Turn again, please, in your Bibles to Joshua 14. Joshua 14. Let me simply pick up a verse or two. Verse 11. And 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. 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. Well, let's again look to the Lord. Father in heaven, we are always thankful that we can gather on this special day that you have given for our own growth and sanctification. We thank you for a Lord's Day. We thank you that you have promised to draw near when we gather in your name. And Lord, we again covet your presence. We want to know you more. We want to live more for your glory. And so we plead, Lord, that you would come by your Holy Spirits. We need your Spirit, as our brother has already prayed, and come by your Spirit to teach us, to enlighten us, help us to see you more clearly, help us to see how we ought to live more faithfully. And we pray these things in Christ's name. Amen. When we pick up the book of Joshua, we are at a critical juncture in redemptive history. The question might be asked, will they go ahead and make a home for themselves in the land of Canaan, or will they flounder by unbelief and continue to live like nomads wandering in that wilderness for who know how long? But as we think back to those 40 years of wandering, we should at least say this much. They were not wasted years. God never wastes his time. We often learn a lot, do we not, from our trials. It explains why C. H. Sturgeon said there's one thing better than health, and that is sickness. Oh, what I owe to my sick days. And no question, those 40 years in the wilderness were years marked with sorrow, disappointment, and grief. And we shouldn't forget this as well, that that whole generation, wilderness generation, who left Egypt, who were 20 years plus, they all died in that wilderness. There are only two men who survived, a man by the name of Joshua and a man by the name of Caleb. Even Moses dies in the wilderness. And you might recall how Joshua begins. Joshua 1.1 opens up on this very somber note. After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua. Moses is dead. And I could imagine that panic and fear would have set into the hearts and minds of those people. Moses was the great leader. How can we go on? How can we go up against those giants and those great walled cities like Jericho? And it would have been very easy to have simply put on the brakes at that point and simply said, no, we can't go on. of the ugly sin of unbelief could very easily have reared its ugly head again. But that's not what happens. And as we read on through chapters 1 through 11, we see God's people rising up under the leadership of Joshua, experiencing victory after victory, conquest after conquest. In chapter 12 of Joshua, you have a description of all of the kings that were defeated on the east side of the Jordan. There's quite a number. At least 31 kings are mentioned. And I've said this before, and I'll say it again. The book of Joshua is essentially about victory and conquest, not about defeat and failure. It really does capture the Christian life. This is a book about faith and not about unbelief. And the two men again who are set before us very clearly in terms of being examples of faith are both Joshua and Caleb. We saw Joshua back in chapter 13. You might recall that it opens up there, showing us Joshua at old age. He's coming close to the finish line. He's fought the good fight of faith. Joshua 13, 1. Now, Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the Lord said to him, you are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. Joshua is probably about 90, some even think he may have been close to 100. And we learn here that he can't do what he was doing prior to, he can no longer fight and go on the battlefield. Now typically what happens in situations like this, the old man is set aside, at least in our society that's probably what would have happened, make way for the youth. We'd have a retirement party and tell Mr. Joshua, you can relax and take it easy. But that's not what God tells him to do. In fact, this might sound strange to modern ears. God doesn't tell him to retire and find a rocking chair somewhere. Joshua doesn't fade into the background like a quarterback who's won three Super Bowls and had three concussions, and the coach in the medical profession says, no more, and you never hear of him again. No, God does something very different, doesn't he? He tells Joshua, I want to transition you in terms of your vocation or your employment. Yes, it's true, Joshua, you can't give leadership on the battlefield, but you can still give oversight or leadership to the nation. And Joshua is put in charge of the allotment or the distribution of the land. And so when we come here to chapter 13 and 14 of Joshua, we could say that most of the dirty work has been done. The major battles have been fought. The enemy has been essentially conquered. The big cities and