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I want to look at a few verses tonight, or this morning, in the book of Numbers, chapter thirteen. Numbers chapter thirteen, and we're going to look at verse number one. Numbers chapter thirteen and verse number one. By the way, I've got a com- uh, comment on the, the uh, supper last night and the evening we spent together. Um, the young people and the, uh, young couples and singles who were all involved in putting that together. I just can't believe it. We, we talked about it last night in bed, you know, and even mentioned this morning as we were getting ready, what a wonderful, wonderful evening that was, and all the thought and hard work and preparation.
I- I've got to say, it's very, very much appreciated, and I'm sure that, uh, the others who are just a little over fifty really appreciate all your hard work. It really was a delightful evening. Thank you, and we know the Lord will bless you, for your labor is not in vain in the Lord, and don't forget that. And you've done it as unto Him, and you will be blessed for it. In fact, you probably were. You probably enjoyed doing it, and, uh, that's always so important, isn't it? Numbers chapter thirteen. Thank you, brother. Verse number one. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel.
From each tribe of their fathers, you shall send a man, every one a leader among them. Now notice verse number six: From the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. Verse number eight: From the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea or Joshua the son of Nun. Now notice what it says in verse number twenty five. And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. And verse twenty six. Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh.
They brought back word t- uh, to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him and said, we went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong. The cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains, and the Canaanites dwell by the sea along the and along the banks of the Jordan.
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. But the men who had gone up with him said, we are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants, the descendants of Anak, came from the giants, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.
Now notice chapter six, please, at least, I'm sorry, chapter fourteen and, uh, verse number one. So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, "If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or only if we had died in this wilderness. Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" So they said to one another, let us select a leader and return to Egypt.
Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. You can only imagine the consternation and how they felt at this particular time when the whole of Israel was rebelling against the leadership that they were giving and against what God had encouraged them to do. But notice verse six: But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes, and they spoke to all the ch- congregation of the children of Israel, saying, the land which, the land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are bread, our bread. Their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them. And all the congregation said to, to the, to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.
Now I want you to go over to Joshua chapter fourteen. Joshua chapter fourteen and verse number six. Joshua chapter fourteen and verse number six. Then the children of, uh, of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know the word which the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, concerning you and me and Kadesh Barnea. 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 back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
So Moses swore on that day, sa- saying, surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you wholly followed the Lord my God. And now behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said, these forty five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while in Israel, wan- while Israel rather wandered in the wilderness. And now here I am this day, eighty five years old. As yet, I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me. Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and coming in.
Now, therefore, give me this mountain which the Lord spoke in that day, for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will drive them, uh, will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. And Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb. And notice the last expression, because he wholly followed the Lord, his God. Don't you love him? What a great man we have here in this chapter, and that which we have read in Numbers chapter, uh, thirteen.
Truly a wonderful, great man of God. A man indeed who had a vision, and a vision that he was willing to stand up for, to live for, and to die by. You know, when we think of many men and women in scriptures, we find that oftentimes they stand alone. You remember Paul could say, no man stood with me. And there are times in our lives and in our experiences when we definitely feel very much alone. You can only imagine Noah, the preacher of righteousness for one hundred and twenty years, warning of the impending judgment of God upon this world in the great flood, and no man stood with him.
There were times in Abraham's life when he faced his nephew Lot, and on other occasions when he was a man who stood alone. And there was Daniel, and we remember him and how bravely he stood alone for his God. We think of Elijah and the prophets of Baal in First Kings chapter eighteen, and he was truly a man who stood alone for the Lord. And there was Jeremiah, and there was Esther, and of course we could think of my servant, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the lonely man.
He was the man who was forsaken, and yet he stood alone and went to the cross for you and for me. You know, loneliness is one of the great characteristics of those who seek to live for God, of those who seek to take a stand for God in their lives day by day. How often as elders, and even as your wives, you have felt alone. How many a missionary in a foreign field has felt very much alone. Even a preacher of the gospel here in this nation, no one seeming to understand, no one seeming to care, and so often they have felt alone.
You see, the work of the Lord is often lonely, and as we think of this man Caleb and Joshua as well, they must have felt very much alone. We think of Moses and Joshua prostrating themselves. We can only imagine how they must have felt when the whole nation wanted to have a captain and return back to slavery from which they had been, been delivered. And when we think of loneliness, many of us experience it. All of us, some time or other in our lives, have experienced it, and we will experience it. And if you seek to live for the Lord Jesus and seek to put him as Lord in your life, there are going to be times when no one will understand, no one will stand by you, but you've got to stand alone for God.
