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.
| SEEING JESUS IN |
| Caleb |
| Purpose of God |
| Joshua 14:10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. |
| John 18:37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world–to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” |
God had a promise and a purpose for Caleb. His faithful spirit attained to a promise from God, that God would keep him through the times of the rebellion in the wilderness, into the promised land, through the battles to take the land and now, after God’s will has been accomplished, the promise is to be realized for Caleb. Yes he is 85 years old, an aged man no matter how we look at it. But even as his age was creeping up on him, he did not consider the promise of God to be less attainable. It was the promise of God, not some self promise, some vow that depended on his stamina or strength! It was the promise of God! Caleb held the promise and it was his purpose to attain this promise!
Is it not so, but even more so, in relation to the promise and purpose of God in the life of our Savior. As a matter, Paul speaks of Jesus as the One in whom all promise is fulfilled.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.
The purpose of the Savior was to be elevated to king, as He spoke to Pilate. He is King having completed His eternal purpose and having sat down on the right hand of God the Father!
Though Caleb provides a likeness of Jesus in his desire to attain the promise and fulfill his purpose, we must admit that there is a substantial difference.
God kept Caleb alive for 85 years to provide him the ability to attain the promise given him. For Jesus, the promise was attained by God crushing Him!
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Caleb provides us a glimmer of the One who is the promise of God, and of His heart to go through trials, temptations and eventually scourging and a horrific death to complete His purpose before God.
Let us not frustrate our King by forgetting the extent of suffering He experienced in order to become the King of all Kings. He is the King who provides a benevolent righteous reign over those who follow after Him.
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