I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire. (Luke 24:32)
The Character of Caleb.
It’s easy to study the life of Caleb because there’s not that much about him in the Bible, but what IS there is very inspiring.
He shows up in Numbers chapter 13 when God tells Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan. Moses has to pick one man from each tribe, and that man must be a leader. Different Bible translations use different words, like “chief” and “ruler” and “prince.” Whichever word you choose, the evidence is clear: Caleb was a chief man of the tribe of Judah.
So, the 12 spies went into the land of Canaan and brought back a report to Moses. They all agreed that it was a bountiful land, but 10 of the 12 spies said they should NOT go into the land because it was well-defended, even by giants. This negative report spread fear throughout the people of Israel.
But not Caleb. Numbers 13:30 says that 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.’”
This is the first time we have Caleb speaking in the Bible, and it is a bold and wonderful speech. He is loaded with faith and courage, like David was with Goliath.
I was inspired, but the people of Israel were not. Their fear and lack of faith made them cry out against Joshua and Caleb. Then Numbers 14 says that Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in anguish and tried to speak to the people, saying things like, “the Lord is with us” and “if the Lord delights in us” and “do not rebel against the Lord.”
But the Israelites were so afraid, they rebelled against God’s leadership, so God said this in Numbers 14, “because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.”
This is the Lord God Himself, calling Caleb by name! God knows everything. He knows our heart and our thoughts, and He said that Caleb followed Him fully, wholeheartedly.
“Lord, I want to follow You wholeheartedly, with faith and courage and boldness like Caleb.”
Then we skip ahead 40 long years, to Numbers chapter 34, and God is talking about the leaders who will lead Israel into the Promised Land. And who is the leader of the tribe of Judah? The same man from 40 years ago: Caleb. He’s first on the list!
Now let’s jump over to Joshua chapter 14. The Promised Land was going to be divided among the tribes of Israel “by lot.” Basically, God was going to distribute the land among the tribes by a type of drawing or lottery.
Except one man was exempted from the lottery. Caleb. You see, something very interesting happened right after they spied out the land. Caleb had received a promise from Moses. Moses told Caleb, “Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord.”
So, on the day of distribution, Caleb reminded Joshua of that promise, and Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
In Joshua 14 we have more great words from the mouth of Caleb. He said, “The Lord has kept me alive these 45 years, and now here I am, 85 years old. I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent us out. Now therefore, give me this mountain.”
Here is Caleb with that same strength and faith and courage at the age of 85 as when he was 40, still trusting in God and ready to go forward and take action.
I am so inspired by the character of Caleb. He was a man of faith. He trusted God and His word. He had courage to obey God when it looked hard if not impossible. He followed God fully. He didn’t give up. He was a hard worker. He was still ready to work, even at 85. And God blessed him for his faith and courage and perseverance.
“Lord, I want to follow You wholeheartedly, working hard with faith and courage and boldness like Caleb, even into my old age.”
Amen.
May God bless you today.
I’m Doug Apple.