You see, thi- this man had a heart for God. This man had a vision of his God. Vision is something that is contagious, and Joshua and Caleb, they were visionaries. However, the vision they had of their God and of the new land failed to catch on. Helen Keller one time said, there is something worse than having no sight. It is having sight but no vision. And so often people have sight, and even as believers in the Lord Jesus, we can have sight, but we can have no vision.
And it's vitally important for you and for me to have a vision of our God, a vision of Christ, and a vision of that which he would have for your life and for mine individually and collectively as an assembly of God's people. You know, sometimes people are doubters. They question you and me. They don't understand what God is doing in their lives. They are doubters indeed. I'm reminded, and Chuck Swindoll, uh, related this story one time of a, a couple of nuns who worked at a hospital, and while they were driving to the hospital, they ran out of gas, but, and thankfully they were very close to a service station.
Well, they had no container in which to put the gasoline, and they wondered what they were going to do, and one of the nuns said, you know what, in the trunk there's a bedpan. And so they went and took the bedpan, walked across the street, filled it with gas, and carefully poured it into the gas tank. Well, there were a couple of guys driving by in their car, a- a- and one of them, you know, they both stared in disbelief, and finally one of the guys said, now, Fred, that's what I call faith. You see, it appeared to be f- foolish to them, but you see, the problem was they were doubters.
They just didn't have the facts. And oftentimes we just don't have the facts. And when we stop and consider Joshua and Caleb, they had the facts. They understood what God had. And when you go back to Numbers chapter twelve, which we didn't read, we find a problem developing. There is the sin of distrust. Distrust in the leadership of Moses, the man of God. In chapter thirteen, there is disobedience by those ten spies.
And when we come to chapter fourteen, we find there is disaster. You see, they wanted to go back into Egypt. They wanted a visible leader. And so many today want a visible leader, but we follow one who is risen and seated at the Father's right hand, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you remember when they went into the land, there were the two reports that were brought back. There was the majority report, and there was the minority report. You see, the majority report reflected on what they saw and not on what God could do.
Faith reasons from God to the difficulties. Faith always begins with God, but unbelief reasons from the difficulties to God. It's the reverse, isn't it? Unbelief begins with, with difficulties. And when we read Numbers chapter fourteen, uh, chapter thirteen, and the verses that we read there, you'll find that not once do the majority of those spies giving their reports ever mention the name of their God. It was all what they saw, what they experienced, and what they thought they were going to experience.
God doesn't figure into their problems. The maturity report measured the giants against their strength. They saw the giants, and they feared not God. They doubted, were not able. They trembled. And as William Cowper has well said, blind unbelief is sure to err, and scan his work in vain. God is his own interpreter, and he will make it plain. And God would interpret the whole thing. He would make it plain to them. But the sad thing is, because of their unbelief, there was a great price that was paid.
Alan Redpath as well said, great people are not complicated, they are simplicity itself. Caleb was simplicity itself. He simply believed God, and that's the type of people we ought to be. People who are convinced of the reality of our God. Oh, we say that. We mouth the words, but it is it really a reality in your heart, and is it really a reality in my heart? You remember Elijah, the prophet of God?
He storms into the room, the palace room of King Ahab, and there he points his finger as the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand. And although he was in the presence of a very powerful monarch, he recognized he was in the presence of one who was even greater than Ahab and able to do greater things than any living monarch could ever do. Before whom I stand as the Lord God of Israel liveth. God was still alive. Even though the nation was worshiping the prophets of, at least the, the idols of Baal and following the prophets of Baal, God was still alive.
He was still on the throne. You know what? He's still on the throne today, and his purposes are being fulfilled, and they will be full- fulfilled. And we ought to be allowing him to work in our lives so that they might be fulfilled in us. You see, Caleb had several guiding principles throughout his life. He had a faith that wavered not. I mean, you've got ten guys coming against you, and they're persuading a nation of two and a half million people, and you got one man and Joshua, two of them, standing alone and saying to the nation, we are able.
