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.

Hear what Caleb says in this verse. The Lord has kept him alive. What does this imply?

I think it is difficult to peg the age of an old man in the Old Testament. Looking at the ages given to us from before the flood, we have men lasting almost a millennium. Incredible.

Immediately after the flood, it appears life spans began to decrease, and by the time we get to Moses and Caleb, it appears a 120 year old man, as Moses was, may have been an anomaly.

For Caleb, at the time of this passage, he was 85 years old, an old man in his autumn years, hoping his 401(k) will get him through his remaining years. – Just kidding – I think he was way too savvy of an investor to only depend on the markets. I think he had real estate in mind! And at 85, he was going to claim it.

Now don’t get me wrong in describing Caleb here as one who was focused on monetary security. That is not the image I have of this man. He was a man who had been given a promise decades earlier, and was convinced it was time to chase the promise.

But in between the promise and the potential realization, he lived in obscurity, a “regular” saint, patiently waiting on the Lord as his youthful stamina slowly seeped out of his body. From a stout man, willing to take on the people of the land, he had now become a man of wisdom, realizing his life was in the hand of the Lord, his very existence dependent on the One who promised him a patch of ground.

But let us take a moment to consider forty-five years of waiting. More than half his life, burdened down by the decisions of those he lived with, those who made faithless decisions, impacting a faithful man who was ready decades ago.

And for forty-five years we hear nothing of Caleb. He lived in obscurity, possibly even ostracized by some of his neighbors, for he was that one that was so confident, that made them all look so bad.

Forty-five years of toiling amongst those who dragged him back from victory. Forty-five years of living amongst those who constantly rebelled against his God. Forty-five years of having a nation of negative influence constantly rub up against his spirit.

Jesus also was in obscurity, living amongst a people He had come to serve and to save.

Yes – there were flashes of fame with his birth, but only amongst some shepherds and a few foreigners. Yes, it is true that He shook up the religious leaders when he was 12 years old. But let us remember who we are dealing with. This is God in the flesh, and He is content to live in obscurity, content to be amongst those whose actions and attitudes will drive Him onto the cross.

Obscurity.

It is a way of describing a life of being unknown, a life not recognized for the value found in the man. Caleb lived in obscurity, and his faithfulness to God certainly was honed into focus during that time. God was his focus, for no one else seemed too concerned.

For the Lord, His obscurity must have provided an enormous influence in His later years, as He had much time with His Father, much time contemplating the Word and much time understanding His mission.

His obscurity provided Him opportunity to focus on the Only True God, to know His Father while walking amongst His subjects.

Obscurity, in this world that chases fame and fortune, is a true blessing many consider a curse. If you are in a place where you have faded into relative obscurity, take a page from the life of Caleb, and remember who your God is. Better yet, look to the Messiah, for in His obscurity He deepened His relationship with the Father, and that obscurity, though highly undeserved was of great use to the Son.

In His obscurity, He followed after the True God! He recognized the value of God and honed in on His relationship with His Father during this time. For though many thought nothing of Him, letting Him live in obscurity, He recognized the ultimate value of His God, and truly is the Only One worth knowing!

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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.

Caleb took charge of the situation. Even in the midst of Moses. And remember Joshua was most likely standing beside him!

Quiet

As a leader, he first controlled the situation, quieting the people. He hushed them. Quit running about with your heads falling off, taking in all the fears that have been imagined! Be quiet, and realize the truth of the matter.

He too experienced the fear mongering we are so often the victim of in our modern society, a fear mongering that is easy to fan into flames for those who have little to do with the True God!

Nothing has changed, for one of the enemies greatest weapons against the people of God is to whip us up with rumors of destruction, fear of the future and the dread of death. It is a common tactic, and if we understand the designs of the enemy, we are better positioned to battle our thought lives properly!

2 Corinthians 2:11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Judge

He was a man who could judge a situation quickly and respond naturally for the purpose of directing the people toward God. He didn’t have to get volumes of data and analyze the situation though multiple processes to come to a decision. He knew in his soul of the dangers of this fear mongering report, of the doubt that was raging through the camp.

He surmised the situation, diverted the crowd from their natural, initial reaction to the findings and spoke of their resources, the ability of the tribes of Israel to “overcome it”

Provide a Plan

Although Caleb provided a skeletal plan in this verse, I would like to emphasize the aspect of timing. He was ready to go NOW.

Let us go up at once!

