"Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said (Joshua 14:12).

Caleb claimed the land the LORD promised him because he faithfully encouraged Israel to take the Promised Land forty-five years ago. This was the land the Israelites feared to take at that time because of the descendants of Anak, who were giants. Caleb declares that if the LORD is with him, they will drive them out just as easily as they would have driven them out forty-five years ago. 

Caleb is eighty-five years strong. He says that it does not matter whether he is forty or eighty-five because it is the LORD who gives the victory. As then, so now, Caleb trusts in the LORD. 

Friends, the LORD is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). If the LORD is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31). What challenges are you facing today? No matter how hard and no matter how great, understand this timeless truth. If the LORD is with you, you will overcome!

Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when theLord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed" (Joshua 13:1).

Notice that Joshua spent his entire life faithfully fighting and destroying the Canaanites in the land, but he did not live to finish the work and fully enjoy the conquest. Moses spent the greater part of his life delivering the people of Israel from bondage in Egypt, taking them to the Promised Land, and then wandering forty more years because of the people's rebellion. Even after all this, he died before entering the Promised Land because of his disobedience at the waters of Meribah.

Hundreds of years prior to Moses, the patriarchs of Israel, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob faithfully followed the LORD until Egypt. None of these patriarchs lived to see any of the great promises of God fulfilled in their lifetimes. 

Do you see a pattern here? None of those to whom God first gave His great promises lived to see those promises fulfilled. What is the explanation for this? 

The writer of Hebrews gives us the explanation:

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them... And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect (Hebrews 11:13-16,32-34).

Therefore, friends, whether in the Old Testament or in the New Testament, the promises of God that saints throughout the ages would suffer and even die for were not merely the earthly promises, most of which they themselves would never see or experience. They, as we, were contemplating heaven and perfection. 

Why do I bring this up? So many of us are too earthly-minded. Our concerns and ambitions are too-much tied to this life, when it is only a drop in the bucket compared to the eternal dwellings that await us. We are too concerned about what we eat, what we drink and what we wear. We are too concerned about the kind of house we live in, the type of car we drive, family vacations, our kids extracurricular activities, and our career and business pursuits. 

Our primary prayer requests are for health and wellbeing for ourselves and those we know about. We pray for this business to go well, such and such to find a better job, so and so to spend more time with his family, and another to eventually be healed of their cancer. All of these things are earthly matters that have little to no bearing on righteousness, the kingdom of God or eternity.

We have taken the biblical injuction to take "every request" to the Lord and interpreted this to mean that the mainstay of our prayers should concern mundane matters to the neglect of God's purposes and priorities. Now, I confess that I have misquoted Scripture. The Bible never says to take "every request" to the Lord. The one passage that people have taken to mean this is Philippians 4:6, which reads,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We have intentionally or unintentionally added the word "every" to this verse. Perhaps our minds have taken the "every" from "in everything" and just moved it along to the spot before "requests." But of course, the words "in everything" does not apply to requests but simply stands in contrast to the word "nothing," and extends back to the previous verses, where Paul commands, 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near (Philippians 4:4-5).

Thus, "everything" does not mean that we should pray for everything but that we should pursue a right attitude in everything. The right attitude is not one that is full of anxiety but one that is full of faith. It is not asking God to give us food, clothing, health, travel-mercies, better jobs, a good deal on a car, etc. For when we pray for these things, aren't we by virtue of prayer, telling God that these things are important to us? In other words, by praying fervently about them, we are found to be, in fact, worrying about them, the very thing God tells us not to do. Is this not what Jesus meant in the parallel text in the sermon on the mount?

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

When Jesus commanded his disciples, "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?...", did he mean that while He commanded them not to say these things, He did mean for them to say these things to God in prayer? But if so, then why does He emphasize "your heavenly Father knows..." What is more, Jesus uses the adversative "But" in "But seek first His kingdom..."  Isn't Jesus here making a contrast between their seeking God's priorities over their own interests, even "needs"? Yes!

Don't you see that Jesus is teaching His disciples not to focus on mundane matters but instead to be concerned about God's will and priorities? In other words, you don't need to pray about basic needs, because God knows it already and will supply your needs, even as you devote yourself to seeking and doing His will. 

Now, we come back to our text in Philippians 4:6. The words, "But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" then does not mean that we should pray for everything that concerns us but to pray in such a way and to pray for such things so that God's will and priorities are our focus, then everything will not be a matter of anxiety but faith. It is then that the promise of Philippians 4:8 will kick in:

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Isn't this promise similar to the one Jesus gave to His disciples when He said in Matthew 6:33?