Why could he do it? He had a faith that wavered not. He was convinced of the reality of his God, but secondly, he had a vision of his God that was as clear in his youth as it was in his old age. And don't you love him? Now he's only forty years of age approximately when all of this is taking place in Numbers. And when we come over to Joshua, and he's saying to, to Joshua, you know, give me this mountain. He's just a spring chicken, he's only eighty five years of age. And here he is wanting to take on a mountain, the hardest part of the land.
Give me this mountain. He was a man who had a great faith in a great God. And we may not have the physical strength as Caleb did. His strength was just as great at eighty five as it was at forty. and they m- that may not be true of you. It certainly isn't true of me, but you know what, folks? We still can have a great vision in our God. And we can still believe. I think of his ancestor Abraham. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving God the glory. How could it possibly be? You're like, I'm only a hundred years of age.
Sarah's only ninety. and we're to have a son at this time in our lives. But you see, the wonderful truth was he believed God and he staggered not. We stagger at unbelief. It's impossible. We can't do it. But we need a vision of the Lord Jesus. And you know, that's nothing magical. That doesn't come by some special light falling from heaven and our eyes are suddenly opened, but it's by taking that quiet time in his presence day by day, and resting upon him, and just living one day at a time, at a time, at a time, fully trusting, being obedient to his word, faithful to his truth, and seeking to enjoy the presence of the Lord Jesus day by day.
And if you have that, you're going to have a vision. You're going to have a heart and a passion for a world that's perishing and for the hearts of God's people. But he had his heart and he had a spirit that even at age eighty five, he was still ready to take on impossible tasks. I'm reminded of the story of Boyd Nicholson, and many of you here will remember Brother Boyd. He used to share this incident that took place while he was in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He first met his navigator Harry when he joined his air crew as a nav- he first met Harry, rather, when he joined his air crew as a navigator.
Harry was a wonderful believer, and he said, we spent much time together. We worked together, we prayed together, we preached together, and we flew together. He said, I can remember when we were in Burma and going through the Burmese jungle, hour after hour, we would plow our way over these many, many miles. It was steaming in that jungle. We were into the foothills of the towering Himalayas. He said, we followed the rivers where we could, and we would often pinpoint our position by the gigantic peaks.
He said, sometimes the tension was so high, and he said when you're walking and marching with a group of godless men, it's not an easy task at all. But he said it was at that point when Harry excelled. He would poke up his head at the front, and with a beaming face, he would begin to sing, got any rivers you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things thought impossible. He can do anything no other can do.
You see, we have a great God, don't we? And a- a- Caleb was a man who recognized that. He was a man who was ready for fresh opportunities and fresh battles. He saw possibilities where others saw problems. And if you'll notice, three times in Joshua fourteen, it says he wholly followed the Lord his God. You know, I like the name Caleb. It simply means wholehearted. What a great name to give to a young... You know, if you have a baby, call him Caleb, wholehearted. And here was a man who wholeheartedly followed the Lord. And it was something that he learned in his youth and stayed with him through his growing years, maturing years, into his old age.
Caleb had three great qualities. He had a vision we've already spoken of, but he was a man who was faithful. The world doesn't need more experts. It doesn't need more clever leaders. The church doesn't need more experts. We don't need more clever leaders, but we need wise leaders. We need to have leaders who know the difference between success and faithfulness. A faithful assembly may be a growing assembly, but a growing assembly may not necessarily be a faithful one, and it is required of a steward that he be found faithful.
And beyond success and anything else, there is that matter of faithfulness to God, faithfulness to the truth that we have. And today, many churches and even assemblies are seeking large numbers, and they are not always faithful to the truth that they know. Now, there's nothing wrong with numbers in themselves, but we don't serve the God of numbers. We serve a God who is a faithful God, and we serve a God who is doing his work, and we are simply servants, and we need to be attuned to the Spirit of God. You remember the Lord Jesus could say in Matthew chapter twenty four, who then is a faithful and wise servant?
Verse forty six, he says, blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find doing so. Folks, keep on doing so. Living for God, sharing the gospel, faithful to the Lord, faithful to his truth, faithful to the assembly. Keep on keeping on, and have a vision, and have a passion for the lost. And God knows we need that more than ever before today. We have a leod sphere in spirit. Ray and I were just talking about that last night and again this morning. You know, so much has crept in to our own hearts, mine as well. I'm as guilty as anyone else. I'm no different.
