Numbers

[0:00] Lord shall be pleased to help me. I shall call your attention to a subject you will find in the book of Numbers, chapter 14, and the 24th verse.

[0:20] 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.

[0:47] But the book of Numbers, chapter 14, and the 24th verse.

[0:59] Some of you who weigh matters up as to how things really are between your souls and God, will have some searchings of heart, as you think, on this godly Caleb, who stands out in this memorable chapter in the dealings of God with Israel of old.

[1:33] And it shows how he was made to differ from the world at large, and that he possessed another spirit.

[1:44] He was not living just as he was born. He had within him the spirit of God to actuate his lips and life.

[2:03] And it was in such gracious exercise, that when he was put to the test, this word tells us, 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.

[2:30] I thought as I pondered this subject a little, hoping it might be the right one, to say something to you that might be owned and blessed of God, to encourage you.

[2:45] I thought it might be some of you would more fit in with another scripture about following. As you read in the New Testament, and Peter followed afar off.

[3:05] He did follow, but it was not fully. He was following then afar off. And some of you know what that line of things is in your soul's experience.

[3:21] And just to make a further comment on that, to emphasize it, when did you last feel, let your consciences tell you, it is good for me to draw near to God.

[3:42] Oh, so often, when you attempt to do so, you cannot feel that sweet nearness, and that gracious access, that you have known and felt at other times, and that your soul still desires to feel.

[4:03] But now, as the Lord should help me, I want to look at this subject from two or three viewpoints of it. Many of you, I can hardly think all of you, are aware of the setting of the subject, but it is to do with that occasion when Israel's host, having journeyed out of Egypt in the wilderness, had come at length to Kadesh Barnea.

[4:36] And they were then not so very long out of Egyptian bondage, but they had seen much of what Israel's God could do, and His goodness had passed before them in the way.

[4:54] And then the time came, as they arrived at Kadesh Barnea, they could view the land of promise not so far off.

[5:05] And God commanded Moses that there should be twelve men appointed to go and spoil the land. And one of each of Israel's tribes was appointed.

[5:24] And then, having viewed the land, they came back, and it says here, and they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

[5:41] Do listen. 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 to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land.

[6:03] 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.

[6:17] nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great.

[6:29] Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there, 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.

[6:50] And now, Caleb begins to speak up on God's behalf. Ten of these guys were all of one mind.

[7:02] All they could think about were the opposition and the obstacles to conquering this land, although it did flow with milk and honey.

[7:19] And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us hear no more about the Amorites and Jebusites and the Amalekites and cities walled and children of Anak what if they are there?

[7:36] We have Israel's God and if God before us, who can be against us? 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.

[7:53] But the men that went up with him, apart from Joshua, said, We be not able to go up against the people for they are stronger than we.

[8:04] And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel. and now God steps in speaking with great reverence and makes known his displeasure, his anger.

[8:30] And in his dealings with them, the ten spies that brought the evil report of the land of promise and had no word to speak concerning Israel's God, it says, and this is very striking, that they died before the Lord.

[8:52] But Joshua and Caleb lived because they brought a good report and their hearts were sure that God could enable Israel to conquer that land.

[9:10] And God took notice of this and that brings us up to our subject. But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went and his seed shall possess him.

[9:38] And now, when God made that known concerning Caleb, he was forty years of age. And when God fulfilled that word to him, he was eighty-five years of age and he was as strong at eighty-five years of age as he was when he was forty years old.

[10:04] A wonderful comment on that scripture, they that honour me, I will honour, but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

[10:22] And our dear young people might lodge a thought in their minds at this point. He that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.

[10:39] He that soweth to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting. Be not deceived, God is not mocked whatsoever.

[10:51] A man soweth, that shall he also reap. and now first of all, let us look at this other spirit which Caleb possessed.

[11:07] But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went.

[11:26] And I might say this, ere I come to open up that viewpoint of the subject, that it is a great mercy as every occasion is afforded you, dear friends, all of you who are following on to know the Lord, if not as yet as fully as your soul desires to do, yet I say as every occasion is afforded you, do you give a good report of the land of promise, the proofs of godly fear to give, and show the world how Christians live.

[12:11] I like that word of the Apostle Paul's where he speaks in the Hebrews epistles of the elders, and he says that the elders obtained a good report, and remember it speaks about they shall bring forth fruit in old age, and there you see what somewhat of that fruit should be.

[12:43] The father to the children shall make known thy truth, and those who are godly elders, they can indeed be a blessing and a benefit as God is pleased to use their testimony in giving a good report of the dealings of God with them as they have journeyed along and to say to those who are following on, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed are all they that trust in him.

