Living in the Promised Land: A study in the book of Joshua
To view this online as a video:
Lesson Fourteen: Caleb as an example with a side of contentment
A. Introduction
1. Greetings
2. Overview. [For those online, see this book overview from The Bible Project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqJlFF_eU )
B. Today’s lesson: Chapter 14: Caleb, for example
Patty and I watched a movie four years ago about the billionaire oil tycoon, J. Paul Getty. It starred Christopher Plummer (who died a couple of months ago) and Mark Wahlberg and a few other Hollywood notables. The storyline involved the kidnapping of Getty’s grandson, then a 16-year-old John Paul Getty III, and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his grandfather played by Plummer, to pay the ransom.
Wahlberg plays Getty’s assistant who is charged to get this settled. Wahlberg’s character asks old man Getty: “What would it take for you to feel secure?” The answer: “More.”
I think this Hollywood answer by Plummer/ Getty is a myth, borrowed from a true story with John D. Rockefeller who was asked something similar. This is reported in the Shreveport (Louisiana) Times newspaper in that same year, 2017, written on his blog by Byron Moore:
“Question: How much money is enough? And can you ever have too much? I know people who have more money than they’ll ever spend and yet they are still not happy. So what is the right amount? How much money is enough money?
For John D. Rockefeller the answer was “just a little bit more.” At the peak of his wealth, Rockefeller had a net worth of about 1% of the entire US economy. He owned 90% of all the oil and gas industry of his time. Compared to today’s rich guys, Rockefeller makes Bill Gates and Warren Buffett look like middle class.
And yet he still wanted “just a little bit more.” Before you can know how much is enough, you’ve got to define “enough.” “Enough” isn’t just an amount. It is also an attitude.
Money is wonderful as a tool, but it’s terrible as a tyrant. And therein lies the difference. What is it that you want out of money?”
Those thoughts by Byron Moore made me pause this week and especially as I read this chapter starring an old hero from Torah, Caleb the son of Yephuneh. He’s an 85-year-old man and one who is seeking his inheritance. He and Joshua go way back, and Caleb appeals to their long history of relationship to give himself footing. Let’s look through this chapter section by section. Oh, Plummer was 91 when he died in February, which is about the same age as our biblical hero Caleb. Fitting that the lesson about ‘enough’ and ‘more’ will play a role today. Although in the Bible those terms relate to the more usual terms of coveting and contentment. More on that later.
Look at verse one of chapter 14 of Joshua. The word ‘territories’ is not in the Hebrew text. It says, “These are the inheritances which Elazar and Joshua and the heads inherited to the children of Israel.” The verb is used twice which causes one to be the noun in the matter, and I think emphasizes the gift. No one really deserves what God gives. These are inheritances, not earned settlements. This is a reality that Solomon would later call to mind. Proverbs 25 says, “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely.” (25.14)
Apostle Paul emphasizes in his letter to the believers in Corinth
“For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4.7)
Thus inheritance or the gifting of stuff, be it land or money or cattle is not yours until it’s given you. That makes a man thankful, you know? Or at least it should make us thankful.
Let’s observe several other points in chapter 14, including traits in Caleb, as the example of a man of faith.
Verse one also lists the overseers of the generation. Elazar the third son of Aaron, has taken over the priestly role in the family and in the children of Israel. He represents true religion. Joshua, the general, represents the military and the continuing deployment of the conquerors who are about the taking and settling of the land, and then the unnamed heads of the children of Israel representing the government, the ongoing day-by-day situational politic of the people of God. Each is part of the parceling or apportionment of the land. The word “nachal” translated inheritance or portion is going to be seen frequently going forward. It’s governmental distribution.
So into that setting comes Caleb. We saw him before in the spies roster, that is, those who were sent over 40 years before by Moses into the Land of Promise. He, along with our leader Joshua who was then a candidate for Moses’ job, spied the land and came back with full assurance that even though Canaan was a tough place, still it was ours for the taking, because God would be with us. They never promised the people ease; they promised victory. That’s 10 times better! Joshua and Caleb’s minority report was dismissed by the people and as a result the Jews had to wander in the wilderness for 38 more years before they could enter Canaan. What a waste!
