Numbers 14:24 – CALEB – MINORITY MAN
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”
Comic books, radio and television have come up with more than their share of super heroes. To name a few, there’s been Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Aquaman, Super Girl, Batgirl, Marathon Man, and Wonder Woman, to name a few.
It is best to get our heroes and role models from the Bible. Perhaps if we gave them nick names they would be more appealing to today’s youth.
David could be “Slingshot Man”, Daniel could be “Lion Man”. Gideon could be “Pitcher Man”. Shadrack, Mishack and Abednego could be “The Asbestos Triplets.” And what about our hero in this passage. Caleb could be “Minority Man” because he stood for God in a minority of two (Joshua was the other person.)
Review the story of Numbers 13:26-33 and 14:1-10.
Caleb, “The Minority Man” was commended by God.
HIS IDENTITY AS GOD’S SERVANT
But my servant Caleb,
It is nice when someone calls you a servant of God. To me, there is no greater compliment.
It would be nice if history remembers each of us as servants of God.
And, it is true that each of us as born again Christians are servants of God, at least in name.
But God is speaking here. He is making a value judgment. Although all Israel could technically be called the servants of God, God is saying “CALEB IS MY SERVANT!” Not bad for a man who was almost stoned a short time ago.
Israel’s opinion of Caleb at this point was not very high. But God’s was. And it is God’s opinion that is important!
Oh that God would say this of you and me! “__________ is my servant!”
Not because of my position as a pastor, but because of the practice of servanthood in my life!
We talk about people who have a “servant’s heart”.
And we usually think of it in the context of serving others.
That’s fine, but we need to go further in our thinking.
A person with a real servant’s heart is:
- One who loves God and appreciates all that God has done to save him. Deuteronomy. 6:4-5
- One who wants to please God first, last and always. Luke 14:26-27
We should say with the author of Psalm 139:23-24:
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: [24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
- One who makes doing God’s will the most important thing in his life.
If doing God’s will is truly the most important thing in your life then, you will have trusted Christ as Savior. I realize that pleasing God and doing God’s will are very closely related. Because we want to please God, we want to do His will! Ephesians 5:15-17
THE INFLUENCE OF ANOTHER SPIRIT
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him,
I see two possibilities for meaning here.
This could mean that Caleb had a different attitude. Caleb had an attitude of trust when the others were not trusting. He had confidence in God when no one else had confidence in God!
There will be times when God will be calling you to trust Him when no one else is trusting Him.
The second possibility, and the one that I prefer, is that the other Spirit working on Caleb was none other than the Holy Spirit of God. If we are going to have success we must have the Spirit of God in control in our lives.
Ephesians 5:18 – And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
The work of the Holy Spirit will place us in a minority.
Spirit filling comes as we confess and forsake sin.
Spirit filling comes as we ask and trust God for it.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S LEADERSHIP
But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully,
There is such a thing as partial obedience, but that does not please God. Caleb did not believe in partial obedience. He followed God fully. God’s leadership was of the utmost importance to Caleb.
Caleb was not like many of us who are “buffet believers”.
At a buffet you pick and chose what you want. “I’ll take the steak but not the fish. I’ll have the mashed potatoes but not the sweet potatoes. I’ll enjoy the pie but leave the cake.”
A “buffet believer” picks and chooses when and how he will obey God.
“Oh, I like tithing, but don’t ask me to witness.”
“I don’t want to tithe but I’ll witness.”
“I’ll come to Sunday School, but don’t look for me in the Evening Service.”
“I’ll help feed the poor, but I won’t come to Prayer Meeting.
In Caleb’s case, while the others were choosing to not obey God, Caleb was ready to enter the Promised Land right then, Giants or not!
When we follow God fully, we will strive to make our obedience total!
HIS INHERITANCE IN GOD’S LAND
…him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
Caleb entered the Promised Land.
Caleb’s children inherited the Promised Land
There is much to inherit as we serve God, walk in His Spirit and follow His leadership.
We will manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
There will be supernatural joy, thanksgiving and submission. See Ephesians 5:19-21.
There will be souls saved. Acts 1:8 – But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
There will be lives influenced on behalf of Christ.
Philippians 2:12-16 – Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. [13] For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. [14] Do all things without murmurings and disputings: [15] That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; [16] Holding forth the word of life…
And as we enter the land of victory and train our children properly they will inherit the same things.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
In Numbers 14:24 God makes a statement about Caleb the “Minority Man”. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.
We saw:
HIS IDENTITY AS GOD’S SERVANT
One who loves God and appreciates all that God has done to save him.
One who wants to please God first, last and always.
One who makes doing God’s will the most important thing in his life.
THE INFLUENCE OF ANOTHER SPIRIT
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOD’S LEADERSHIP
HIS INHERITANCE IN GOD’S LAND