Giants of Faith: Joshua and Caleb - 250408

Speaker A Hello, I'm Clive Nash. Welcome to Let God Speak. In Life, we meet good role models and bad. As a child growing up, I had people I admired. Sometimes it was a teacher or a member of the clergy. But most influential were my parents. When we have good characters to admire, we are blessed. Today our panel will share with you two great role models from the Bible, Joshua and Caleb. They were giants of faith. Stay with us as we begin our discussion in just a moment. Well, on our panel today, we have John Kosmeier and Rosemary Malkiewycz. Good to have you with us today. Thank you. And I'm looking forward to our discussion. We've had some good times in the past as we've been together as a group. And I know we'll have a good time blessed by God today. But before we begin, let's take time to pray. Our loving Father in heaven, we thank you that you have given us role models in the Bible, role models such as these great giants of faith of Joshua and Caleb. And as we consider their lives and the impact that they had in their time, may we take example from them so that we will be giants of faith in this, our day. And we ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Speaker B Amen. Speaker A Well, first of all, I've got a question for you, Rosemary. But before we get to that, let me just read a verse from Hebrews 13:7. Hebrews 13:7 says, Remember those who rule over you or who lead you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Rosemary, what do you think of this advice here? Speaker B Well, there's two good admonitions here. One is to remember the current spiritual leaders who are a good example, who live their faith. And the second one is, follow their example so that we can have a good outcome for ourselves. But then this advice also should be put to those leaders of the past who are also trustworthy to follow because we've seen the end of their lives as well. So Paul says in that verse, whose faith follow? That's the example. So in Hebrews 11, we have the hall of Faith, the verses that tell us about all these wonderful people of the past who were people we could look up to, people we could emulate. But chapter 12 talks about, Jesus is the one we should look to. He's the one we should be following. He is our supreme example. And chapter 13 goes on with that, too. So that's Hebrews 12 or 11. 12 and 13. Speaker A Okay. So, John, we can be talking about Joshua and Caleb at this time today, but what do we Know about Caleb. Speaker C There were 12 men selected to go as spies to check out the land into which they were going. And when you look in Numbers, chapter 13 and verse 6 from the tribe of the kingly tribe of Judah. Okay, Judah, Caleb, the son of Jephunneh. And his name meant dog. Speaker A Yes, yes. Doesn't sound like a complimentary name, does it? Speaker C It's not. However, back in those days, there were qualities of the dog that caused him to be called, to be faithful, to be. To be, to be true. And the name implied courage and faithfulness, and Caleb certainly was one of those. And he was faithful to God all of his life, as well known. Speaker A Yeah, and quite a long life at that, too. So when 10 of these, now the spies are all listed by name here, one from each tribe there in Numbers 13. But 10 of them gave a bad report about conquering the land and. But Rosemary, who was it that spoke up about the fact that they could go ahead? Speaker B Well, out of the 12 spies, only two of them spoke confidently that God is going to give this land to us, and that was Joshua and Caleb. Caleb was the oldest one. They were similar age, and he was the one who had the most to say. And let's look at that in Numbers, chapter 13 and verse 30. Then Caleb quieted people before Moses and said, let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it. So here is his faith speaking out. But the 10 spies who were timid were still pushing for the fact that it's too dangerous. We can't go and do this. They didn't have that faith, regardless of what Caleb and Joshua were saying. And so in chapter 13 and verse 31, it says, 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. So this is this completely different idea, and it discouraged the people. In chapter 14 of Numbers and verse number two, it says, 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 if only we had died in the wilderness. What a terrible thing to hope. Instead of going up against the giants and maybe dying at their hand, they would prefer to have died in Egypt where they're in slavery, or in the desert where they were hungry and thirsty. It's not much of a choice, is it? And so when we look at this, we realize that the majority of people are not always right, and we shouldn't necessarily go with the majority if what the majority says is against the word of God. We definitely have to be in the minority. And that's what Joshua and Caleb were. Speaker A Yeah. It's interesting that later on in that same chapter in Numbers 14, beginning at verse 7 and through to verse 