85 and Ready to Fight

The title of my sermon is 85 and Ready to Fight. I asked a question, is 85 old to you? Okay, somebody said that right off. It's getting there? Even Phil said a problem. So I thought about this because of a story that came up last year off the street of New York with all the videos around. And there was an attempted robbery on the street. There was a camera there. There was a man who was in his 80s who was not walking. He didn't have a cane, but he could tell he had some age on him. He was walking from a store, and he was accosted by somebody in their 20s that attempted to rob him. The only thing this robber didn't know was that during his early years of his 20s and 30s, this older gentleman was an amateur boxer. He always wanted to be a professional boxer, but he was never good enough. Well, one of the things that this older gentleman did was, for exercise, he had a punching bag, and he would spend two or three days a week hitting the bag, hitting the heavy bag. Of course, he still remembered his right cross from his days. If any of you have ever punched a heavy bag, you'll realize that you need gloves on or you're hand-taped because it will make an impact. I guess the young robber didn't think about it, but he just grabbed him by the arm, pushed him up against the wall, and told him he wanted his wallet. The guy said no. So he started just swinging, hitting the guy. It's on the video. Well, the guy being a former boxer knew to cover up. The guy swung a few times, hitting just his arms, and the guy just gave one punch.

I guess the guy would have liked for him to knock him out, but when you're a boxer, my father was one, and he always taught you to keep your chin down. Not because you want to stick it out, but because you don't want him hitting anything below the chin. This right cross went right into the guy's throat, caved in his esophagus. A good part of the way, he almost died. But as he lay there, trying to breathe, the older gentleman stayed with him until the EMTs got there. The guy did live, but they interviewed the older gentleman, and he said, I'm old, but I'm not that old. So that whole video, as I was watching it, made me think about it, because that's over 20 years older than I am, 85. But there is a story, and I want to use that today because it's an example to all of us. An example for me, an example for even Clive, one of our younger guys here. There should be an example for us in Scripture, because that's what 2 Timothy 3, 16 tells us, that all Scripture is God-breathed for our instruction. And so our example today is an 85-year-old man, a man full of vigor, passion, energy, and I must say, nothing else to describe him but one word, fearless. Fearless. This is a profile, brethren, to inspire, to impress, and to embolden everyone in this room.

A unique overachiever, a man you would want in your foxhole, a man you would want in your local congregation, a godly man that God took big notice of, no matter the age, just like he takes notice of you. He takes notice of me and admires certain qualities, one of the reasons we're called. He sees things in us sometimes that we do not see until later on. In our years, God was in awe of this individual.

So am I. And I think by the end of this message, you also will admire. And can I say, in our own way, mirror this legend in the Bible.

It was Alexander the Great who was said to have said, one of the greatest military generals of all time, Alexander the Great, made him great, was he was on the front lines. In fact, he would a lot of times lead the charge, being outnumbered 2 to 3 to 1.

He too was fearless. He too is mentioned in the scriptures. But he had the comment that said, I will never fear an army of lions led by a sheep, but I will fear an army of sheep led by a lion. And that so pictures this individual today. This man, this legend, this biblical hero, is named Caleb. Caleb, one that perhaps you've not heard much of. He's only spoken about a few times, but when it is, it's very important words.

I'd like to go there if we can and just look at these places that tell about this individual. From the time we first see him, when he is picked to be a leader, he's picked to be a spy. He's 40 years of age, and we're about to see in the 35 or 40 minutes I have here 45 years of his life laid out before us. Our first glimpse, if you will go with me, is in Numbers. Numbers 13 is where he's first mentioned.

Numbers 13, and he's mentioned in verse 6. These are talking about the spies who are to go into the Promised Land.

And it mentions each individual that was picked came from a different tribe. In verse 6, from the tribe of Judah, Caleb, the son of Jephaniah. First time we've ever heard of it. First time it was brought out. Now think about this individual that was picked, one from each of the 12 tribes. They were going into hostile territory. If they were caught as a spy, they would be probably not only tortured, but killed.

