老而弥坚
约书亚记十四章6至15节
6那时，犹大人来到吉甲见约书亚，有基尼洗族耶孚尼的儿子迦勒对约书亚说：耶和华在加低斯巴尼亚指着我与你对神人摩西所说的话，你都知道了。
7耶和华的仆人摩西从加低斯巴尼亚打发我窥探这地，那时我正四十岁；我按着心意回报他。
8然而，同我上去的众弟兄使百姓的心消化；但我专心跟从耶和华─我的神。
9当日摩西起誓说：你脚所踏之地定要归你和你的子孙永远为业，因为你专心跟从耶和华─我的神。
10自从耶和华对摩西说这话的时候，耶和华照他所应许的使我存活这四十五年；其间以色列人在旷野行走。看哪，现今我八十五岁了，
11我还是强壮，像摩西打发我去的那天一样；无论是争战，是出入，我的力量那时如何，现在还是如何。
12求你将耶和华那日应许我的这山地给我；那里有亚衲族人，并宽大坚固的城，你也曾听见了。或者耶和华照他所应许的与我同在，我就把他们赶出去。
13于是约书亚为耶孚尼的儿子迦勒祝福，将希伯仑给他为业。
14所以希伯仑作了基尼洗族耶孚尼的儿子迦勒的产业，直到今日，因为他专心跟从耶和华─以色列的神。
15希伯仑从前名叫基列亚巴；亚巴是亚衲族中最尊大的人。于是国中太平，没有争战了。
信息分享
昨天，我们看到以色列的十二支派如何按照神的吩咐分配土地；今天，突然有一个八十五岁的长者出现，打扰了分地的过程。这位长者报上自己所属的支派名字之后，便大胆地走到约书亚的面前，要求分得最大的山地！
这个长者，就是上一代以色列人中，唯一能与约书亚一同进入应许地的迦勒。迦勒要求分得的山地，仍然属于迦南人的占领范围；但迦勒却全不理会，因为他相信神必按照应许，把那块山地赐给他。
试想，一个八十五岁的长者仍然梦想着占领一块山地；而且，他还表示自己可以亲自作战，去夺取那地！迦勒还是昔日那个与众不同的迦勒；他的年纪愈大，对神的信心就似乎愈强，属灵的视野亦似乎愈远。他让我们明白，一些重要的人生经历，可以在人的晚年发生；而且，在事奉神的工作上，根本没有固定的退休年龄。我们有时称晚年是「黄昏之年」，然而，无限的美景却往往是在日落的黄昏！
让我们想像迦勒的对话：「将那块山地给我。」「可是，迦勒，那地的居民都是身材魁梧的巨人。」「那又如何？」迦勒说，「神必与我同在。」「那里还有坚居的城墙。」「那又如何？」迦勒说，「任何城墙都挡不住神。」「然而，迦勒，你已经八十五岁了！」「年龄有甚么关系？」迦勒说，「我已经等了四十五年，才等到今天。现在是神所定的时间，我的年龄怎会对神造成困难？」
迦勒究竟要求分得哪块地？那就是亚伯拉罕称为「希伯仑」的地方。当亚伯拉罕从埃及回来的时候，他便在希伯仑遇见神，并得到神的祝福。迦勒想要的，正是这块地。神曾经应许把那地赐给他，他只是想照着神的应许获得那地。
让我们都以迦勒作为榜样：他对神的信心坚定不移，坚决信靠神必成就祂的应许，不会因外在环境的因素而动摇信心。
祷告：
「主啊，无论我到了甚么年纪，求你使我能像迦勒一样地全然信靠你。」
A GRAND OLD MAN OF FAITH
Joshua 14: 6-15
6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’
10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.
15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war.
Message
Yesterday we were reading about the division of the land among the 12 tribes. Now suddenly the picture is interrupted by a grand old man of 85. He stepped out of the ranks of his tribe and boldly walked up to Joshua and asked for the biggest mountain anyone could see!
It didn't matter to Caleb that the mountain was still possessed by the Canaanites. He believed God was on his side and would give him what he had promised.
Imagine it! 85 years old and wanting to take on a whole mountain. He even said he was a man of war - at 85. But Caleb was different from all the others. He always had been. The passing years only seemed to make him grow stronger in faith and in spiritual vision. He shows us how some of the greatest things in life can take place even in old age and that there is no fixed retiring age in God's service. 'Sunset years' we sometimes call old age. But the sun is never more beautiful than when it is setting.
What did Caleb say? 'Give me this mountain.' 'But Caleb there are giant there.' 'So what!', 'So what!', says Caleb, 'God is greater than any fenced city'. 'But Caleb you are 85 now. 'What has that got to do with it?', asked Caleb. 'I have waited 45 years for this and now it is in sight. Now is God's time and my age doesn't with God.'
What was the place Caleb wanted? It was the place Abraham had called Hebron. It was where Abraham was wonderfully blessed when God met him as he returned from Egypt. Caleb wanted that place. God had promised it to him and he wanted what God had promised.
Remember Caleb, the man with the vision of what God can do. He had a faith that believed God could do anything and a heart that would not be turned aside.
A Prayer:
Lord make us more like Caleb whether we are young or old.'