Standing Against Giants
Num 14:6-10
6 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 7 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. 8 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. 9 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."
ESV
Standing Against Giants
(Num 14:6-9)
Intro:
A. On Aug. 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr stood at the base of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. and shared his vision for this country. That powerful speech entitled, “I Have a Dream” touched the lives of people of many races. He began by referencing that 100 years before that, was the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. But the parts of his speech that ring in the ears of people today is how he had a dream of an America where people judge others not for the color of their skin, but the content of their character. He saw a country where people would treat each other with dignity and where justice would stand for all.
B. His vision, his dream, impacted this country. But just shy of 5 years later, Dr. King would be murdered because he would strive to make that dream a reality. There are visionaries, and there are people who seek to destroy the vision of those around them because of fear or hatred.
C. One would think the powerful rhetoric and passion that Dr. King had for equality would change a nation in a heartbeat, but many were not ready for that change and openly opposed it. In fact, some would say that even today we see only a portion of that vision.
D. While his story is one that has impressed me, and his life is one that I highly respect, I am not surprised that people in 1963 did not take the words of that dream and make them into a national reality. The voice of racism and hatred was louder than the voice of equality and peace. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 opened a door, but it didn’t fix a national problem.
E. The pages of God’s word recount another story, where two men had a vision of greatness for a nation, but the voice of 10 others caused the hearts of the people to turn against them, even want to kill them. It’s their story we want to hear and learn from today.
I. The Heart of Caleb
A. When God introduces himself to Moses at the burning bush, God says… (Ex. 3:7-8). Multiple times God says to Moses that he is leading them to the land he promised Abraham, the land “of milk and honey.”
B. When they come to the edge of that land, God tells Moses (Num. 13:2). Twelve men, a leader from each tribe of Israel, was chosen to go and spy out the land God was giving them. These men were gone for 40 days. They brought back fruit that showed how great this land was. In fact, all twelve men agreed (READ Num. 13:26-27). If we could just end there, if that was the end of the report, we might have known a very different story than the truth that happened.
C. READ Num. 13:28-29. Yes, God was right, it is a land that flows with milk and honey. Yes, it is a great place and would be a great home, but we are not powerful enough to face the giants who live there. READ vs 30.
D. Those words are the heart of Caleb. He believed one truth, and one truth only. God will give us the land. Just listen to words of Caleb and Joshua (READ Num. 14:6-9).
E. Let me remind you of a truth we don’t like to hear, sometimes the giants are not the enemy we think we see, sometime the giants are in our fellowship. It’s difficult to bring about a vision of God’s ministry when we find ourselves surrounded by people who tell us why God doesn’t do that anymore. Yet every time God directs our paths, He empowers our actions. As a church we must face the giants by seeking to connect to God more than seeking God to connect to us.
F. Let me remind you of another truth; Caleb and Joshua were born as slaves in Egypt. But they knew God was stronger than the Egyptian army. They knew God was stronger than the giants or fortified cities in the land of Canaan. They believed it so deeply, that in their heart all they needed to do was follow God into the Promised Land. Just as God destroyed the army of Egypt in the Red Sea, God would destroy the inhabitants of Canaan. But the people were afraid.
II. God’s Promise
A. For some people, fear is a part of their lives. Some fear the present pandemic and what may happen to their health or finances. Some fear the future of what will happen to the local church. They wonder if people get used to staying home; or will they want to interact with other Christians. Instead of living in a future fear, let us strive to see things through the eyes of God who knows tomorrow, today.
B. What I love about Caleb, whether it was when he was 40 going to spy out the land or when he was 85 and they had finally taken over much of the Promise Land, Caleb saw God is bigger than anything he may have to face.
C. Peter helps to draw me back to a truth that I need to remember. READ 2 Pet. 1:3. Look at that opening, “His divine power.” Peter wants his readers who were Christians who had been dispersed throughout the world due to persecution, to know something about God’s power. Here is what that “divine power” had already done “granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness.”
D. My son Caleb, in a sermon he gave, talked about this verse and this idea of “granted.” A grant is a gift that is given to someone who has a need, and it is given freely without the requirement to repay it. What we see is that God has granted, God has given to me everything I need for this life and the life to come. In verse 4 we get the same phrase “God has granted to us his precious and very great promises.”
E. When I live in connection with God, I live with assurance that God has everything under control, even when it looks out of control to me. I may not understand this current situation that we face, but I trust in the God who sees not only tomorrow, but every tomorrow that is yet to come.
F. I want you to remember that Caleb didn’t deny the facts. There were fortified cities. There were giants. The people in Canaan were strong. But Caleb trusted that God was bigger, stronger and able to defeat them if they would simply follow God into the Promised Land. Don’t deny facts, but make sure you see them through power of God’s promises.
Conclusion:
A. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr had a dream. That dream came at a cost – his life. But Dr. King made it clear that he knew the dream he had and the words he spoke may cost him his life, but they were still words that needed to be spoken. He trusted that the vision he had of a country where love connected people of all races was the right vision.
B. Caleb and Joshua traveled with 10 other men for 40 days into the land that they left Egypt to inherit. They too had a dream, a vision. It was that this land that flowed with milk and honey was to become their home. They trusted in the great and precious promises of God. The leaned into the divine power that granted to them life and godliness. Yet, they had to wander in the desert for 40 years before that dream of a homeland would begin to become a reality.
C. There are many obstacles in our Christian walk. There are many temptations, trials and hardships that come along our way. But the giants I face today with the power of God at work in me, become grasshoppers in my past. Don’t fear the giants when God is with you.
D. A little child might fear the monster in the dark, but the thing that helps that child face their fear is when mom or dad come into their room, sit on their bed and help them to know that the power of the love of a parent is greater the monster in the darkness of their room. At some point in time the child falls asleep, knowing their mom or dad is always right there with them.
E. Jesus made a promise – I will be with you always, even to the end. Walk in the power of Jesus and your giants will become grasshoppers.