Caleb takes a back seat in the narrative, but he only grows in faith.
What defined Caleb? And you can investigate what God says about him in Torah before now. It’s that he had a full heart and trusted God completely.
“Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his sons I will give the land on which he has set foot, because he has followed the LORD fully.’ (Deut. 1.36)
Now, on the basis of God’s promises in Numbers and reiterated in Deuteronomy, Caleb approaches his old mate Joshua. He asks for provision. He specifically asks for land. Who has done that before? The 2 and a half tribes did that east of the Jordan. Who else did that? Lot did that with his uncle Abraham in the place of Sodom and Gomorrah. Choosing land then is not right or wrong in itself. It’s what motivates us to choose and the purposes of God in our choice that matters.
I don’t want you to miss the character of Caleb. Two things to note. First is his name itself. Caleb is a compound, that is, a combination name. Cal lev. All heart. Remember when the curse would come on Israel according to Moses?
“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things;” (Deut. 28.47)
If you want to avoid the curse, if you want to live in blessedness, if you want what Caleb has, then note the heart. It’s your passion. It’s your desires. It’s the fullness of heart; it’s the attitude of gratitude. It’s the glad heart that is full of joy and assurance that God has our back, and dear friends, he has our days in his hand, he has our front, he has the whole world, even our world in his hands. Do you believe that?
Not only is his name significant, but the second thing to notice about Caleb is his faith. From our meeting him as the representative spy from Kadesh-Barnea to this encounter, Caleb is a man who trusts that what God says is true. He believes that what God said will be accomplished. He speaks faith. He lives faith. His heart is not a quiet undisclosed location. He believes and he speaks what he believes. What is in your heart does come out your mouth.
“For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” (Matthew 12.34)
But the author of Joshua reminds us of this again and again in this chapter as well. Verse 2 “as the Lord commanded Moses” and again in verse 5 “as the Lord commanded Moses.”
So in verse 6, Caleb approaches the leadership and reminds them “The Lord spoke to Moses” and cites the earlier ruling. We note that later with the daughters of Zelophehad. IF God spoke, then his word remains the authority to which we all must give heed.
Look at verse 8, it’s the word in or out of the heart. And if the word is a ‘bad’ report, then it causes people to melt, that is, faint with fear. If the word is God’s word, and thus a ‘good’ report, then it causes people to follow God ‘fully.’ Ma-leh. Full. It implies more than full like a cup. It implies overflowing and ordained. It implies God’s satisfaction.
Dear friends, if you want to make God happy, then have a full heart. Have listening ears to God’s commands and those words will fill you with faith in the one who spoke them to you. I seriously don’t understand people who call themselves “Torah observant.” By the way, most of them are Gentiles who either have conducted a DNA test to find out that they have 2% Jewish in themselves from some generations ago or who think they can make God happier by observing diets and days. My friends, if you are interested in Jewish things to earn more points with a God who is ever demanding, who is never completely satisfied with you or your wrong diet, then you don’t understand him and his love at all. If you want to make God happy, listen to him, take his words into you, love him personally. He doesn’t want obedient slaves; he wants personal friends who take him and his love seriously. Seriously. That’s his desire. Please don’t get distracted with stuff. It’s him you want. Full heart. With joy. Amen?
Verse 10, Caleb says the Lord let me live, AS HE SAID. You just cannot miss the continual devotion Caleb has to the word of God. Not to a Bible. Not to a book, but to the Living God who speaks and shares his own heart with us.
Verse 11, the strength I have is for going out and coming in. That expression is used over and over in the Tenach (Num. 27.17-21, Deut. 28.6, 1 Sam. 18.13, 29.6, 2 King 19.27, Ps. 121.8, Is. 37.28) and in a way Yeshua used that idea as well in his Good Shepherd talk. It has to do with daily normal activity. It’s not a religious term; it’s a pedestrian term (literally) and implies ‘our daily matters.’ God wants us to mark our going out and coming in, not only with a mezuzah, and obedience, but honestly, he wants us to have strength to remember him in our human ordinary circumstances of life. He is Lord of our religion and Lord of our ordinary stuff.
