Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

We all know the story of Joshua and Caleb, along with the other ten spies, (who have remained nameless) being sent into the wilderness, finding enough resistance (or intimidation) in the land for ten of the spies to come back an cower before Moses. But Joshua and Caleb gave good reports, reports that took into account the promise of God in providing this nation a land to call home.

Flash forward 45 years, a period of time that if it had been my experience, I would feel cheated and angry! If I saw an opportunity and my neighbors and countrymen fouled it up, furious would I be! The best years of my life up in smoke, and all due to a faithless generation.

Of course we have little to go on for those 45 years in reference to Caleb’s life. Did he simply wander around the desert with his nation, suffering the judgement of unbelief, continually facing disappointment due to his neighbors denial of God’s ability and goodness?

No matter, for when push came to shove and the occupation of the land was completed, Caleb continued. He was no longer shackled with the unbelieving generation, having outlived them through the judgement years, and now he was ready to take the land Moses promised him 45 years ago.

He depended on God’s promise through His prophet, and had kept his eye on the goal.

You know, I mentioned we have little to go on regarding Caleb’s life in those intervening years, and as I mentioned, if it had been me, I would have ended us a miserly old sod, angry at the nation, but really just angry at God. But Caleb didn’t come out of those years angry and sullen, but was still depending on the promise of God, specifically that promise Moses gave him over 4 decades earlier.

Caleb depended on the promise of God in the midst of much discouragement.

Jesus also faced much discouragement, even from His own 12 disciples. How often do we hear him speak of them having so little faith, or of having no faith, or of how they just don’t understand.

In the big picture, Jesus had the promise of life after death provided to Him from God, but specifically in relation to Caleb and his disappointing neighbors, Jesus had 12 disciples that looked doomed to failure, giving little evidence of ever comprehending the fantastic truth of who Jesus was.

Caleb depended on God’s promises amongst those who were disappointments.

Jesus depended on God’s promises amongst those who were disappointments.

Each of us have those who we consider “disappointments”. First off, this is an attitude of judgement and it be wise if we express love towards them instead of judgement. That may be the wisest thing to do.

But nevertheless, if we live amongst some that do not share the faith, it is not a reason to give up on the promise of God for our lives. His promise is based on His character and not our neighbors acceptance of it.

Depend on God’s promises this day.

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