the fortresses have been captured. But now it's time to divide the land, to get back to a more normal routine of living or everyday life. And for the next nine or so chapters, we read about the nation of Israel receiving its inheritance of land. And arguably, this is Joshua's greatest task. It may have been his most difficult task. As you know, what can often happen in a family if a rich uncle or aunt dies and leaves an inheritance, a considerable inheritance, a lot of squabbling and bitterness can take place. The potential for disruption and disunity is huge. The Bible warns, does it not, that a nation or a house divided against itself cannot stand. And I'm sure Joshua had some fears. That could very well happen. Will we stand? Will we stand or will we be splintered into 12 different tribes or pieces? And no doubt to help ensure peace and unity, Joshua follows the orders of God and he employs this method of casting of lots. You see here in chapter 14, verse 2, Chapter 14, verse 2, their inheritance was by lot. Notice chapter 15, so this was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah. Chapter 16, verse 1, the lot fell to the children of Joseph from the Jordan. Chapter 17, there was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh. But why the casting of lots? Well, for one, it underscored the authority and the sovereignty of God. God had commanded them years ago, even before they entered the promised land, that when they did, they would divide it by way of lot. We read of that in Numbers chapter 26. And Proverbs 16 tells us that God is in control of the casting of the law. It's not a matter of chance or luck here, but God is showing His sovereignty when it comes to this matter of the law. Plus, Proverbs 18 verse 18 says it would hinder the potential of fighting, squabbling, Here's what Proverbs 18 verse 18 says, the casting of the lot causes contentions to cease. So that's probably why there was the casting of the lot. And when we open up chapter 14, the casting of the lot and the distribution of the land begins by way of this methodology. And the first tribe that is singled out here is the tribe of Judah. And the man who is the representative of that tribe is Caleb. Who could forget Caleb? He's remembered most by that spy mission back in Numbers 13, 14. It's only Caleb and Joshua, you remember, who gave the favorable report. But now Caleb, is another example of faith. Joshua was an example of faith, but so is Caleb. And Caleb here in chapter 14 steps up to the plate, and he comes into sharp focus. And here's what we want to consider this evening as we focus the zoom lens upon this man Caleb. Consider with me these three matters that I think we can all see and glean from chapter 14 of Joshua. First of all, the physical stamina of the man Caleb. Secondly, the unusual faith displayed by the man Caleb, and then the rich rewards or blessings bestowed upon the man Caleb. First of all, the physical stamina enjoyed by the man Caleb. Notice again, chapters 13 and 14 juxtapose the two great men of faith, Joshua and Caleb. Both of them have served God in this nation of Israel well. Both of them now are at a very late stage of life. Joshua was well advanced. We again read that in verse 1 of chapter 13, but so was Caleb. Some think they were around the same age. In all likelihood, Caleb was a bit younger. With Joshua, we can only approximate. But with Caleb, we actually know how old he was because he tells us. Verse 10, look at the last part of that verse here in chapter 14, I am this day 85 years old. And you get a sense, don't you, that he's thankful, full of gratitude for his long life. Now behold, he says that same verse, the Lord has kept me alive. We don't always think about that, do we? God is the giver of life and the sustainer of life. In Him we live and move and have our being. Job says man's days are determined. God has decreed the number of months, the number of years that we will live. Every man's life has been decreed or planned. God has decreed how long you and I will live. And we know from Psalm 90 that most of us can expect to live at least how long? Well, the psalmist there gives us the norm. We could say, for life here upon earth, Psalm 90, verse 10, the days of our years are 70 years, or sometimes the scriptures read 3 score, and 10, or by reason of strength, 4 score, or 80 years. That's the norm. Now, there are exceptions. Some men die young. Murray McShane died at the age of 28. Spurgeon died at the age of 57. So did Jonathan Edwards. King David died at the age of 70. Solomon as well. Some reached the ripe old age. They go beyond their forescore. John Newton was blind, but he died at the age of 82. And Joshua lived to be 120, and we know prior to the flood, they lived a whole lot longer. But when we open up to Joshua 14, we are staring the face of an old man, Caleb, at the age of 85. Thinking of the norm set forth in Psalm 90, he's got a few