The Minority Report

Caleb has been denied his inheritance. He has suffered the penalty of having to wait for 45 years because of the faithlessness of others. He has suffered because of the ungodly rebellion of his own people. He has been overruled by the majority. He has felt the sting of his own people, saying, let's put him to death.

I mean, by the time you meet him, 45 plus years later, he should be a shriveled up man, angry, resentful, and bitter. Have you ever been faced with a challenge that was so big that fear set in? Even the bravest among us have our limits. We take risks every day, whether it's getting behind the wheel or making a big decision in life.

But what happens when the risk involves following God, especially when it seems like everyone else is against you? Today on Wisdom for the Heart, Stephen Davey explores the story of Caleb, a man who stood alone in faith, trusting God when no one else would. Learn how Caleb's bold trust in God can help you navigate your own battles in life. There read in a funny parable about a knight in armor during the days of King Arthur. The parable goes, he was about to embark on a long journey, so he tried to anticipate all of the possible problems he might encounter. So he wore his full coat of armor and his sword in case he met up with some enemies. He brought along an ax for chopping firewood in case it grew cold. He packed a tent and blankets in case there wasn't a nearby home to provide him hospitality. He brought a bow and plenty of arrows in case he needed a hunt. He brought along an assortment of pots and pans that jangled from his saddle bags in case he needed a cook. He even brought a large jar of medicinal salve in case he picked up poison ivy along the way. He rode out of the castle, across the drawbridge that spanned the moat, clanking and swaying and clanging. And when he'd made it halfway across the drawbridge, the boards gave way under all the weight.

He fell into the river and drowned. The moral of the story offers two possible conclusions. Number one, he should have packed a life jacket. Or two, it's impossible to plan for every possible danger in life.

It would be number two. Well, I want to follow up our study this morning by looking at a living illustration of a fearless follower of faith. And he's going to take a risk that's a little different than what we've been talking about. He's going to take the risk of being different, of being in the minority. I want to show you a man who was willing to take that kind of risk and stand alone.

By the way, not for a week or a month, but for nearly 50 years. Take your Old Testament and turn to the book of Joshua chapter 14. And I want to show you a man whose faith and courage will go largely unrewarded for 50 years. His name is Caleb. Now in Joshua 14, the time has come for Joshua to divide the land of promise, land for each tribe to conquer and possess.

This is land that was promised decades earlier. Look at verse 6. And the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua and Gilgal, and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, said to him, by the way, there's some speculation that he was actually a Gentile, which is interesting to consider. "'You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.

I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land.'" You remember that? "'And I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear. But I followed the Lord my God fully.'" Don't miss that.

None of the others would take the risk and trust the promise. Caleb says, "'But I did, Joshua. Do you remember? You were there. Do you remember?'" In fact, hold your finger here and go back a few pages to the book of Numbers in chapter 13. This is where that signature event is recorded. We don't have time to cover all of it.

Let me just drop down, just touch down every so often. For those of you perhaps younger in the faith, Joshua and Caleb and 10 other men are chosen to go spy out the fortresses of their enemies in this land of promise. They're to go and check out the strength of the people.

This isn't a trip, by the way, to decide whether or not they go in to conquer it. This is simply a planning trip to judge the nations and evaluate how they stand as they prepare to act as the agent of God in judging these idolatrous people. Now, notice how Moses instructs these 12 spies.

Go to verse 18 of chapter 13. He says, "'And see what the land is like and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. And how is the land in which they live?

Is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live? Are they like open camps or with fortifications? And how is the land?

Is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.'" If you go down to verse 22 and skim that with your eyes, you'll notice that they come to Hebron and there are three giants, descendants of Anak who lived there.

Just tuck that away for later. Look at verse 23, "'And they came to the valley of Esphol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes and they carried it on a pole between two men with some of the pomegranates and the figs.'" Jewish tradition holds that these two men are actually Joshua and Caleb who carried the cluster back hanging from the pole that they have supported by their shoulders. We can't be sure, but we do know they were the only ones who were going to bring back any good news and this will be evidence that there is good news from the land. By the way, I found it fascinating that to this day, in fact, you can go online and look at the logo for Israel's tourism department and it is a picture, a drawing, a sketch of two men carrying a cluster of grapes on a pole between them.

Well, here is young Joshua and Caleb returning with what will turn out to be the minority report. Verse 27, "'As the spies give their report, we went into the land where you sent us.'" It certainly does flow with milk and honey. In other words, it's fertile and bountiful. "'Look here at its fruit.'"

Everybody's oohing and aahing and look at the size of those grapes. Verse 28, "'Nevertheless.'" Oh, boy.

