The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-07-07

lowed the Lord.-Joshua 14:9.
Companions in battle usually
means friends and comrades for
life. Joshua, Of whom we studied
last week, had such a friend in
Caleb. Together they had faced the
crises of life.
Caleb is one of the characters
about whom the Bible does not say
much, but in every case the word
is one revealing high and noble
character. Consider such passages
as Numbers 1876, 30, 14:7-9, "a, 80;
26:65, as well as our lesson for
today.
The background for our study is
the story of Caleb's courageous
stand with Joshua when the spies re-
turned from their visit to Canaan,
which is related in Numbers 13.
Note first of all Caleb's
I. Perfect Obedience (Josh. IA:
6-8).
81 wholly followed the Lord my
God" Such a testimony from man
like Caleb is no idle boast, no effort
to parade his faith and piety before
others. In saying it he was repeating
what God and Moses had both said
about him. In his heart he knew it
to be true.
It is Gods will for each of His
children that they should come to
such a place of simple trust and
complete obedience that in every
circumstance of life they need to
know only one thing-God's will, and
then in faith to 60 and do it. It is a
life beautiful in its transparent
simplicity and powerful in the
strength of God Himself.
III. Promised Inheritance ". 81.
''Surely the land wherein thy feet
have trodden shall be thine inherit
tance." Such was the promise of
God through Moses. Forty-five long
years had elapsed, but down
through this period Of wilderness
wanderings and the conflict in sub
DUNG Canaan the promise had lived
in Caleb's heart. He knew it would
be fulfilled, and he waited serenely
for Gods time.
Such also are the promises Of God
which keep the heart singing in our
hours Of trial and sorrow, which
light up the dark ways, which
strengthen the heart of His children.
Learn Gods promises, cherish them
in your heart, expect God to fulfill
them.
iii. Preserved Strength wv. 10,
1D.
1.-THE Lord hath kept me alive
and am =. strong" Here was
man kept of God, in full vigor in
his eighty-fifth year, "like rock in
a changeful sea, like a snow
capped peak in a change of cloud
and storm and sun" (Meyer). No
doubt there was here what our fore
fathers liked to call ''the longevity
of the antediluvians"; but even
apart from that, let us recognize
that life and strength come from
God, and that those who walk with
God in holy living may count on
Him for the renewed strength of
Psalm 103:5.
An incidental but extremely i'm
portant lesson we should learn is
that God has no age deadline. The
church has frequently sinned against
Him and against His faithful serv-
ants by shelving them" for
younger men, when they would have
brought blessing if the church had
encouraged and used them. The
writer of these lines is young man,
but he would speak here word of
loving admonition regarding his hon.
ored brethren who have gone on be-
fore to bear the brunt of the battle.
Nv. Powerful Assurance wv. r.
Is; Judg. 1:2O-2D.
eff /. the Lord will be with me,
then ] shall be able" Caleb asked
for no easy task. He was ready to 60
up against the giants of Hebron.
Read Deuteronomy 3:11, and you
will find that there were men in
those days who needed thirteen-foot
beds. But Caleb was not afraid. He
counted not on his own strength,
but on the power of God.
1t is significant that, while the
other sections of Canaan were only
partially conquered, Caleb brought
his formidable adversaries entirely
under control, so that "the land had
rest from war" ". 15). The verses
in Judges indicate that Caleb was
as good as his word. He was a
doughty, God-fearing 85-year-old.
His faith is here contrasted with the
shameful unbelief and failure of Is
rael.
The spiritual application to our
day is evident and appropriate.
There are giants in the land. Cor
ruption = social and individual -
raises it's brazen head. Drunken
ness and vice leer at US with the i'm
pudent suggestion that we cannot
control them.
There are giants within us -
greed, se1fshness, love of ease, lust,
passion, cruelty (Blaikie).
Are we to do nothing about them?
If we are to meet them in the
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