9, that Joshua and Caleb says they spoke to all the children, all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, the land we pass through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then he will bring us into this land. So just like Caleb, you know, he's very positive, isn't he? Joshua here, he will bring us into this land and give it to us a land which flows with milk and honey. Verse 9 says, Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread. Their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them, sir. What was the outcome of this, John? Speaker C The voice of 10 held sway and they were so much against what Joshua and Caleb were saying. Verse 10 tells us that all the congregation said to stone them with stones. They were actually going to destroy these two men who had believed in the promises of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob. And this is where we remember the names of two. We don't remember the other 10 names, but they all died of the plague, whereas Joshua and Caleb, they have a story. Speaker A Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it, how the majority, as you say, you know, seem to hold sway in this situation in chapter 14, verse 24. It's interesting to read this verse too, because it says, but my servant Caleb, this is the Lord speaking, my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went and his descendants shall inherit. So we fast forward 45 years. Rosemary, how was this promise fulfilled? Speaker B Okay. Caleb never forgot the promise. And so it came to the point of inheriting the land. And he claimed that promise that God had given. And if we look in Joshua 14, verses 6, 7, 10, we can see this in verse 6, while start. Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kezanite, said to him, you know the word which the Lord said 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. And I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. And in verse 10, he says, and now behold, The Lord has kept me alive, as he said, these 45 years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness. And now here I am this day, 85 years old. So here he was still, with a very, very good memory for the events that happened 45 years before. But also he was 85 years old. He was still fit and healthy and willing and wanting to go out and conquer more land. And that's just a wonderful thing. This man was a indeed a man of faith. And if we look at Deuteronomy, chapter 1, verse 36, this is what it says. This is back when God promised him the land, except everybody was not going to go in except Caleb and the son of Jephunneh, who shall see it. And to him and his children, I am giving the land on which he walked because he followed, wholly followed the Lord. That's God speaking, that he's going to give him this land because he was faithful, he wholly followed the Lord. So it takes a strong belief of faith to prompt commitment and trust in God. And that's what we are all needing to have. Speaker A Yeah. And certainly a sense of confidence, I think, too, because what did Caleb ask very confidently for. For his possession of John? Speaker C I love this story. He was 85 years of age, and all he wanted on his birthday was to be able to go and conquer the land that he had seen when he was out spying. Yeah, 85 years of age. Speaker A 85, yeah. Speaker C And that is where the sons of Anak lived. Now, the sons of Anak were giants in the land, and we know that from David and Goliath, of course, because he came from that lineage as well. And they used to have a thumb and six fingers on each hand and a big toe and five toes on each foot. So they were so big they had to have another finger to make themselves look any good. And so he claimed the promise that God had made to him 45 years earlier. That's a long time to wait for a birthday present. Speaker A It is, yeah. So this man of faith, Caleb Rosemary, does that kind of faith inspire you? Speaker B It does, because Caleb illustrates the principle we find in Jesus words. In Luke 6. 45, Jesus said, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good. And an evil man, out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks. So you just look at the fruit, Jesus said, and you can see what sort of person, whether it's good or bad. Now, Caleb had a good heart toward God he was a believer in God. He knew that God would be faithful to him. Speaker A And. Speaker B And his life also had good results. So we can see that Caleb was this a man with a good treasure in his heart. Speaker A So, John, Caleb was confident in asking, did he get what he asked for? Speaker C Joshua and Caleb had been friends for many, many years and had fought together. And when Caleb asked of Joshua, give me this land, verse 13 of Joshua 14, and I'm reading from the new King James Version, and it says, and Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, the canon of Zion to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. What a blessing to get because you have faith and trust