Opus 2017-217: Digging into Deuteronomy: Hard Choices

(Deuteronomy 1:35-6 KJV)  Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land, which I sware to give unto your fathers, Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.

How easy it is to throw away a promise.  In the first Chapter of Deuteronomy we see how the children of Israel who had been led out of captivity in Egypt, across the Red Sea and to the verge of the Promised Land have thrown away the promise God had given to them.  They refused to trust and move forward in obedience.  As a result all those alive at this point were told they would not enter Canaan.

There were two exceptions, Caleb and Joshua.  In this verse we see why Caleb would receive what God had promised.  He looked at things differently than the majority.  He stood out because he was different.  I think it is significant that God says Caleb “followed” (310) “wholly” (fully NASB) (4390).  He wasn’t just a lot of talk.  He was not an opportunist.  He was fully committed.

It is important that we give God everything we have.  Most people who come to believe in Jesus will have a moment of crisis.  There will come a time when they will be forced to decide whether they are hangers on or disciples.  Everything started out beautiful.  Emotions were high.  The sense of forgiveness made life different.  But eventually the everyday steps in and begins to mess up the glow.  Eventually the call to walking in righteousness makes itself harder to ignore.  Eventually you come to a point where you need to fish or cut bait.  We will need to decide if we are follow the Lord fully. 

Jesus ran into this during His teaching ministry.

(John 6:60 KJV)  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

(John 6:66 KJV)  From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Notice that these are called “disciples”.   These are people who had declared that they were going to follow Him.  He would be their guru.  At least until the teaching got too hard; then they were out of there.

Caleb had to make that decision.  If you are a follower of Jesus, you will need to make that decision.  Caleb and the nation of Israel traveled together for the next forty years.  Most of the way you could not tell that he was different, but when the crossing was made across the Jordan, Caleb was the only one left.

The decision is up to you.

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