Overview
The official SDA Sabbath School lesson for November 15–21, 2025, entitled “Giants of Faith: Joshua and Caleb,” presents Joshua and Caleb primarily as moral exemplars whose courage, humility, and obedience are to be imitated by believers today. Drawing heavily from Numbers 13–14 and Joshua 14–19, the lesson highlights themes familiar in Adventist pedagogy: sanctification-through-beholding, imitation of human leaders, and the idea that transformation comes by gazing at spiritual “heroes.” The memory text, Hebrews 13:7, is interpreted in a way that reinforces this emphasis “remember your leaders and imitate their faith” which the lesson then layers with Ellen White commentary to give it the distinct Adventist flavor. In essence, the overall vibe of the material is: “Look at Joshua and Caleb, copy their example, and Ellen White confirms this approach.” Yet from a Former Adventist Philippines (FAP) perspective, this raises critical theological questions: is the Christian life truly grounded in imitating human figures, or is it centered on Christ Himself as the author and finisher of faith (Heb. 12:2)? By elevating Joshua and Caleb as paradigms of sanctification, the lesson risks reducing biblical narrative into moralistic hero-worship rather than pointing to God’s covenantal faithfulness. Moreover, the Adventist tendency to sprinkle Ellen White’s writings as interpretive seasoning reveals the underlying dependence on extra-biblical authority, subtly shifting the focus from Christ’s sufficiency to denominational distinctives. Thus, while the lesson celebrates courage and obedience, the FAP commentary insists that the true “giants of faith” are not human models to be copied but testimonies of God’s grace, reminding us of that Scripture’s ultimate trajectory is Christ-centered, not human-centered.
FAP Response
A. Faithfulness vs. Fear (Num. 13–14)
Joshua and Caleb’s stance in Numbers 13–14 is often portrayed in the SDA lesson as a model of extraordinary human courage, but the deeper theological reality is that their confidence did not arise from their own obedience or moral superiority. When the rest of Israel collapsed in fear “like cheap lawn chairs,” Joshua and Caleb stood firm because they were anchored in God’s covenant promise (Num. 14:24; cf. 23:19). The lesson rightly highlights their bravery but blurs the line by overemphasizing imitation of human example, as though the key to victory is simply copying the heroes of faith. In truth, Joshua and Caleb were not moral superheroes they were ordinary believers banking on the reliability of God’s Word. Their faith was not introspective, rooted in their own resolve, but outward-looking, grounded in the unchanging character of Yahweh who cannot lie. This distinction is crucial: biblical faith is never self-referential but covenantal, resting on God’s promises rather than human performance. The SDA approach risks moralizing the narrative into “be like Joshua and Caleb,” whereas the theological punch is “trust the God of Joshua and Caleb.” The story is not about human greatness but divine faithfulness, reminding us of that faithfulness triumphs over fear only when it looks away from self and toward the God who fulfills His word.
B. “Following Fully”: Not an SDA Sanctification Marathon
The SDA lesson interprets Caleb’s “wholehearted obedience” as a prescriptive model for believers, suggesting that God’s promises are conditional upon resolute human effort. This framing easily slides into the familiar Adventist treadmill of sanctification-as-performance, where divine blessings are portrayed as rewards for sustained obedience rather than gifts of grace. But the biblical narrative itself tells a different story. Caleb’s inheritance was not earned by his obedience; it was secured by God’s oath. Deuteronomy 1:36 explicitly states that Caleb received the land because God had already sworn to give it, not because he had accumulated merit through his actions. Romans 4:21 reinforces this principle: God’s promises are self-fulfilling precisely because He Himself brings them to pass. Caleb’s obedience was evidence of faith, not the mechanism of reward. The theological punch here is that faith rests on God’s covenant faithfulness, not on human resolve. To read Caleb as a moral superhero whose “wholehearted following” unlocked divine blessing is to misplace the emphasis, turning grace into a transaction. The real difference is this: obedience flows from trust in God’s promise, but the promise itself stands secure because of God’s unchanging word. In other words, Caleb was not climbing a sanctification marathon to earn his inheritance; he was simply walking in the assurance of what God had already guaranteed.
C. The Example Trap
One of the recurring tendencies in the SDA lesson is to place heavy weight on human examples, turning even secondary figures like Achsah into mini‑heroes of faith. While her story in Joshua 15 is indeed interesting, the Old Testament is not meant to function as a gallery of motivational posters where believers simply pick a character and try to copy their virtues. Scripture’s narrative arc consistently points beyond the human actors to Christ Himself, the true and better Joshua who brings His people into the ultimate rest (Heb. 4:8–10). The danger of the Adventist approach is that it often slips into moralism: “See a good example → try harder → become better.” This formula reduces the gospel to self‑effort and imitation, as though transformation were achieved by human resolve. But the biblical pattern is radically different: “See Christ → trust Him → the Spirit transforms you.” Joshua and Caleb, Achsah, and others are not moral superheroes to be emulated for their own sake; they are witnesses to God’s covenant faithfulness, signposts pointing forward to Christ. To miss this Christ‑centered trajectory is to fall into the trap of moralistic hero‑worship, where the believer’s gaze is fixed inward on performance rather than outward on the sufficiency of Christ. The real theological punch is that transformation flows not from copying examples but from beholding the glory of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18), where the Spirit changes us into His likeness. Thus, the lesson’s emphasis on imitation risks obscuring the gospel’s power, turning narratives into moral checklists instead of testimonies of grace fulfilled in Christ.