They had to go into a land where they didn't know the language, where they didn't even know the layout of the land. That's why they were sent to spy out this land.

And what is unique about this is that he was picked out of all the men of Judah. What makes that unique is Numbers 1, 27, you don't have to turn there, tells us at that time there were 74,600 men from a tribe of Judah in with the men. You're picked as the number one guy out of almost 75,000 men. That says a lot about this Caleb that nobody really seemed to know that much of. We had a Bible study this week on Judah. We'll find out who his ancestor was. But this Caleb was to, as I mentioned earlier in my sermon this morning, he was be doing the job of what we would today call Navy SEALs. Going undercover, having to go in, do recon, climb on his belly sometimes, climb up trees, do whatever is necessary, be able to fight if called upon, and be gone for long distances and a long time away. Family. The first really of God's army that he was building from those ones coming out of Egypt. Like he'd go with me since we're in 13, I'd like you to go over to verse 27. Because they went, they spied it out, then they came back. And this is what the 12 spies said. They told Moses, then they told him and said, We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey. And this is its fruits. And as we understand, it was huge fruit that they brought back from this land. So God was actually taking them into a land where they didn't have to sow crops. Everything was already there. They had stuff already planted. But then in verse 28 says, Nevertheless, people who dwell in the land are large.

The cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the descendants Anak there. Anak were giants. Supposedly the descendants of them would have been Goliath. They were huge. You can imagine seeing them in this land and said, well, so they were scared. But then we see in verse 30, as the people were like, oh, oh, no, no, no, no. Then Caleb, this one we just heard about, quieted the people before Moses and said, what? Let us go ever once. Take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.

So he was positive. He was determined, fearless. Giants? No problem. Through him. But as you can tell, the people were still afraid. I'd like to go there so we see another account of it. Numbers 14.

Turn the page. Numbers 14, verse 4, as they were then crying out. People wept all night because they thought now we can't go as chapter 14, verse 1 says. So they said to one another, let us select a leader and return to Egypt. Now, you really have to get the picture because it's somewhere between 2 to 3 million people. Can you imagine that crowd standing before them and they're all looking at you?

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before the assembly of the congregation of Israel. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephina, who were among those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. And they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel. Can you imagine standing there because the people were about to turn on Moses and Aaron and kill him, leaving God kind of out of the picture. And this is what Joshua and Caleb said, The land we pass through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into the land, and give it to us, a land which flows with, as they said before, milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of this land, for they are our bread. They are our bread! He brought it down to them being, they're nothing, they're like a piece of bread! We can break it off! They are our bread! They are our bread!

Kind of like, who's your daddy? Today's language?

Their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them! And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Sometimes it takes a lot to stand up for what is right. Stand up for God, even in the face of adversity. I doubt most of us will ever have to face this, but this is a reality, because when you look at it just from Scripture, four, two million. Four, two million. The only thing you get is you got nobody behind the two million, and you got God behind the four.

Remind you of us sometimes. We're against odds, but it's just not us. It's who's behind us. That's what's so important. That's what Caleb understood. And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now, the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle meeting before all the children of Israel. What do you think happened?

Remember the fire that came by night? And lit it up. They could see it. Well, it's back, except this time. It may have been even so bright. And even Jonathan would have a hard time seeing them with those glasses.

This was a major showing. This was a big deal. It was a big deal for Joshua and Caleb to go again. They traveled with, and it was thought, at least two and a half to three months. They traveled in the wilderness, in spying out the land. They spent all that time, night and day, with ten other men, all seeing the same thing. And you know there was a bond there. And they had to go against these ten other men. Who, you know they talked about it before they got back there. Oh, did you see this? Are they carrying this fruit or they're eating it? And it's just like apples the size of watermelons or whatever. And they're just like, wow! This is... Maria, you can't make food as good as they. You can't grow anything like that. You got something to show us? Oh, okay. See, look here. See, I was gone for two weeks and she went to the promised land. Obviously, that's what happened here.

