Interactive Core Study: Caleb the Spy

Ask: Who is your favorite superhero and why do you admire him or her? Allow a few learners to respond, and then say: There are characters in superhero movies who are very different from the heroes themselves. Ask: For example, what do you think of when I say Lois Lane? (Lois Lane was a reporter who consistently seemed to need Superman’s help.) Explain that you could see Lois Lane as naive and helpless, or you could also see her as supremely confident, not in her own ability, but in another person’s ability to deliver her. Explain that this was the case with Caleb and Joshua. The Israelites were up against a seemingly impossible situation, yet Caleb and Joshua felt confident in God’s ability to protect them.

1. When we refuse to obey God, He disciplines us (Numbers 14:20–23).

Enlist a volunteer to read Numbers 14:20–23. Point out that God is speaking to Moses here. Ask: Who has God forgiven in this passage? Why did they need forgiveness? (God forgave the Israelites for refusing to enter the land He told them to.) Why should they have been ready to enter the land? (Not long ago, they experienced the miracles related to how God delivered them from Egypt including the parting of the Red Sea.) Ask: How did God discipline the people who refused to trust Him to conquer their enemies and give them the land? (God promised that no one who refused to trust Him would ever see the Promised Land.) Discuss: What do you think about the way God chose to discipline those who refused to obey Him?

Encourage learners to write disciplines in the first blank. Point out how the people’s disobedience did not stop God from bringing Israel into the land; but that those who had refused to obey God were denied the privilege of entering the land.

2. When we choose to obey God, He rewards us (Numbers 14:24).

Enlist a volunteer to read Numbers 14:24. Encourage learners to describe the two different ways that the people responded to the challenges of entering the Promised Land. Ask: What do you see in Caleb that differed from the other people? (He had a “different spirit.” Caleb believed in and followed God whole-heartedly.) Explain that God saw a difference, too. Notice that God saw inside Caleb what motivated his courage. Ask: How would God recognize Caleb’s obedience? (Caleb and Joshua would be the only people from that generation to enter the new land.) Remind learners that even though Caleb remained faithful, his reward did not come for forty years! Ask: Do you think it frustrated Caleb to hear that he would have to wait forty years for God to recognize his obedience?

Explain that God’s timetable is not like ours. Say: We would love immediate gratification but often have to wait, many times even until eternity. We may feel tempted to think God has forgotten our faithfulness. Direct learners’ attention to the Essential Truth statement. Remind them that The Future is in God's Hands. Ask: How do we know that Caleb understood this truth? (He was willing to invade the land as God commanded even though the people in the land were mighty. He trust in God carried him for forty years of desert wanderings. He was convinced God would remember his faithfulness in the future.) Say: The same conviction can carry us through life. Encourage learners to write rewards in the second blank.

3. When we disobey God, He allows us to suffer the consequences (Numbers 14:25–38).

Ask a volunteer to read Numbers 14:25–38. Say: Some died immediately while others walked the desert until they died. Ask: Why is this significant? (Those who stirred up conflict received immediate punishment.) Explain that this plague could be seen as a warning. God dealt severely with those who caused trouble. Ask learners to write allows in the third blanks.

Ask: If God forgave the people, why did they have to wander in the desert? (Forgiveness does not mean that consequences go away.) Stress that many times God’s forgiveness comes at the same time as consequences. Give the example of how a father may forgive his son for taking the car out before he turned 16 and then getting a ticket. But while the father forgave him, the boy still has a mark on his permanent driving record. Explain that likewise, the Israelites faced serious consequences. But Caleb, due to his wholehearted commitment to God, received a reward for his faith. Say: Let Caleb’s example challenge your faith as you remember the blessings God has for those who live by faith.