[13:23] and now let us start afresh. This other spirit, it is that spirit of which you read in the epistle to the Romans, they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, they that are after the spirit, the things of the spirit.

[13:48] it. And now I want to make this comment I like to preach and teach as grace is given to me to do so.

[14:01] What do you mind? Are you living for this life only? Are all your cares, your concerns, as yet to do with time things, only?

[14:21] Have you no thought going beyond the grave as to where you will be when all that is mortal of you is laid there in and your never dying soul has entered into an eternal state?

[14:39] Oh, they who are like this godly Caleb, with another spirit, they do want matters to be made sure. Where shall I spend eternity?

[14:52] Aye, and there is one petition which never grows rusty as they journey on through life. Assure my conscience of her part in the Redeemer's blood and bear and bear the witness with my heart that I am born of God.

[15:14] All they want to be able to save, the spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.

[15:27] And now, do you possess that concern which flows from this other spirit spirit so that you are living not just for time alone, but you have eternity before you and you want to be made ready to meet God.

[15:55] I like that word that Zechariah spoke concerning John the Baptist. you know I have referred to it before that in his preaching the outcome would be a people made ready for the Lord.

[16:15] And now that is the concern that flows from this other spirit. The spirit of God alone can fit and prepare a poor sinner and make such an one meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

[16:34] But underneath deep down in your heart there will be this question. Pause my soul and ask the question are they ready to meet God?

[16:49] Am I made a real Christian washed in the Redeemer's blood? Have I union with the church's living head? Something must be known and felt of that line of things.

[17:03] And it means this once you are made aware of your soul's deep need you will be following on to know the Lord.

[17:19] God be merciful to me a sinner lead me in thy truth and teach me. Oh the great concern with you will be to have matters made right between your soul and God.

[17:40] This other spirit is a spirit of conviction of sin. I can only give you hints of it because you must remember that this other spirit from the time a sinner is born again which might be in his teenage life and then he lives to be old and grey headed.

[17:59] It may mean 60 70 years of following on to know the Lord and you cannot go into all those details. Only give hints of that which must be known and felt.

[18:15] And the Savior said when he the spirit of truth is come he shall convince the world of sin. Oh do you ask God to do it for you.

[18:28] It is the great necessity in our denominational life dear friends a God given conviction of sin. I see it as it were afar off in my meditations and if God would only pour it out upon us from on high convince us of our sin.

[18:53] bring us in guilty to put our mouths in the dust of self-abasement if so be there may be hope. You see the dear publican of whom I read to you do remember what I have told you.

[19:11] He stood afar off and he would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven but he smote upon his breast saying God be merciful to me a sinner.

[19:26] He was a well taught man. But you see people might drop the words from their lips but they never smite their breast in doing it. Therefore people has got to be stamped upon the words only.

[19:44] Why? out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak and the dear publican smote his breast because he felt just like our hymn writer here on my heart the burden lies and past offenses pain my eyes.

[20:04] Yes. This other spirit then will bring conviction of sin and remember that will last as long as you live.

[20:15] If it comes from God it will go with you right down to the grave and you will know more and more how sad our state by nature is as you journey on.

[20:31] And that will bring you to understand deeper down than ever neither is there salvation in any other. There is none other name given unto heaven among men whereby we can be saved.

[20:49] And you will learn none but Jesus none but Jesus can do helpless sinners good. And now this other spirit following the conviction of sin will come separation from the world.

[21:08] Caleb dear godly Caleb could not walk in agreement in any spiritual union with those ten spies for they were just Israelites but not Israelites indeed.

[21:31] Caleb and Joshua they could walk together in love. Yes. Can two walk together except they be agreed?

[21:43] And now there must be separation from the world. And shall I tell you once more there must be much more separation from the world than is to be seen yet in our denominational life.

[22:01] Our god returns to us in mercy to revive his work amongst us. This thought came to me as I pondered this subject thinking of separation from the world.

[22:19] And it is a wonderful consideration. You and I join together in singing sometimes and we want to sing it but we want to mean it.

[22:31] Hence vain intrusion world depart. And now to stand up and sing that before God and then in your everyday life to bring the world under your home roof.

[22:43] What are you going to do about that? That does not flow from this other spirit. No. I should think it might be once or twice in a godly manner woman's lives that they can say it or even sing it and mean it.