Verse 12, Caleb, the full of joy, faithful, all-heart follower of the Living God, in his ordinary and in his religious life, now asks for some hill country ABOUT WHICH GOD SPOKE, and he mention the giants, that is, the Anakim. If you were like Lot, you might choose the better portion. If you were to cite Robert Frost about two roads diverged in a yellow wood, you might choose one less travelled by, but in this case, Caleb, the man of faith, chooses the more dangerous area. He has already spied out this land some 45 years before. Even so, if he kept good travelog notes, or reviewed his Trip Advisor ratings, he might remember. But I get the impression that Caleb chooses the harder position, the tougher place, the rougher place. He wants to broadcast in his life and in his works, in his residence and in his words that God is able to overcome. He is able to accomplish what no one else would even consider—the beating of the giants in the land and the taking of their land. He wants to live in GiantVille and as a result broadcast the power of God. God is over all. God is worth noting. God is worth celebrating. And in his life and in his residence this is to be true.
23 years ago I was presented with the opportunity to move to Australia, and looked at the two major cities for Jewish people, Melbourne and Sydney. What you all may not know is that there was trouble in the land of Sydney. Two messianic gatherings had fallen into failure. One from sin and theology, and one from lack of attendance. Some significant messianic folks had died and there was what I called a spirit of death and I thought, why would I move and set up our ministry in such a location? I should probably be like Lot and choose the good place, but instead I chose like Caleb, to go where angels fear to tread. I went where life could be clearly seen. And I am still glad to be here in Sydney. Where the Anakim of the enemy lived. We are taking the land, one day at a time, one portion at a time, one congregation at a time, one Jewish person at a time.
I’m grateful for the faith God gave us and continues to give us.
I mentioned ‘inheritance’ and this city (Kiryat Arba) is Caleb’s inheritance. This is ‘an example’ because over the next few weeks, we will look at the Jewish people’s choices of land and their inheritances. Caleb then is a microcosm of the other 9.5 tribes, he’s an example.
That said, I want you to consider with what he was content. He didn’t need ‘more’ like J Paul Getty needed or like John D. Rockefeller. He was content with what God gave him. I play much sport, and as I age, physical exercise matters more and more. The Apostle Paul said that physical exercise profits a little. Since the 1960s when John Kennedy, president of the US, instituted a physical fitness program, and now there are what seems to be dozens of gyms in each neighbourhood here in Australia, we must keep in mind that it profits a little. Thus in 1 Timothy, “bodily discipline is only of little profit,… but godliness with contentment is great gain,… since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” (1 Tim. 4.8, 6.6)
The opposite of contentment is not physical exercise, but coveting. The 10thCommandment is “Thou shalt not covet.” If you are content, you don’t covet. You are satisfied with what you have and your lot in life. The flip side of coveting is contentment.
Think then in this way. The 10th commandment is ‘don’t covet’ and the 1stcommandment is ‘I am the Lord.’ If you want to know the opposite of coveting, it’s not merely the negation “not not coveting.” It’s rather something positive; it’s knowing God. Being personal with God who wants to extend his life and love to you.
Invitation
Dear friends, do you have such a sense of contentment and God’s presence today? Have you met the one who was cursed on the Roman tree for you in Jerusalem? if you have never asked Yeshua to be your Saviour, today as we keep learning from Joshua, would you choose to believe the Lord of life? Would you be willing to take a stand for him who took a stand and died on a Roman cross for you? We love Yeshua because in his death he accomplished salvation for all people. He took the curse we deserved to give us his righteousness which he deserved. Forgiveness is available because of the death of our messiah.
If you’d like to receive him today, just now, join me as we pray.
Say something like this: “Father in Yeshua’s name, forgive me my sin, I was wrong to dismiss you and to disbelieve in you. I need your mercy. I deserve punishment but you are kind and merciful and I receive your grace. I repent. I receive Yeshua as my saviour and Lord. I will live because of my faith in Messiah Yeshua. Amen.