bonus years here, five plus, So he's thankful. He's thankful for God's goodness, giving him these long years. But what's so unusual here is the vigor and the strength of this man at the age of 85. Around this age, I think a lot of people are thinking at least, contemplating living in a convalescent home or sitting in a wheelchair. But Joshua is able to run marathons, we could say. He's able to bench press at least 300 pounds. I don't believe the man's exaggerating when he says what he says here in verse 11. As yet I am as strong as this day as on the day that Moses set me. Just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war. He's talking about going to war. Remember, Joshua couldn't go to war. Joshua, at old age, wasn't able to go on the battlefield. Caleb is. He's raring to go. He's enthusiastic in his mid-eighties as he was in his forties. He's got good health and strength. Again, I don't think he's bragging here, and he's one of those guys, you know, who reaches his mid-years or his later years in life and refuses to come to grips with old age and still steps on the soccer field or the football field, and at the end of it, he regrets it. Caleb is bigger than that. He's wiser than that. He really wants to serve God. And he's thankful that he possesses this high level of physical strength and vigor. at the age of 85 for that very reason. Someone has described him as Mr. Great Heart. You remember that individual in the second part of Pilgrim's Progress, that story involving Christiana, and someone has described Mr. Great Heart this way. Mr. Great Heart understands that the Christian life is warfare and that there is a battle to be fought and the fighting is not to be left to others. He knows he must wage warfare. Bless Caleb. He's raring to go to war and fight. He understands that the life is a life of warfare. But if you really want to understand the man Caleb, what makes him tick, and why he says what he says here, we have to consider now secondly, not only do we want to look at him in terms of his physical prowess, but look secondly here at his unusual faith. The unusual faith displayed by the man Caleb. Now, generally speaking, old age brings outward decay. The outward man decays. I was telling my doctor that a few weeks ago, and I don't know if he's a Christian or not, he said, where does it say that in the Bible? I told him where it said in the Bible, the outward man decays. But the inward man is renewed. That's very positive. But in terms of health, As we get older, there generally is a declining of health and strength. That hasn't happened, has it, to Caleb? But what about one's spiritual condition? That's really what's important here, and we shouldn't think that because one is a Christian and one is getting older that one is necessarily getting stronger spiritually. We can't assume that, can we? At every age of life, we face temptations and vulnerabilities. And old age has its own unique temptations and vulnerabilities. Old age can be a time in which we decline spiritually. Old people can drift into selfishness. Maybe that's what's behind this retirement mentality that is so attract us in our country. Old people can become cynical and bitter. Life with its sufferings and sorrows and disappointments can leave its toll. I think we see something of that, don't we? An old man, Jacob, remember what he says in That book of Genesis, all things are against me. He's old and he really thinks that he's had such a hard time. And he has had a hard time, but all things are against me? Is that so, Jacob? That doesn't sound like the voice of faith. That sounds more like self-pity. But we don't hear that from Caleb, do we? At 85, he's not moaning and groaning. He's not displaying that crusty old bitterness. He's not wallowing in self-pity. We might want to think about this, brethren, as we move into mid-years, some of us are there, as we move into senior years. What kind of old man do you want to be? What kind of old woman do you want to be? Or what kind of old man are you? What kind of old woman are you? How do you keep from becoming the stereotypical, bitter, old, grumpy person? Well, I believe the answer is found right here. The key is the grace of faith. Caleb showcases a strong or a great faith. And let me simply give some shape or definition to his faith. What can we say about Caleb's faith? And why can we describe it as a great faith? For one, it was a persevering faith. It's enabled this man to stay the course over the time, the long haul, all those years in the wilderness and subsequent too. here in Joshua 14, he does some reminiscing, he gives perspective on that event that happened, what, 45 years ago when he was 40 years old, verse 7 and verse 8 of chapter 14, notice what he says Nevertheless, I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh Marnia 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." He was a man who followed the Lord Back then, he