promised Land Canaan. They were assured that they only had to walk over the boundary-line and take possession of the land. The Israelites requested that Moses delegate a few representatives to check the conditions they would be facing. God told Moses to appoint a team of twelve men to explore the land its size, characteristics, growing crops, cities and towns, and people. When a spy from each tribe was sent to appraise the situation in Canaan, ten returned to Moses with a terrified report: The land was verdant, but its inhabitants were forbidding unduly strong and impossible to defeat. The walled cities seemed unconquerable. Two Trusted God Determined in his faith in divine power, "Caleb quieted the people and said, `Let us go up at once, and occupy it; for we are well able to overcome it. " (Numbers 13:30). Only Caleb and Joshua gave an evaluation prompted by faith in the Almighty. Caleb never doubted the sincerity of the promises of God. He believed with all his heart and soul that Israel would inherit Canaan, which God had promised them. Fear Not, Neither Be Dismayed An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity. A pessimist finds a calamity in every opportunity. As we see in Numbers 13, Israel had heard much about the land of milk and honey. They were now at the borders of this Promised Land. Their yearning for Egypt was past. All that remained was the conquest. The spies gazed upon the vineyards and olives groves. They saw the richness of the grain in the fields. They pictured their own farms dotting the valleys. They were excited about each wonder before them. Then they saw the Canaanites! Some of them were eight feet tall. They looked like the dreaded Nephilim (Genesis 6:4) of Antediluvian days. In sheer panic, ten spies returned to the camp of Israel with their faith shattered, bearing a message of utter and hopeless despair. Only Caleb and Joshua remembered to "Fear not, neither be dismayed" (Deuteronomy 1:21). Afraid, Discouraged, Angry The congregation believed the ten. They threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:10). They abandoned their faith in the Almighty s promise. They cried all night. There is a mentality that says, "Blame it on the leader." The people decided to depose Moses and set up another leader who would take them back to Egypt. Faith Requires Action

4 Page 4 In Numbers 14:6-9, we read that Caleb and Joshua "tore their clothes." They urged the people, "Do not rebel against the LORD. Do not be afraid of the people of the land. We will swallow them up. The LORD is with us." Caleb s Reward In Numbers 14: 22 24, God said, 22 none of the people who have seen my glory and the signs that I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and yet have tested me these ten times and have not obeyed my voice, 23 shall see the land that I swore to give to their ancestors; none of those who despised me shall see it. 24 But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. The ten spies whose report caused Israel to grumble against Moses leadership were struck down and died of a plague. Only Caleb and Joshua survived (Numbers 14:36-38). The Strengths of Caleb The Book of Joshua and the first chapter of the book of Judges describe the conquest of Canaan, which resulted in Israel's settlement in the Promised Land. At the age of 85, Caleb was still a strong soldier and lived a life of discipline and selfcontrol. Unlike Joshua and Caleb, the other Israelites followed the Lord's calling out from Egypt, but they did not follow Him into the land. Many Christians repeat this same error today. They have followed the Lord as He led them out of the spiritual death of sin and guilt. They are "out of Egypt". They are forgiven of their sins. They have new life in Christ. However, they do not follow the Lord on "into the land". When times are tough, the tough stand firm. We may not have the strength to move forward when life is falling apart, but we know God has led us to our current destination and refuse to retreat. We must always trust God, even if it doesn t make sense. Refuse to retreat when others do. Follow God wholeheartedly. Activities 1. Research and find at least 5 personalities who could be either biblical or modern age who became successful or made to the top of the list due to their perseverance and above all, due to their trust in God. 2. Team up in groups of 3 and find 9 qualities or goals that you could set for yourself to wholeheartedly trust God and be successful in your lives.

5 Page 5 Let`s Review 1. Caleb was when he left Egypt for the Promised Land and he was when he entered the Promised Land. 2. God told Moses to appoint a team of to explore Canaan and they were selected from each of Israel. Caleb belonged to the tribe of. 3. What are some qualities/strengths of Caleb? How did he stand differently from others during a decisive phase of Israelites exodus? How did Caleb, alongside Joshua, react when the Israelites rebelled? What made Caleb not waver off at all throughout his whole life? Values for Life 1. With God on our side, we can face any giant and conquer any mountain. We can face them with courage and confidence. We must follow Caleb's example and trust the Lord fully. We can't hold back; we can't doubt; we can't waver. 2. As 1 Peter 4:19 states; Within a few short years, we, too, will receive the object of our hope. Faith in Action 1. What are some Canaanites (Hurdles / Distractions / Vices) of our current day? How can we make use of Caleb s qualities in our life today to withstand the Canaanites of the day? 2. What are some ways we could wholeheartedly trust our Lord? What would you do or will make changes to your life to be on that path even if your object of hope is a long way away? Memory Verse But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it. Numbers 14:24 Closing Prayer Almighty Lord, we thank you for allowing us to gather as a Sunday school class again and to learn about Caleb who alongside Joshua, fought the mighty Canaanites and gained the Promised Land. Through his life you showed us the blessings we will get one day even if it takes 85 years but to firmly to stand by you wholeheartedly. Lord, thank you for giving your son Jesus Christ. Make us a blessing to many in our family, community, school, church and wherever we are sent by you and make us the soldiers holding up your torch for your kingdom. Now, as Joshua and Caleb did, I long to follow you wholly into the fullness that you desire me to walk in, in Jesus' name, Amen