Caleb’s Mountain

“Tell me something good! I promise I won’t tell.”

How many childhood promises have you broken? Have you ever told a friend you would keep a promise to them, only to fail in your limited ability? Once, a childhood friend and I promised each other we would always be close, and we would never move away from each other. How cute is that? At the time, we didn’t understand that there were other factors, which would prevent this from being possible. As children of military parents, she moved within the year, and I moved shortly thereafter.

Some promises are made with good intentions, and still fall through. However, we have the confidence that our God is a Promise Keeper. The scriptures are full of promises that we must stand on. I like the language used by Dr. Charles Stanley who says for Christians, the promises of God are “to be enjoyed, claimed, and called upon.” I imagine Heaven anticipates the moment we will align ourselves with what it already knows. Unexpected changes, disappointments, and new seasons can present challenges that cause us to forget what the Lord has said to us. What else do you think keeps us from standing on God’s word? I believe another form of challenge we face as we seek to trust God is time. Time can be a form of discouragement, if we allow ourselves to grow weary awaiting the manifestation of an answered prayer. It is a common situation in the life of the believer. I, too, have wrestled with this reality. Scripture illustrates a bold example of a man who refused to allow the imminence of time to thwart his confidence in God’s promises.

Of a Different Breed

You may already be familiar with Caleb’s story. Of the tribe of Judah, he and Joshua were appointed among twelve to spy out the land of Canaan. The Lord was ready to give Canaan to the Israelites, but this was a test of their faith. Is God willing and able to give the Israelites the land? Well, certainly! we might say, but God wanted to know if the host of Israel had sufficient faith in him despite the odds. Numbers 13 details the events of this occurrence. Following exploration of the land, only Caleb and Joshua believed Israel could take it. The remaining majority sowed seeds of fear and inability amongst the people after seeing the giants (the Anakites) who occupied the territory. For this reason, Israel did not take the land. As punishment for her disbelief, she wandered in the wilderness for forty-years. That entire generation was prevented from entering into Canaan, and only Joshua and Caleb were permitted to see it before their deaths.

The Eighty-Five year old General

Nearly a generation later, Caleb and Joshua have entered into Canaan, and Joshua allots territory to the tribes of Israel. There was land that had been conquered, and some territories remained unconquered for Israel. Although Moses was dead, he left instructions that Joshua was to divide the land amongst the tribes as the Lord commanded. Joshua 14, outlines the conversation that took place when it came time for the tribe of Judah to receive its inheritance. Caleb, a member of that tribe speaks up and reminds Joshua of the promise made concerning him forty-five years ago:

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.’   Joshua 14:9, NRSV

Forty-five years earlier, Caleb’s strong faith wrote him a check that he would not be able to cash until later! In his old age, he presents that “check” to Joshua. As a result, he is blessed by Joshua, and given the land of Hebron as an inheritance. The interesting thing is that the giants still occupy this land. Much earlier, we are told that Joshua defeated Hebron (Joshua 10:37). Nonetheless, this was a partial victory. There remained a mountain, or hill country of Hebron, that was unconquered. It is to this hill country that Caleb lays his claim. Caleb is not discouraged by this. He volunteers to lead the siege to drive the enemy out! He leads the strategy to wage war on Hebron’s inhabitants. The attack is successful, and Caleb claims Hebron in its entirety for Israel as an inheritance for the tribe of Judah. Caleb’s example gives us a wealth of principles for conquering the mountains in our lives. He is the man of “wholehearted faith,” in God. This lesson is written for our learning. Regardless of our age, or the seasons of life that have past us, there remains a mountain that we must claim not simply for ourselves, but for the generation succeeding us.

The Character of Caleb

Caleb was steadfast and immoveable (I Corinthians 15:58).

As a young man (age forty) he dared to believe that with God, all things were possible. When confronted with a difficult situation, Caleb believed the report of the Lord. He refused to water down his faith in order to agree with the voices of opposition. He was not moved by what he saw. Instead, he was encouraged, knowing that God had already given him the victory. As an old man, his faith continues, and does not fail. His confession is just as strong as it was forty-five years ago.

Caleb was patient.

He waited until the appointed season to receive his reward. However, his patient waiting was not passive. When the season came upon him; when the opportunity presented itself, he vocalized only what the Lord had said. He brought up the promise that was given to him forty-five years ago. He did not remain silent during this time. He was standing on that promise, and guarding it in his heart all these years. In this, I see the illustration of putting God in remembrance of his word. The memory of our God is not weakened. It is an exercise in our faith to bring the promises of God to the forefront of our prayers as seasons change. Our faith is strengthened by the Lord when we remain ever mindful of what he has said. It becomes an indicator of our heart’s willingness to remain firm and be unfailing in our trust in the Lord.

Caleb was bold.

Caleb was unselfish.

A godly man leaves an inheritance unto his children. As an old man, Caleb did not see himself as “retired.” He chose not to embrace the mindset that it was time to rest from his labors, because his younger years were spent. He had future generations in mind. His descendants were apparently in his heart, and he desired that they have an inheritance long after his time. It is a wicked thing for us to think only of ourselves, and the present generation. The Lord is displeased when we are only mindful of an abundance of resources so long as we live, but fail to think forward to the kind of lives and help our children, and children’s children will have. This takes on many forms. Personally, I can do a better job of recycling. Environmental stewardship is one way we can be mindful of future generations. In another form, as we work and labor, we must consider what we are putting away for our children. I know many of us do not like talking about death, but it is inevitable for us all. Being proactive concerning things like life insurance, and advance directives all value the well being of our sons and daughters.

