Title Caleb (Joshua 14:6-15)
Content Caleb (Joshua 14:6-15) - Rev. Jinwook Ryu
[Joshua 14:6-15]
By the first half of chapter 12, Joshua has taken most of the land of Canaan, and in chapter 13 he is preparing to distribute the land to the tribes.
In today's text, the land is distributed centering on God's choice. The biblical method of casting lots is completely different from the meaning of "to bet on fate." It means surrendering everything to the power of God. This appearance is a challenge for us. This is because when you live a life of faith, you will see a lot of people leaving everything behind to God and living their own way. If we live according to God's way, there will be no mistakes and we will have God's great grace in our lives. Let's live in the form of kneeling before the Word, prayer, and worship. Let's live a life that strives to always understand God's will through circumstances.
The text is the story of Caleb, a descendant of Judah. Caleb relies on the covenant he had promised to give the land of Hebron in the time of Moses and demands that he give it to him. In Numbers 13, the spies saw the descendants of Anak in the land of Hebron and were afraid that they were like grasshoppers. He asks him to give him a land that is difficult to conquer in human terms. “Give me this hill country which the LORD spoke of on that day, and you heard it from that day, but there are Anakites there, and their cities are great and fortified. Come down." In verse 12, we can see Caleb's faith. We, too, should have this brazen belief. The life of faith requires a confession that does not sacrifice oneself with faith and courage. It takes courageous faith. We pray that this image of Caleb will become our image.
Caleb is already 85 years old. As shown in verses 8, 9, 14, Caleb's bold faith and courage come from his heart to fully pursue God. To follow Him completely means to follow only God as He wanted. True courage comes from a heart that is completely dependent on God. I pray that Caleb's conviction of this kind of faith will be in us as well.
Verse 9 says, “Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Because you have followed the LORD my God completely, the land on which your feet will tread will be your inheritance and your descendants forever and ever.” I want you to picture it in your head. If I completely follow God and earnestly cry out to God, God's promises and inheritance will be fulfilled from generation to generation. How happy and heartbreaking is that? I want you to believe that trusting and obeying God is the way to victory.
True faith and courage come from following Jehovah God completely. I hope that God will give you great grace through this. I hope you will experience the deep grace of God in your daily life. I pray that our lives will follow God completely as Caleb followed God completely.