Uh-oh. "'Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong and the cities are fortified and very large. And moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.'" This is the giant race from which Goliath will descend and the people, by the way, erupt in panic and fear. Now, notice verse 30, "'Then Caleb quieted the people.'" Notice his doing the talking, not Joshua, Caleb. "'And he said, we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it." Joshua, by the way, is standing there, no doubt agreeing.

Many believe that he was actually the timid one of the two, even though both were courageous. That's why you get over to Joshua chapter 1, and seven times God says the same thing, "'Stop being afraid. Stop being afraid. Stop being afraid.'"

Caleb is the man here standing and speaking. "'We can take these people. We can take this land.'" Over in chapter 14, Joshua and Caleb will plead with the nation to trust the Lord, to not be afraid, to not, more importantly, rebel against God's plan for their inheritance in possessing the land. Yes, they had seen the giants in Hebron. Yes, they had seen the fortified cities as well. They're large.

This isn't gonna be a pushover here. But while the other men magnified the giants, Joshua and Caleb magnified the power of God. They don't ignore the problems.

They don't erase it and say, no problem. They simply say, if we trust God, we can do this. If you look over at verse 10 of chapter 14, here's the reaction, but all the congregation said, stone them with stones.

Thank you very much. How's that for being in the minority? Imagine you're following God's Word. You're obeying God's command. You're walking in faith.

You're attempting to influence others to join you in walking in faith, and they're gathering stones. Suddenly, we're told that the Shekinah glory of God just sort of whooshes in and fills the tabernacle, and everyone silences. God comes down, as it were, to deliver his verdict. If you look over at verse 29, he delivers the sentence to these people, your corpses shall fall in this wilderness from 20 years old, notice, and upward.

In other words, to all those 20 years of age and older, God delivers this irreversible sentence. Verse 30, surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you except Caleb, the son of Jephunneh and Joshua, the son of Nun. By the way, before we leave this scene, I want you to see God's personal biographical statement of this man. Go back to verse 24 of chapter 14.

Here's a verse to memorize and imitate. But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered. My servant Caleb, who has a different spirit. What does that mean?

He follows me without reservation. If you go back to Joshua 14, you need to understand you are fast-forwarding the tape of Caleb's life. Go to verse 10 now.

Caleb is speaking to Joshua, and look at the last line of verse 10. I am 85 years old today. Wow.

I'm 85. Forty years of wandering are over. The young people have grown up. They've now entered the land.

They've defeated Jericho and more. It's time for the tribes to now conquer their individual inheritance from God in this land promised to Israel. Notice it's 40 plus years later. We don't know much of anything about those 40 years as it directly impacted Caleb, but here you see him first in line. He's still able to see the promises of God. He sees them in light of God's promises, even though they are problems. It's as if he says, Joshua, I'm 85 and I'm ready to go. Not go up, go in.

I'm ready to be first. What a spirit. Talk about a fearless man. Keep in mind, by the way, he was born a slave. About the time he'd been born, a man named Moses had fled his adopted mother's palace for the deserts of Midian. Caleb had grown up to feel the lash of the taskmaster's whip.

He had learned to make bricks without straw. He had longed with the other people for a deliverer. He longed to see the promise of God's redemption from Egypt become a reality, and then Moses reappears. Caleb lives through the plagues. He is evidently struck in awe and wonder at the power of their true and living God. He's thrilled to join several million Jews who walk out of Egypt and through the Red Sea as God parts the water. Caleb has tasted water from that rock.

Caleb has eaten manna. He has marveled at the providence of God. Yes, years earlier, he has seen and he's probably never forgotten the sight of those giants in Hebron. By the time you reach Joshua chapter 14, it's been a lifetime. It's been a lifetime since he had been to Hebron and tasted those grapes, 40 years now, and he's 85 years of age. Notice verse 13, Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb for an inheritance. Now, why, by the way, would Caleb want Hebron? And why would he want a city guarded by giants? That'd be the last place.

Let me remind you of a few things. Hebron was located 70 miles from Jerusalem. It was a sacred place. It was in those Judean hills of Hebron where Abram came and worshiped God. It was in Hebron where God came and reminded him of the covenant promises. It was in Hebron where Abraham illustrated his faith in the coming resurrection by placing his deceased wife Sarah in a cave he bought there. It was in Hebron where Jacob lived. It was in Hebron where Jacob's favorite son Joseph tended sheep. It was in Hebron where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, Leah, Joseph were buried. This is one of the most sacred spots to the Israelite nation. It was a place, by the way, that signified communion with God.

The hill country of Hebron represented fellowship, worship. In the analogy of Scripture, the believer who follows fully after God, I think it's not a surprise to consider the analogy that that place of communion is guarded as it were with giants, is it not? Every obstacle possible, every distraction, every challenge imaginable will be thrown into your way to prevent you from that place of fellowship.