D. Joshua’s Humility: Good, but Don’t Miss the Typology
Here’s a fuller, more developed version of your commentary section, expanded into a longer apologetic paragraph with theological depth:
Joshua’s decision to receive his inheritance last, after all the tribes had been settled, is indeed a beautiful display of humility but its significance goes far beyond mere leadership principles or moral lessons. The SDA lesson tends to flatten this moment into a kind of “life coaching” takeaway about servant leadership, but the biblical narrative is far richer when read typologically. Joshua, whose very name means “Yahweh saves” and who functions as the mediator of Israel’s entry into the promised land, prefigures Christ Himself—the One who, though equal with God, humbled Himself to serve and became obedient unto death (Phil. 2:5–11). Just as Joshua waited until all the people had received their inheritance before claiming his own, so Christ laid aside His glory, took the form of a servant, and secured the inheritance of His people before entering into His exaltation. This is not simply a moral example to imitate but a Christ-centered typology that points us to the gospel: the true and better Joshua who leads His people into eternal rest (Heb. 4:8–10). To reduce Joshua’s humility to a leadership principle is to miss the theological depth of the text. Typology is not motivational poster material—it is God’s way of weaving Christ into the fabric of redemptive history, showing us that the story is ultimately about Him, not about us trying harder to be humble leaders.
E. “Changed by Beholding”: SDA Version vs. Biblical Version
FAP Theological Conclusion
Joshua and Caleb stand out in the biblical narrative as giants of faith, not because they possessed elite spiritual discipline or extraordinary moral stamina, but because they trusted the God who keeps covenant. Their courage in the face of overwhelming opposition was rooted in confidence that Yahweh’s promises are unbreakable, not in their own ability to perform. The SDA lesson, however, unintentionally shifts the spotlight from God’s faithfulness to human performance, echoing the old Investigative Judgment mindset that whispers: “Be heroic enough and God will honor you.” This moralistic framing risks turning the story into a sanctification treadmill, where the believer’s worth is measured by output rather than by trust in God’s Word. The biblical witness flips this paradigm entirely: God is the hero, Christ is the fulfillment, and faith is simply resting in His promises. Transformation is the Spirit’s work, not a grindset of incremental perfection. Joshua and Caleb were not prototypes of a last‑day remnant who proved themselves worthy through obedience; they were living testimonies of God’s unwavering fidelity to His covenant people. Their story points us away from human imitation and toward divine reliability. In other words, the lesson is not “copy their moral output,” but “share their trust in the God who saves.” The true theological punch is that the inheritance of God’s people is secured not by heroic obedience but by covenant faithfulness fulfilled in Christ, who is Himself the greater Joshua leading His people into eternal rest (Heb. 4:8–10).
Reflection for Former Adventists
Alright fam let’s get real. When you’ve lived under Adventism, lessons like this hit differently because the framework you were taught always sounded the same: “Be like the faithful ones. Try harder. Believe harder. Obey harder. Follow fully like Caleb.” That drumbeat of performance shaped the way you read every biblical story as if the point was to grind for holiness and prove yourself worthy of God’s promises. But once you step outside that system, the text opens up with fresh eyes. Joshua and Caleb are not calling you to a sanctification marathon; they are bearing witness to the God who keeps covenant. Their faith was not about flawless loyalty or heroic obedience but about resting in the promise of Yahweh, the same promise Hebrews reminds us Joshua himself could not ultimately provide, because only Christ can bring His people into true rest (Heb. 4:8–10). For former Adventists, this is liberating: you don’t inherit the land by being whole‑hearted enough, you don’t secure God’s promises by proving yourself like a spy mission in Canaan, and you don’t grind your way into holiness through endless effort. You simply receive grace from the One who has already secured everything on your behalf. Joshua and Caleb’s story is not about the heroics of the few but about God’s unwavering fidelity to His covenant people despite the failures of the many. That’s the gospel trajectory God is the hero, Christ is the fulfillment, and the Spirit is the one who transforms. So, breathe deeply, rest freely, and let the faithfulness of God not the example of humans be the anchor of your soul.
Former Adventists Philippines
“Freed by the Gospel. Firm in the Word.”
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