A Name To Be Remembered
INTRO: How will we be remembered? When your name is read in the obituaries, what will be remembered about you? Is our name important?
Numbers 13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {2} 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. {3} And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel. {4} And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur. {5} Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. {6} Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh. {7} Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph. {8} Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun. {9} Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu. {10} Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. {11} Of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. {12} Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. {13} Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. {14} Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. {15} Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. {16} These are the names of the men which Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua. {17} And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: {18} And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; {19} And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; {20} And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. {21} So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. {22} And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) {23} And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. {24} The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. {25} 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 showed 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.
Numbers 14:1-30 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. {9} Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. {10} But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. {11} And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them? {12} I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. {13} And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;) {14} And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night. {15} Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying, {16} Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness. {17} And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my LORD be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying, {18} The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. {19} Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. {20} And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word: {21} But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD. {22} Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; {23} Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: {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. {25} (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) To morrow turn you, and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea. {26} And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, {27} How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me. {28} Say unto them, As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in mine ears, so will I do to you: {29} Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, {30} Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I sware to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.
Notice they all are named by their tribe and father…
I don’t want to spend a lot of time on the meaning of their names, but I do want to look at the potential that was there. All these were chiefs, princes or rulers of their tribe.
Shaphat – Judge or He Hath Judged
Caleb – Bold, Impetuous (also an animal name meaning Dog)
Igal – Deliverer or He Who Will Vindicate.
Oshea (Joshua) – God Saves. Jehovah Is Salvation.
Palti – Deliverance By God or By Raphu.
Gaddiel – God Is Fortune Bringer or God Hath Given Fortune.
Gaddi – Belonging To Fortune or Fortunate.
Ammiel – A Devoted Ally or Kinsman Of God.
Sethur – Secreted, Hidden
Nahbi – Concealed or Jehovah’s Protection.
Geuel – Salvation Of God or Majesty Of God.
Caleb – The Man Who Desired A Mountain – Not an Israelite by birth. One of the 12 spies sent out to spy Canaan.
Courageous and persevered when 10 of the spies failed to do so when they became discouraged. He was invincible when it came to driving out the giants. He was devoted to God his whole life, especially in his old age. 6 times it is said about him, “he hath fully followed the Lord.”
He is famous for asking of Joshua, “give me that mountain” at the age of 86. BTW he followed it up by taking his mountain from the Anakims.
Joshua – Man who was a soldier-Saint
One of my favorite characters in the Bible.
A son of Nun (Prosperity, Durable)
A slave – who was rescued by God
A soldier – great strategists that followed God
A servant – of Moses – Num. 11:28, Joshua 1:1
Numbers 11:28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, My lord Moses, forbid them.
Joshua 1:1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
A spy – took serious his job and tried to convince others of God’s strength
A savior – brought the people to the Promised Land
A statesman – unselfishly divided up the land for Israel
A saint –
Deuteronomy 34:9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
Enjoyed the presence of God – Josh 1:5; 6:27
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Joshua 6:27 So the LORD was with Joshua; and his fame was noised throughout all the country.
Indwelt by the Word of God – Josh 1:8
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Ever obedient to the will of God – Num 32:12; Josh 5:14
Numbers 32:12 Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.
Joshua 5:14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
Died at 110 years and deeply mourned and honored
We will be remembered partly because of our nature – Happy, pleasant, honest, simple, complicated, forthright, grouchy, selfish, etc. But there is also: godly, holy, Christlike, Christian, etc.
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: {10} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Joshua and Caleb for their faith in God’s promise; became a name well remembered
Twelve spies – found a land filled with milk and honey
Aaron - the High Priest; for his relenting to the people (Golden Calf)
Miriam - for watching over her little brother (Moses); for criticizing her little brother
Children of Israel – murmuring and doubting and testing God; their willingness to choose another captain and return to Egypt; wandering for 40 years in the Wilderness
Caleb – fully followed God
Joshua – a solder for God; pled with the people to trust God
Korah, Dothan, and Abiram – led an ill-fated rebellion that cost 14,000 lives in a plague
Ten Spies –their fear and lack of faith and causing the people to doubt; traveled into obscurity along with the others they convinced
Balaam – did not fear God and was almost killed; did not continue on his ill-advised journey to bless Balak;
Aggrippa – almost was convinced about Jesus
Pilate – did not let Christ go
Jesus – did not sin; did not refuse the cup of death; did not fail in His mission for the Father;
How will you be remembered?
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 060808am