and belief in your holy God. Speaker B That's right. Speaker A Yeah. So he was definitely a man of faith. And he's one of the giants of faith that we're studying about today. And was Caleb's. What about Caleb's daughter? He had a daughter. I love the story. Rosary. Tell us about her. Speaker B Okay. He had a daughter named Achsah, a C, H, S, A H. And she is mentioned in this text here because of a special thing that happened. Joshua received the area of Hebron. But he then went on to say in Joshua 15:16, and Caleb said, this is Caleb. He said, he who attacks Kirjath Sepha and takes it to him, I will give Aqsa, my daughter, as wife. So he had a special place he wanted to take over, and he promised his daughter Aksah. Now, aksah means anklet, or an ornament around the ankle. So she. She must have been a woman worth fighting for, because in Joshua 15:17 it tells us so Othniel, the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it and he gave him Achsa, his daughter, as wife. Now, Othniel was a nephew of Caleb and obviously knew Aksar very well as being his cousin. And he decided she was a pretty good catch. So he would go and take this city. I mean, what an amazing thing. And Othniel actually became one of the judges after the time of Joshua in southern Israel. Speaker A Yeah, there's a saying about the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And I think, you know, Aksah was of similar qualities as her father. Speaker B And I think Othniel was. Was too, because he did not only take the city, but he became a judge. Speaker A Yeah, I say. So, John, do you think that Aksah was a person or a woman of faith and courage, following the example of her dad. Speaker C She was very, very much more than that. She was Caleb's daughter and she was just like her old man. And when you read these verses here In Joshua, chapter 15, verse 16, and Caleb said, he who attacks Kirjath Zepha and takes it to him, I will give Achsa my daughter as wife. Now you've got to remember that Caleb was more than 85 years of age and he was stuck with a daughter that nobody took. But the cousin saw him, saw her, and when he was given the opportunity, he took it. Speaker A Remember, the life expectancy was a bit longer than ours. Speaker C Of course, he was still 85, stuck with a daughter that wasn't married. Speaker B She may have been young. Speaker C And so here, verse 17, it says, so Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it and he gave him Achsa, his daughter, as wife. Now it was so when she came to him, her husband, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. And what does the Bible say then? Okay, so she dismounted from her donkey and Caleb said to her, what do you wish she hadn't convinced her husband to go and see his father in law? Oftenia was a wimp and Axa was working on Othniel. But no, they needed water for their property. And so she went to her father, and the Bible says that he gave her the lower field as well as the upper field. He loved his daughter very much and. Speaker B Gave her the water she wanted and. Speaker C Gave her more than what she'd asked for. What a blessing. Speaker B That's right. Speaker A Two lots of springs of water. Speaker C Two lots of springs, yeah. Speaker A And I think Aksa was a bit of a literary person too, because in Hebrew the sound of the word blessing and the word springs are similar to play on words that she was giving here. Yeah, so Axo was bold, we might say. She was forthright. And she expected great things, didn't she, Rosemary? Speaker B She certainly did. And. And she got them. Let's look at Hebrews 4, 14, 16, because her example is for us. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God. Let us hold fast our confession, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. So she knew her father's love and kindness and that he would grant her what she wished because he was such a good man. But we need to have that same boldness before God and know that when we're in need, we can call on Him. God wants us to have a relationship where we trust him, where we know that we can confidently come and ask him for help when we need it. Just as she did. Speaker A Very true. Now John, Joshua was a leader of Israel after the death of Moses. Would it have been fair for him as the leader to be given first choice of what part would be his inheritance in the land? Speaker C Joshua wasn't like that. He took what was left over. And interestingly enough, we read this place called Timnath Sira. It had actually been captured by Caleb's to be son. And it was Joshua that got that property because we read it here in Joshua chapter 19 and verse 50. According to the word of the Lord, they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath Sira. And that means the place left over in the mountains of Ephraim. And he built the city and dwelt in it. And so Joshua had helped all the other people to get their places and. And he took what was left over. And so Joshua was a wonderful man. Yeah, the leader. And yet the most