In this chapter, Caleb requests the land the Lord promised him over 40 years ago, and Eleazar the priest, Joshua, and the tribal leaders give the remaining 9 and a half tribes their land, as allocated in accordance with the Lord’s command through Moses.
“Moses had already given an inheritance of land to the two and a half tribes on the east side of the Jordan River. The tribe of Joseph had become two separate tribes -- Manasseh and Ephraim. And the Levites were given no land at all, only towns to live in and the surrounding pasturelands for their flocks and heards. So the distribution of the land was in strict accordance with the Lord’s instructions to Moses.” (Joshua 14:3-5)
Now Caleb, who is a part of the tribe of Judah, came to Joshua at Gilgal. He was one of the original scouts Moses sent to spy out the Promised Land over 40 years ago! Both him and Joshua told the people that the land was flowing with milk and honey and they could conquer the people there, but the people were afraid. It was at this time that the Lord was fed up with Israel’s lack of faith and trust in Him, and he sentenced them to 40 years in the wilderness. However, the Lord was pleased with the faith and loyalty of Caleb and Joshua. He said, “You will all die here in this wilderness! Because you complained against me, none of you who are twenty years old or older and were counted in the census will enter the land I swore to give you. The only exceptions will be Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:29-30) Wow! You can read the account of these events in our lesson in Numbers 13 and 14.
After approaching Joshua at Gilgal, Caleb reminds Joshua of the promise God made to him. “Caleb said to Joshua, “Remember what the Lord said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave from my heart a good report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people and discouraged them from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I followed the Lord my God completely. So that day Moses promised me, “The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your special possession and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.” (Joshua 14:6-9) Wow...If we follow the Lord completely and wholeheartedly, He will reward us and our descendants!
Caleb continues, “Now as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise -- even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So I’m asking you to give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the Anakites living there in great, walled cities. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.” (Joshua 14:10-12)
The chapter ends with Joshua blessing Caleb with Hebron as an inheritance, and Caleb’s descendants still own the land because he wholeheartedly followed the Lord.
Lord, Thank you for your Word today! Help us be like Caleb and Joshua, wholeheartedly following and trusting in you completely. We love you!
May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
….AND MAY WE ALL PRACTICE THIS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
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