Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will do to you:

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants The carcasses of you who have complained against Me shall fall in this wilderness, all of you who were numbered, according to your entire number, from twenty years old and above. Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in.” Numbers 14:26-30

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” Numbers 14:24 =

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Joshua and Caleb Followed God Fully… With All of Their Hearts! When It Was Dangerous! When It Was Unpopular! All The Days of Their lives!

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Wouldn’t It Be Great To Have God Say of you… That YOU Followed God Fully?

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Followed God With All Their Heart! They Did Exactly What Jesus Said To Do In Matthew 22:37-38 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.” I Kings 11:4 “He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” Acts 13:22

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Followed God Even When It Was Dangerous! “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.

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants 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 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,

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “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.” Numbers 13:27-33

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Followed God Even When It Was Unpopular! “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 this wilderness! Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims?

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants 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. 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 congregation of the children of Israel, saying:

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “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 our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.” And all the congregation said to stone them with stones.” Numbers 14:2-10

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Followed God All the Days of Their Lives! Joshua and Caleb Were Great Examples of What It Means To Be Faithful Servants of God. Even In Their Old Age They Were Willing To Go And Fight For the Lord.

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “Then the children 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 in 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.

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants 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, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants 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 Israel wandered in the wilder- ness; 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 for coming in.

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Now therefore, give me this mountain of 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 be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” Joshua 14:6-12

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” II Timothy 4:6-8

Joshua and Caleb God’s Faithful Servants Joshua and Caleb Followed God Fully! With All of Their Hearts! When It Was Dangerous! When It Was Unpopular! All The Days of Their Lives! …followed God fully…. With all of their hearts!... When it was dangerous!... When it was unpopular!... All the days of their lifes! Can that be said of you and me? Are you like Joshua and Caleb? Are you...

Are You A Faithful Servant of the Lord?

By Bob Gard – Hollister, Missouri church of Christ www By Bob Gard – Hollister, Missouri church of Christ www.hollisterchurchofchrist.org 3-28-10 am