Deuteronomy 1:30 “The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes…”
Embracing God’s Plan
God had a special plan for Caleb’s life, just as God has a special plan for each of our lives as well. However, in order for Caleb to reach his potential and fulfill God’s plan, he would first have to endure a time of preparation.
“Preparation,” it has been said, “is not always enjoyable, but it is always necessary.”
Embarking on the Journey
After God’s great deliverance of the Hebrew people from the land of Egypt, Caleb joined the estimated 2.4 million Israelites in their mass Exodus from the land of Egypt in the year 1446 B.C.
According to the Biblical record provided in Exodus 7:14-12:36, it took the Israelites 47 days to journey 466 miles from the land of Goshen (in Egypt) across the Red Sea and through the wilderness to the base of Mount Sinai. There they would set up camp for 11 months and 5 days as God gave Moses the law and the Tabernacle was constructed.
After this was accomplished, the LORD led the Israelites towards the land of Kadesh Barnea, with several stops in between, over a period of about 11 months. They arrived in Kadesh Barnea after traveling for almost 2 years. We learn this by their date of departure (Numbers 33:3), their date of arrival (Numbers 20:1), and the number of Passovers recorded (one before leaving Egypt, one at Mount Sinai, and one when they arrived at Kadesh Barnea).
Encountering Difficulties
During all of this time, Caleb was being prepared – both physically and spiritually. He walked the hundreds of desert miles with the children of Israel. He felt his lips become parched with thirst and his feet began to blister on the burning sand. His hands became calloused with the constant pitching of tents in the wilderness and the tedious work of driving vast herds of cattle across the open desert.
Yet, where others saw only problems; Caleb saw God’s provision. When others complained that there was no water, Caleb marveled when water came from the rock (Exodus 17). When others complained about the lack of food, Caleb feasted on the manna and the quail that God had supplied (Exodus 16 and Numbers 11). When others said they were being led in circles, Caleb marveled at the “pillar of cloud” that shaded him during the day and the “pillar of fire” that warmed him at night (Exodus 13:21).
During the difficult journey from Goshen to Kadesh Barnea, Caleb learned, first-hand, the truth of the song that young children are sometimes taught in Sunday School: his Lord “knew the way through the wilderness,” and all he had to do was “follow.”
Caleb’s wilderness preparation taught him that his God would lead him, protect him, and provide for him no matter what circumstances arose.
With confidence, Caleb could bear witness to the words of Moses in Deuteronomy 1:30 where he reminded the people that it was, “The LORD your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes…”
Caleb could also testify to the veracity of Deuteronomy 1:33 where Moses declared that it was God “Who went in the way before you, to search you out a place to pitch your tents in, in fire by night, to shew you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.”
Experiencing Pressure
Caleb’s time of preparation often put him under great pressure, but pressure is often the ingredient necessary to produce effective results.
For example, the volume of water that trickles from a simple garden hose is made far more effective when placed under the pressure of a spray nozzle. The more the pressure is applied, the stronger the stream of water becomes, thus enabling the user to work more effectively.
Application
In the same way, when you and I are placed under pressure, we must remember that God is working in our lives. Although the pressure may at first be uncomfortable, if it is a part of God’s plan, we may be certain that He is using it to make us more effective vessels for His honor and glory as He continually seeks to “conform” us to the image of His son (Romans 8:29).
Just as precious metals must be heated in the fire and molded by the hammer in order to produce a priceless ornament or beautiful piece of jewelry; so too, our time of preparation can be used by God to make something precious in His sight.
Let us choose then to yield to the LORD as He seeks to work in our lives, even through that which at times is difficult to bear.
Caleb’s preparation, though trying at times, ultimately strengthened him for the mountain that loomed ahead at the end of his journey. With the LORD’s strength, Caleb was ready and eager to one day claim his inheritance and conquer his mountain.
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