Forthright Fixation

Of all the Old Testament heroes, the one who I would call my favorite often seems to be forgotten. He is not mentioned often, yet every time he is the reader is reminded of his faithfulness to the Lord.

As the Israelites approached the promise land, twelve spies were sent into the land to give report. When returning to Moses, however, only two gave a report consistent with the command of God. Joshua and Caleb refused to fear what God had promised they would overcome. They replied boldly to Israel that God would grant them favor so long as the nation wouldn’t rebel against the Lord.

This incident was pretty much all to Caleb’s chance to shine on the pages of the Old Testament. Yet within this story we learn something of his character. Numbers 14:24 documents,

But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

Caleb had a different spirit. It was presumably not just a different sprit from the pagans. The rest of the generation of God’s chosen people had that, yet they were not brought into the land. Caleb’s spirit was different than that of the 10 spies that gave a bad report.

I think the composition of that different spirit is seen in the second part of the sentence. Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly. He was completely and entirely devoted to his God. Without wavering, without complaint, and with joy he did what the Lord commanded him. Not to say that Caleb was without fault, however, his heart was committed to God. From a heart such as that will spring like actions and words. C.H. Spurgeon comments that “[Caleb] followed the Lord constantly without declining.” He was consistent in his devotion. What could be greater than a heart that is consistently submitting to the Lord? Think of the activities of the heart, every desire, thought, and affection. Oh, to have hearts that followed God wholly!

The standard set by Christ and modeled by Caleb is one that can only be attained by grace. Clearly sinful man could never follow God wholeheartedly without the grace of the Lord. Even the redeemed heart, that desires devotion, must be changed by a sovereign God.

The words of Spurgeon, perhaps, best summarize the application that Christians should draw from the life of Caleb.

Caleb was constant, because he was a rooted man, and even success did not overturn him. He was not one of those plants which spring up quickly because there is no depth of earth. He had a firm hold upon his God. Ye know, my sisters, how ye wear your rings. I would that every Christian wore his graces after the same fashion. You wear not only the wedding ring, but the keeper too. And every Christian should wear the keeper of constancy to guard the ring of his faith. Caleb had set a seal upon his heart and a bracelet upon his arm: his love was strong as death, and endured even to the grave. He saw the Lord, he loved the Lord, he trusted the Lord, and for these reasons followed the Lord wholly. Here I leave him, only asking you, dear friends, to see to it that you have his holy perseverance, therefore pray, “Hold thou me up and I shall be safe,” and trust yourself where Caleb trusted himself—in the hand of God.

“Caleb—The Man for the Times”, C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon no. 538

Filed under: Christian Living, Faith