Who was Caleb in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

After the Israelites came out of Egypt, Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, was among the twelve spies sent to explore the Promised Land of Canaan. Despite the majority becoming fearful due to the Canaanites’ strong inhabitants and fortified cities, Caleb and Joshua believed God would grant them victory. The Israelites, however, were fearful and rebelled, wishing to return to Egypt. As a result, God decreed that the current generation would die in the wilderness, except Caleb and Joshua, and that the people would wander for forty years. Eventually, Caleb, at eighty-five, claimed his inheritance in Hebron due to his unwavering faith, leading to peace in the land.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• After leading the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God told Moses to send a leader from each tribe into Canaan to explore the Promised Land. Caleb, age forty at the time, was chosen as the leader from the tribe of Judah to go on this reconnaissance mission. The men went on a forty-day mission to Canaan, assessing the soil, people groups, and city fortifications. The men reported that Canaan "flows with milk and honey" (Numbers 13:27) and that "the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large" (Numbers 13:28). Of the twelve men, only Caleb and Joshua believed God would give them victory if they entered the Promised Land.
• Caleb "quieted the people before Moses and said, 'Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it'" (Numbers 13:30). However, the Israelites were too afraid and planned to return to Egypt, lamenting and wishing that they had died in the wilderness. Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb were grieved by the people's response. They "tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, '…If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us… Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land... Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them'" (Numbers 14:6–9).
• Because Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb insisted on trusting the LORD, the people planned to stone them to death, but God saved them and rebuked the people. Moses interceded on the people's behalf, begging God to forgive their lack of faith and rebellion. God decided "what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness… from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun" (Numbers 14:28–30). God let the Israelites wander in the wilderness for forty years, one year for each day the leaders had spent exploring the land. During these forty years, the entire generation of Israelites over the age of twenty died except for Caleb and Joshua.
• When God allowed the new generation of the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, Caleb was selected as the representative leader from the tribe of Judah to divide the inheritance among the tribes (Numbers 34:17–19).
• As the Israelites crossed from the east side of the Jordan River to the west to continue conquering the land, Caleb reflected on God’s faithfulness in keeping him strong. He said, "And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years… And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming" (Joshua 14:10–11).
• Caleb asked for the land around Hebron as his inheritance and was granted this request "because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel" (Joshua 14:14). Caleb then drove out the Canaanite leaders in that area including the three sons of Anak and took possession of the land (Joshua 15:14; Judges 1:20). Joshua 14:15 records that "the land had rest from war."

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Caleb is only mentioned in the Old Testament.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Caleb's life journey sets an example of trusting God's promises even in the face of unlikely circumstances, mounting peer pressure, and actual physical and personal peril. While God often dealt with the Israelites as a people group as a whole, Caleb's story shows that He sees individual's hearts and honors individual's faith when it is lived out in practice. Caleb did have to wait forty-five years to enter the Promised Land due to his people's sin, but God miraculously preserved his strength and vitality during that time so he could fully participate in and enjoy the Promised Land. Caleb is an example of lifelong faithfulness to God and of God's everlasting faithfulness to His people and to keeping His promises.

UNDERSTAND

• Caleb, from the tribe of Judah, trusted God when others were afraid.
• He was one of the only two Israelites of his generation to enter the Promised Land.
• Caleb remained faithful to God and was known for his faithfulness.

REFLECT

• How can we respond with unwavering trust in God when facing overwhelming challenges or obstacles that test your faith?
• Caleb had to wait forty-five years to see the fulfillment of God's promise. How patient are you in waiting for God’s timing in your life, and how do you maintain your faith during periods of waiting?
• Caleb’s story demonstrates that God honors individual faithfulness. What motivates you to follow God wholeheartedly in your daily life?

ENGAGE

• Caleb was devoted to the Lord as a young man and as an old man. How can we encourage and nurture lifelong faithfulness to the Lord?
• Caleb and Joshua stood firm in their faith despite the majority’s fear and rebellion. How can we, in our communities, support one another in maintaining faith and trust in God’s promises, especially when faced with collective doubt or fear?
• The Israelites’ lack of faith led to a prolonged period of wandering in the wilderness. What are some ways we can learn from their mistakes to avoid similar pitfalls in our spiritual journeys?