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Yes! And this interpretation of Philippians 4:6 is further confirmed by Paul's words in Philippians 4:8-9,

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul encourages the believers to focus on the excellent things of God, that he has taught them while he was with them. It is then that the God of peace will be with them. 

Friends, I do not write these things so that you will stop praying about mundane matters. But understand that when we focus on such things, we are being like immature children. We are being like Israel, who complained about their hunger and thirst in the wilderness, or about how bland the manna was. This is not what pleases the Lord. Instead, we ought rather to have the spirit of Paul, who found contentment in any and every circumstance:

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:11-3).

Paul says "I can do," perhaps more accurately, "I can endure" all things. By this, he does not mean that he is constantly asking God to give him food, money, rest, etc. He's saying that he can welcome all these things with an attitude of contenment. Why and how? I believe it is because his focus was on Christ (cf. Phillipians 1:21) and his goal was not in this life (cf. Philippians 3:18-21). 

Friends, I pray that you will take my sharing to heart and the character of your prayers will change. I have come to understand that the primary purpose for prayer is to align our will with God's will. Therefore, when we pray mosly about mundane things, you can be sure that our prayers are not aligned with God's will. 

Stop living and praying as if this life and your experiences on earth are the end for you. It is not even the beginning. Consider Paul, who wrote, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us" (Romans 8:18) and the Lord Jesus Christ, our preeminent example, "who for the joy set before him [i.e. heavenly glory] endured the cross..." (Hebrews 12:2). The patriarchs of old, who did not receive the promises in their lifetimes, looked for a heavenly promise, which, compared to us, they only had a glimpse. Let us, who have been given a far richer revelation of the promises of God in Christ, not be found focusing on mundane things.

But the Israelites failed to drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day. (Joshua 13:13 NLT)

This is the first instance of Israel's failure to drive out certain Canaanite populations. Many more would follow (e.g. Judges 1:21, 27-33). In some places, the text reads that they "could not" overcome the Canaanites (e.g. Joshua 15:63; 17:12). What needs to be understood is that they could not because they would not. Disobedience led to inability. The key text that reveals this is Judges 2:1-3,

The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim and said to the Israelites, “I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you. For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. But you disobeyed my command. Why did you do this? So now I declare that I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you.” (Judges 2:1-3 NLT)

When Israel disobeyed God's command to completely destroy the people of the land, God changed his tactic. He would now keep the Canaanites in the land and prevent Israel from driving them out. He would use them to test Israel, to test their obedience to Him:

So the LORD burned with anger against Israel. He said, “Because these people have violated my covenant, which I made with their ancestors, and have ignored my commands, I will no longer drive out the nations that Joshua left unconquered when he died. I did this to test Israel—to see whether or not they would follow the ways of the LORD as their ancestors did.” That is why the LORD left those nations in place. He did not quickly drive them out or allow Joshua to conquer them all. (Judges 2:20-23 NLT)

Just as God tested Israel in the wilderness over forty years because of their disobedience at Kadesh-Barnea, so the LORD would test them from generation to generation by allowing the idolatrous Canaanites to live among them. And just as they proved unfaithful during their forty years of wandering, so they failed God's test in the Promised Land:

These people were left to test the Israelites—to see whether they would obey the commands the LORD had given to their ancestors through Moses. So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and they intermarried with them. Israelite sons married their daughters, and Israelite daughters were given in marriage to their sons. And the Israelites served their gods. (Judges 3:4-6 NLT)

The condition of Israel became very similar to the situation prior to the Great Flood in Genesis 6. There we are told that the sons of God, which I believe represented the godly line of Seth (Genesis 5), intermarried with the daughters of men, which I believe represented the ungodly line of Cain (Genesis 4). And the result was the corruption of the godly line so that they all became wicked and were destroyed by God with the flood:

The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose... Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:2, 5 NASB)

When the Canaanites were allowed to live among the Israelites, this is what happened to the Israelites. They intermarried with the Canaanites and participated in their idolatry. Did God not know that this would happen? Surely, He did. But He still allowed this. Why? It demonstrates human depravity, such that even the chosen race of Israel would fail and be destroyed apart from the promises and grace of God.

And we, who are children of the New Covenant in Christ, do not have a different hope. We too must rely completely on the promises and grace of God. And God still allows Canaanites to live among us, so that we are constantly tempted. And apart from the same sovereign grace that saves and sanctifies us, we too would fall into idolatrous sin and be condemned with the world. Today, remember to praise God for His grace.

Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. ⁷ I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, ⁸ but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. ⁹ So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’^d]">[d]

 ¹⁰ “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! ¹¹ I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. ¹² Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

 ¹³ Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. ¹⁴ So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. ¹⁵ (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

What a man of God Caleb is!  I'm glad that I've named one of my son Caleb!  Here Caleb asks for His allotment of the Promised Land.  Even though the Land was supposed to be assigned by lot as commanded by Moses, Caleb's given a choice to pick where he would like to settle thanks to his faithfulness that was shown to God when the Israelites had come to Kadesh Barnea and spied the Land 40 some years ago.  What strikes me hard here is the land that he wants.  He wants the land that he and the other 11 spied out from Kadesh Barnea and melted the hearts of the Israelites because of the size of the inhabitants, Anakites.  The privilege that he earned by following the Lord wholeheartedly did not prompt him to take the already-conquered land but instead he shows another example of carrying out God's command at his old age.  It saddens me many times when I see people burnt out and lost their zeal for the Lord after many years of serving the Lord and become just a sunday christian.  Brothers and sisters!  Let us not become weary in doing good before the Lord.  How frustrating it is to serve Him sometimes due to discouragement coming at us in every direction!  Let us show the courage that Caleb had before the Lord and His people by holding on to His promise that He'll be with us for eternity.  Amen

I think all this was in ch 15. First, I am reading the New Living Translation. When Caleb's daughter gets married, there is what seems to me an obvious mistranslation, but I was hoping you could help explain why they chose the 'wrong' translation. It reads "She asked him" to ask for land from her father, then proceeds to say she asked for it. the greek reads " HE ASKED HER" preceeded by her asking. Unless we are to imply that she did ask, and he refused so she stepped in and did it anyways... but what's with the two versions? How can you find the answer, too? (if i wanted to find it on my own?). Second it ends with Judah 'not being able' to remove the Jebusites from jerusalem. Were these the Gibeonites? Or was it that it was too difficult so they quit trying? What is the meaning of "could not" remove them.

Yujin responds... Fernando, the NLT reads, "When Acsah married Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. As she got down off her donkey, Caleb asked her, 'What’s the matter?'" The variant reads, "he urged her." Why the difference? There are many manuscript copies of the OT. Some are in Hebrew (usu. copies of the Masoretic text) and others in Greek (Septuagint). Not all the copies agree at every point. Sometimes a Bible will give the translator's suggested wording and the variant in the footnotes. This whole field of study is called Textual Criticism. There is not a single resource that has all the answers in evaluating variants. This was part of my seminary curriculum; however, it was covered in my third year of Greek and Hebrew. And even then, we only knew enough to be, as the professor said, "dangerous." In other words, becoming textual critics ourselves would require many more years of study. Nevertheless, the cardinal rule for textual criticism is the same for biblical interpretation; therefore, you can at least practice this much. It is to let the context define the meaning or the best reading of a text. As for getting the variants, most reference Bibles and study Bibles will provide at least the significant variants in the footnote.

Now, regarding the inability of Judah to drive out the Jebusites, there could be two explanations for this, and both are likely true. First, Judah's failure may be due to their disobedience to completely destroy all the people. In Judges 2:1-3 God indicts Israel for not completely obeying Him regarding the destruction of those living in the Promised Land. We are also told that the Benjaminites, who fought alongside Judah against the Jebusites, did not completely drive out the Jebusites from Jerusalem (Judges 1:21). Other tribes also disobeyed God. Instead of destroying everyone, they made them slaves (cf. Judges 1:28). Therefore, not only DID they not drive them out, God answered their disobedience by making sure they also COULD not drive them out (cf. Judges 2:3,14,21,23), And among the Canaanites that God left in the land were the Jebusites (cf. Judges 3:5). Therefore, it is not so much that Judah could not drive them out to begin with, it is likely that they did not drive them out, and because they did not, they fell under God's judgment, so that now they could not drive them out.

Something very similar happened to the first generation of Israel coming out of Egypt. When they were at Kadesh-Barnea and commanded by God to take the land, they grumbled and threatened mutiny because they did not trust God to deliver them. When God heard this, He punished them by making them wander the desert and die over a forty year period. Now, before this happened, the people changed their minds, decided now to obey God, and tried to take the Land, but now God was not with them. The result? They were beaten down. Here too, because they did not obey God and drive out the Canaanites when God told them to, God judged them and made sure that they could not drive them out. The important thing was not Israel driving their enemies out or not driving them out, but rather Israel fully trusting and obeying God.