So, didn't expect that. I guess not. So, put yourself in their place. Not everyone could do that. Not everyone is willing to stand when everyone else says, that's not the way to go. Part of what we've been called to do. Saturday. You go off on seven times a year and you keep... It doesn't matter what day of the week it is. You're weird. You're strange. You're unlike religious people we know. So, let's see this story here. I'd like you to go... We've looked at numbers and it's up to this time. You've got people ready to stone. Two million stones would just about bury four people pretty quickly. But then God showed up. It's amazing because it didn't even say that. Moses, other than when it happened at the first, they fell on their faces, which I'm sure he's calling out to God. But Moses had a relationship. I think he was more falling on his face and said, don't wipe them out. Don't do a two million clean disposal right now. Don't do a dust and ashes. And people were clueless. So, let's go and see this.

In Numbers 14 and let's go down to verse 24. There's a guy you can see there that Moses intercedes because he said, I'm going to wipe you out. I'll just start over with you guys. I just need you. Need anybody else? But then this remark is given to us in verse 24. But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land where he went and his descendants shall inherit it.

He has a different spirit in him than all the other men. All the other people, not just the 74,600 men he was picked as leader in. The question is, do we? Do we have a different spirit in us? God expects it. And then it says, followed him fully. Have we? Can't raise my hand that I followed him fully. Faltered, fell, slipped, got up, took two steps and fell again. I don't think I'm the only one in here. But that's a wonderful story about being redeemed.

So God notices those with a different spirit. He notices those who are fearless. He notices those who are not afraid to stand up when no one else will stand. I don't know if any of you saw that video this week about the little girl on the school bus in Homestead. Anybody see the video? You saw it? You saw it? Terrible! heinous! As they showed what went on in a school bus.

And this big boy, he was big. Twice the size of this girl. And Jess went to just wailing on her with his fist. Must have hit her 10 or 15 times. And either another little boy jumped in. Through a few fists. Nobody. Nobody there stood up for her. Nobody helped her. Nobody came to help her. Now her parents are, her mother is suing the school as they should. And the boy was arrested. Because he must have been, he looked like he's a teenager.

Fourteen. Is that how old he was? She was what, 10? Nine. I mean, in small, just covering up. Just terrible. Nobody on that bus stood up. Driving, and he had an aide. And they were sitting up at the front, didn't do a thing. I'll tell you. It just, it was, it was, made me think as I was looking through this, I wish Caleb had been on that bus. Because if a Caleb had been on that bus, it would have been different.

It wouldn't matter if it was 85 or 40. He would have, you know, done something. And you look at the heroes in the Bible, that's what God, God has called a lot of heroes. So many of them are listed all through the pages of the Bible. President, he's called us to be heroes. Make a stand when nobody else will make a stand. Say something when nobody else will say anything. Because righteousness is not defined by sex.

Righteousness is not defined by any other thing people want to put on things. Righteousness is defined by your understanding of what God wants us to do, how he wants us to live, righteously. It means our families, it means our neighbors. Everyone needs to see. Caleb was willing to stand. That's what made me think about this so much. So let's go and see the rest of the story, if we can go into about Caleb.

Because he doesn't say a lot, but when he says something, it should be to us very important words. So let's go to, we'll leave numbers where he's first talked about. We see this story. And now let's go to Joshua, if you will. We'll go to Joshua 14. Joshua 14. Here we see the story now that 45 years have gone by. Joshua is 85 years old. He's had to go through the wandering of 40 years and the time it took to overthrow and move into the Promised Land.

Still a lot of work to do because Canaanites were all through the land. But it's time that they received their inheritance. Because you see, there were only two men who had gone through and now came into the Promised Land. Joshua and Caleb. Aaron was dead. Moses was dead. And all the two million, roughly, people over the age of 20 at the time, who all refused to go into the land, were all dead.

The only ones were their children and their children's children, which was still a large amount of people. Probably somewhere over three-quarter to a million people. And as they came in and read in Joshua 14, verse 6, Then the children of Caleb came to Joshua and Gilgal. And Caleb, the son of Jephna, the kenazite, said to him, You know the words which the Lord said to Moses, man of God, concerning you and me and K' Barna.

