Monday, February 8, 2010

THOUGHTS ON CALEB 7

Note: If you have not yet read the previous posts of “Thoughts on Caleb,” doing so will help you understand this installment better. Thanks!



Part 7: How much longer?

So, the forty years of judgment are finally over; the rebellious generation has died off; the Children of Israel are finally ready and willing to obey God and enter the land; now, Caleb finally gets his inheritance, right? Wrong! Before he can have that which both God and Moses promised him, he must first help conquer and subdue the inhabitants of the land! Oh, well, just a few quick battles and it’s all over, right? Wrong, again! It took another five years, and even then there were still pockets of resistance left! So, once more, the fulfillment of Caleb’s promise was delayed, and this time when he is so close he can almost taste it (the sixth installment of the price he had to pay before he could have his inheritance)!


You know, I’m beginning to really admire this guy! Had that been me instead of him, I’m sure I’d be complaining by now and saying something like, “That’s just not fair! I mean, after all I’ve had to go through these past forty years, I feel it would only be right to at least concentrate on Hebron first! Didn’t God, Himself, promise it to me? And, if I remember right, I don’t recall Him promising any of you any specific area, now did He? Besides that, I’m eighty years old! I’ve paid my dues! I think I deserve a little respect here! I believe I’ve earned the right to be the first to get my portion!”


But, as far as we know, Caleb did not react that way. In fact, there is no mention of him at all during this five year period. So, apparently, he simply faithfully did his part, along with everyone else, and helped Israel take the land. What we do know from Josh.14 is that he kept the vision alive even through this delay, and the promise burning in his heart must have driven him on with boldness and confidence. He knew that, when all was said and done, it would still be his!


Sadly, I’m afraid many of us don’t respond like Caleb. When the promise is finally within sight and almost within reach, we are prone to let our guard down and become extremely vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, especially those of pride and selfishness! How many times have we relaxed our grip on our weapons as soon as we first begin to see the promise being fulfilled, only to be blindsided by a counter-attack of the enemy? Just because we have established a beach-head does not mean that the land is ours! We must guard against bitterness and disappointment, and we must fight until it is ours!


I believe that Caleb understood something that we must also embrace if we are to keep the vision alive and burning within us while we drive the enemy from our promised land(s): we have to recognize that the corporate goal must take precedence over our own personal goals! When we consider this in the context of Israel entering the Promised Land, we can easily see its importance. It would have been practically impossible for Caleb to take Hebron without Israel first subduing the rest of the land. And even if he had somehow managed to do it on his own, he would have been surrounded by enemies who would quickly defeat him!


However, in this current church age, we seem to have turned things the other way around --- our personal goals take precedence over any corporate goals we may encounter! As soon as we see some evidence of anointing on our lives, we can’t wait to find some place to show it off! I cannot begin to count the number of times over the years that I have seen people coming into our various ministries looking for a platform from which to express their ministries, giftings, talents, etc., instead of wanting to learn what they could do to help fulfill the larger corporate vision of the house! And instead of being a blessing to that ministry, they wind up causing problems; then they get bitter because they feel misunderstood and rejected! [I wish I could say that I have never done this, but … well, it’s always easier to see it in someone else … at least God had mercy on me and helped me repent and learn from it.]

What so many of us fail to understand is that our personal gifts and callings will only find their greatest fulfillment when they find their expression within a larger vision! If, like Caleb, we are willing to do that, our personal visions will be fulfilled, the ministry we are part of will be blessed and strengthened, and the Kingdom of God will be advanced!




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