Role models…Joshua and Caleb!
Two other men who impacted my life and still do today and I consider my role models are Joshua and Caleb.
As a small young boy, I was disappointed in the lack of what I considered “real men” in the church I attended at that time in my childhood.
But in Joshua and Caleb, they revealed to me what men of God can be!
For it was these two men out of the 12 spies who were sent to spy out the Promised Land for Moses that said…”We can do this…with God’s help!”
Numbers 14: 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; 7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8 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.”
Num 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
But there are two specific times in each of theses men’s lives that are the real reason I admire them and try to follow in their footsteps.
For Joshua it was the time he stayed in the ‘tent of meeting’ after Moses had been speaking to God and then left…but Joshua stayed…he just stayed!
Exd 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
He loved to be in the presence of God, not asking for anything but just sitting in God’s presence…he was such a solid guy.
Caleb, he just casts an enormous shadow over my life and the Word of God.
It was he who took Joshua ‘s back and it was he too who was a man of great faith and he lived it powerfully.
When the time came for the land to be divided among the people’s as they entered the Promised Land, Caleb said he would take the toughest and most dangerous land – the place where the giants of Anak came from came – Joshua 15:13 The LORD commanded Joshua to assign some of Judah’s territory to Caleb son of Jephunneh. So Caleb was given the town of Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), which had been named after Anak’s ancestor. 14 Caleb drove out the three groups of Anakites—the descendants of Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the sons of Anak.
15 From there he went to fight against the people living in the town of Debir (formerly called Kiriath-sepher)
…..his children, if you take the time to read also followed in their dad’s footsteps, they were children of great faith and great courage. This is one family I am looking forward to meeting in heaven!
What powerful men of God and what powerful role models for each of us today are Joshua and Caleb! May you and your children follow in their footsteps! May you seize with God’s help the promises He has for you.