If you prayed that, please let us know of your profession by writing straightaway, won’t you? Bob@JewsforJesus.org.au We’d love to hear from you.
Conclusion
We are delighted you have joined us today. Please join us next week and learn with the others how you can stay on track in 2021 and beyond. I hope to see you next week as we continue our studies in Joshua. You will certainly see yourself in the readings and in the lessons. Next week we will look at chapter 15, in what I call “A geography lesson” and see what lessons we can draw for ourselves from the scenes there!
Hope to see you then… until then, Shabbat shalom!
Bibliography
Butler, Trent C., Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 7. Joshua. Word, Waco, 1983.
Davis, Dale Ralph, Joshua: No Falling Words, Christian Focus, Fearn, Ross-shire, Scotland, 2019.
Hess, Richard. Tyndale Commentary Complete.
Meyer, F.B., Joshua and the Land of Promise, Christian Literature Crusade, Ft Washington PA, 1977.
Pritchard, James, “The Bible reports on Gibeon.” Penn Museum, Expedition, 1961. Volume 3, Issue 4.
Sanders, J. Oswald, Promised-Land Living, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984.
Toms, Paul, This land is your land. Gospel Light Publishing, Glendale CA, 1977.
Weirsbe, Warren. Be Strong: Putting God's Power to Work in Your Life. David C. Cook Publishing, Colorado Springs, 2010.
-------------------
D-Groups for this week
1) Monday 11 am Sydney time. Led by James Howse
2) Monday 7 pm, Sydney time, led by James White
(Contact our office for zoom details)
If you’d like to host a D-Group either online or in person, please contact bob@jewsforjesus.org.au for further details. It’s time to step up. Ponder this—who will be in your D-Group?
The Book of Joshua: Outline.
C. Entering the Land (Chapters 1-4)
a. Chapter 1: A funeral and a promise (Leadership Lesson 1)
b. Chapter 2: A harlot saves the day
c. Chapter 3: Go against the flow (Part 1)
d. Chapter 4: Go against the flow (Part 2)
D. Taking the Land (5-12)
a. Chapter 5: Roll away iniquity: a study in sacraments
b. Chapter 6: Joshua fit d’battle ob Jericho
c. Chapter 7: Getting it very wrong: Achan and his mistakes
d. Chapter 8: Combat and Covenant
e. Chapter 9: Common sense is not so common
f. Chapter 10: Southern dominance
g. Chapter 11: How not to win
h. Chapter 12: God is faithful
E. Possessing the Land (13-21)
a. Chapter 13: Inheritance lessons
b. Chapter 14: Caleb as an example with a side of contentment
c. Chapter 15: Geography lesson
d. Chapter 16: Trends of note (Part 1)
e. Chapter 17: Trends of note (Part 2)
f. Chapter 18: Apportionment (Part 1)
g. Chapter 19: Apportionment (Part 2)
h. Chapter 20: Provisions (Part 1)
i. Chapter 21: Provisions (Part 2)
F. Retaining the Land (22-24)
a. Chapter 22: Can an altar alter anything?
b. Chapter 23: Staying on edge
c. Chapter 24: Three funerals and Renewing the covenant
The Seven Nations
1. Amorite
2. Canaanite
3. Girgashite
4. Hittite
5. Hivite
6. Jebusite
7. Perizzite
Josh. 14:1 Now these are the territories which the sons of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the households of the tribes of the sons of Israel apportioned to them for an inheritance, 2 by the lot of their inheritance, as the LORD commanded through Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe beyond the Jordan; but he did not give an inheritance to the Levites among them. 4 For the sons of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, and they did not give a portion to the Levites in the land, except cities to live in, with their pasture lands for their livestock and for their property. 5 Thus the sons of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded Moses, and they divided the land.
Josh. 14:6 Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which the LORD spoke 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 word back to him as it was in my heart. 8“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. 9 “So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God fully.’ 10 “Now behold, the LORD has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 “I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 12 “Now then, give me this hill country about which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the LORD will be with me, and I will drive them out as the LORD has spoken.”
Josh. 14:13 So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the LORD God of Israel fully. 15 Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.
No comments:
Post a Comment