Caleb's Character of Courage & Conviction

Joshua  •  Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 1,157 views

Caleb the Kennizite demonstrated incredible godly character each time he is mentioned in the pages of Scripture and he was blessed because he wholly followed the Lord. This serves as a wonderful example for us.

Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
View more →

What is a Hero?

Hero = 1.) a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. "a war hero" synonyms:brave man, champion, man of courage, great man, man of the hour, conquering hero, victor, winner, conqueror, lion-heart, warrior, paladin (a trusted military leader), knight, white hat; antonyms: coward, loser
We love heroes. Especially in our media driven or media saturated culture that we live in, people love heroes. Virtually all of the top grossing movies of all time, are either superhero movies or the storyline is based on a heroic main character.
2.) the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize. synonyms:male protagonist, principal male character;
Hero = 1.) a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. "a war hero" synonyms:brave man, champion, man of courage, great man, man of the hour, conquering hero, victor, winner, conqueror, lion-heart, warrior, paladin (a trusted military leader), knight, white hat; antonyms: coward, loser
antonyms:villain
Unfortunately for us, many of the heroes or superheroes we think of today are simply Hollywood characters, that are either computer animated or simply an actor pretending to be a person of courage and bravery, fighting the odds to bring justice and safety to the world.
2.) the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize. synonyms:male protagonist, principal male character;
The Bible however has many accounts of heroic activity by both male and female characters.
antonyms:villain
We think of people like David, Moses, Esther, Rahab, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I am certain that you could come up with a long list of heroic people that you’ve learned about in the pages of Scripture.
This morning we are going to look at one such character in the book of Joshua.
Unfortunately for us, many of the heroes or superheroes we think of today are simply Hollywood characters, that are either computer animated or simply an actor pretending to be a person of courage and bravery, fighting the odds to bring justice and safety to the world.

Heroes

The Bible however has many accounts of heroic activity by both male and female characters.
We think of people like David, Moses, Esther, Rahab, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. I am certain that you could come up with a long list of heroic people that you’ve learned about in the pages of Scripture.
This morning we are going to look at one such character in the book of Joshua.

Caleb- A man of courage and conviction.

Joshua 14:6–15 ESV
6 Then the people of Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God in Kadesh-barnea concerning you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 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. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. 12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.” 13 Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord, the God of Israel. 15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba. (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.) And the land had rest from war.
Listen to this list of names.
Hero = 1.) a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. "a war hero" synonyms:brave man, champion, man of courage, great man, man of the hour, conquering hero, victor, winner, conqueror, lion-heart, warrior, paladin, knight, white hat; antonyms: coward, loser
Shammua
2.) the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities, and with whom the reader is expected to sympathize. synonyms:male protagonist, principal male character;
antonyms:villain
The Bible has plenty of heroic male and female characters within Its pages.
Shaphat,
We think of people like David, Moses, Esther, Rahab, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Igal
Palti
Gaddiel
Gaddi
He was confident in the Lord’s Promises
Ammiel
Sethur
Nahbi
Geuel
He was bold in the face of opposition

12 Spies- 10 & 2

How many of these names do you recall hearing before? How many of these names do you remember your Sunday School teacher talking about?
He stood apart from the crowd
It is quite possible that the majority of you remember the story of the 12 Spies who Moses sent out to spy on the Promised Land. The spies went in to the promise land and only 2 trusted that God would give the land as He had promised to do.
Shammua
Shaphat,
Igal
Palti
Gaddiel
Gaddi
Ammiel
Sethur
Nahbi
Geuel
Hoshea (Joshua)
Caleb
It isn’t important that their names are remembered or forgotten. What is important is the reason why we remember the two names that we do.

way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.

ant that their names are remembered or forgotten. What is important is the reason why we remember the two names that we do.
Deuteronomy 1:19–33 ESV
19 “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ 22 Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’ 23 The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. 24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. 25 And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.’ 26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.
Deuteronomy 1:19–33 ESV
19 “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. 21 See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ 22 Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’ 23 The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. 24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. 25 And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us.’ 26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the Lord hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God, 33 who went before you in the way to seek you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night and in the cloud by day, to show you by what way you should go.

