Joshua 14:6–15
6 Then the sons of Judah approached Joshua in Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the word which the Lord spoke to Moses the man of God on account of 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 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 melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully.
9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘The land on which your foot has walked shall certainly be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’
10 And now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today.
11 I am still as strong today as I was on 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 Now then, give me this hill country about which the Lord spoke on that day, for you heard on that day that Anakim were there, with great fortified cities; perhaps the Lord will be with me, and I will drive them out just as the Lord has spoken.”
13 So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
14 Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully.
15 Now the name of Hebron was previously Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land was at rest from war.
Caleb’s Request
Caleb at 85 years old
While in Gilgal, the sons of Judah drew near to Joshua. They came to Joshua in support of Caleb’s request, who, too, was a member of the tribe of Judah. Caleb had turned 85 years old at this time. By calculating based on his age, we can say the following: (1) He was 40 years old when he was sent to the land of Canaan as one of the twelve spies. (2) Now that he was 85 years old, 45 years passed since the incident in Kadesh Barnea. (3) The period the Israelites were in the wilderness was 38 years long; therefore, the conquest of Canaan was not immediate. Rather, it took seven years to come to this point. We can learn that patience is necessary for receiving the things God had promised. Living in an era where all things are instantaneous, harboring patience surely is a challenge. However, the things that last for eternity are not perfected overnight. The same can be said about us. Let’s pray that we have resilience.
Caleb’s request for Hebron
Caleb testified about the time he was sent as a spy. Out of all twelve spies, ten discouraged the Israelites, but two remained obedient to the Lord. The two were Caleb and Joshua. Moses promised him on that day, “Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever…” (1) Caleb brought up the promise, asking for it to be fulfilled. (2) He was faithful to the promise and remained obedient for the final 45 years. (3) Insisting that he is still strong and capable of enduring further battle, he requested that he be given Hebron. (4) Hebron was the city of the Anakites, a powerful enemy, and the land was highly difficult to conquer. Caleb, although completely aware of this, still requested as he knew the land was significant to Abraham and was where the Patriarchs and their wives were buried. (5) Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. Caleb did not even have the slightest thought of retirement; rather he continued to challenge until the end for his dream to come true. What will you learn from his resilience in faith? Those who challenge shall be given the strength from above.
Today's prayer
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, let me learn from the faith of Caleb, that I may continue to serve actively throughout my life. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.