I was 40 years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord. Look how he says that. It's not like, yeah, and Moses said, but a servant of the Lord, he recognized the authority, the stature that was Moses. And even after Moses' death, he said it. To spy out the land. When Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me to K'Desh, Barna, to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him, as it was in my heart. See, God's not only, what did he say?

It's not just up here. I will put my laws in your mind and in your heart. And it was about his heart. Because a lot of us say, well, wait a minute. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me, made the heart of the people melt. But I wholly followed the Lord my God.

Now, we're reading here some verses. It's like Martin Luther King gave some wonderful speeches. I have a dream speech. It's still quoted today. This, by us, should be one of those speeches that we know. Because it's his greatest speech. It's one of the few times we get to go into the mind and the heart of Caleb. So let's finish this.

God keeps his promises, doesn't he? He appreciates dedication, even in hard times. He doesn't say, well, that was when you were 40. Caleb, you're 85 now. Take a seat. Take a chair. Rock the rest of your years away. That wasn't Caleb. That wasn't God. Verse 10, Now behold, the Lord has kept me alive. As he said these 45 years, Ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness, and now here I am, this day, 85 years old, he had to go through all the murmuring, all the 40 years, all the negative attitudes that were out there. Had to see all 10 of those guys that he went to the wilderness all day.

His family members had any.

Older. As old as him died.

Hmm. Had to be tough reflecting on things at 85. But you see, he wasn't done. Verse 11, As yet I am as strong as the day, as this day, as on the day when Moses sent me, 40 years old. That's a man who kept himself in shape. I don't know what he ate, but I'd like to eat some of it. Because I'm 64. No, Maria, he didn't eat your...

As day Moses sent me, just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war. 85, and ready to fight. Both for going out and for coming in. Is this something God rewarded him for? Good health or reward from God? Can be. Can be. But think about that. 85 and 40 years wandering through the desert, but then the last five years they've been doing what? Fighting. Do you think Caleb's sitting in the back and said, Okay, you guys go ahead. No, he was a warrior. He was out there with him. Now therefore, give me this mountain, of which the Lord spoke in that day. For you heard that in that day how Anakin, the Anakin were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be the Lord will be with me. He didn't know 100%, but he had the last 45 years to look at, and God was with him then. Isn't that an example for us? Maybe. I'll leave it to God. And I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb, the son of Jephna, as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb, the son of Jephna the Kenazite. To this day, because he did what? He wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. Something we need to think about. We examine ourselves coming up to the weeks before Passover. We all find out sometimes that we come up a little short when we do that examination of what we could do. Can we maybe set this as asking God, can I wholly follow you? With all my heart this year. And the name of Hebron formerly from K'er Joth Arba, because Arba was the greatest man among the Anacom. Then the land had rest from war. So, that makes it very interesting, because Caleb asked and got the toughest territory of all of the Promised Land. There were kingdoms set up with kings who were giants. It wasn't just like, well, let me take those skinny people over there. Let's go over there. We have little pygmies over there. Okay, let me have the pygmies. Let me have the old, maybe there's a bunch of old frail people. No! He didn't ask for that. He asked for the toughest land to take. And he went, and he took it. And he said, me and God, me and God will take it. And God said yes, and they took it. When's the last time you told God, me and you will handle this problem? Something we need to do?

Joshua 15. I have to go to verse 13.

And 15 and verse 13 and Joshua said, Now to Caleb, the son of Jephna, he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the Lord, the Lord to Joshua, namely, Chorath Arba, which is Hebron. Arba was the father of Anak. It's a family of giants.

And so what happened in 14? Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there. And then you had the grandfather who had set up this kingdom, and then he had his son, and then that son had three other sons, and they were all giants. And they ran this territory. They had all this. You ever think about Goliath? I mean, that's what we're looking at. Now, they didn't say that the whole army were giants. Let these giants were leading. You tell me they didn't have kids? Because we realized the grandfather did. He had a giant, and these three didn't have giants? That'd be a freak.

