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Inheritance by Faith-right

Words of Faith Final

Inheritance by Faith-right

Words of Faith 9-25-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Joshua 14:6-15 (NIV)

       [6]  Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. [7]  I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, [8]  but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. [9]  So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'

       [10]  "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! [11]  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. [12]  Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

        [13]  Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. [14]  So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. [15]  (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.) Then the land had rest from war.

 

         The distribution of most of the Promised Land was done by casting lot. In Joshua 14:1-5, the nine and 1/2 remaining tribes were assigned their lands based on their populations.  But there was one more consideration.

          Remember Caleb? Well Caleb remembered Joshua and wanted to remind him about his old buddy. Joshua and Caleb had been the first to spy out the Land of Promise. They had been the first to brave land when the other melted with fear.  Together, Joshua and Caleb had brought the report that the Lord was more powerful than any enemy in the Land.

           Forty-years had passed since that time. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones remaining from that generation that died in the desert because they lacked faith. So he had a request. He would like to inherit as well.

          Caleb, for all he had done in reconnaissance and battle, was not actually from one of the Tribes of Jacob. He didn’t have a place in the very land that he had helped to win. He was Kenizzite, descended from a tribe of Canaan in the day of Abraham. His family was outside of the covenant and commonwealth of Israel as were Ruth the Moabitess and Uriah the Hittite, as well as others.

          But Caleb was the one who actually spoke up from among the spies to challenge the naysayers.  Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it" (Numbers 13:30).

          The truth is that Caleb was used by the Lord in a powerful way. He did not minimize the problems—the giants and the fortified cities—but he magnified God. To him, God was greater than the biggest problem. Caleb had faith in the power of God. The other spies magnified the problems and thereby minimized God. But Caleb would not follow the crowd. He did not once consider sacrificing his own convictions in order to make the majority report unanimous. Instead he followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly.

           So, Caleb made a bold request. At age 85, when he might have asked for a quiet place to spend his last days raising some vegetables or flowers. Instead, he requested that he be given the same section of land that had struck fear into the hearts of the 10 spies! Caleb was ready for one more good battle. He was eager to fight the Anakites at Hebron and take that city for his possession.

           Joshua blessed Caleb with Hebron as his inheritance. And then the land had rest from war.

          What is our takeaway from all this? Partly, it is that inheritance is not just about blood. It would be difficult argue that Caleb was undeserving of a place in the Promised Land. His commitment was a choice based in faith. He joined, believed, and fought based upon that faith.

           One of the greatest patriots I knew while growing up was a teacher I had. He was not born in the U.S. He was born in Cuba and escaped with his family from that terrible oppression. He later served as a U.S. Marine defending our nation. No one was more committed to the ideals of freedom than this man, and he was not even born here. The truth is, there are many like this.

            We do not inherit in the kingdom because of a birthright. We do not inherit salvation because our parents or grandparents were saved. We inherit in the Kingdom because we choose faith in God Almighty and in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus. We inherit through our faith-right rather than a birth-right.

 

         Father God, I want to take hold of all that You have for me. I do not claim any entitlement, but my faith is placed in You. My hope is in You. My future is in You. Take me into the inheritance You have planned for me. In Jesus’ Name. 

 

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2005, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.