[23:09] Let worldly minds the world pursue it hath no charms for me. Did you ever feel like that? you see another hymn writer says I tread the world beneath my feet all the earth calls good or great that is when this other spirit is uppermost and you do want it to be uppermost let thy good spirit rule my heart govern all my words and ways let grace abound in every part teach my tongue to speak thy praise.

[23:48] You see dear Moses choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

[24:02] And when you come to look at it in heaven's own light and view it aright what are these so called pleasures of sin?

[24:14] They are just froth bubble blowing but hell is at the end of such a life. A very solemn consideration but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and followed me fully.

[24:39] This other spirit brings with it what I hope quite a few of you by the grace of God can enter into.

[24:50] It can be said of everyone with this other spirit behold he behold she praying. Do you? Have you been engaged in that blessed business in heaven's marketplace this day waiting on God if so be there might be a jabez portion for you oh that thou wouldst bless me indeed it is wonderful mercy when you can feel it is the spirit of prayer and not just the words.

[25:32] I used to say when I was young in my early ministry I've not said it very often but I still feel just the same.

[25:45] I used to say that I would rather preach two sermons than pray in public once and I still feel that same consciousness regarding it.

[26:00] You see dear friends when a man is helped to preach he is preaching to poor sinners like himself with never dying souls but when a man tries to pray he wants to remember what Abraham said behold I have taken upon myself to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes you and I do not realize the magnitude of it we have very little consciousness alas of the majesty of God and yet he allows us to draw near to him as the sinner's friend and he encourages us to come and he has his good spirit who is ever ready to give us this other spirit the spirit of prayer the grace of supplication yes

[27:11] Lord teach us to pray oh it is good when you can pray then you can say with Asaph it is good for me to draw near unto God but good Caleb had this other spirit oh he was a praying man much might be said along that line of thought then it is very evident one characteristic of this other spirit possessing Caleb was that he had faith in God you see when all is said and done you go back to what I hinted at here are these people that dwell in the land the cities are walled the children of Anak are there Amalekites Hittites Jebusites

[28:11] Amorites yes put them all together as the opposition on the other side God and you see the side on which the scale will go down because it tells us to the land of Canaan they went forth to the land of Canaan they came and when it came to pass that forty years later they crossed the Jordan and entered into that land of milk and honey the Lord went before them and I only thought of a word pondering this subject which to my mind is a word you must not overlook fear and dread shall fall upon them by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone till thy people pass over oh

[29:20] Lord till the people pass over which thou hast purchased you see the same principle at work with Jacob when God commanded him to leave Shechem where he ought never to have been where he built a house a man who was supposed to live a tent life all his days it says as Jacob and his family circle journeyed along the terror of the Lord was on all the people round about and they met no opposition Jesus said to his disciples and he says it to you to me be not afraid only believe faith in Jesus can repel the darts of sin and death faith gives victory over hell who can give us faith all you are welcome to ask for it and without faith it is impossible to please him he that cometh to

[30:40] God must believe that he is that he is a rewarder of all them that diligently seek him dear Caleb believed in God and what a great thing that is not just repeating words but to feel the reality of it I believe in God the Father Almighty and in his only son Jesus Christ our Lord Christ this is life eternal that they might know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him this other spirit will have with it godly fear an umptuous light to what is right and a bar to what is wrong and that godly fear will actuate our lives and sometimes it will well up and enable you to send up a petition it is one that

[32:02] I much like let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer make me to walk in thy commands for tis a delightful road nor let my head or heart or hands offend against my God O this other spirit has many characteristics then there is also love he that loveth is born of God wonderful principle love by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another and it is very evident Caleb had this love with this other spirit that possessed his breast and some of you who are following on to know the

[33:09] Lord although as yet you have not followed fully not attained your soul's desire the great question being put out of question yet you have this love that inspires your breast and it helps you to say I would rather be a door keeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness we love the place oh God wherein thine honor dwells the joy of thine abode all earthly joy excels everything hinges on this but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and this love welled up in his breast he had a love to God a love to his law yes and he believed

[34:11] God could indeed bring to pass that which he had promised to do but I must hasten on one more thought that may sum up the whole as regards this other spirit I cannot go into all the details as I should like to do there will be fruit fullness that will be a very sure evidence when on the bough rich fruit we see it is then we cry a goodly tree I remember long years ago in our garden I was hoeing and as I was going on I was just going to hold up what I thought was to be hoed up and I discerned it to be a little tree with only two leaves and

