Today we are joined by another great character from the Old Testament. His name is Caleb and he lived approximately 1400 years before Christ. He was 40 years old when Moses sent out 12 spies to survey the Promised Land. He was one of the 12. And only him and Joshua will make it to the Promised Land. Of the entire multitude of Israelites who conquered the Promised Land, only Joshua and Caleb crossed the Red Sea with Moses. When we meet Caleb, he's already in his 80s.
Story of Caleb
Caleb is chosen by God to enter the Promised Land because of his faithfulness to God. The entire nation of Israel, because of their unbelief and ungratefulness, had been condemned by God to 40 years of wandering in the desert. Around and around they went until the entire generation died. Even Moses died before he reached the Promised Land.
Caleb belongs to the tribe of Judah, the tribe from which the Messiah will be born. Joshua is distributing all the land among the tribes and Caleb requests the land that had been promised to him by Moses, Hebron, the land that he had spied out. In ancient times, Hebron was the prime city to possess because it contained the tombs of the patriarchs, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. Hebron would later become the first kingdom of David.
Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron. Caleb is blessed with a special inheritance because he "wholeheartedly followed the Lord." We also have an opportunity on this journey to "wholeheartedly" follow the Lord. But we tend to hold back. Either because we are afraid or we don't have time or we don't want to make the commitment or a multitude of other excuses that keep pulling us to the world and away from God.
Caleb can teach us about discipline. For 40 years he never lost his focus and his focus was God. He knew who His Master was and he obeyed him with his lips, with his heart and with his mind. Caleb had a great heart and that's what we need to imitate. We need to remain faithful to God. When everyone else is moving in the opposite direction, we need to swim against the current and remain strong in our convictions. We can't give up.
If we love the Lord with all our heart, the way Caleb loved God, we also will receive a special inheritance from the Lord. We will inherit His Kingdom.
I loved the story of Caleb.
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