In our analytical world, with studies and reports needed for decision making, it is refreshing to see a man of confidence make a decision, control a situation, and expect the best of the people. Caleb was a leader, in the midst of leaders.

Jesus also was a take charge type of man, a leader who exerted tremendous influence on those who had ears to hear.

When he was dealing with Peter and the catch of fish, He also quieted His subject – Peter fell down at His knees – and provided a plan for Peter. Peter, you are going to catch men! He had a plan for Peter’s life and He provided it to peter without hesitation. Jesus was well prepared to lead His men with decisive decisions as at this calling, and with decisions that turned fatal later in His ministry.

His depth of leadership has no competitor, for He is the only One who is the Ultimate Leader, the Lord.

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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.

In our past post’s on Caleb we have considered him as a man with a different spirit, a devoted man, an overcomer of others doubts, one who depended on God’s promises, a man of conviction, and a man convinced of his purpose for God.

With our passage this morning, let us draw out a truth about Caleb that is not expressly stated, but is evident in his life throughout his journeys and trials.

He was victorious, and though the comparison with the Lord Jesus is accurate, it is accurate in description, but not in extent, for Caleb “simply” won his mountain, but Jesus won the world. His is victorious over the grave, and because of God’s deliverance, has been openly declared to be the Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is simply greater than all the pictures we consider in this series.

Caleb was victorious because he followed the Lord, and the Lord provided the success, the victory. This is the walk of faith, that is not to seek victory based on our desires, our will, our wants, but to put the will of God ahead of ours.

Caleb certainly was tested, tried in the fire of adversity, peer pressure, and mob opinion. Yet his decision to trust God’s will when all seemed to be going the wrong way is a testament to his faithfulness, and the reason God provided him the victory.

Now I wont go so far as to think the Lord ever had it easy as He rubbed shoulders with those who plotted his death. For even from the very beginning, the cross overshadowed Him. He spoke amazing truths, claimed an astonishing relationship with the God of the Jews, challenged the powers that be and spoke of the kingdom of God breaking forth even as He was on earth. He did not come asking permission from those in charge. He simply came to us, declared the time had come, and rebuffed every argument those threatened by his pronouncements brought to Him. If Caleb had challenges, (and he did), Jesus faced many more, deeper and stronger temptations to veer from His appointed path.

But Jesus never veered. He only performed the work assigned by the Father, and did not go beyond the will of God, or fail to complete the will of God.

John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Jesus never veered from the will of God and His victory was such that His closest friends were astonished. Even to this day, the Messiah’s resurrection is doubted by too many. Admittedly, it is an incredible story, but the Man Jesus was incredible in every way. His works and words have no competition, and His victory is completely without comparison.

And by the sheer grace of His compassion for lost souls, He grants us entry into this very victory. A victory over death and the grave.

1 Corinthians 15:54-57

When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Caleb was victorious in his life and God provided this victory due to his continuing faith in the midst of difficult times. His victory became his possession and that of his posterity.

For the Lord Jesus, His victory has also been passed to His posterity, and all who seek to find this victory should look no further than the Son of God.

Titus 3:7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

His victory was due to His faithfulness, but our victory is based on relationship with the One who has overcome all obstacles, even the death of the cross!

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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.

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.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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 considered this set of verses out of Joshua 1 in our previous post as it related to Caleb in his dependence on God’s promises. As we consider this same passage this morning, I would like my reader to consider the devotion Caleb expressed to God during the 45 years of wandering and suffering due to his neighbors unbelief. We noted that he came out the 45 years of delay, depending on the promises, exhibiting a faithful spirit.

May I suggest, this dependence on the promise of God was possible only because he was devoted to God. He followed the Lord, and the term “followed” found in the Old Testament passages speaking of Caleb speak of being behind, of being in the rear, after the one being followed. Now even as I write that, I can hear some saying – Carl that is so obvious!

Well for myself, it is not that obvious in my own devotion to God, for I often seek to get off the path with distractions, or get ahead of God, being the impatient one that I am. Caleb knew his place, and that was behind God, and was willing to stay behind, following as God led.

Did he argue with God when told they would not be allowed to enter the promised land? Where was Caleb when the nationes leaders decided to go ahead and take the land even though God restricted them?

Amazing that the Israelites thought they could go ahead of God, even in rebellion against his prophets direction.

Numbers 14:39-45

When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly.
40 And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned.”
41 But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD, when that will not succeed?
42 Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies.
43 For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”
44 But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed out of the camp.
45 Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.

