Introduction: Did you miss the words, “ANOTHER SPIRIT”?

The Lord had supernaturally delivered Israel from Egypt, and provided water and (angel food) manna for them; in addition, He led them by a “cloud by day” and a “pillar of fire” by night. Jehovah God’s plan was to bring them into the PROMISED land that He had foretold His servant, Abraham, which would be for his descendants. They were right on the brink, within walking distance. But as you know, there will always be…..”TESTS of FAITH”……along the way. Some exams we pass; some we fail, and consequently have to take over again. Are you studying for the big test? So Moses was instructed by the Lord to send out 12 spies to check out the land that He promised to them.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them,” (Num 13:1).

Here’s the BAD NEWS! Negative words bring Curses! No wonder Solomon writes, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” (Prov 18:21). Be careful what you say!

(Num 13:25-33)
“And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. 28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. 30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

Moses writes something was different about CALEB compared to the other 10 spies who turned out to be unbelieving men. Because of their UNBELIEVING report, the children of Israel would wander aimlessly (40)….LONG…. YEARS in the wilderness instead of going straight into the promised land called, Canaan land…BLESSINGS.

However, because of both CALEB and JOSHUA’S faith in the Word of God, they would be BLESSED!

**What Lesson’s Learned?
**Does CHARACTER Count?

1. Character Lesson – CALEB had a “Spirit of Courage”! (Num 13:30)

“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”

2. Character Lesson – CALEB had a “Spirit of Loyalty”! (Num 14:24)

“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

3. Character Lesson – CALEB had a “Spirit of Faith”! (Num 14:1-8)

“1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness! 3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7 And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.”

Conclusion: God REWARDS obedience! When we exercise faith in His WORD, we can expect BLESSINGS! We are to “walk by faith and not by sight.” CALEB is our example to follow.  It PAYS to SERVE the LORD JESUS! He keeps His Word!! (Joshua 14:1-13)

“6 Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea. 7 Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. 10 And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. 12 Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.”