Joshua 14:6-14
You’ve probably heard reference to the doldrums, either as a term related to the sailing ships or related to the emotions. Like me, you may have assumed the mental and emotional condition took its name from the weather condition. Listen to this from a dictionary on the history of English.
The Doldrums is the region of calm winds, centered slightly north of the equator and between the two belts of trade winds, which meet there and neutralize each other. It is widely assumed that the phrase 'in the doldrums' is derived from the name of this region. Actually, it's the other way about. In the 19th century, 'doldrum' was a word meaning 'dullard; a dull or sluggish fellow'… The term was used to mean 'a general state of low spirits' in the early 19th century.
So, “doldrum” came refer to region of the ocean where ships were unable to continue their journeys. Coleridge describes the effect in The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner:
Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.
It’s a good picture of what happens when you and I experience the doldrums.
I certainly have been there. Nothing seems worth the effort. The future seems without promise. You can’t muster the energy to do what needs to be done to get back on track. You’re in the doldrums. In the children’s book The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster describes a place called The Doldrums “…inhabited by the Lethargarians who do nothing all day, a place where ‘nothing ever happens and nothing ever changes.’" [1]
How can we break out of them? Can we do anything to avoid them? How can we keep sailing through the doldrums? We can find some answers in the life of Caleb.
Caleb's life was defined by two events. One took place when he was about forty; the other took place forty-five years later.
Minority Report
The first event took place at Kedesh Barnea and helped determine the future for both Caleb and the recently-liberated nation of Israel. Kedesh Barnea is in the northeast part of the Sinai Peninsula, due south of Gaza.
The people had escaped from Egypt only a few months before. Now they stood poised to enter the land that had been promised to Abraham four centuries before.
Twelve spies were sent into Canaan to scout the territory. When they returned all twelve reported the abundant wealth of the land. All agreed that it was a land of plenty. But ten of the spies said, "We could never conquer the people there. They were like giants; we were like grasshoppers."
It wasn’t long before Caleb had had enough of this and spoke up.
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Numbers 13:30)
In the end, only two, Joshua and Caleb, said, "With God's help, the land can be ours." No one listened. The people began to complain that they would have been better off back in Egypt. They said that they would die in the wilderness. Some of them even suggested killing these blatant optimists. They weren’t ready to move on, if anything, they were ready to start a back to Egypt movement.
In response, God decreed that no adults, except Joshua and Caleb, would enter the Promised Land. What followed was forty years of wandering, one year for each day the spies had spent in Canaan.
Down By the Riverside
The next scene takes place several decades later near the end of the conquest of Canaan. It is my text for this morning: Joshua 14:6-14.
Canaan was almost conquered. Caleb had long fought beside his younger countrymen and, now, when many would have opted for a small place down by the river, a place already secured by the military forces, Caleb approached Joshua and said, “Give me my mountain.”
I can imagine Caleb, his beard growing grayer every passing year, but his strength never seeming to diminish. There were no doldrums for him. I can imagine younger Israelites marveling at him. I can imagine him telling all who would listen, “One of these days God’s going to give us a home, a land of our own. And in that land there’s a mountain with some tough people living on it. They don’t know it yet but I own that mountain!”
When Caleb chose his inheritance it’s obvious he’d never heard the real-estate mantra: “Location, location, location.” The land he chose for himself was the home of the Anakim—the people who had so intimidated the ten spies some forty years before. They were a rough group; biker gangs would have walked softly around them. Clearly, Caleb had no intention to start taking the easy route.
Most of us look at Caleb and see someone we admire. Why? He didn’t let circumstances stop him. He kept a goal in sight and kept moving toward it.
I
IF YOU WANT TO SAIL THROUGH THE DOLDRUMS STRIVE TO MAINTAIN A VITAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
1. Not long after we meet Caleb God gives him a very powerful commendation. " my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, " (Numbers 14:24)
1:1 Caleb’s “different spirit” was seen in his refusal to follow the crowd. While the crowd was saying “We can’t,” Caleb was saying “We can.”
The phrase “follows me wholeheartedly” is interesting. Literally it means Caleb was "fulfilled to walk behind Jehovah." The Hebrew words carry the notion of "being satisfied."
1:2 Caleb found satisfaction in a vital, dynamic relationship with God. Many of us go through life looking for satisfaction. Caleb found it in God.
2. Some forty years later Caleb summed up his testimony in almost the same words. He said, “I have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.” :
2:1 This was an ongoing commitment. It did not change with the seasons of life. Neither prosperity nor hardship had shaken it.
2:2 This was a humble commitment. Caleb was willing to "walk behind" God, allowing him to lead the way.
2:3 Caleb was an outsider, a foreigner, one not born into one of the clans of Israel. This Kenizzite recognized himself as a recipient of God's grace.
--On the one hand, that knowledge meant he would be content to live with God's plan and God's timing.
