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Joshua 13 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh said to him, “You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed. 2 This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites;
(Then God extensively enumerates all the cities and peoples that Israel had yet to conquer.
Joshua 14 6 Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning [b]you and me in Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people [c]melt with fear; but I followed Yahweh my God fully. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever because you have followed Yahweh my God fully.’ 10 So now behold, Yahweh has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; so now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 12 So now, give me this hill country about which Yahweh spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps Yahweh will be with me, and I will dispossess them as Yahweh has spoken.”
If you paid attention to the two characters we just read about, Joshua and Caleb, you’ll note some things that they had in common with each other, and maybe with you this morning; 1. They were both old. 2. They had both lived lives faithfully before the Lord. Both were in Egypt, both saw God’s power, both were sent as spies and brought back a minority good report about entering the land of Canaan. 3. Last thing, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, 7 years conquering the land of Canaan, they both still had work to do, even though they were old. Can you guess what he sermon today is about?
I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at those lawn mowing videos, where a guy goes and donates his services to people whose yards are overgrown with grass, weeds, brush, bushes, vines, and small trees. They speed up the video. Sometimes takes multiple days. I can’t imagine doing that. No pay, sometimes no gratitude. I imagine what would be most discouraging to me For me, the most discouraging point in that task would be half-way through. You’ve made so much progress, but it took a lot of sweat and effort. The size of the job is huge.
And I suspect the second most discouraging thing, for me, would be my own bodily weakness. Am I really attempting this at 60?
Have you ever had a huge task in front of you? Have you ever gotten discouraged or given up on completing that task? Have you ever felt as though you were too old to start something new?
But I’m here to tell you today, that like Joshua and Caleb, there is still a Godly work for you to do. What? Well I made this list.
Here are worthwhile spiritual, godly, biblical tasks that Scripture consistently presents as never wasted, even when they feel slow, heavy, or unfinished:
These are not tasks we abandon simply because they are hard, long, or unfinished. They are worthwhile because God assigned them, and perseverance in them is itself an act of worship.
Well, that introduction helps us understand the next two lessons we learn from the book of Joshua.
There are two verses that summarize where we are going today.
Joshua 13:1 — “There remains very much land yet to be possessed.”
Joshua 14:12 — “Now therefore give
me this mountain…”
SERMON TITLE:
“Tests of Success: Persevering When the Work Is Long & Believing When You Are Old”
Prayer
The sermon today is really about what tests us, when we are older. But these tests really come at any age. The Test of Perseverance: the story of Joshua with a large task still ahead of him. The Test of Enduring Faith -Caleb- will he let his age dictate his belief in God’s promises.
Let’s start with the test of perseverance and the story of Joshua.
I. Setting
Continuing the work when there’s still much land to possess.
As we come to Joshua 13, it helps to remember the journey we have been tracing through this book and the many tests of faith that confronted Israel along the way. We have seen the Test of True Success, learning that victory is defined by obedience, not appearances; the Test of Humility in Rahab, where God honored faith from the most unlikely place; the Test of Faith in Action, as Israel had to step into the Jordan before the waters parted; the Test of Submission, bowing before the Commander of the Lord’s army; and the Test of Obedience, following God’s strange and humanly illogical instructions at Jericho. We have also watched Israel fail and learn through the Test of Integrity with Achan, the Test of Repentance at Ai, the Test of Discernment with the Gibeonites, and the Test of Faith in the Impossible, believing that God could even make the sun stand still. All of those tests brought Israel to this point—real victories behind them, undeniable evidence of God’s power, and yet unfinished work still ahead—setting the stage for the sobering words of Joshua 13:1, where faith is no longer tested by dramatic moments, but by perseverance to the end.
We’re really only going to look at one verse in chapter 13. Verse 1
Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh said to him, “You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.” The rest of the chapter, and part way into chapter 14 is just a long list of what territory still remains to be conquered. The Lord carefully delineates the names of of the conquered territories but also the unconquered regions—from the Philistine territories along the coast, through the northern lands of Lebanon and Mount Hermon—It’s a very long list, probably an overwhelming list.
2 This is the land that remains: all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites; 3 from the Shihor which is [a]east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite 4 [b]to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite; 5 and the land of the Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, to the east toward the sunrise, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as [c]Lebo-hamath.
