(In case you are reading along: Numbers chapters 13 and 14; Deuteronomy chapters 1 and 2)
Have you ever thought about Caleb son of Jephunneh or Joshua son of Nun? I mean really thought about them?
You probably remember they were 2 of the 12 men that went up as spies into the promised land. They saw how good the land was that God wanted to give them and they came back ready to lead the armies of Israel to victory and into the destiny God had for their generation. The other 10 men however convinced all of Israel that it couldn't be done. The men were too big, the cities too fortified- it couldn't be done.
All of Israel became discouraged and afraid, and began grumbling against God saying, "The LORD hates us....He brought us out of Egypt to destroy us" (Deut 1:27 paraphrased).
This angered God and he 'solemnly swore' that none of that generation would see the promised land. They would die in the desert and their 'little ones' would be the ones to possess the land.....40 years later. Caleb and Joshua would be the only ones from that generation to be a part of possessing the land, but as old men no longer in their prime.
Can you picture these two men, warriors in their prime, brave, strong, energetic, willing, capable, eager, motivated, inspired. They knew their own history. They knew that this land had been promised to their ancestor, Abraham, nearly 600 years prior. They knew of the 400 years that their people had spent as slaves in Egypt. They had experienced as young boys the miracles in the desert, seen the tabernacle be built, saw the fire of God come down and consume the sacrifices. They had spent their entire childhood following a pillar of fire at night and the cloud of God's presence by day resting over the tabernacle. They had seen the radiant glowing face of Moses after he had spoken face to face with God.
And here they were at the edge of the desert; it was their generation that was to see the promise of God fulfilled. Their generation would be the ones to fight the battles, to tell the stories of how God scattered their enemies and gave them the very land that had been promised to Abraham. The land that Isaac had worked. The land were Jacob had wrestled with God and seen the angels ascending and descending into heaven. They were standing at the edge of their destiny in the heart of God. But the other men, the rest of their generation refused to believe God....and as a result their generation missed it. Instead of going down in history as the greatest generation in Israel's history they went into the books as the ones that missed it....and died in the desert instead.
In Numbers it says that Caleb and Joshua tore their clothes.
Caleb and Joshua were wholehearted followers of God, living in a generation that had a wrong view of God and it cost them their destiny and 40 more years in the brutal desert.
In Deuteronomy 1:29 through the end of the chapter, Moses lays out some very important points on maintaining a right view of God.
#1- Remember your history in God
Moses reminds them about the mighty things God did when he brought all 3 million of them up out of Egypt. Remembering God's power demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus freeing us from the power of sin and death is key to maintaining a right view of God.
#2- Know Him as Father
Moses reminds them that "God carried you as a father carries his son." The Israelites had lost sight of that and were instead saying, "He hates us and wants to destroy us." Knowing the Father Heart of God is KEY in maintaining a right view of God.
#3- Abiding in His presence
Moses reminds them how the presence of God is with them, "He went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go." God's presence leads us and guides us. When we stop abiding in His presence we are no longer relating rightly to God.
#4- Resist the temptation to need to know all the details.
The Israelites wanted to scout out the land, which was fine, but it left them exposed to losing their focus. They took their eyes off of God and what He was saying and doing and instead began to focus on their own inabilities, weakness, fear and doubt. At this point they have lost sight of God.
#5- If you find yourself bound up by fear, overwhelmed in the details, full of doubt- Do not proceed!!!
Stop, turn around, start over, go back and get a right view of God before proceeding. If you proceed without a right view of God YOU WILL FAIL. Trying to obey His commands without trusting Him will get you hurt.
#6- God is looking for wholehearted followers that maintain a right view of who He is. If He does not find that kind of faith he will look to the next generation to accomplish His purposes on the Earth.
If God has purposed something in your heart, if He has given you vision for something, do not let anyone take that from you. Even if you are only one or two against the multitude don't give in. When everyone else is full of fear, worry and doubt and they try to terrify you with stories of 'giants.' Do what Caleb and Joshua did- tear your clothes, fall on your face, cry out to God and refuse to go the way of a 'wicked' generation that does not trust in God. When the situation you face seems impossible, scary and life threatening refuse to believe the lie that God hates you and wants to destroy you. As a father carries his son, so your God will carry you. Whatever the cost- maintain a right view of God. Be full of courage and believe Him to do all that He has promised to do through you.
