"Become a Joshua or a Caleb & receive the promises of God in 2026"

Become a Joshua or a Caleb and receive the promises of God in 2026.

The text is taken from Numbers 14. Welcome to the Jeshurun Ministry GB channel in the Bahamas. And we are commissioned to preach the gospel because trouble has come to the earth. And you will need to be like Joshua and like Caleb in order to survive.

Here's what separated Caleb and Joshua from the other Israelites. They possessed the qualities of unwavering faith, great courage. In addition, they were known for their faithfulness, their honesty, and integrity. But what is most revealing is that they were described as having a different spirit from the other Israelites. This kind of man, this kind of woman demonstrates exceptional faith, unwavering obedience, and single-minded devotion to God, which sets them apart from the general group of other believers around them. These are the qualities to ask God for if you want to be like Caleb. If you want to be like Joshua in 2026.

Now, who was Caleb? The name Caleb means faithful, wholehearted, and bold. It is interesting that it also means to be doglike or dogged in our approach to going after something. For instance, grabbing a hold of the promises of God and refusing to let them go. It also means faithful and loyal. And Caleb is a popular name in places like the United States, Canada, and Australia apparently where it is among the top 50 choice of names for male children. And Caleb was from the tribe of Judah, which is the same tribe that the Lord Jesus Christ came from.

Let us pray. Dear Lord, we give You thanks and praise for Your Word. Send it forth with great power. Let the believer in Christ listening to this word be transformed into a Caleb and into a Joshua in the ways that they respond and step out on Your Word. Bless them, Father, in Jesus Christ's name I pray. Amen.

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Caleb was one in a million and so is every man and every woman who believes the Word of God and then steps out in faith. Out of approximately 2 million Jews, Caleb was only one of two that truly believe God. He confronted the children of Israel when they had become an angry mob afraid of the giants. He cautioned them to believe God, but instead they threatened to stone him. They threatened to stone Joshua.

All believers read the Word of God or they're supposed to. But unfortunately, too many walk away from what they've read or heard about God's promises as if they never heard it. As if they never read it. And scripture described this disconnect as looking at our own face in the mirror and then walking away completely forgetful about how we look. And this is found in James 1:23. In other words, we fail to internalize our appearance. In a similar way, we fail to let God's Word sink deep into our heart. We fail to chew on it. And then we let Satan steal the power of God's Word away from us. Steal the enlightenment that comes with it. We let him rob the understanding of God's Word from us almost immediately after we hear it.

And Caleb brings to mind a biblical event in the life of Jacob in which he wrestled with an angel or perhaps with God Himself all night long. And no other man was said to have performed this feat. Here he was all alone. Jacob was separated from his family and his servants on his way back to Canaan. And he's attacked by a stranger in the middle of the night. Instead of giving in to him, he fought with all his might and prevailed. The divine individual, who might have been an angel, might have been the Lord Himself, touched Jacob's thigh and put it out of joint, leaving him with a limp. He did not defeat the angel, but he refused to let go of the angel unless the angel blessed him. Because of Jacob's determination and steadfast hold on God's Word in this event, his name was changed to Israel. Israel means one who struggles with God or one who prevails with God. And this was a transforming night, a turning point in the life of Jacob. From that point on, he was no longer a trickster, but destined to become the father of the greatest nation on the earth.

So what was the meaning of this experience? What is the message here? Well, the way you handle a challenge that suddenly pops up in your life can catapult you to a higher level in God through Christ Jesus. Facing a serious challenge face on, can change the way you handle problems forever. One tough situation can be a breakout experience for you. One that changes the trajectory of your life forever.

Now, who was Joshua? The name Joshua means Jehovah saves. It means the Lord God is salvation. He delivers and He saves. The name Joshua is a symbol of faith, a symbol of courage and a symbol of divine guidance. It also signifies stepping into leadership and stepping into the promises of God. Now Joshua's given name was Hoshea which means 'saves'. But Moses changed his name to Joshua which means Jehovah saves. Joshua was a type of Christ and as a military and spiritual leader he brought God's people into the promised land. This achievement foretells the coming of Jesus Christ. The ultimate Savior who will lead believers from all over the world to the real promised land which is the kingdom of God.

Joshua served as Moses assistant and his protege. He was his right-hand man traveling up the mountain side with him to meet with God. Sometimes staying as long as 40 days and 40 nights. When Moses died, the Israelites were within view of the promised land. The Lord took Moses up to Mount Nebo to show the land to him from a distance. And after this, Moses died. And the Word of God says the Lord buried him there in the mountain.

Joshua took over the leadership of the children of Israel from near the mouth of the promised land all the way into the land. He supervised the division of the territory into 12 parcels of land. He also led them in battles, taking over cities and territories that were originally occupied by the Canaanites and the Philistines. It is the same land that the Palestinians are now saying was their land. Israel failed to root them out even though they had been commanded to root out all inhabitants. Joshua also led the children of Israel spiritually into covenant faithfulness with God and into following God's commands to the letter.

Here's how the story of the 12 spies unfolded. In the second year, after the Israelites left Egypt to travel to the promised land, Moses sent out 12 spies to scout the promised land. Traveling undercover for 40 days. They went through the land observing the people and studying the fruitfulness of the land and the location of various fortifications and of course gathering information about the lay of the land. And after 40 days of scouting, they all came back confirming that the land was truly rich and fruitful and truly a land flowing with milk and honey, so to speak. And they brought back very large fruits like grapes, figs, pomegranates, etc.

