Entering into Christ's rest: the story of Joshua and Caleb

Believers, did you know that the Hebrew name Caleb (Kelev) means "dog" in English? It was the name that the Jews used for non-Jews (Gentiles.) Remember our Saviour told the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15:26 “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." Not to worry! He loved us so much that today, all non-Jews that believe are His bride! The name also symbolises devotion to the Lord😊 No insignificant details in His word.

Caleb was one of the 12 men sent to do a recon of the land of Canaan. He was one of the two (with Joshua) that believed the report of the Lord concerning the possession of the land by the children of Israel. See his words upon their return from the mission in Numbers 13:

30 "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”

31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The Ten spies did not believe. How does this story apply to us today?

Remember Hebrews 10:1 "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves." In Christ (Grace personified,) we live these "good things" realities everyday! For us believers today, our promised land is not a physical land but rest in Christ.

The ten spies (ten is the number of the law) represent people who are under Law, even in the church today. People here rely not on the finished work of Christ but on their strength and performance to get God's blessings and for victory over sins, addiction and the power of the enemy (typified by the giants in the land.) Remember upon their return from their spy mission they said "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” They even gave the children of Israel a bad report about the land. Because of their unbelief, God swore in His wrath "They shall not enter My rest." See what is said of them in Hebrews 3:

18 "And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

The Ten spies did not believe that the Lord HAD GIVEN them the land. They focused on the giants that they SAW and their own weaknesses and not on the Lord's WORD, STRENGTH and His FINISHED WORK, so they refused to go in and possess it. Remember Hebrews 11:1- 

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." 

They had no faith; "the Law is not of faith" and "without faith it is impossible to please God." They did not believe the word of the Lord because they had not seen it manifest. 

Today, many in the church have this orientation. The descendants of the ten spies are in the church, giving a false report and telling people that they cannot enter Christ's rest because of the giants that they can see: their shortcomings, their sins and the laws that they stumble at.

Believers, you might not have it all together right now (especially concerning your sins, addictions and weaknesses) but this will never stop Jesus from loving or saving you. Don't be deceived by the false report of these descendants of the ten spies who say you have to defeat these giants by yourself and enter the promised land by your own strength. Titus 2:14 says of our Saviour Jesus Christ:

"He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."

He came to transform us into who and what He wants us to be! Why would our Saviour use the very sins that He came to free us from as an excuse for not saving us? Can you imagine a lifeguard trying to save a drowning man who cannot swim by throwing him a book on "How to swim?" Bear in mind that all have sinned and are condemned to death without the Saviour so no one can swim on their own. The additional weight of the book of instruction will cause him to drown faster! No wonder 1 Corinthians 15:56 says 

"...the strength of sin is the Law." 

Trying to keep the Law in order to be saved only strengthens the grip of sin on the lives of those who attempt to do so.

The ten spies and all those who believed their report died in the wilderness. The letter kills. Only Joshua, Caleb and those who did not have the knowledge of good and evil made it (Deut. 1:39.) Remember the tree of same name in the Garden? Adam and Eve ate of it in order to be godly (be like God) and they died. This tree represents the Law which tells us what is good and what is evil. Many try to do the good part in order to be godly (be like God) but no matter what part of the tree one eats of, good or evil, the result is death. The letter kills.

These 10 spies' descendants in the church today are the ones who ask the drowning man (drowning in depression, oppression, sins, addictions, big sins or little sins,) who cannot even stay afloat much less swim, to do backstrokes and other swimming moves PERFECTLY and by their own power in order to be saved! If we could, we won't need Jesus.

They do not believe that it is Christ's obedience that makes believers righteous as it is written in Romans 5:19 "For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous." 

Like the 10 spies, because they walk in the flesh (human effort at attaining victory over sin and being righteous) they cannot see this righteousness by faith so they cannot enter His rest.

They do not believe Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" 

So they give a false report to the church that it takes serious human effort and not Grace for one to enjoy our Abba Father's freely-given gifts.

As a believer, why attend "curse breaking sessions" in order to break generational and other curses when "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law..." (Galatians 3:13.)

Do you see that these things are signs of unbelief after the pattern of the ten spies? Hebrews 4:11 says- 

"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."

Believers, let's not just be professors of Christ. By His grace, believe His finished work of His saving you. In Christ, we have the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. Romans 5:17 says-

"...much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)"

With Christ as our righteousness, we GET TO reign over death, sins, addictions, sickness, oppression, generational and other curses,lack and every ill, right here on earth. All these things will be added unto you. This is rest! Christ died that we might enter His rest. There is nothing more for us to do. Christ did it all.

When the descendants of the ten spies in their unbelief try to bring you under law again and tell you that it takes more than the blood of Jesus to be saved, labour to hold fast to the Truth that you confess- Ephesians 2:8-9:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Caleb had a different spirit from those law-bound 10 spies, as we who are in Christ "...did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.""

His name means "dog," a term that the law-bound but beloved Jews used for Gentiles and an analogy for we the bride of Christ (the church today comprises mostly non-Jews,) devoted to Him by His grace alone.

It's no surprise that the children of Israel wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:10) when they put up the opposing view that we enter the Lord's rest not through our own strength or qualifications but by Grace- undeserved, unmerited favour! The same thing is happening in many churches today!

Christ says to all 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Rest from the burden of the laws that you try to keep and the yoke of lawless deeds that hold you captive! His rest is not earned. It is given. It is a gift!

Did you know that Joshua (Yeshua in Hebrew, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ) means Salvation? Only through Him and in Him do we enter His rest. Believers in Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever is ALWAYS on our side. In Him, no matter how big the giants that you worry about are, you have overcome. Why? Because the battle is the Lord's!

The Holy Spirit will teach you all things.

Believe Right and you will Live Right.