Jesus and the Rabid Dog

A whole gaggle of spies were sent into Canaan very early on in Israel’s wilderness wanderings – to spy out the land and to bring a report back to Moses. Of those, only two believed that, despite the giants and the walled towns, the nation should go in and possess the land which the Lord their God had given to them for a possession for themselves and their heirs forever. Those two spies were named Joshua and Caleb.

Because the pessimistic, unbelieving majority of spies influenced the decision of the whole nation to unbelief, God turned them all aside and they wandered in the wilderness of Sin for 40 years. Furthermore, God swore that none of those perverse, unbelieving, wayward, stiff-necked rebels who would not go in to possess the land earlier should ever set so much as one foot there. Only two would make the trip.

What arouses my interest so much is the meaning of their names. Joshua means “Yahweh saves” or “Saviour”, and Caleb translates “raging with canine madness.” What an absolutely wonderful picture of how Christ Himself goes with us to sanctify us from our rabid delirium, our spiritual insanity, and to make our every report pleasing to God. For we are the sweet savour of Christ to God amongst those who are being saved, and amongst those who are perishing. It is not we who smell sweetly to God, but Jesus Christ in us, Jesus as part of us, Jesus joined to us, as Joshua was to Caleb.

God allowed those two self-same spies who had brought encouragement, exhortation and faith in God with their report years earlier - these He allowed to enter the Promised Land. Joshua, the “Saviour”, and Caleb, the “rabid dog” with whom he travelled.

How the name of Caleb reminds me of the “old nature” tagging along in me as Jesus works His sanctifying miracle in my own heart. This body of death still contains that insane, sin-loving, irrational, venal being who I was – it is tied to Christ in me, dragged around like a carcass chained to His leg, putrid, rotting, smelly. Yet Christ has undertaken and worked upon His cross to suffer that putrefaction in me, to redeem me altogether from that psychopathic living death by walking in me and fashioning there a new man. It is a man after God’s own heart; a man with the mind of Christ, because that man is Christ in me.

Early in my salvation Christ went with me into the Promised Land and showed me the giants and the great cities, the armies and the chariots of the enemy. I would have fled, but He brought me back and gave a good report with me. He showed me the fruits and grains, the honey and the milk flowing abundantly, and bid me see those things, too. Then He committed me to this. “You will trust God for victory”, said the Saviour, “Because I went with you and I am with you still; my thoughts shall be your thoughts and my ways shall be your ways, for we have seen the Promised Land together and together we shall enter it.”

Since that time, I have wandered in that wretched wilderness of Sin on account of my own disobedience. It has been necessary to suffer the death of those reluctances and rebellions, those mistrusts and disbeliefs that would not depend upon God. But as the time approaches to enter my inheritance rest in Him, to close upon that spiritual warfare within and without which will claim for Christ that land of promise – then He goes forth with me again.

Onward to victory through trust in the promises of God. No matter how things look, no matter circumstance, no matter giants, great walled citadels, and fierce armies - come what may - I have reported favourably to and with my Master, and we are committed. Joshua the “Saviour” and Caleb the “raging canine madness” which was me, and still would be me - apart from His grace and love.