God will not forget youJoshua 14:6-15Based on Joshua: Living a Consistent Role Model by Gene A Getz

● Following Joshua’s treaty with the Gibeonites, there were three successful campaigns to take the land.

● Southern Canaan: Five kings came to destroy Gibeon in Joshua 10:1-5, but Israel was victorious, and used this to take most of the South.

● Northern Canaan: It took nearly 7 years, but they defeated 31 kings.

● At this point, God told Joshua to divide the land to the tribes because he was getting too old for combat, even though they had not conquered the entire land.

Caleb walks on the stage

● Caleb is 85 and still a strong, powerful man of war.● 45 years earlier, God had promised Caleb all the land

he had walked on because he spoke up when the other spies were afraid.

● Numbers 13:30-33● Caleb dared to disagree with the majority and had the

courage to stand up and say something.● Note: Joshua agreed, but stayed silent. Caleb was

rewarded for his boldness!

● Numbers 14:22-24● Do you want people to be able to say “he or she

followed God fully?” What an awesome epitaph!● Joshua 14:7-12● Caleb was promised the mountain where the Anakims

(giants) lived. It was a heavily fortified and populated area, so it would be a much more difficult fight.

● Note his humility in verse 12; he doesn’t take God’s blessing for granted. He is confident in his abilities and strength, but recognized God’s ultimate control.

● End result: Joshua 14:13-15

1. God honors men and women who walk in His will.

● We read three times that God blessed Caleb because he followed the Lord fully.

● Remember though that Israel’s disobedience interfered with Caleb’s desire to go into the land.

● There are times when people in our lives limit our ability to be as responsive to the will of God as we’d like, but God knows our hearts.

● Be careful to make sure you are taking a stand based on God’s word and not your own prejudiced opinions!

2. God honors those who take a stand against the majority when the majority is wrong.

● It is very, very easy to side with the majority and compromise our Christian convictions out of fear.

● You will be called a bigot, hater, homophobe, racist, and so on.

● Are you ready to stand on biblical grounds on issues like gay marriage, drugs and alcohol, modesty, music, TV/Movies, etc?

3. God honors those who take a stand for Him even though it means rejection by the group.

● The 10 spies had stirred up the people so much they wanted to stone Caleb, Joshua, and Moses in Numbers 14.

● You may not have been threatened with death for your faith, but it does happen! Speak up anyway!

● Romans 1:16● Philippians 1:19-20

4. God will not forget those who serve Him faithfully and consistently.

● God ALWAYS honors faithful obedience.● God never forgets!● Like Caleb, some of that reward often comes in this life,

but it will DEFINITELY come in eternity.● It is those eternal rewards that really count.