Sabbath: Giants of Faith: Joshua and Caleb
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 15th of November 2025
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Numbers 13:6,30-32; Joshua 14:6-14; Luke 18:1-5; Joshua 19:49-51; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 12:1-2.
Memory Text: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7, ESV).
Every parent knows that their children learn by example, don’t they? How many parents have fretted over seeing their children follow their bad traits instead of their good ones? Whatever our age, we find it easier to do wrong than to do right. It’s just part of what it means to be fallen beings. “For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Romans 7:15, NKJV). Who can’t relate?
From birth, humans are shaped by the power of example. We learn to do the most basic things in life—such as walking, talking, and expressing our emotions—by imitating those closest to us. As adults, we still need role models, and even if they are not perfect, we can admire and emulate those spiritual traits that made them giants of faith.
This week, we will take a deeper look into the personal examples of two giants of faith in the book of Joshua: Caleb and Joshua. What is it that made them stand out in their generation and play a key role in the life of God’s people during one of the most crucial periods of Israel’s history?
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 22.
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Those of us who have a rear vison mirror, and use it while moving forward are sometimes surprised at what we see behind us and how they affect us now.My current interest in bird photography started as a teenager with a church pastor who nurtured my interest in photography when all I had was a Kodak Box Brownie. (I still have one by the way). My interest in combining science and faith stems from my Physics and Chemistry Lecturers at Avondale. We buried my old Physics teacher a couple of weeks ago, and I remembered how often he would ask the question, “Have you ever thought about this?”, and he would then initiate a discussion that was both challenging and affirming.
In a sense these folk open my vision of God. I owe a great deal to them for providing me with a framework to build my faith. We often talk about the work of the Holy Spirit, but sometimes we forget that the Holy Spirit works through people. God is not visible, We cannot detect him with perturbations in the measurements of scientific instruments, but we can see him in the actions of people who have a relationship with him.
Jesus had this little conversation with Phillip:
And by extension, it is our responsibility to reveal the love of God so they too can see the Father.
This week we look at the leadership of Joshua and Caleb, and maybe we can discover what made them “giants of faith”.
“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night…Then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”(Joshua 1:8–9, NKJV)
How can one possibly become a faith giant like Joshua and Caleb?
1. Becoming a faith giant is a life-long journey. Giants of faith grow gradually as they practice faith and obedience on small things first. “He who is faithful in little will be faithful in much.” (Luke 16:10 ).
2. Giants of faith see their circumstance through the eyes of God and not human eyes. Joshua and Caleb saw God, while the other spies saw giants in the land. Things totally change when we see them from God’s perspective.
3. Giants of faith fix their hearts completely loyal to God. The Bibles says that Caleb had “another spirit… and followed the LORD fully.” (Numbers 14:24). These giants are not part-time believers, but they follow God wholly.
4. Giants of faith take courage and strength from God’s promises. “I will be with you.” (Joshua 1:5). “Be strong and courageous.”( Joshua 1:9). Without God all human beings are like “grasshoppers” before the enemy.
5. Faith giants always stand firm regardless of what the crowd might say. Joshua and Caleb stood against an entire nation (Numbers 14) to the point of putting their personal lives in danger.
6. Faith giants are giants of patience. Joshua faithfully served Moses for 40 years and Caleb waited 45years before he inherited Hebron (Joshua 14). Faith grows through waiting and not through rushing things.
7. Giants of faith are people of hope. They have a sense of mission knowing that they are part of something bigger. They live beyond self. They are mission minded.
”And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God”(Hebrews 11:9-10).
Joshua and Caleb stand out not because of naive optimism; but settled assurance that God does exactly what He says. Their faith in God made them stand tall among the great figures in the Scripture, their courage flowed not from themselves but from confidence they had in God and His promises. The boldness of character was a trust that led them to the promised land of inheritance (Gen. 12:1–4). The two men looked beyond what their eyes could see and anchored themselves in the faithfulness of the Lord.Their bravery easily centered on God who created heaven and earth. They choose to rely on God's strength and skill when it mattered most, they declared like David believed that the battle belonged to the Lord (1 Sam. 17:45–47). Joshua and Caleb were convicted that God would conquer the land not because Israel was strong, but because God had pledged His presence and power.
Their stance demonstrates that genuine courage grows from trusting God rather than measuring circumstances through human limitations. Their faith-filled courage was notoriusly costly but also risky from human perspective. Just as the prophets were opposed for speaking God’s truth Joshua and caleb took a risky path against public opinion and common sense of their time (Jer. 26:8–11) Joshua and Caleb risked and choose to face hostility for confronting the people’s fear and rebellion. Their example teaches us that courageous faith on God’s promises and willing to stand for truth even when it provokes resistance is a neccesity in our Christian life. In this way, they join the long line of those who lived and sometimes suffered to become giants of faith (Heb. 11).
After a super-tight week of activities, it's beautiful to return and find these great leaders - Caleb and Joshua. They not only represent faith in God and total trust in His will and might but also lived lives as an offering to God, embodying hope and bravery.
When the Israelites worriedly murmured about their fear of the "mighty" men of Canaan, comparing themselves as the scripture says Moses and Aaron were shattered (Numbers 14:5). The people had doubted God, even preferring Egypt, and demanded a new leader to take them back (Numbers 14:4).
There are people among us who change the atmosphere in a room. Their presence brings hope and vibrance, a glow that brightens sombre moments and provokes nostalgia. They see things from the bright side, speaking with firm, positive, and hopeful confidence in God's promise and victory. This rare gift was evident in Joshua and Caleb, who stood firm despite facing an assembly ready to stone them for their views (Numbers 14:6-10).
This week, let's revisit their spirit of faith and positivity, trusting in God's love and blessing as we learn from these heroes of faith and hope - Caleb and Joshua.