I will lay my last dollar down (if I was a betting man!) that Caleb stayed behind, devoted to the will of God. He knew his place of following God, and in knowing that, he was successful!

Jesus also was the servant of the Most High, devoted to God, obeying the will of God, even to the point of death. He did not get ahead of the will of God, nor seek to perform any acts other than directed by the Father.

John 5:19

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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.

For Caleb, he fought through the doubters, and without a doubt, sought to convince those he travelled with as they carried back such a damming report. Joshua records Caleb’s claim of how his own peers, as they reported on what they had seen in Canaan land, was a message of doubt, a message of defeat and that had caused the melting of the young nations heart.

This passage doesn’t address how Caleb sought to convince those bringing back such a deadly doubt-filled message, but surely a man who was committed to the work of God, he sought to convince them before they delivered the poisonous message. This is my assumption. Joshua simply states the fact that Caleb wholly followed the Lord in the midst of doubters. Now I am not knocking Caleb in this instance. No not at all, for it is no small task to believe the Word of God when the world is yelling that you are wrong, but Caleb held tight. He held tight!

While on earth. the Messiah also had close associates that were infected with the doubt disease, a disease that we all suffer from. Numerous times, He spoke to those of little faith, asking them of their doubt.

Now I used to think this was Jesus way to get a dig in, to mentally slap his apostles around, but as I understand the person of Christ more, I don’t see Him like that anymore. What I was actually doing was mirroring my heart onto the Messiah in these interactions with the apostles, for I tend to cut those who need encouragement. I want to assume failure instead of success. I naturally think the worst rather than the best.

Jesus’ heart is wholly different from my heart, and I safely will assume different from your heart, unless of course you have deceived yourself.

Jesus was (and is) in the midst of doubtful friends, surrounded by saints that struggle with faith, and working on believers who just don’t understand. This is the fact of the church and is in my mind a huge mystery of how He gets anything done working with men and women who sometimes just don’t get it. But then I forget who I am dealing with!

He remains faithful to the will of God, as Caleb did, and yet He also successfully pulls us out of the depths of doubt to prove His care and guidance.

We need to look to Him for our strength, for I doubt we have any!

Come join us at Considering the Bible

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.

Caleb and Moses each had life changing events in their fortieth year. Both men went through extended times of waiting, of being drawn out and tested, of seemingly not being used by God.

For Moses, it was 40 years before he was in front of the Pharaoh, demanding the release of his people.

For Caleb, it was 45 years before he found the opportunity to realize the promise given him by Moses. He may have been greatly encouraged by the life of Moses, the fact that the man of God was “put aside” for 40 years, but was then used by God like no other!

Caleb was a man of conviction, a man that delivered to Moses the message “as it was in his heart”.

The term referred to here in relation to Caleb’s heart is לֵבָב lêbâb, and speaks of the inner man, the will, his heart. It does not refer to fluffy feelings, nebulous ideas or soft thinking, but represents the conviction he had after considering the land he visited, in light of the command of God to conquer.

He was a man of faith, and was convinced (convicted) of the truth of the promise God had provided, and saw the resistance in Canaan for what it was, and not an insurmountable obstacle that was not to be attempted. He was convinced God was bigger, that the land was obtainable, and that he wanted it.

As a matter of fact, in time it came about that he wanted a specific piece of that land, and was given the opportunity to continue in his convictions in routing those in the land out! It was his land, and he was going to take it!

There was Another Man that was determined to complete the will of God for His life, and as the day came closer, we read that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem.

Luke 9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.

To “set” his face is the term στηρίζω stērízō. To set his face was to be confirmed, to strengthen, to render constant (in an effort), to make firm.

May I ask you my friend, How many times have you made a decision to perform a task, only to be distracted, deterred from the goal, and wandered off into some other task? My hand is up, I can tell you! This is to be without conviction in a task!

In the Gospel of Luke, this word speaks of Jesus conviction to get to Jerusalem, to get to the goal of the Passion Week, the pain, the suffering, the crucifixion and finally to His final breath. His conviction took Him to the last day, and distractions were helpless against Him.

Both Caleb and Jesus were men of conviction, but in light of the goals each man sought to reach, we see the conviction of Jesus as so much greater, deeper, stronger and wholly different, for this conviction carried him to His death!

Jesus was a man of conviction! Jesus is Lord.

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