generous. Speaker A Probably meek like Moses. Speaker B Like Moses talking about learning from others. I think he learned a lot from Moses as his right hand man. Speaker A Yes. Speaker C And just before we go to the next subject, it's interesting to see that Osniel was the first judge and he judged Israel for 40 years. So what a wonderful wife he had. Yes, from a whim into where he became a good leader for the same amount of time as Moses and then Joshua. And so Caleb influenced the going into the promised land for 120 years. Speaker B Very good. Speaker A Now I'd just like to go to the next verse after what you just read there. John, John Joshua, Chapter 4, 1951 says that these were the inheritances which Eliezer, the priest, Joshua the son of nun and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh. So they're actually where they set the sanctuary up. This is where the division of the land finally happened before the Lord at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of the of dividing the territory. You know, I've been to Shiloh and you may have been there, John. I'm not sure. It's a pretty desolate sort of place now with ruins. Speaker C What made it worse that we were there in the winter. Speaker A But Joshua wanted to Be not far from the house of God. Do you find a significant that his inheritance was within a day's journey of Shiloh, Rosemary? Speaker B No, I don't find it a problem. I find it really, really good because Joshua obviously wanted to remain close to the sanctuary. He was so involved in it with Moses, with that tabernacle that was reared on. On the mountain, Mount Sinai. And so he had had a close association with that, a close relationship with God. And so it was wonderful for him. The place he got was only 10-16km away from Shiloh. And so he. It makes sense that he wanted to remain in a place that was close to where God was. And it reminds me of that hymn. All to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give I will ever love and trust him in his presence daily live. And that's what Joshua wanted to do. Speaker A Yeah. In the presence of God. Mm. So, John, what do you. Is there anything that you think we can learn from the attitude of Joshua? Speaker C The New Testament gives us a bit of insight. In the book of Philippians, chapter two, reading from verse eight, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And these men, they had this attitude of helping and serving and working for others. And there's an inspired comment that I'd like to read where it says, the spirit of unselfish labor for others gives depth, stability and Christlike loveliness to the character and brings peace and happiness to its possessor. And so if we had that attitude, we are the ones that are richly blessed. Speaker A So, Rosemary, knowing their character, what their qualities were, would they have wanted us to set them up as heroes of faith? Speaker B No, not as such. They would be wanting us to look to God. And that's what we find in Hebrews 12:1 and 2. Our ultimate role model is Jesus Christ. And he. It says, they're looking unto Jesus and that's what we are to do. Speaker C Mm. Speaker A Yeah. Wonderful example, isn't it? Looking to Jesus. And of course, over In Romans, chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2, there's an interesting comment here by St. Paul where he says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice wholly acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world and but be transformed by the renew of your mind. And I think that was a quality that Joshua and Caleb had looking to Jehovah. Speaker B And Jesus talks about the fact we need a new heart and we need a new mind. So the renewing of our mind like Jesus, which means a complete change of person. And we can only get that by beholding Jesus and finding out what he was like. Speaker A Yeah. Thank you, Rosemary. My guests today were Rosemary Malkiewycz and John Kosmeier. Good to have you with us. And I'm Clive Nash. You know, do you long to be a giant of faith like Caleb and Joshua? They had to face obstacles in conquering their enemies. Their faith gave them courage. Perhaps you are facing challenges in your spiritual walk. You can believe that Jesus has died for you. He promises power to overcome. You can believe that he gives you eternal life. One of my favourite Bible verses says that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. That is the promise of God. We're glad you joined us today on Let God Speak. If you're blessed by this program, why not tell your friends? Remember, all past programs plus teacher's notes are available on our website, 3ab in Australia. Email us if you wish on lgsabnaustralia.org au. We hope you'll join us again next time. And until then, may God richly bless you. SPEAKER B You have been listening to let God speak, a production of 3ABN Australia television. To catch up on past programmes, please visit 3abnaustralia.org.au. Call us in Australia on 02 4973 3456. Or email [email protected]. we'd love to hear from you.