And God knows my heart more than anyone. And that spirit creeps in, and a carnality creeps in, and a coldness creeps in, a lukewarmness. Would to God that we were either hot or cold. We need to turn on the heats and get a little hot and fervent for God. Like that man Harry in the Burmese jungle, when everything seemed lost, he would stand and he would sing, God any mountains, God any rivers. God specializes in things thought impossible, and our God does today. A faithful servant is one who was watching.
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. A faithful servant is one who is doing. Occupy till I come, the Lord Jesus could say. And he's one who is faithful. It is required of a steward in second, First Corinthians four two that a man be found faithful. What are we to be faithful to? Mm, my time's gone. Just three things. I'm just going to mention them, and we can't fill in the, in the blanks here because I'm two minutes over already. Um, and that's hard on teachers. We need to be faithful to God's word.
God could say, I will raise up for them a prophet like you, that is like Moses, from among their brethren, and will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak them to all that I command him, and it shall be that whoever will not hear my words, which he speaks in my name, I will require it of him. Here was one who would stand up, speaking of the Lord Jesus, who would be faithful to God's word. We need to be faithful to God's word. We need to be faithful in obedience. Get the picture in Joshua chapter six. You remember the nation was to march around the city once every day for six days, and on the seventh day they were to march around seven times.
Can you only imagine getting up this morning and you're telling the kids, now come on guys, let's get ready, we're going to march around the city of Jericho. God's given it to us. This is what he's required, and everybody's excited, and everybody's all enthused about doing it, and quickly they march off, and they go around Jericho once, and they camp. The next day they get up, and maybe the enthusiasm is just not quite the same. It was kind of hard and hard and tedious, and our feet were sore, and back is aching, and my leg, I'm throbbing, and, you know, and you do it anyhow. And then the kids by Wednesday, you know, or whatever day it would be, the third day, they would begin to whine a little bit, do we have to?
And the fourth day was greater, and finally they come to the seventh day, and then you give them the news. God said we're going to do it seven times today. You got to be kidding. Give me a break. But, you know, we have to be faithful in just obeying. And it was difficult, it was tedious, it could even be boring, but that was what God required. You know what, folks? Sometimes it's tedious. Sometimes it's wearying. Sometimes it's boring, but be faithful. And you remember what happened?
On the seventh time around, they gave a great shout. The priests blew on the shofar, those ram's horns, and the walls came cas- cascading down, and they conquered that great city. The Ark of the Covenant, the visible presence of God is present. And as I just want to leave with this, a church organized around meeting needs breeds selfishness and inevitably leads to competition, control, and conflict, this writer says.
He goes on to say, the church is to be a spiritual place where God forms his people, people who are being transformed into a Christ-likeness. Can I ask of you, are you being transformed into a Christ-likeness? Am I? Since the last time we were here, do you see more of Christ in me? Do I see more of Christ in you? That's so required, isn't it? That's what God wants in us, a Christ-likeness more than ever before. And, and, and we find that as we're faithful, and we need to be faithful in adversity, because adversity is going to come, and adversity was there with Moses and with, with Caleb and with Joshua, but they were faithful, and this was a man who also had a fervent spirit.
But that's it. Here endeth the lesson. We'll close in a word of prayer, and trust the Lord will just bless these few thoughts for his name's sake. Let's pray. Father, we bless thee again for the precious word of God, for the wonderful truths that are found in it, and we pray, Lord, just to minister to the hearts of each one of thy dear people. You know the needs, you know the burdens, you know the cares, and Lord, we pray that we might just have a fresh vision of our Lord Jesus. Give me a sight, O Savior, of thy wondrous love to me, of the love that brought thee down to earth to die on Calvary.
Oh, make me understand it. Help me to take it in, what it meant to thee, the Holy One, to bear away my sin. We thank you again for the Savior, for what he means to our hearts, and we would just pray for your blessing upon the word of God to the hearts of boys and girls, and as they prepare for this little Christmas program in a few weeks, that it will be used of yourself to bring souls to Christ. Please accept our thanks, and as we come together for tonight and the gospel, we pray, Lord, that even at this time you will prepare hearts to receive the word, and ultimately to receive the Savior and to be saved.
Thank you again, in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen. Thank you. May the Lord bless you for his name's sake.