Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.” 13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.—Joshua 14:6-14
I stopped in the midst of my reading today to think on the life of Caleb, whose name means “dog”. If I am honest, I have always felt that he got short-changed in the name department, and I love dogs. But now that I think about it...maybe he didn’t.
A good dog is single-minded, obedient, faithful, loyal and brave. His heart, body and “spirit”...I know that is a stretch...are wholly focused on his Master. And that was Caleb in a nutshell.
Caleb was one of the 12 spies selected by Moses to spy out the land. Of the 12, only he and Joshua brought back a positive report. The other 10 were overcome by fear, desiring to return to Egypt rather than obey God and take possession of the land. Caleb, on the other hand, was courageous, willing and unafraid.
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it." 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."—Numbers 13:30-33
Caleb lived by faith and not by sight. He knew that God would make good on His promise...He would fight for him.
Caleb is speaking here to Joshua...
Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”—Joshua 14:8-12
AND 45 years later, when Caleb was 85 (and still willing to fight the giants), the Lord gave him the land on which he walked because he wholly followed Him.
Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).—Joshua 15:14-15
Caleb walked in truth, believing God and taking Him at His word. Caleb’s speech and his life lived in harmony. They never failed to express his love for God. Beloved...when we walk this way (unafraid and loving God with all of our heart), we encourage others to do the same. Trust God. Hold on to His promises.
Matthew Henry says this about Caleb:
Caleb answered to his name, which signifies "all heart." Hebron was settled on Caleb and his heirs, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. Happy are we if we follow him. Singular piety shall be crowned with singular favor.
I loved what Mr Henry said Caleb’s name signified...in my old age, I want to be “all heart” for God like Caleb was.
Oh Father...Give us steadfast hearts to walk as Caleb did... courageous, loyal, willing and unafraid...wholly following the Lord our God.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.—1 John 5:4