And on and on it goes. 6 All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon as far as Misrephoth-maim, … the Sidonians,
13 But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites;
After reading this long section, it makes me think of that lawn-mowing job. I’ve been pushing a mower, running a weedwhacker, using gardening shears and hedge clippers from sun up to late in the day, and I look over this mess of a lot, and it just looks like a bad hair cut. And it is so easy to get discouraged.
For many older Christians, discouragement does not come from open rebellion or sudden failure, but from the quiet realization that so much of life’s spiritual work still feels unfinished. You look at your children and even your grandchildren and wonder why, after all your prayers and efforts, they still seem far from the Lord. You look at your church and see fewer people, fewer resources, and a constant struggle just to stay faithful and afloat rather than thriving. Your marriage, once full of urgency and momentum, now feels routine and ordinary, marked more by endurance than excitement. Even daily life can feel heavy—keeping up with the house, the yard, your health, and simple responsibilities takes more energy than it used to. The temptation is to believe that this season means the meaningful work is behind you, that your best obedience is already spent. Yet Scripture reminds us that unfinished work is not a sign of wasted years, but of ongoing calling, and that faithfulness in this later season may look less dramatic, but is no less precious in the sight of God.
Let’s look at that verse.
Now Joshua was old, advanced in years, and Yahweh said to him, “You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.
Let’s break it down.
A. Now Joshua was old, advanced in years,
How old was he? We don’t know for sure. In chapter 14, Caleb’s age is given as 85. But all we know for sure is that Joshua was an adult when he left Egypt, that he wandered with the children of Israel for 40 years in the wilderness, and it took 7 years for them to conquer Canaan. The fact that it says he was old, advanced in years, would imply that he is likely the same age or older than Caleb. He has to be 85+. He could be 90, or some commentators place him closer to 100. He dies at 110.
B. and Yahweh said to him, “You are old, advanced in years,
Thanks for noticing.
C. and very much of the land remains to be possessed.
You are old, and there is still a big job to do. There were still enemies to vanquish, cities to conquer. But it means more than that. They may have conquered the land, but they didn’t yet entirely possess the land. They had a strong hold on the land, but it needed to be settled. They couldn’t remain this huge cluster of tent dwelling people in the center of the country. They needed to split up by tribe. Go to their allotted regions, build cities, roads, plant crops, build defenses, engage in commerce. There was still a lot of work to do. And the main work that God had for Joshua was dividing the land among the tribes. But I think there are some things implied in what God says to Joshua and to us.
“You are old, advanced in years, and very much of the land remains to be possessed.
Three implications:
A. God wasn’t done with Joshua.
Even though Joshua was old and well-stricken in age. Even though he was 85+, God still had a job for him to do. He takes down God’s instruction about where every tribe is to settle, and gets with them to tell them. In fact that’s all chapters 15 through 21 are. Let me give you a taste. This is very exciting reading.
Now the lot for the tribe of the sons of Judah according to their families [a]reached the border of Edom, southward to the wilderness of Zin at the far end toward the south. 2 And their south border was from the lower end of the Salt Sea, from the bay that turns to the south. 3 Then it went out southward to the ascent of Akrabbim and passed on to Zin and went up by the south of Kadesh-barnea and continued to Hezron and went up to Addar and turned about to Karka. 4 And it passed on to Azmon and went out to the [b]brook of Egypt, and the [c]border ended at the sea. This shall be your south border. 5 And the east border was the Salt Sea, as far as the [d]mouth of the Jordan. And the border of the north side was from the bay of the sea at the [e]mouth of the Jordan. 6 Then the border went up to Beth-hoglah and passed by on the north of Beth-arabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben. 7 Then the border went up to Debir from the valley of Achor and turned northward toward Gilgal which is opposite the ascent of Adummim, which is on the south of the valley; and the border continued to the waters of En-shemesh and [f]it ended at En-rogel. 8 Then the border went up the valley of Ben-hinnom to the slope of the Jebusite on the south (that is, Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain which is before the valley of Hinnom to the west, which is at the end of the valley of Rephaim toward the north.
He surveyed and distributed the land. He also lays out cities of refuge, a part of their criminal justice system. He has to continue judging in matters of conflict between tribes. In other words, whether he is 85 or 100, God still has a job for him.
Isn’t that a lesson for us? You say, but I can’t do what I used to do. Who says that you are supposed to. What are the two great commandments in the law? Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Is there any neighbor near you who can be loved? You’ve still got work to do. Well, I’m by myself. I can’t go and do. Have you become perfect in loving the Lord with all your heart soul mind and strength? No, then there’s more you can do and learn.
