What Caleb saw and experienced in the land that he and eleven other spies saw and experienced was the same. Of course, we’re familiar with the story about how ten of these spies came back essentially saying they could not overcome it; but Caleb and Joshua contradicted their report. Again, Caleb urged that they were “well able to overcome it.”
One can almost imagine the excitement in Caleb’s voice as he tried to convince Israel that the land was theirs — maybe even a bit of urgency in the excitement since he probably understood the tide turning against their desire to faithfully follow the Mighty God who had brought them to Kadesh-barnea, the very southern part of this rich land expressed by God as flowing with milk and honey (Num 13:27; 14:8-9). This was a turning point for Israel that became forty years of waiting and watching as a faithless generation died as punishment for their lack of faith (Psalm 95:8-11; Heb 3:7—4:11).
For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief. (Heb 3:16-19)
Caleb’s faith was tenacious as he faithfully obeyed the Mighty God who asked a nation to do what seemed impossible. And so, after hearing that the land would be theirs, and having to wait 45 long years for the unfaithful to die in the wilderness, Caleb asks Joshua for his inheritance from the Lord:
“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. I am still as strong today as I was in the day Moses sent me; as my strength was then, so my strength is now, for war and for going out and coming in. 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 as the Lord has spoken.” So Joshua blessed him and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance. (Josh 14:10-13)
We’re not given a physical description of Caleb, but I imagine him as a bulldog: smallish, scrappy, and solid muscle. Interestingly, his name means “dog” (ISBE, I:573). The most positive implication being that of loyalty and strength as a dog is “man’s best friend.” Caleb was God’s best friend as he faithfully defended the Lord and was blessed with strength to engage and win a war with giants in the land (i.e., the Anakim were so described — Num 13:22-23; Deut 1:28; 2:10-11).
Although Caleb is not mentioned by name in the New Testament, he might well be in the mind of the author of Hebrews who was moved by the Holy Spirit: “For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight” (Heb 11:32-34; Josh 14:12).
We need Caleb’s tenacious faith! “He wholly followed the Lord” (Josh 14:14). We need to completely trust and obey our Mighty God (see Php 4:13; Col 1:11; 1 Tim 6:12; 2 Tim 2:4).
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. (Eph 6:10-13)
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