went against the flow. He stood his ground. He didn't waver. He persevered. And when we come to Joshua 14, Caleb is still persevering in faith. He's not wavering. In spite of the difficulties and the challenges in front of him, Joshua 14 verse 12, 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." Those obstacles that were there are still there, they still exist. The Anakim, those giants who were there 45 years ago, who made everybody else afraid, who intimidated everybody else, didn't intimidate Joshua, but they're still there. And Joshua's ready to take them on. Here in Joshua 14, Joshua is described as a man who wholly followed the Lord three times. Verse 8, verse 9, and verse 14. He's a devoted man of faith. He's persevered. He hasn't become cynical. He isn't living in the past. He isn't afraid of the future. No, he's still trusting. He's still believing in God. He's still persevering at the age of 85. He has a great faith. He has a persevering faith. Secondly, in terms of why we can say he has a great faith, is that he has a bold faith. A bold faith. Forty-five years ago, he stood alone and against the majority. When everybody else melted, he stood strong. It wasn't easy. The pressure was great. But Caleb was prepared to stand alone. And here's why. Because faith believes in God. It believes in God's presence. It believes in God's power. Faith makes us bold because faith sees how great God is. And that's why the Bible says the righteous are as bold as lions. When everybody else is running, the righteous will stand, even if it means standing alone. It's easy to follow the crowd, isn't it? It's easy to go with the flow. It's easy to say yes when everybody else is saying yes. It's very difficult to say no. When it makes you look extreme, it makes you look different. When it isolates you, or it separates you, when it brings frowns, as opposed to smiles. But Caleb stood his ground back then, and he's still standing his ground now. He's still standing with a bold faith. He looks the enemy in the eye and doesn't run the other way. He sees the problems. Faith is not oblivious to the problems that exist, but it sees that God is greater than the problems. Fear magnifies. Fearing exaggerates our problems, whereas faith allows us to see our problems in light of God. It lets us see how great God is and how he dwarfs all of our problems. He has a great faith. He has a persevering faith. He has a bold faith. But thirdly, thirdly, in terms of his faith and why we can say he displays a great faith, Caleb has a sacrificial faith. Caleb could have chosen the easier way, couldn't he? He could have hid behind his age. I mean, he's five years old. I paid my dues. I've been faithful for a long, long time. I've fought my share of battles. It's time for R&R. Why not settle down in a nice, fertile valley in the heart of the land of Canaan? I don't need the stress. I don't need the hassles. Why at this stage of my life take on another challenge? Why take on risk? Why endanger my life? But the man's living by faith, isn't he? He realizes there's something more important than living a comfortable life. He isn't dreaming here of an easy life. But he's dreaming of feats of courage. He wants to serve God. He loves God. Notice how much he talks about God here. Verse 7 and verse 8 and verse 9 and verse 10 and verse 12. The great focus here is upon God. He's not looking for a medal. He's not trying to be a hero here. But this is about God. This is about God's glory. This is about God's name. This is about God's purposes and God's plan. Plus, this place called Hebron, which is mentioned here in verse 13 and verse 14, is a very significant place in redemptive history. It's a place where the patriarch Abraham was buried. It's a place where Sarah was buried. It's a place where Joseph's bones were buried. And it's a place where King David will be anointed as king in this place called Hebron. He wants that place for God's glory. Caleb's faith is a great faith. Why can we say that? Well, it's a persevering faith. It's a bold faith. It's a faith that is sacrificial. But then the fourth thing that we can say about his faith here is that it is a well-anchored faith. A well-anchored faith. Where was it anchored? Well, it's clear here where it was anchored, the foundation or the object of his faith. Well, it's not himself. It's not his past faithfulness. It's not his physical prowess. But it's in God. But particularly, particularly, what's emphasized here is his faith in the promises of God. The promises of God. Look at verse 6. of Joshua 14. You know the word which the Lord said to Moses. Again, the word. Verse The Lord has kept me alive, as he said, ever since the Lord spoke this to Moses. Twice there, in verse 10. Again, verse 12. Now give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke, or promised, in that day. Caleb keeps on coming back to what God has said, what God said to Moses, and what