B. Victories do not equal completion.
The big battles were won, but the small battles remained. Joshua had led them in the conquest of the major powers of Canaan. But we will learn from the history of Israel, that victory is never settled. Enemies remained in the land. A lawn mowed today is never finished. You have to keep mowing it. Keep the weeds and trees at bay.
C. The land was promised but not possessed.
They had title deed—but not occupation. Promise—but not fulfillment. Potential—but not completion.
2. The Principle Today — Success Brings New Assignments, Not Rest
God didn’t say: “Well done, Joshua, relax now.” He said: “I gave you success… now steward it. Finish the work. Keep going.” The danger of success is complacency. People think: “Someone else will finish it.” “My season is over.” “I’ve done enough.” But spiritual success always requires perseverance.
This test shows up clearly in our lives today in the areas that matter most. Marriage is not won at the wedding altar; it is possessed one day at a time through faithful love, forgiveness, and perseverance. Parenting is not finished simply because children grow older—faithful parents continue to labor, pray, and hope until the work God has entrusted to them is fully formed, even when the results are slow. Ministry is never truly “done,” because there are always more people to disciple, more prayers to pray, and more souls in need of truth and care. Spiritual growth follows the same pattern: you may see victory over one sin, only to discover another area of life that still needs surrender and obedience. And the same is true of dreams and callings—many people quit too early, mistaking delay or difficulty for denial, when in reality they may be only one chapter away from what God has promised to do through steady, faithful perseverance.
Joshua’s test was perseverance. Caleb’s test was faith that endures—not for a moment, but for a lifetime.
The lesson from Caleb is going to sound very similar to that of Joshua at this point.
POINT 2 — THE TEST OF ENDURING FAITH (Joshua 14)
Never being too old to claim God’s promises, like Caleb.
You say, but we just talked about Joshua being old. Yes, but the test was, will you let the quantity of work ahead of you discourage you from doing what God called you to. God laid out all the work left to do in front of Joshua. Joshua could have said, “Hey, I’ve served my time. Let someone else step in. I can’t go out in battle the way I used to, so since I can’t do what I used to do, I won’t do anything.” But God says, “there’s lots of work to be done that doesn’t require a sword; get at it.”
The lesson from Caleb is a shade different.
1. The Story Behind the Point
6 Then the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning [b]you and me in Kadesh-barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people [c]melt with fear; but I followed Yahweh my God fully. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever because you have followed Yahweh my God fully.’ 10 So now behold, Yahweh has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; so now behold, I am eighty-five years old today. 11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in.
Caleb’s story is a little different. It tells us that Joshua was old and well-stricken in years. That phrase is usually associated, not necessarily exclusively with advanced years, but a loss of vitality and strength. Joshua couldn’t do what he used to do. But that’s not Caleb. He tells us that he is 85, and that he is still as strong today as he was forty + years earlier. He can still wield the sword. He is a man of battle and God has blessed him in that his vitality hasn’t waned.
But what is the temptation? What is the test? The temptation is to think that your best days are behind you. That there are no new adventures, conquests, lessons, or herculean tasks ahead. I think that is an especially easy temptation for us to succumb to.
For an older believer, this test often shows up quietly in everyday life. You may no longer have the physical energy you once did, or the freedom to serve in the same visible ways, and the temptation creeps in to believe that your most meaningful contributions are already behind you. You stop volunteering for new ministries because you assume younger people should take the lead. You hesitate to start a new Bible study, mentor a younger couple, or step into a hard conversation because it feels like a young person’s work. You may tell yourself that learning something new—whether it’s technology, a new ministry role, or even a deeper understanding of Scripture—is unnecessary at this stage. The danger isn’t physical limitation; it’s spiritual resignation. Like Joshua, you may feel the weight of years and think the work is winding down, when in reality God may still have new lessons to teach, new people to influence, and new battles to fight—not always with strength of body, but with wisdom, faith, and perseverance that only years of walking with Him can produce.
He could have decided to expend his great energy building his own comfort. Give me my retirement. Why go to all this trouble with war. Let the youngsters do that.
But listen to Caleb.
11 I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 12 So now, give me this hill country about which Yahweh spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps Yahweh will be with me, and I will dispossess them as Yahweh has spoken.”