It doesn't come easy. In fact, let me make some observations from Caleb's testimony, three or four of them. First, the walk of faith does not erase the problems of life.

As we've learned, what's needed most is a different perspective. Is it really surprising with what we know of Caleb now that he would settle for anything other than the place that represented communion with God? Is it really surprising to learn that that place would be guarded by giants? But you see, the majority of the spies earlier who'd entered the land and had seen the giants, they measured themselves against the giants and they said, we're grasshoppers. Caleb and Joshua measured the giants against God and now who's the grasshopper? They were still giants and they would be giants he would have to overcome by faith and trust in the strength of God and he would be willing. The walk of faith does not erase the problems of life.

Secondly, let me say the same thing another way. When you desire to follow after God, you invite trouble to follow after you. There are giants ready to stand in the way of those who desire, like Caleb, to follow fully after God. In fact, life seems to get more complicated the more committed you are to following God. You found that to be true, haven't you? You've gotten out of bed, you've entered your day and you've said, this is the day I'm going to fully follow after God and wham.

I mean, you're barely through breakfast and something happens. Life gets complicated when you want to stand for the Lord like that little third grader who came up to me after a morning service two weeks ago and with absolute precious sincerity, he asked me how he should respond to his third grade teacher who that week had told them that they evolved from animals. How should I respond? I told him, of course, be respectful, don't make it a public setting, talk to your teacher after class, tell them you happen to believe in a creator God and then I said to him, you know, son, you're old enough now to understand what it means to stand alone, to be in the minority. You should have seen him looking up at me. But the truth is, he's asking for trouble.

I mean, third grade is not going to be the same. When you follow after God, you invite trouble to come after you. Thirdly, when you desire the sacred place of communion, you'll discover it's an uphill climb.

Hebron was a hill he'd have to climb and conquer. You just make up your mind to spend time with God and his word and watch how many things suddenly appear to slow you down, crowd your calendar, cloud your mind. That's why we call spiritual disciplines spiritual disciplines. They are not referred to as spiritual vacations, spiritual entertainments.

They are first and foremost spiritual disciplines. One more, the desired promises of God develop the most faith in those who are willing to wait. Caleb has been denied his inheritance. He has suffered the penalty of having to wait for 45 years because of the faithlessness of others. He has suffered because of the ungodly rebellion of his own people. He has been overruled by the majority. He has felt the sting of his own people saying, let's put him to death. You just don't get over that, right? I mean, by the time you meet him, 45 plus years later, he should be a shriveled up man, angry, resentful, and bitter.

Somebody who's saying, forget this. But that isn't who we find. In fact, six times in the biography of Caleb, you have the same basic phrase repeated. Expanded out, it reads, Caleb followed God with a fully devoted heart. Six times, Caleb followed God with a fully devoted heart. He followed God.

No reserves, no retreats, no regrets. And now he's 85. He's well stricken in years.

And things are just about to take off. Reminded me of another hero of the faith. By the time George Mueller had turned 70, he'd built orphanages with caring for a little more than 2,000 boys and girls. His work had started with just a handful of orphan girls. He decided it would only be girls. Then he changed his mind and it began to expand. The first girls he took in was in 1832. He was so troubled because in England during that period in time, there were nearly 10,000 children in prison under the age of eight. But most of all, he wanted to see the providence of God fulfilled. They started their ministry to children with, according to his journal, this.

I'll read you the list. Change, that is in money, just change, three dishes, 28 plates, three bowls, one jug, four mugs, three salt shakers, one grater, four knives, and five forks. He must have lost a knife somewhere in there.

They would end up caring for over 10,000 orphans in all. And along the way distribute more than two million Bibles, three million books and gospel tracts, establish 117 schools, and then he turned 70. He decided it was a time not to stop but to change. Now in his early years, he had applied the five mission agencies and had been rejected all five times. I don't know why.

I can't find out why but I just know it's true. Now, 45 years later, he decides he doesn't need a mission board anyway and he started out on his own. He will travel over the next 20 years 200,000 miles, visit 42 countries, and preach 6,000 times. He became, his biographer wrote, a living demonstration to hundreds of thousands of people that God is, Hebrews 11, 6, one of his favorite texts, God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, which is another way of saying God has reserved special communion for those who follow God fully. And at the age of 91, George Mueller said, quote, I am unspeakably happy.

I am unspeakably happy. You know, I can almost see Caleb up on his new home on the hill in Hebron, established of the worship of God with his family, finished his home saying, I am unspeakably happy. Not because life was easy, by the way. Maybe we learned to pursue why from these lessons and these lives of those who effectively say and live out, we will follow God with a fully devoted heart. Every one of us needs regular reminders to follow God with a fully devoted heart. Aren't you grateful for men like Caleb, who give us an example of doing that, even when it's very difficult.

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