The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1907-10-25
Caleb's Faithfulness
Rewarded
sunday School Lesson Tor Oct y. 1907
sp@cialy Prepared iar This PAPER


LFssoN TEXT.-JoshaA Ms-is Mem
GOI.DEN TENT Thou hast been
faithful over 4 Few things. viii make
thee ruler over many things Matt
81
TIME The verses 81 the lesson belong
about six years after the last lesson. to-
ward the close ~ the nrst conquest 81
Canaan. and during It's distribution
amorE the tribes
PLACE -Joshua's capital was AZ Gil
gal Caleh's inheritance at Hebron. ~
miles south Of Jerusalem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Caleb-Family Origin Caleb
the Keuezue" the descendant Of
Kenas. the son OF Esau. The proba-
bilities are that Caleb. or his father.
became members OF the tribe OF Judah
by adoption" Prof Beecherl. like
Hobab Ruth and Heber. The faith
OF this family was pre- sminently the
fruit OF conviction, and not the &C
cident Of heredity. II had firmer
basis than that OF most lsraelites. IL
-1s woven more closely into the tex
ture OF their being and swayed their
lives more powerfully II is pleasing
]
many such proselytes: that the prom
Use OF Abraham may have attracted
souls from the east. and the west. and
the north. and the south" ia foretaste
OF the glorious fulhllment yet 10
come Blake in ENpOsitor's Bible
He was born while the Israelites
were still in slavery in Egypt. for he
{ 81 uha Moses
.. send him from Kadesh-barnea TO
espy out the land" ". a.
4 His Character-1 Caleb was a great
and marked man. but what is often
called "a selfmade man." rather a
G0d-rlade man Coming from without
the nation. he became a prince. and
pOwer in the nation because Of his
faith in God and utilization OF all that
God had given him
2 Mr. Tuck in his Revelation BY
Character represents Caleb as quite
an ordinary man no genius but
the message Of his life was that he
did commonplace things in an uncom-
mon spirit The uncommon thing
about Caleb was precisely this-his
. followed the LORD" ~. s."
9. on the other hand. Matheson in
Representative Men, calls Caleb a
Leader and explorer. capable OF Pts
gah glimpses.~ his life pitched upon a
hill. he could see things afar on: he
was the real hero OF the exploring ex-
petition. Was faith 70 drop her
wings at the very gate OF Paradise.
4. By faith and faithfulness were
the living heart OF Caleb's character.
He was sincere TO the sore. His faith
endured - years without fading or
faltering Caleb is one Of those men
whom We meet with seldom in Bible
history. but wherever We do meet
them We are the better for the meet
ing Bright and brave. strong. mod
est and cheerful. there IS honesty in
his face. courage and decision in the
very pose OF his body. and the calm
confidence Of faith in his very look
and attitude
5. Caleb met opposition with cour-
age And faith. when my brethren that
went up with me made the heart ~
the people melt w. S. They could
stone him. but like the prophets Of
old. he never wavered.
6. Caleb was Of thankful DISPOSE
ton and full OF cheer He did not
dwell on his desert trials. or the as
years delay. or the opposition OF his
brethren. or his failure TO change their
minds; but on what God had done for
him on his promises. on his long and
healthy life of usefulness, so that even
at SIS he could say with Xavier in his
dream realized in his life, And yet
more. o Lord. yet more"
10. The Lord hath kept me alive ="
As he promised One promise full
filed gave the assurance that the
other would be- But Calebs clean.
active life was one OF the means 10
this healthful old age. Maclaren in
the Sunday School Times warns the
young thus:
The old man OF S. Is vigorous and
hale as when he tramped through the
land nearly half a censIry ago. The
life that is dictated BY Christian prin-
ciple directly contributes 10 Physical
health and longevity. Insurance Offices
find that clergymen live longer than
the average In England some Of
fees have separate tables for total abb
stainers. whom thes insure at a low
er rate than Others II is true still
that sinners do mot i've out half their
days" In our great cities every year
! numbers 81 lads from the countrE-
who have been going the pace" have
70 drop out Of the race
II. Yet 7 am as strong this day as
was" Spoken to give assurance
that he could take possession Of the
land
This old veteran. whose services
would have entitled him 10 almost any
reward he might ask. did not seek for
a soft place for his declining years.
but authority 10 do yet more hard
figh ting Prof BeetLel