When Caleb speaks these words, he is not asking for an easy retirement or a quiet corner of the land; he is deliberately requesting one of the hardest assignments still remaining. The hill country he asks for is the very region that once terrified Israel forty years earlier, a land dominated by the Anakim—giants in reputation and strength—surrounded by large, fortified cities that had previously caused the people’s hearts to melt in fear. Caleb remembers that day clearly, not with bitterness, but with faith, because he had believed God’s promise then and still believes it now.
It's kind of amazing to think about. The very people that frightened the Children of Israel away from entering the Promised Land to start with, Caleb wants to take them on. I was also thinking about something. They had been conquering the land for 7 years. Why hadn’t these Anakim been taken out by now?
First, the Anakim lived in the hill country, an area with natural defenses and heavily fortified cities (Joshua 11:21–22; 14:12). The initial conquest focused on breaking the power of the major coalitions and kings, not immediately rooting out every entrenched stronghold. Second, God’s strategy in Joshua was never to eliminate every enemy at once; He often left pockets of resistance to be dealt with later by the individual tribes as they took possession of their inheritance (Joshua 13:1; Judges 2:21–23). Third, the Anakim had already been partially defeated under Joshua’s leadership (Joshua 11:21), but remnants remained specifically in regions like Hebron—territory assigned to Judah, not to the central command. In other words, the delay was not failure, but design: God had reserved this particular challenge for the right person at the right time. The giants that once caused fear in the whole nation were left so that a faithful old man—who trusted God forty-five years earlier—could finally face them, showing that what once stopped God’s people entirely could later be overcome through persevering faith.
At eighty-five years old, he does not measure the task by his age or by the size of the enemy, but by the faithfulness of the Lord who spoke. His words, “perhaps Yahweh will be with me,” are not doubt, but humility—an acknowledgment that victory depends entirely on God’s presence, not human strength. Caleb’s request shows a faith that has not cooled with time: he is still willing to face danger, still trusting God to keep His word, and still eager to claim what was promised long ago, proving that true faith does not retire but presses forward until every promise of God is fulfilled.
2. The Principle — Faith Has No Expiration Date
Many Christians believe God for big things when they’re young……but stop believing in old age.
Caleb teaches us: You don’t age out of God’s promises. If God gave you a promise at 40, it still belongs to you at 80. Caleb’s faith didn’t shrink with time. It grew with time.
3. Applications: Where We Need Enduring Faith
A. When you feel too old for ministry.
B. When your body weakens.
C. When dreams seem delayed.
D. When you feel overlooked.
E. When the mountain looks too hard.
Giants don’t scare people who have history with God.
In 2011, Fauja Singh, an 88-year-old man with no shortcuts, no special treatment, and no youthful strength, completed a full marathon—26.2 miles—step by deliberate step. He didn’t run fast, and he didn’t try to impress anyone; in fact, many runners half his age passed him early on. But hour after hour, mile after mile, he kept going while others quit, cramped up, or never even made it to the starting line. When reporters later asked him how he managed to finish at such an advanced age, his answer was disarmingly simple: “I never stopped believing I could finish. And I kept moving my feet.” That’s the kind of perseverance Scripture commends—not flashy, not dramatic, but faithful. Like Caleb and Joshua, the lesson isn’t about strength returning or obstacles disappearing; it’s about refusing to stop simply because the road is long and the body is tired. God does not call His people to sprint to the finish, but to keep moving forward in faith until the race He set before them is complete.
As we come to the close, the question is simple but searching: what is God saying to you right now? What unfinished land has He placed before you—perhaps a ministry you’ve stepped away from, a calling you’ve set aside, a habit He’s been urging you to break, a relationship that needs restoration, or a dream you quietly assumed would never be completed? And what “mountain” have you given up on—an old prayer request you stopped praying, a vision that once stirred your heart, a promise from God you’ve allowed to fade, or a burden He placed on you long ago that still hasn’t gone away? Finally, how does God want you to finish? Not weak, not drifting, not retired from spiritual battles, but finishing with the spirit of Caleb—still trusting God, still moving forward, and still able to say in faith, “Give me this mountain.”
CLOSING PRAYER
“Lord,
give us Joshua’s perseverance and Caleb’s faith. Help us continue when the work
is unfinished.
Help us believe when
the years grow long. May we never retire from Your promises or Your call. Make
us men and women who finish well, who claim every bit of land You have for us, and
who live with a faith that endures to the very end. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”