19 “Then we set out from Horeb and went through all that great and terrifying wilderness that you saw, on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us. And we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20 And I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us. 21 See, the LORD your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’ 22 Then all of you came near me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may explore the land for us and bring us word again of the way by which we must go up and the cities into which we shall come.’ 23 The thing seemed good to me, and I took twelve men from you, one man from each tribe. 24 And they turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the Valley of Eshcol and spied it out. 25 And they took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us, and brought us word again and said, ‘It is a good land that the LORD our God is giving us.’

26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of the LORD your God. 27 And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘Because the LORD hated us he has brought us out of the land of Egypt, to give us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.” ’ 29 Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you have seen how the LORD your God carried you, as a man carries his son, all the way that you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the LORD your God, 33 who went before you in the

: 19-

Caleb’s Character of Courage and Conviction

Caleb wholly followed the Lord
He was lead by the Lord and went behind Him as He was going forward.
Joshua 14:9 ESV
9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
Caleb was confident (trusted) in:
The Lord’s Presence
The Lord’s Promises/ Provision
The Lord’s Power
Caleb was courageous in the face of opposition
Caleb stood apart from the crowd, moving forward as God was moving forward.
We should never allow the culture around us to determine our actions. We should never make our decisions or choices based upon popular opinion, unless popular opinion aligns with God’s will of desire (what He has commanded). We should not make our choices and decisions based upon the physical circumstances, when the physical evidence is prompting us to act in a way that is contrary to God’s will of desire. (For example the spies seeing the giants as unbeatable, when God had clearly stated that He would give them the land.)
Caleb was patient and persevering.
Joshua 14:7–10 ESV
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. 8 But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ 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.
Joshua 14:7-
5. He was strong.
He was strong at the age of 40 and remained just as strong at age 85.
Joshua 14:10–11 ESV
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. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
Joshua 14:11 ESV
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.
Joshua 14:11
6. He was a believer.
Joshua 14:12 ESV
12 So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the Lord said.”
Joshua 14:
7. He was a leader.
Joshua 15:
Joshua 15:13–19 ESV
13 According to the commandment of the Lord to Joshua, he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the people of Judah, Kiriath-arba, that is, Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 And Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the descendants of Anak. 15 And he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir. Now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher. 16 And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.” 17 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she got off her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 19 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
He went before the men of Judah and drove out the three sons of Anak and then he challenged other men to do the same. He offered his beloved daughter to the man who would drive out the people of Kiriath-sepher and Othniel completed the task. This worked out for Othniel and Achsah. They both recieved a reward for their obedience to the Lord’s command to drive out the people from the promised land.
The rest of the tribe of Judah failed to drive out the people who dwelt in Jerusalem and they suffered for it.
This is just a prompt test
Joshua 15:63 ESV
63 But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.
Joshua 15:63
We can be blessed and be a blessing as we share the lessons of our lives with the younger generations. We can share stories of God’s work in our lives through the stories of obedience and our disobedience.
In the Incredibles movie, the Incredibles contact Edna Mode, who is a veteran fashion designer to design new costumes for their superhero efforts. Edna’s years of experience working with superheroes proves to be very beneficial as she reminds them of the pitfalls of certain costume accessories, like the cape, which was the cause of several superheroes dying in the line of duty.

We can and should learn from the experience and example of others.

Caleb’s experience

We can learn from the example of the people who are more experienced than us. Be sure to take note of the faithful followers! Be aware of trusting in their flesh, but rejoice in the testimonies of God’s faithfulness and grace in their lives.

10 spies’ experience

None of the 10 spies who gave a bad report are around at this point. All the people of Israel 20 years old and older who refused to trust God’s word, were not able to enter the Land.
Don’t miss out on a blessing of God because you don’t trust what He has said.
The Lord spared Caleb and Joshua’s lives
Joshua 14:10 ESV
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.
Don’t miss out on a blessing of God because you don’t trust what He has said.
Follow fully after God- Walk with God as your guide (do not walk ignorantly moving forward in your own understanding)
Be Confident- God has not given us the spirit of fear
Be Courageous- Don’t be a coward
Be Patient & Persevere- Never give up, Never
Be strong- Strong in the Lord and in the power of His might (Eph 6:10)
Be a Believer- trust in the Lord/take Him at His word
Be a leader- set examples and encourage others to follow you as you follow Christ
Be a learner- always be teachable, be a life-long learner
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more