God had certainly outdone Himself this time! The valley was magnificent. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Trees and vines bowed under the heavy weight of beautifully ripened grapes and pomegranates and figs. If the children of Israel were still looking for a comparison to the edible delicacies of Egypt, this was unquestionably the place to be. They had finally located the land flowing with milk and honey. This was truly the Promised Land.
They made quite the parade coming back into camp from their spying expedition. Grown men giddy with excitement over the treasures they had hauled home and the stories they had to go with them. Giant pomegranates full of jewel-toned arils. Soft, perfectly ripened figs ready to serve at the evening meal. And the grapes! One cluster had two men slightly staggering under its weight as it swayed suspended from the pole between them. The bounty was fantastic. They hoped it would be enough to mitigate the disappointing news they brought. Canaan wasn’t for them.
As wonderful and lush and perfect as it seemed to be, there was no way they could drive out the current inhabitants of the land so they could move in to own it themselves. The realization had driven itself home the moment they had seen the men of the town, sinking their buoyant spirits in one fell swoop. Descendants of Anak. Huge men. Enormous. Each one twice the size of an Israelite soldier. They felt like minuscule bugs beside them. The towering giants agreed. Chances were high they would end up squashed like bugs if they were unintelligent enough to go up against them in battle. They couldn’t make themselves do it. To do so would be certain death.
Bearing this news to Moses was more than uncomfortable. It was downright embarrassing. Their reluctance to fight cast them in a poor light. They looked like cowards. After showing off the fruit and describing the agricultural virility of the land, they were hard-pressed to adequately excuse their hesitancy to give their families these advantages. Yet they did, each man adding to the chorus of reasons they should leave well enough alone. Each man except Caleb.
He wasn’t having it. That land was perfect. For them now. For their descendants later. More importantly, it was the promised land. Literally. God had chosen it especially for them. Had specifically promised it to them. Previous experience proved God wasn’t one to renege on His promises. Had they forgotten the Egypt exodus? The amazing defeat of Pharaoh’s forces in a collapsing Red Sea? The miracles of food and water along the way? And what about the battle at Rephidim when Amalek decided to attack? Had God not provided a way to win that war? Of course He had. And nothing had changed between then and now. The Amalekites were still tremendous specimens of humanity, but the God of the Israelites was more tremendous still. (Exodus 12-17)
Stepping up before Moses, Caleb held up his hand to quiet the cacophony of dissenting voices. He wanted to be sure he was heard. He wanted to spread his enthusiasm, his faith, his confidence that the God who had promised would also perform. When they all grew silent, he spoke. Not to deny their claims. Not to diminish the danger. Not to dismiss their fears. In words spoken from a heart of faith in God, Caleb attempted to infuse his people with courage, “Let’s go do this. Right now. We can absolutely take them!” Words he unreservedly believed because he knew what the rest of them should have known. They weren’t fighting on their own. This was God’s war.
Unfortunately for the people of Israel, Caleb’s attempted infusion of courage and faith in the power of God failed to change the majority to the minority. The dissenting spies had already accepted defeat. Even the addition of Joshua’s assenting voice failed to rally the troops. Their wilted faith could not be revived. Determined they were fighting alone, defeat seemed too imminent, horrific loss seemed too probable, another miraculous rescue seemed too implausible. So they left it on the table. Denied God’s power. Walked away. Choosing instead to wander the wilderness for another 40 years than to set out to an impossible battle and watch the God who makes all things possible win it for them. (Numbers 13-14; Genesis 18:14)
The choice leaves us gobsmacked. What do you say when you watch someone walk away from the best thing that ever happened to them? Hand back the best gift they’ve ever been given? Reject the most exquisite offer they have ever received? There are literally no words to express the feelings we have when we read this account. But we know the end of the story. We know that generation will die wandering the wilderness before ever entering the Promised Land. We know their children will be subject to that same wandering, denied the life of plenty they could have had if stronger faith had prevailed. We also know that many are the times we hold back, run from battle, fall in spiritual warfare because our exhausted, worn-out souls are busy trying to fight battles alone instead of allowing God to fight in our stead.
Let’s be real here. Every day is a battle of some type. Temptation to sin comes at you from every side. Subtle voices attempt to draw your mind and attention from God. The busyness of business steals your time, upends your schedule, cuts short your private hour of prayer. Society bangs on you at every turn with a billboard, advertisement, commercial, to rubber stamp evil as good and good as evil. Alleged friends try to sway your allegiance. They say it’s just a little difference. They portray it as unimportant. But you know better. You know God’s laws haven’t changed. Neither can you.
The temptation to do so is extraordinarily strong. The rat race of your life has depleted your spiritual strength. As you look at the giants of sin and evil wreaking havoc across the land, they appear unbeatable. The battle seems already lost. People all around you are throwing up their hands in surrender to the flesh, the world, the evil one himself. The temptation to join them is nearly strangling your soul. Before you stop fighting and sink beneath the inky darkness, know these things.
You aren’t fighting against the guy in the office next to you, the posts on social media, the words of your neighbor, or the commercial on television. You are engaging in battle against the very powers of darkness themselves, forces of spiritual wickedness that have managed to entwine themselves into the very fabric of our society, smothering our morality and suffocating our ethics. You are waging war against evil and satan and hell. You are fighting for your soul. You are battling to salvage your eternity. There is nothing easy about this. It is absolutely not a game. This is war. You can’t afford to lose. (Ephesians 6:12; Luke 21:31-34; Mark 4:19; Psalm 34:19; Romans 1:18-32)
And you don’t have to. In the middle of your current battlefield, stands the Mighty Warrior, God Himself. His track record is impeccable. He has never lost a war. He is on your side, fighting both with you and for you. Let that truth sink down into your soul and take root. Wrap yourself up in it. Surround yourself with His righteousness. Immerse yourself in His peace. Remember that the Lord is God. The only God. The God above all other gods. He has not abdicated His throne or surrendered His authority. His sovereignty cannot be pilfered, poached or purloined. His eternal victory is an unmitigated certainty. Your current battle, struggle, skirmish or war is simply another opportunity for Him to prove His faithfulness. So let Him. Let God be God and do what He does best–make ordinary people facing extraordinary enemies win spectacular victories by making their battles His war. (I Chronicles 5:20,22; I Timothy 6:12; Psalm 16:8; I Corinthians 10:13; II Kings 6:16-18; Psalm 18:31-39; Psalm 24:8; Isaiah 45:7-9; Isaiah 44:6; James 2:19)
Another very timely message for me!!!!