Caleb

Have you ever tried to do something you could easily do when you were half your present age? I gave it a try the other day and I was not happy with the result. What could I do to remedy this? A want for a better health condition, to have the strength and vitality of half my age. Then I came across this familiar story.

Caleb a man of 85 years old still with the vitality of a 40 years old man ready to do battle. I looked to see if Caleb had a secret for this. Did he have a special diets, exercise or routine?  Let’s see what we can discover.

Caleb journeyed along with the other children of Israel out of Egypt heading for the land of Canaan. A land, God promised to Abraham their fore- father to give his descendants.

Caleb experienced the mighty deliverance from Egypt as all of Israel crossed the red sea on dry ground. He experienced the Lord’s provision in (food and water), direction in (pillar of cloud and pillar of fire that mapped the route to the promised land) and protection in (victories in battles) as Israel journeyed as a nation towards the promised land.

At the edge of the promised land, Caleb was called upon along with eleven other men to spy out the land of Canaan. He was going to view the promise before Israel took possession of her inheritance.

As Caleb and the other men explored the land of Canaan, what did they see?

Number 13: 21-33

So they went up and explored the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. Going north, they passed through the Negev and arrived at Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai—all descendants of Anak—lived. (The ancient town of Hebron was founded seven years before the Egyptian city of Zoan.) When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! They also brought back samples of the pomegranates and figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means “cluster”), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there.

 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and along the Jordan Valley.”

But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!

When God gives us a promise, a gift, a dream, a resolve to do something.  Along with this we see the challenges and obstacles we must overcome to have the promise fulfilled, the gift acknowledged, the dream realized, the task completed.

Caleb was not alone on this spy mission. So his assessments of the situation and that of the ten other spies were the same. They saw the giants of Anak, and the fortified cities: the challenges. They also saw the fruits of the land and goodness of the land; the blessings.  So what made Caleb’s reaction different to that of the other ten spices?

Caleb was not in denial about the difficulties and challenges ahead. He knew his own limitations and he also knew the greatness of the one who made the promise. The LORD.

Number 14: 6 – 9

Two of the men who had explored the land, Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, tore their clothing. They said to all the people of Israel, “The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”

Caleb did not base his report on what he saw, or could gain, or his own ability but rather on who God is. Caleb’s reaction to the challenges was that God is able to conquer the giants. God is able to fulfill His promise. And for Caleb’s confidence in God, Caleb received a promise that day.  The hill country which was spied out would belong to Caleb as his inheritance.

Then the waiting began. Caleb was waiting for the orders to take the hill country known as Hebron which (previously had been called Kiriath-arba. It had been named after Arba, a great hero of the descendants of Anak.)

Caleb had to wait for about 45 years before he could claim his inheritance. The state of his health and vitality would be a world sort after package if it could be packaged. At 85 years old, his body and mind was 40 years old

I looked out of my window and watched people walk up and down the road, I was looking for an 85 years old men. But how many 85 years old men could be warriors, could have the strength and vitality they had when they were but only 40 years old?

I looked over Caleb’s story again and found that Caleb did not retain his vitality and strength by a special diet or exercise regimen.  God promised him Hebron. Caleb’s faith and conviction in God was unwavering and God preserved him and renewed his strength to accomplish and fulfill this purpose.

When the time came for Cable to inherent his promise, he requested for it. The hill country known as Hebron was still occupied by giants and it was still fortified. Cable would have to battle for his inheritance.

The passage of time did not wish away the of challenges, Caleb would face to possess his inheritance

85 years old Caleb’s trust and belief in God was unwavering, he was convinced he could conquer Hebron and take possession of his inheritance, which he did.

Here is a man that held unto his conviction of faith and trust in God through the passage of time. A man whose health and vitality God renewed. A man who was ready to do battle at the age of 85 years. A man who was convinced about his God.

So what are you waiting for?  An 85 year old man would battle to have his inheritance.  Battle in the Lord for your own inheritance. Wrestle in prayer, be not slothful in business, don’t be lazy and be diligent. Let your faith and resolve be like Caleb.  Go and possess your hills

God has given you all that you need to possess your inheritance. Battle for your Hebron

Now when I hear the name Caleb, it creates a picture of the strength of youth and the wisdom of maturity, and it does look beautiful.