God has promised. The word of God, or the promises of God, are the foundation of his faith. If you read Numbers chapter 24, you'll realize that God did very well, very openly promise Caleb and his descendants an inheritance of the land. So he hasn't forgotten the promise. And Caleb is now laying hold of the promise 45 years after. You promised! That explains his faith. That explains the energy of his faith. mountain which you promised. How much do we use the promises of God? Peter describes the promises we have in Christ as exceedingly great and precious. Do you really think that you can live the Christian life without taking hold of the promises? I mean, you read the Puritans. You read them. They emphasize the promises. Again and again and again they wrote books on the promises. How many victories can we win without the promises? How many battles do we lose because we don't take hold of the promises? How many mountains do we fail to climb and conquer because of unbelief? We're not taking hold of the promises, and we're not using them, brethren. I don't think I use them very often. We need to use them when we face temptation, when we battle with our sin. There are promises that God's given us. When we, like Jake or like Caleb, step on a battlefield, we fight against Satan, we fight against the world, and we fight against the flesh. You have promises. You have the promise that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. That's a promise. You have a promise that no temptation is common to man. You have a promise that the temptations that the devil brings upon us are not outside of God's decree and purpose, but all things work for our good. You have a promise that Jesus is praying for you, and He won't let the devil take control of you. You have a promise that if you resist the devil, he will flee from you. You have a promise that God's power is great, that He will keep you from falling, from falling. Jude 24, now, to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling. One of the reasons why we need to read our Bibles and memorize our Bibles and meditate upon our Bibles is so we can store in our minds and hearts the promises of God, so we can equip ourselves for battle and put on the whole armor of God. The devil's wiles will always be utilized, and he is crafty, and he is strong, and the flesh will always lust against the Spirit. The flesh is aggressive and militant, but Brethren, we need to take hold of the promises. And God has promised to give us the Spirit to help us. John could say, whoever is born of God, sinneth not. He's not saying we're perfect, but he is saying you should not have chronic, established patterns of sin. That's what he's saying. And not have victory over your sin. He has promised the wicked one shall not touch him. And what if I sin? Well, you have promises of restoration. He promises to restore your soul, Psalm 23. He promises that if we confess our sin, He will forgive us of our sin. But we need to take advantage of the promises. In times of temptation, times of sin, fighting against our sin, We need to take hold of the promises of help and the promises of grace, the promises that God will never leave us nor forsake us. Caleb is a model to follow. We might not be as strong as he is at age 85, but we can be as strong as he is in terms of faith, a persevering faith, a bold faith, a sacrificial faith, a well grounded faith. Here's the question again. What kind of old man will you be? What kind of old woman will you be? What kind of man and woman are you now? That might be the way to answer the question. And if you're a young man or a young woman, you might wonder if that question's even relevant. I'm not 85. I'm not close to 85. I don't even think about 85. Well, when you get into your 50s and 60s, you start to think about 85. But it really does have application to you, whether you're 85 or not. And I'll tell you why. Because what Caleb is at, what Caleb is at 85, really can only be explained because of what Caleb was at when he was 40. There's a relationship, you see. between Caleb at 40 and Caleb at 85. You see, what you will be at 85, to a large measure, depends on what you are now. Age 30, 20, 40, 50. To a large degree, that will determine what kind of old man you will be. If you're not winning victories now, why do you think you're going to win victories then? Figure it out. I can't. If you're not winning now, if you're not living by faith now, why do you think you're going to live by faith then? If you're making compromises now, if you're saying yes to the world now, why do you think you're going to say no to the world then, 20 years from now? You see, what Caleb was at 40, explains what he is at age 85. What kind of man will you be? Well, it's really going to depend, isn't it, upon what you are right now. What kind of young man are you now? What kind of young woman are you now? Do you spend time reading your Bible now? Do you