--On the other hand, knowing that he had been accepted by God gave him a boldness which made him willing to stand alone, to stand against the crowd. That day at Kedesh Barnea Caleb didn’t say to Joshua, “You know, the polls show that 80% of the experts are against this plan to conquer the promised land; maybe you and I should reevaluate our position.”
No, when he was younger, he had the faith to say, “With God’s help we can win.” Then in old age he said, “I’ve lived my life with God’s help; now, with God’s help, I can take that mountain.”
II
IF YOU WANT TO SAIL THROUTH THE DOLDRUMS, WE SHOULD MAINTAIN SOME KEY PERSPECTIVES ON LIFE.
Caleb’s positive attitude changed his outlook on those things which sometimes rob our life of joy, it will change ours too.
1. To sail through the doldrums, remember the presence, the power, and the promises of God.
Caleb knew God was with them on the threshold of the promised land. When it came time to cross the Jordan, God wouldn’t be standing on the bank waving to them as they invaded the land alone. He would be with them.
Caleb knew God had the might to bring them into the land. The very existence of Israel, free from the slavery of Egypt, testified to that power.
He knew God had said He would bring them into the land. One writer has said, “Caleb was brave among cowards, assured among skeptics.” God’s promise was enough to fill him with confidence.
For the Christian, a positive attitude is not simply a matter of wishful thinking; it is rooted in what we know about God and his faithfulness.
When we think of the promises of God, we can approach the future with “a different spirit.” Think about this. Those who have a secular worldview, who reject the Christian worldview say one of two things about the future: Things are going to get better or things are going to get worse. (The apocalyptic stories of a lot of modern science fiction seem to take the second position.) At the same time, those who hold the Christian worldview, depending upon their approach to the End Times, say one of two things about the future: Things are going to get better or things are going to get worse—before they get better.
Knowing the God who has our good in mind is with us, can keep us sailing.
2. To sail through the doldrums, reject the hyper-negativity of those with no vision.
Four decades after the tragic rejection of Caleb and Joshua’s minority report the wiry old general would recall: “…my brethren [the ten spies] who went up with me made the heart of the people melt….”
Few things are as contagious as negativism. Someone paraphrased Kipling’s famous observation: “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, you obviously don’t know what’s going on.”
Caleb's attitude was not born out of denial. He knew there were giants in the land. He knew the cities were well fortified. He knew the enemy would have the "home field advantage." But he was so positive about the promises of God that he didn't mind standing in the minority.
By the way, notice this. After all those years, he refers to the ten spies as “my brethren.” He may not have agreed with them. Their attitudes may have cost him a lot of shoe leather as he wandered around the wilderness. But he never forgot they had a fundamental relationship; even more so do you have a relationship with your fellow believers, even if they lack vision. Only by keeping that relationship in mind can you hope to help them see what you see.
Historically, a ship caught in the doldrums could very soon have serious trouble as supplies of food and fresh water began to run low. Getting out of the doldrums sometimes meant the crew had to lower their rowing boats and tow the ship to wherever there was sufficient wind. No single sailor could do this. It required the effort of the whole crew. While we admire Caleb and Joshua for being willing to stand against the majority, we should remember going it alone isn’t the ideal. Don’t recklessly disregard the strength and support you may find in the community of faith.
3. To sail through the doldrums, reject unproductive comparisons.
Both Caleb and Joshua gave positive reports about the land. Yet it was Joshua who became Moses’ lieutenant, Joshua who became the leader of the people after the death of Moses. Caleb could have become bitter. He did not.
Some of the most miserable people I know are those who are always comparing themselves to others, especially if others receive recognition for some effort. They envy the spotlight falling on others. These people easily get bogged down in bitterness.
4. To sail through the doldrums, be willing to let others shine.. (Judges 1:11-15)
In an arid land water was crucial. It showed great trust to give the springs to his daughter and her husband.
Some family patriarchs just can't let go. Of business. Of the kitchen. They fail to see how affirming trust and responsibility can be.
5. To sail through the doldrums, take delight in helping other win.
Caleb had helped others win their land. He didn’t say, “First, I’ll get my mountain then I’ll help others.” He gave himself to others before going out to win his piece of the promised land.
Caleb’s generosity was further demonstrated when he gave Hebron to be one of the Levitical cities.
Self-centeredness is one of the ugliest traits and it can leave us stuck in the doldrums.
CONCLUSION
Allow me to make a couple final points. Depression can sometimes masquerade as a stint in the doldrums. There may be times when nothing you do helps you set sail again. At times like that you may need some professional help. Be glad it’s available.
Caleb’s story is sometimes held up as an example for senior adults. Certainly it is, but it’s more. His story is a story of how to finish your life but it’s also a story of how to begin your life.
Caleb’s life is an example of how young and old should live for God: Live all out. But keep in mind, the Bible assures us that a gracious God allows us to make mid-course corrections, to enter into a relationship with him even if we ignored his claims for years.
Then, with God’s help our lives will be transformed, we can sail out of the doldrums.