Even more important (at least in my opinion), than the existence of natural blessing, is the abundance of spiritual blessing. Caleb wanted to ensure that the spiritual blessing resting on his life would continue to prosper his seed even after his death. Right standing (or relationship) with the Lord can be inherited. If you don’t believe this, consider the implications of the opposite. If God visits the wickedness of the fathers unto the third and fourth generations, does he not visit the goodness of the fathers unto the third and fourth generations as well? It is true, a good man can have corrupt seed. Parents can lay right foundations for children who choose the way that seems right in their owns minds, finding only destruction and failure. Nevertheless, those children have inherited a blessing because of their parents. But they must choose to walk in that way. God does not engage in “mind control.” We are given free will to choose who we will serve. In the same way, a wicked man’s children may choose to live lives of goodness and serve God. In this case, I believe the righteous walk of the children has the power to break the curse that would rest on any future generations as a result of the parents’ disobedience.

Caleb was preserved in strength.

I really wish I could meet Caleb. As I read through Joshua 14, my lips curled up into a wide smile, and I shook my head at the determination and nerve of this man! At eighty-five, he is still spirited and fiery! I never read this chapter that closely, although I had a familiarity with the passage years ago. At sixteen years old, I was so impressed by Caleb that I resolved within myself that “Caleb” would be the name of my first-born son. Ha ha! What really moves me is Caleb’s drive to live his life in the fullness of God’s strength. His confession is powerful. There are promises in the word of God that should shape the way we see ourselves even as we age.

A month or so ago, I had my first “I’m aging,” moment. As I looked into the mirror, I spotted an alarming increase of fine white hairs poking through the edges of my hairline. “Oh my goodness!” I shrieked. It seemed like they popped up overnight. The skin under my eyes looked darker, and I zoomed in on what appeared to be emerging fine lines. I’m getting old! I thought to myself. Before I had a say in the matter, a single solitary tear made its way from the outside corner of my right eye, to round my cheek, and eventually find a temporary haven in the shadow of my chin. Within moments I was googling “best under-eye products.” But wait, stop! While aging is a natural part of life, as Christians, we must make sure our perception of ourselves aligns with the truth of God’s word. No sooner than I started my online shopping spree, I was flooded with images of women who had flawless skin, glowing complexions, perfect bodies, and on, and on, and on. There is no need for me to tell you what this does to the mind if we are not vigilant in guarding our hearts. I could very easily start towards a downward spiral of the “I am not’s.”

Whether you have been discouraged by gray hair, changing body composition, or other notable things, there remains a promise for us as we increase in age. The word of God has good things to say about this that should cause us to embrace our season rather than despise it. Caleb knew this! Listen to what he says in Joshua 14:10-12, NRSV:

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.”

Aha! Caleb had no intention of slowing down. Because the Lord kept him, and allowed him to be alive, he felt there was remaining purpose. In a word, Caleb was saying, “I am still able!” Do not hold back from me. I can still fight. Not only do I want what the Lord promised me, but in my old age, if I am required to fight again for it (to maintain it), I am willing and able to do so! Wow! What a declaration. This drastically contrasts with the common image of the elderly. I am not throwing stones here. Caleb’s attitude is not an attack against enjoying natural rest as a seasoned citizen. Rather, I see it as a proclamation of his spiritual might and fight in God during a time when most would rather suffer things to be as they are.

Scripture presents several spiritual promises and circumstances for life as we age. Three of my favorites are listed below:

¹⁸ So even to old age and gray hairs,
    O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
    to all the generations to come.
Your power ¹⁹ and your righteousness, O God,
    reach the high heavens.

You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?

Psalm 71:18-19, NRSV

The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze,
    and your strength will equal your days.

Deuteronomy 33:25

¹² The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
    and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³ They are planted in the house of the Lord;
    they flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ In old age they still produce fruit;
    they are always green and full of sap,
¹⁵ showing that the Lord is upright;
    he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Psalm 92:12-15, NRSV (emphasis, mine)

These verses totally revolutionize the mindset we should possess as we age. Looking at the promises of scripture, becoming older is a blessing, and our power and strength in the Lord should only increase as we progress in life – not diminish. If you feel you have fallen short of embracing this mindset, it is not too late to switch tracks. The promises of God are for all his children. At this moment, you can begin to think like Caleb, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Begin confessing these verses of scripture over your life and watch what the Lord will do in you – an attitude like Caleb’s is powerful!

Redeeming the Time

Scan the reservoirs of your mind and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate any God-given purposes in your life that you have obscured. Search the recesses of your heart and look back in reflection. Is there a past goal, assignment or passion that you once believed was Spirit-inspired, but gradually failed to pursue? Have you believed the lies of the enemy as he convinced you that you are too old, or too far off to reclaim that initiative? When I took the time to reflect personally on this, I realized that there were godly ambitions I discounted, because I was relying on my own ability to achieve them. Like Caleb, we must be declare “if the Lord be with me…” I will succeed. Only when we rely on the help of the Holy Spirit can we obtain any success.

Today is a good day to recapture your spark. Remember, the Word of God tells us that the enemy comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). What does he steal? Most of the time he starts with our love (or any other fruit of the spirit). In the same way, he will also make targets out of our God-given abilities, passions, and goals. Anything you can do that would demonstrate the power and glory of God – he wants to destroy. My prayer for us today is that we would be inspired by Caleb’s strong example. Because there is still breath in your body, now is the perfect time for you to move forward into the promises and purposes attached to your life. God has blessed you. Amen.