In making their report on their return, 10 of the spies focused on the size of the inhabitants, the immense size and strength of the people who were descendants of Anak, a tribe of giants and a strong people. And they also focused on the heavy fortification of the cities. And they said it was a land that devoured its inhabitants. They said they were like grasshoppers in their own eyes and decided that was how they looked in the eyes of the giants. They filled the people's hearts and their minds with doubts and fears the way Satan tries to do whenever we encounter hardships, difficulties, challenges, sickness, disease, and financial problems.

However, the two faithful spies, namely Joshua and Caleb, focused on the size of their God. They came back saying, "Let us trust the Lord, for we can surely overcome this land and the people living in it." And they came back saying things like, "Our God will help us to conquer these giants." They came back saying things like, "We can do all things through our Jehovah God who strengthens us." The same God who delivered us out of Pharaoh's hand will do it again. The God who brought us through the Red Sea is on our side. The God who delivered us from the bondage of slavery will not enslave us again.

Unfortunately, when the people heard the report of the 10 scouts, they were convinced by those negative reports and they complained against Jehovah God and against Moses. In fact, they cried like babies. They had forgotten the 10 plagues that God had unleashed upon the people of Egypt. They had forgotten the incredible sight as they stood on the banks of the Red Sea and watched Pharaoh and his mighty army being swallowed up by the tide when the waters came together over them after they had crossed over safely onto dry land.

Joshua and Caleb pleaded with the people, telling them, "If the Lord delighted in them, He would certainly bring them into the land that flowed with milk and honey. Only please do not rebel against the Lord. I beg you," they would have said. "Neither be afraid of the people because they are like bread to us." And this is found in Numbers 14:8. In other words, we can take them with God on our side, no matter how giant they may be. Well, the people refused to listen to Joshua and Caleb and threatened to stone them both. At this point, the Glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation. And in His wrath, He threatened to disinherit them and to send a plague among them. But Moses pleaded with God for the people. And the Lord relented and pardoned them. He turned them away, however, from the promised land, telling Moses to turn them back into the wilderness, head them toward the Red Sea.

It reminds me of an event in my early days as a believer in Christ when we were praying for a particular Christian church member who had suddenly become paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. In those days, there were several of us who were very zealous for God. And the church held a special healing service. As we prayed and prayed during the service, the individual suddenly rose up out of the wheelchair and stood on firm legs, and the church resounded with claps and applause. The individual stood there for a while and then all of a sudden slumped back into the chair again, never to even try to rise again and we could not persuade the individual. It seemed discouragement had set in all of a sudden. We do not know what Satan would have said to her and no one could make sense of what happened there that night. And not only was the individual discouraged, but the whole church was discouraged. On that day, we failed God. A short time later, the individual died. It is a testimony of the devil's determination to pour cold water on the fire that burns in the hearts of believers in Christ and robs us of blessings that the Lord has for us.

Now, what are the character traits we see in Caleb and in Joshua? What are the lessons learned from Caleb and Joshua? Well, number one, the crowd is not always right. 10 out of 12 scouts were wrong and the entire congregation except two brave men were faithless and did not believe God.

Do not be mindful of the size of the problem. Keep your gaze fixed on the size of our God. The penalty for doubting God is a season of wandering in the wilderness of despair and hopelessness perhaps for 40 years. The Lord will reward us richly also for having faith in Him. For without faith it is impossible to please God. We are told in Hebrews 11:6. In addition, those who believe God and step out in faith have a different spirit according to Numbers 14 and 24. Do you have a different spirit? Do you want God to give you a different spirit? I certainly want God to give me a different spirit. The rewards received by Caleb and Joshua.

Well, Caleb came into his promise at the age of 85. He inherited an area called Hebron which was passed on to his descendants. The Lord blessed him with superior strength. At the age of 85, he went out and fought against those giants in the hill country of Hebron. And Caleb's wholehearted devotion to God is a model for living a life of faith and integrity.

Now Joshua, a faithful servant of Moses, came into his own at Moses' death. He took charge of leading the children of Israel into the promised land and dividing the land among the 12 tribes of Israel. He led them across the Jordan and into Canaan. And the Lord promised him that He would be with him just the way that He had been with Moses. He promised never to leave Joshua and never to forsake him. The Lord promised him that no one would be able to stand before him as long as he obeyed the Lord's command. And He told him to be strong and of a good courage. He was given his own city in the hill country of Ephraim.

I thank God for His Word. I pray His blessing upon you, the listener to this message. I pray that He'd give you grace and mercy and goodness, that He would strengthen you. That He would give you the desires of your heart as long as they are desires that are pleasing to Him. I pray that He'll bless you going out and coming in and that no one will be able to stand against you as long as you walk in obedience to God's Word. May the Lord bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

Now, Father, we thank You for this holy word and we praise Your holy and precious name. We thank You for the listener, especially the ones who do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Friend, please engage your heart. If you want to give your heart to Jesus Christ, that He may make you a Joshua, make you a Caleb in these troubled times in which we live, say this prayer after me:

• Father, I am a sinner.

• I am sorry for all my sins.

• Dear Lord, I crave Your forgiveness.

• Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness, for Your patience with me.

• I have decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

• Dear Lord Jesus, welcome to my heart.

• I give You the key to my heart because I now belong to You forever.

• Please keep the key forever.

• Please give me the Holy Spirit to give me understanding, to give me wisdom, to give me knowledge, to give me peace and the strength to press on.

• Please open Your Word to me and give me a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

• Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. So many of us here awaiting the return of the Good Master. In the meantime, we encourage you to let your pastor know that you've given your heart to the Lord and you want to be baptized the way Jesus Christ was.

Begin reading the Word of God every day. It is your daily food. You will need it to stay strong. Begin in the book of John. Then go to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Reading audibly as often as possible because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Pray daily. Attend at your local church. And one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself. And we shall forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.