T-79

So, in the face of the mob, Joshua and Caleb made their stand. Pierced by anguish and crushed with grief, they have torn their clothes but that is not where they stopped. Let’s have a look at what comes next…

Numbers 14:6-9 (NIV)
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
[1]

Though grief-stricken, they were not paralyzed but rather galvanized to action! Picking up in V7, “and said to the entire Israelite assembly…” Our courageous optimists again speak out and say “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.” Contrary to the nay-sayers Joshua and Caleb want everyone to know that the land is not just good, it is exceedingly good. In this, I draw upon the parallel of the Promised Land and our own salvation to remind us that our salvation is not just good, it is exceedingly good. It is not something that happens and we simply resume our former lives (still in progress) but rather it is a watershed moment in our personal history. On the line of eternity, a dot has been drawn that delineates our time in the desert and our life in the Promised Land of God’s Kingdom.

Joshua and Caleb continue with “If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” What a huge caveat! “If the Lord is pleased with us” indeed! I can imagine what went through the minds of assembly, remembering their continual transgressions they likely despaired! We know from the full counsel of Holy Scripture that we have been reconciled to God by the atoning blood of Christ Jesus. It pleased God to accomplish this and to reconcile us to himself. In so doing, he has indeed led us into that land and freely given it to us.

Realizing the potential of the congregation, Joshua and Caleb continue with V9 “Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Four small sentences but such huge stores of wisdom!

Joshua and Caleb speak not only to the rebelliousness spirit of the Israelites but also to our own rebellious spirits as well. What sage advice that we not rebel against the Lord. And yet, like God’s chosen people of that time, the chosen people of this time rebel! How many have walked down the aisle and received the gift of salvation yet refused to pick up the mantel of Christ’s Lordship in their lives? I was one such rebel speak of this as one who has been convicted and corrected in this respect. Do not rebel against the Lord, indeed!

Joshua and Caleb offer words of encouragement. Recognizing the fear that grips the hearts of their countrymen, they beseech them to ‘not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up.’ The confidence of their words belies the confidence of their hearts. Hearts which were sold out to God, dependent upon him and safe in the knowledge that God would deliver their enemies into their hands.

Joshua and Caleb speak of the vulnerability of the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. They realized that God had allowed these people to occupy the land he had reserved for the Israelites and that he had now withdrawn his protection from them. “Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us.” Joshua and Caleb knew that the fortified walls of the city would be no obstacle to God nor could they prevent death from within. How true this is for us today! We build walls around us in a vain effort to protect ourselves and for a time, God allows it. But there comes a day when the walls are breached and our hearts are laid bare before the Lord. We can however, defend those walls to the death, rejecting God, rejecting His gift of salvation and in that we perish, eternally.

Lastly, our two heroes remind the congregation “Do not be afraid of them.” On the surface, this seems to be nothing more than a literary device to reinforce what has been said. But I think that what is implied speaks much louder than what is said. Chiefly that our fear should not be set against our earthly opponents and adversaries. For compared to the living God, they are as dust before the wind. Rather our fear should be fear of the Sovereign God. Hmmm, let’s see…. fear a group of people enough to be disobedient to God or fear God himself? It seems like a no-brainer to me. “The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them!”

שָׁלֹם

Carl

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.