 |
| Home | Faith When Facing Delays |
| Faith's Confession of God's Word |
|
| Numbers 13:30, 14:6-9 |
| 30 Then Caleb
quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession,
for we are well able to overcome it." 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: "The land we passed through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey." 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them." |
| Caleb saw the same giants and
walled city as the other spies, but the ten spies brought back an "evil report"
of unbelief. Caleb's words declared a conviction - a "confession" - before all
Israel: "We are well able to overcome." He had surveyed the land, a reminder
that faith is not blind. Faith does not deny the reality of difficulty; it declares the
power of God in the face of the problem. There is a message in the spirit of Caleb's response to the rejection of his faith-filled report. Some use their confession of faith to cultivate schism, but Caleb stood his ground in faith and still moved in partnership and support - for 40 years - beside many whose unbelief delayed his own experience. What patience as well as faith! His eventual actual possession of the land at a later date indicates that even though delays come, faith's confession will ultimately bring victory to the believer. * It is also very significant that from that entire generation of the children of Israel, only Joshua and Caleb went on to possess the land of Canaan...see Deuteromomy 1:35,36 and Joshua 14:6-13. |
|