And he said, we're going in. We're going in. And he took them. And Calum drove out the three sons of Anak, and list their name there.

Now, I'd like to go, if we will, the last, just a couple more places that talk about Caleb in there. Joshua 15, verse 16. And Caleb said, he who attacks Keraseth, and takes it to him, I will give Aksaw. My daughter is his wife. So he had a territory that he took, but he said, wait a minute, if somebody wants to go up and take that part, I'll give you my daughter. She's your wife. She must have been a desirable woman. Because she wouldn't, I wouldn't say a whole bunch of men going, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm. You go ahead. No, you go ahead. So she must have been somewhat desirable.

Verse 17. So, Othnal, the son of Canis, the brother of Caleb. Okay, here you've got a little something different here. You've got an uncle marrying his niece. Now, he had a different father then. So he was a half-brother of Caleb. They had different fathers. They had the same mother. So this daughter that he had, the brother of Caleb took it. He took the city. I'll do it! And he gave, Acts saw his daughter as a wife. Verse 18. So it was when she came to him that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted her donkey, and Caleb said to her, What do you wish? The girl knows how to pull on her dad's heartstrings. Today it'd be, what do you wish? How about a car? She answered and said, Give me a blessing, since you have given me land in the south. Give me also springs of water. So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. People have asked me about this scripture before, because they say, Wait a minute, what's the uncle doing with the, it's kind of weird, with the niece. But all you gotta do is go back to, to Moses' father, Amaran. Remember? He married his aunt.

So, was it so odd? No. But did he, Othanil, have some of those genes that he had with the family? Has he got something from Caleb, his half-brother? Let's go. Judges. Go me to Judges 1. Judges 1 and verse 20. And again, He brought to Caleb, as Moses had said, and then He expelled from there the three sons of Anac, which we've already seen. And then the last time that He is mentioned. In Judges 3. If you'll go with Judges 3. Judges 3, verse 9. When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, after they had been in the Holy Land, after they were in the Promised Land. They were fine until Joshua died, and then they'd have problems, and then they needed somebody. And God would allow them, once they turned away from Him, to go into captivity. And He did here, and they cried out, and He raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them. Athenel, son of Canets. Caleb's younger brother. Last time that Caleb is mentioned. What does it say? Verse 10. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him, and He judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Him. And it says, verse 11, So the land had rest for forty years. Then, Athenel, the son of Canets, died. And what happened? The children of Israel, after He was dead, went back, looking after foreign gods. So there's only, to me, this was an incredible story. I hope you have got something from it. But there's one thing I thought was missing. And one thing was that, as great as this man was, he was not mentioned in Hebrews 11 by name. All the faithful men, all those, even Samson, Jephthah, all those who came before, Joshua, Moses, all mentioned. And I thought, why not? Why wasn't he mentioned? But then I realized he was. He just didn't mention his name. Because in Hebrews 11, 32 through 34, you don't have to turn there. But it said that there wasn't enough time to name all the names of those who subdued kingdoms. How about giant kingdoms? Work righteousness, man who wholly followed God, through it all against odds, who obtained promises, land, Hebron, who turned to flight, armies of the aliens, except these were giant aliens. This was Caleb. This is who he was. So what a man! What an example to us! Is there any reason why God says we need to give honor to the hoary head? The gray hair. There's quite a few hoary heads in here. You may be older than me, but I doubt you've got any more gray hair than I do. But it made me realize that 85 and ready to fight. That's an example. It wasn't 85, and now we've reached the Promised Land, and I've fought for 45 years. I've followed and I've fought. Where's my rocking chair? Where's my mint julep? It's time to relax, no. There was still work to do, and he went with the passion and zeal to get it done. Well, brethren, I don't care how old you are. There's still work to be done. There's still an example to be set. There's still a light to be shone, shined in your area. It's what he expects us to do. I'm not Caleb, but it makes me think after this study, maybe I need to be a little more like Caleb. How about you? Are you ready? Because God has called heroes.