[35:13] I identified it at least I thought it could be a pear tree and I left it and it grew amazingly but still it had just leaves and then at length there came a bunch of blossom and lo there were three or four pears and you see it said I am a pear tree I am a fruit tree I am not a weed as you thought I might be and when on the bower its fruit we see tis then we cry a goodly tree and this other spirit as it is in gracious activity within it will bring forth fruit in our lips and lives yes and it will do this it will quicken you from time to time with earnest desires to be made fruitful quicken by thee and kept alive

[36:21] I'd flourish and bear fruit my life I'd from thy sap derive my vigor from thy root and now I want to look at this subject from another viewpoint coming along toward the amen but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him followed me fully I would like to set before you in a very brief compass what it really means to follow fully one thing is very evident to do it it must be out of the abundance of the heart the mouth is speaking but one way to follow fully is to do what

[37:23] Caleb with his brother Joshua were helped to do and that is to give a good report of Canaan's land in other words speak well of God in all his dealings when the psalm is said bless the Lord all my soul all that is within me bless his holy name there is no way whatever wherein we can bless God in the same sense that God blesses us remember that it just means speak well of God give unto God the glory that is due unto his holy name and listen how it goes on bring an offering and come into his course yes like this dear

[38:34] Caleb he had another spirit with him and followed me fully says Caleb's God and then you'll expect me to say this that it refers to the taking up of the cross not just the initial taking of it up to be baptized in the name of Jesus and follow him in the way that he went with his own holy feet right and meet necessary it is to do that but it means that which he has given you in your everyday life he that taketh not up his cross and follow it after me cannot be my disciple mark the wording he that taketh not up it is a present tense you do it every morning and you take it up not by compulsion but you do it willingly for

[39:45] Jesus sake because you want to follow him fully in the way that he trod in doing love's redeeming work follow me and that means did Christ my Lord suffer and shall I repine his way was much rougher and darker than mine whatever your cross is the nature of it do not grumble about it do not fret under it but in following God you will find as thy days so shall thy strength be and you will come into a sweet experience sometimes tis my happiness below not to live without the cross but the saviour's power to know sanctifying every loss this following the

[40:52] Lord fully has got this in it and that is to be submissive to his will and now your life is being ordered remembering the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way yes you will find when in heaven's own light you view the dealings of God with you and the way that you have come along you will have to confess he hath done all things well you have not always behaved well you have thought your own thoughts why should this be and why should that but in the ultimate issue out of the eater should come forth meat and out of the strong should come forth sweetness and this other spirit brings you to submission sweet submission it is the

[41:59] Lord enthroned in light whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine oh how much flows from this other spirit but my servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and followed me fully him will I bring into the land where into he went you may say but then what is all this to do with us it was good for Caleb in his day and what God declared he fulfilled it to Caleb and he ultimately dwelt in the land of promise but what is that to do with us nowadays whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort in the scriptures might have hope we have a land of promise yes and we want to occupy it too and as grace is given to dwell in it and realize it does flow with milk and honey the word of

[43:20] God with its exceeding great and precious promises is our land of promise if you are a sinner born again following on to know the Lord there is something in every page of this holy bible book divine wherein you can dwell in your meditations and in your desires before God thy word is a lamp unto my feet a light unto my path yes divine instructor gracious lord o be forever near help me to read thy sacred word and find my savior there you remember ruth long ago went to glean in the fields of Boaz by and by Boaz came into the field and you know how matters fell out yes matters fell out well for

[44:28] Ruth and she had another spirit and she made it manifest to dear Naomi thy people shall be my people thy God shall be my God I do like decision for the truth I like that line of things let your yea be yea and your nay be nay lest ye fall into condemnation yes you see it with those three Hebrews going into the fiery furnace when they were put to the cruciate test our mind is made up we shall not bow down and our God whom we serve he will deliver us and if not we shall follow him into the fire and leave the issue with him whom we know is too wise to earth and too good to be unkind but my servant

[45:29] Caleb because he had another spirit with him and that followed me fully him will I bring into the land where into he went and and now in this following fully you may see the land afar off and you gaze upon it with the eye of faith and you enter into it as it were in your longings and your soul's desires and you still follow on hoping that the day will ultimately dawn when you will be one of the blessed inhabitants dwelling in the land of promise and if God should grant you that mercy to dwell in the land of promise below when you come down to die you will dwell in

[46:34] Emmanuel's land on high and oh what will that be forever with the Lord oh that you and I may have this other spirit more evident more urgent and be more concerned what little time is left to us to do it to follow him fully and not be ashamed of Jesus at any time anywhere but to say with the godly psalmist this god is our god forever and ever and he will be our guide even unto death amen amen you