Caleb, Wholly Followed the Lord
Joshua 14:6-15
Joshua divided up the land in the surrounding chapters, as he was commanded to. Amid dividing out the land, his good friend Caleb came to him with a special request for land.
The Early Years: Looking Up By Faith
Caleb’s name means dog. That wasn’t a very favorable name for a Jewish male. His early years was full of toil and strife. He grew up a slave in Egypt, forced to make bricks for taskmasters.
He was 39 years old when Moses returned to face Pharaoh. He was present to witness the plaques upon Egypt. He participated in the first Passover and was spared from death’s angel.
The Middle Years: Living by Faith vs. 6-9
By the time he was 40, he was the head of his family, of the tribe of Judah. He was sent into the promise land, to spy out the land.
Numbers 13:25-33
The spies came back with the report that the land floweth with milk and honey, but they were enemies they could not defeat.
Part of the inhabitants where the children of Anak, who were giants in the land.
Caleb stood up and said let’s go possess the land. He believed God could give them the land. Unfortunately, the people would not go by faith and they were punished by wondering the wilderness for 40 years. Numbers 14:29-30
Vs. 9 Because of His faith, Caleb wasn’t just spared, but God promised him an inheritance.
The Later Years: Taking Ground by Faith vs. 10-15
Now Caleb is 85 years. He watched as the last 40 years people died in the wilderness. He has been watching in the military campaigns for the last 5 years.
Now he wants his inheritance. He asked Joshua about it and says I’m still as strong as I was back then. Infact, the mountain he wants his controlled by the children of Anak, the giants that scared the spies the first time!