Fear, Faith, & False Repentance: Caleb’s Courageous Faith
What is “courageous faith?” How does bold belief in God and His promises manifest itself? So far in Numbers 14, I have shown you how faith of any kind was completely absent from the nation of Israel. They were afraid of the people of the land. Israel wanted to turn back and return to Egypt. Even when confronted with God’s just judgment, Israel chooses to continue in unbelief rather than respond in true repentance.
Israel’s behavior in Numbers 14 is a stark warning of the consequences of unbelief. But thankfully, Numbers 14 doesn’t just give us a negative example of what not to do. Instead, the Holy Spirit has included in this account an example of courageous faith, even in the midst of widespread unbelief. This faith is exemplified by Caleb. If you don’t have an Old Testament “hero” yet, I would strongly suggest you consider Caleb. He is easily one of my favorite Biblical individuals.
In this post, I want to look at Caleb’s courageous faith, its source, and finally Caleb’s legacy. By studying Caleb’s role in Numbers 14, you can live out what Paul says in Romans 15:4.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4 ESV
The call to courageous faith
At one level, Numbers 14 focuses on contrasting the unbelief of Israel as a whole with the faith demonstrated by Caleb (and Joshua). If you remember, Israel was terrified when they heard the spies’ report on the promised land. They had not even directly seen the land firsthand, but their reaction was immediate weeping and unbelief.
Joshua and Caleb actually saw the land. They entered it. And their reaction is completely different to Israel’s reaction.
And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.”
Numbers 14:6-9 ESV, emphasis added
Of all the spies who saw the land, only Joshua and Caleb remained faithful. They both knew that the strength of God’s promises were greater than the strength of the people in the land. And so, in the middle of Israel’s weeping and wailing and rebellion, Caleb and Joshua pleaded courage.
Several times in these verses they repeat “Don’t be afraid!” Why? Because God is fighting for Israel. Notice: Caleb and Joshua had the exact same information as the nation of Israel had. They were in the same exact circumstances. But rather than let external circumstances challenge their belief, Caleb and Joshua examined their circumstances in light of their belief.
Courageous faith means holding on to and acting on God’s promises even in frightening circumstances. It means trusting the Lord even if no one else around you is.
The basis of courageous faith
How could Caleb and Joshua have this confidence? Their courage isn’t a reckless foolishness or some abstract thing. The basis of courageous faith is the Lord and His promises. Joshua and Caleb hold fast to the belief that God will bring them into the land and God will enable them to defeat the nations.
Unlike the rest of Israel who was quick to forget God’s promises and His purpose for bringing them out of Egypt, Joshua and Caleb actually apply the promises, believe them, and live them out. To put it another way, Caleb and Joshua’s theology actually changes their response to this situation.
Want to test your theology? Watch how you respond to trying circumstances, discouragement, and difficulty.
Caleb and Joshua’s theology is practical and logical: God promised them this land. Therefore, if God wants to give it to Israel, the strength of the nations is irrelevant. Why? Because God is sovereign not only over Israel, but also the nations. Notice in Numbers 16:9, Caleb and Joshua point out that the nations’ “protection has been removed from them”.
The courage Caleb and Joshua are calling Israel to is not wishy-washy, abstract, or foolish confidence. It isn’t self confidence. It is courageous faith. Faith-fueled courage. Israel was looking at their circumstances purely in human terms. But Caleb and Joshua knew that God would keep His promises.
But courageous faith can be costly as well. Caleb and Joshua call out Israel’s sin in verse 9: do not rebel against the Lord. Joshua and Caleb label Israel’s fear and lack of trust in the Lord as rebellion. And Israel’s response is to try to stone them both.
Not trusting the Lord and His promises is a form of rebellion.
Caleb’s reward and legacy
But how does God respond to Caleb and Joshua? In the midst of this decisive judgement, God rewards their courageous faith. God not only punishes unfaithfulness; He rewards faithfulness. Those who believed His original promise received further promises.
But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.
…not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.
Numbers 14:24, 30 ESV
Joshua and Caleb pleased the Lord through their faith and lived to enter the promised land. The rest of Israel died because of their unbelief. If you fast-forward to when Israel actually enters the land, Caleb still has as much faith and boldness as he did in Numbers 14.
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. 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. But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. 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.’ 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. 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. 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.” Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. 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.
Joshua 14:6-14 ESV, emphasis added
40 years after Numbers 14 and Caleb is still talking about God’s promises. I find it interesting three times Joshua 14 talks about Caleb being loyal to the Lord. Five times it mentions God’s promise to him. After 40 years wandering, Caleb is still ready for battle and to claim what God promised him. And in the end, Caleb receives the promised inheritance. It took years and years but Caleb’s faith was not disappointed.
Faith means loyalty to the Lord just as unbelief is a form of rebellion.
Conclusion
Numbers 14 sets Caleb and Israel in stark contrast. Israel through their fear forfeited entering the land for 40 years, but Caleb through faith was promised a special portion of the land and lived to possess it. What a legacy! Caleb was loyal to the Lord even when in the minority. He knew God would fulfill His promises.
Matthew Henry in his commentary on Numbers 14, leaves us with the perfect application:
“Those that would follow God must have another Spirit from that of the world. The Spirit of faith of Caleb.”
Matthew Henry
When you see the courageous faith of Caleb in the promises of God, may you “go and do likewise.”
Click here to read any posts in this series you might have missed. If you want to listen to my sermon on Numbers 14, click here. Check out my other ongoing series “Happy?” where I expound on what the Psalms have to say about happiness in the world.