Calebs At Heart
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” (Numbers 14:24 NKJV)
Caleb, one of the 12 spies Moses sent to spy out the land promised by God to Israel, was a bit different. He went against the grain and made it into God’s “Hall of Difference Makers.” In fact, God used this very word to describe him. “Caleb,” He said, “has a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24).
Indeed!
By describing Caleb as different, the Lord was comparing him to 10 of the other spies who were conformists, weak in their faith, and sadly, preferred a life of slavery over fighting for freedom. These faithless cowards affirmed that the Promised Land truly was as wonderful as God had said. Unfortunately, they also pointed out, it was ruled by giants, protected by strong armies, and filled with fortified cities. God forgot to tell us about giants - 9 feet plus in height, they opined. And as cowards often do, these 10 spies infected Israel with their fear and unbelief. To fear-controlled believers, “giants” are bigger than God.
Ironically, the 10 fearful spies were actually leaders in Israel (Numbers 13:2), yet they didn’t possess the faith needed to advance into the land of promise and challenge the evil, demonized giants controlling it. They were leaders who wouldn’t lead, fathers who wouldn’t fight. Though now free physically, they were still slaves mentally; they were cowards, not warriors; settlers, not pioneers. Settlers fear the dangers of pioneering. Fearful and faithless people build walls to keep giants out; pioneers and warriors dispossess them. Shockingly, these 10 spies actually preferred going back to slavery in Egypt, where their masters fed and clothed them - and they didn’t have to fight - than risking their lives for the cause of freedom.
Their wills had been broken. And when the will has been broken by the cruel hammer of slavery or fear, freedom’s call is silenced. “Give me my mountain” is drowned out by “The giants are too big”; “Give me liberty or give me death” is shouted down by “The British are too powerful.” And when this occurs, we become conformists, safety-seekers.
In a speech to the Second Continental Congress on August 1, 1776, American patriot and Founder Samuel Adams, said to the fearful, “If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; may your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen!”(1)
I wonder if Adams’ middle name was Caleb?!
The cause of freedom has always needed bravehearted warriors like Adams and Caleb. Not only was Caleb willing to fight the evil giants in Canaan, but he offered to tackle the biggest. He requested the town of Kiriath-Arba as his battle assignment. Why is this significant? Kiriath-Arba means “the city of Arba,” and Arba was “The greatest of all the giants” (Joshua 14:15). The biggest and baddest of these anti-God behemoths ruling the region had chosen a city high on a mountain from which to rule - the highest city in all the territory - and renamed it after himself. This is even more infuriating when we realize it was formerly named Hebron, meaning “covenant friendship,” referring to friendship with God. (In keeping with this symbolism, Abraham, “the friend of God,” is actually buried there.)
Caleb’s attitude toward the desecrating, evil giants and their fortified cities was simple: Let’s go kill these evil giants and possess the land. I’ll take the biggest!
God required Israel to wait 40 more years to do so until the unbelieving generation died. He refuses to reward cowardice and unbelief. Years later when Caleb was finally allowed to conquer Kiriath-Arba, he changed the city’s name to Hebron once again. There, this warrior enjoyed his covenantal friendship with God, as did many others. Warriors like Caleb, who face fears and conquer giants, prepare the way for others to find and enjoy friendship with God.
Spiritual warriors also pass on their overcoming nature to the next generation. After Caleb defeated Kiriath-Arba, his nephew Othniel also conquered a giant-controlled city, Kiriath-Sepher. Like his uncle, he renamed this city, calling it Debir, which means “the innermost sanctuary.” Israel’s actual innermost sanctuary was the Holy of Holies, found in the Tabernacle of Moses. This was where God’s presence and glory dwelled. Othniel, however, wanted to live in a city where God’s presence and glory dwelled, so he named it Debir. Calebs reproduce those like themselves: God-seekers, presence-lovers, hungry for Him.
Many generations later, Hebron would take on even more significance. David was crowned King over Judah and established his first throne there; seven years later, he became king over all of Israel and moved it to Jerusalem. When Caleb conquered Hebron, little did he know he was preparing a place for David to reign over Judah. Pioneers - forerunners of change - don’t always see the fullness of that for which they prepare the way. Their pioneering nature, however, just keeps building roads and blazing trails.
America was built on the backs of different-spirited warriors and pioneers. Somewhere on the Continental Divide are the bleached bones of a nameless, faceless pathfinder who died blazing a trail for you and me. Arlington Cemetery houses the graves of unknown soldiers who died, preparing the way for our freedom.
America now needs another generation of selfless, no-compromising pioneer-patriots: prayer warriors, government leaders, businessmen and women, media people, educators, and certainly leaders in the church. The frontier these 21st-century pioneers must conquer is one of mindsets and beliefs, not a mountain range; the minefield we face is one of ideas and ideologies, not a beach at Normandy. But the need for different-spirited pioneers is every bit as great.
The church, like America, was built by warrior pioneers. The soil under the Roman Coliseum is stained with the blood of pioneering martyrs - our brothers and sisters - who died to advance the cause of our pioneering Leader. They’re watching us from the balcony of heaven and their blood is crying out for a generation to emerge that hasn’t lowered the standard. This great “cloud of witnesses” is waiting for a generation of spiritual warriors to arise in America who will once again be willing to give their all for heaven’s holy cause.
Buck the system and rock the proverbial boat. May your commitment to the cause make the complacent nervous!
Pray with me:
Father, we ask You to break off indifference, intimidation and fear from the American church and replace it with courage. Convict us of apathy and complacency, and for becoming conformists. Let the fire and commitment of the early church be found in us. Give us hearts like that of Caleb.
Forgive us for allowing satan to take over so much of America. Forgive us for turning our government, education, and much of our nation over to those who oppose You. We have lost much ground - all by default. Please forgive us for this.
Yet we know You are building a glorious Ekklesia the gates of hell will no longer prevail against. We will rise up in the authority You have given us and enforce Your victory over demonic forces. According to Matthew 16:19, we will bind and loose, forbid and allow; we will open and close. We will represent You, the glorious King, in all of Your majesty and authority. And we will release Your loving and serving heart, healing the hurting, releasing those bound, and taking hope to the hopeless. In Jesus’ name, we pray and decree this. Amen.
Decree:
We decree that the same heart possessed by Caleb, the anointing of our King Jesus, is rising up in the Ekklesia of America.
Portions of today’s post were taken from my book The Way Back.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
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