spend time praying now? Are you fighting against sin? Are you overcoming sin with the blood of the Lamb? You are what you are becoming. You ever hear that? You are what you are becoming. It's not without significance that some of the greatest saints used by God, used the most by God, were significantly influenced at a young age. David, Samuel, Timothy, Spurgeon, Jonathan Edwards. They were men who were shaped and molded in their early years. They trusted God in their early years. They were men who were serving God in their early years. And when it came to their mid-years or their final years, later years, or those autumn years of life, they were still serving God. The same foundation they were building at age 30 is the same foundation they were building at age 70. What you are today, how you are living today, are you living by faith? Are you persevering in faith? Are you demonstrating a bold faith? Is your faith grounded upon the promises of God? Are you resisting the devil? Are you overcoming sin? Are you using the promises of God? Caleb planted his flag at age 40. At age 85, he's still planting his flag. He's a man worth imitating. At age 85, he has a vibrant faith. He still wants to climb mountains. He's not shrinking. He's not shriveling. But his faith is still strong, believing the Word of God. The physical stamina enjoyed by the man Caleb, the unusual faith displayed by the man Caleb. But thirdly, and very briefly, the rich rewards or the blessings bestowed upon the man Caleb. Caleb enjoyed a long life that was a blessing from God. He had a useful life, a fruitful life. He's like the man of Psalm 1, whose leaf has not withered. His fruit tree is well endowed. He's borne his fruit in its season. And look here, we are told he gets his inheritance. That's granted to him. And as far as taking the mountain and the city of Hebron, if you turn over to chapter 15, verse 14, we read that he did exactly that. Chapter 15, verse 14, Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak. So, he was successful. This action of faith proved to be successful. He lived a victorious life. He lived a fruitful life, a life worth living. You couldn't call it a waste of life, could you? I wonder how many people, when they reach their fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, have to look back with a lot of regrets. If only, if only, if only I had listened to my parents. If only I hadn't indulged my flesh and gotten into drugs. If only I had stayed away from that particular temptation, or that particular woman, or that particular man. If only I had married in the Lord. If only I had taken to heart, being unequally yoked to an unbeliever. If only I had stood strong in that hour of temptation. If only I had said no to my friends. And 20 years, 30 years, 40 years after, they're still living with regrets. It's sad. It's tragic. Because instead of having lives that are fruitful, they look very much like wasted lives. Instead of climbing mountains, They end up wallowing in deep valleys and hunkering down in dark caves. Caleb should be a spur to all of us to live fully for the Lord, to live devoted lives, to be willing to stand, to do it alone or go it alone, to follow the Lord completely, even though it might cost me my friend, it might cost me popularity. We shouldn't forget this as well. Caleb also points us to Jesus Christ. I mean, if there was ever a man who lived by faith, it was Jesus. If there was ever a man who persevered, it was Jesus. If there was ever a man who demonstrated bold faith, it was Jesus. If ever there was one who had a conquering faith, it was Jesus. He endured the cross. And he climbed a mountain, too, didn't he? There was a mountain called Calvary. That's where he died. He died there for us. So Caleb really points us to the ultimate, the greatest one, Jesus Christ. If you and I are to live a Caleb-like life unto old age God gives us those 85 years, then we must constantly be looking to Jesus Christ. He's the model, the greatest model for us. He is the one we must look to and persevere and fight the fight of faith. Let us pray. Father in heaven, we pray again that you would use this man's example to stir us up. We pray that we would live like Caleb, that we would be willing to live a life that is devoted to you and your cause, your kingdom. Help us, Lord, to live useful lives and fruitful lives. We pray, Lord, even for sinners who sit here tonight who have never taken hold of the Savior. May this be the night in which they realize that unless they take hold of Christ, their lives will be wasted, wasted because of sin. And so we plead, Lord, that you would even show yourself to be the God of salvation tonight. by taking hold of sinners. Draw them to yourself. May they run to you and may they see you as you are that Savior who can save them from their sin and enable them to live a God-pleasing, God-glorifying life. And we pray this in Christ's name. Amen.