He was a representative of the tribe of Judah. He led Israelites to the promised land.
Faithful, brave, and ruthless is the meaning of the word Caleb. He was a companion of Joshua and Moses. He was the son of Jepunneh.He was sent into Canaan as one of 12 spies.
He went into the land of the Negev and surrounding areas. He checked the agricultural state of the land, the strength of the population, and the geographical features of the land. They went into the land and brought local produce to show it to Moses.
The other 10 spies were fearful of acquiring new land, in Canaan. They had doubts and instilled doubt in people in moving onto new land.
Caleb and Joshua were the only two who encouraged and gave hope to the tribe. Caleb's faith in god's promises made him follow the path of the Lord wholeheartedly. He had a different spirit and faith in god.
Story of Caleb in the Bible
Caleb was a faithful man.
He was brought from Egypt and stayed true to god. He was not a native Israelite, and yet he was made a leader in the tribe of Judah. He was the descendant of Kenaz which was a tribe from Esau.
He was from the tribe of Canaan. They sided with the Israelites. He was twenty years old when he moved to live in the promised land.
He was 45 years old when he received the promised land. He led many battles in his life.
He declared that the one who would win the battle and capture a city would have his daughter Achsah in marriage. When her daughter asked for an inheritance, he gave her inheritance n and. and when she asked for some more land, he doubled the amount as proof of his generosity.
When the other spies tried to instill fear in people, by saying that the people of the promised land were powerful and could not be conquered, Caleb and Joshua were the ones who told people to have faith in the lord. Joshua was chosen to be the leader of the Ephriam tribe.
Joshua was a very strong warrior. There was a seven-year famine that was struck on the followers of Moses.
The lord send them a punishment which turned an 11-day journey into a 40-year journey.
Though most of the non-believers died in Egypt due to repeated punishments from god, the rest of them who were of the tribe of Joshua and Caleb also had to suffer a bit. God wanted to test their faith and patience.
So, the journey to Canaan became full of trials and tribulations for Caleb and his tribe. But, Caleb did not lose faith and believed that he would be given the land as was promised by the lord.
What happened to Caleb in the Bible
He was sent from Kadesh to south Palestine, to look for the promised land.
After the three sons of Anak, Caleb settled in Hebron. The land of Debir was acquired by Othniel. He gave his daughter to Othniel, as he promised that whoever acquires the land would be able to marry her.
His father was referred to as the son of Jepunneh the Kennizite. They invaded the area south of Palestine.
At a later stage, the tribe got absorbed with the tribe of Judah. As is mentioned in the scripture, Judah was given the land of Hebron, which was initially in the possession of Caleb. One can say that Judah was from the tribe of Caleb and one of Caleb's descendants.
Some people believed that the meaning of the word Caleb was a dog. Caleb later settled in the promised land at the age of 80. He fought the three sons of Anak and claimed that god have given him strength as though he was 40 and not 80 years old. He settled in Hebron.
His brother Othniel also occupied land by bravely driving out the enemies. So, as promised Caleb gave his daughter to him in marriage. There are no records of who Caleb's wife was in the bible.
There is a mention of another Caleb also in the bible, who was not a spy. He was the son of Hezron. His wife was Azubah.
Caleb is said to be married to Miriam. She was a prophetess. This is according to the rabbinical sources. He married her for piety as she was close to God.
What made Joshua and Caleb Different
Caleb was from Egypt, freed from the bondage of Pharoah from Moses.
God promised the land to Moses, where there would be fruits and vegetation. Moses sends 12 of his men to the land, to spy and know more about it.
The 10 spies created a panic in the tribe warning them never to enter it. The ruler of the land was Anak. Caleb and Joshua told the tribe that they should fight battles and acquire the promised land.
The tribe listened to the 10 spies and was very worried. Some even wished they were dead in the land of Egypt. They even thought of killing Joshua and Caleb.
After the death of Moses, the tribe wandered in the wilderness for forty years as a punishment from their lord. After all the tribes were dead, the tribes of Caleb and the tribes of Joshua acquired the land.
Caleb spoke before Moses and told them they could certainly conquer the land. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jepunnah tried to explain to the tribe about the blessings in the promised land.
They tore their clothes and cried to the people to prepare for the battle, but none of them listened until they perished and did not follow god. Caleb silenced the people who opposed the migration, and for 40 years believed in god's promise.
God fully praised the different spirits of the servant Caleb.
Despite being slave masters in Egypt, he ran off with Moses to the Red Sea. His daughter Achsah was given to the person who could win the land and followed the lord.
When all the spies died of plague and famine as wrath from god, only Caleb and Joshua remained alive. Unlike the other 10 spies, Caleb and Joshua worked constantly to reignite faith in God among their tribe. They searched for the land, god described.
They were always willing to follow God despite the harsh circumstances. They believed in God's promises to the followers of Moses. David and the Lord Jesus Christ were of the same tribe as Caleb.
God blessed Caleb by making him of the same tribe as those of the other patriarchs. The other meaning of the word Caleb is wholehearted. The tribe of Judah is also led by Caleb.
Where in the Bible is the story of Joshua and Caleb and the 12 spies?
The story of Joshua and Caleb is mentioned in many places in the bible.
Numbers 13: 1-33, 14 and Deuteronomy 1:22-40 are the places where the story of the twelve spies is mentioned in the bible.
Numbers 14:24 verse 38 it is mentioned that Moses said "Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” In Josh 14:12, Caleb said, "give me this mountain".
He was 85 years old and still wandering in the land.
The giant Anakims were still ruling the land, while Caleb still remained faithful to the promise of the lord, and said that he was as strong as he was in the days of Moses.
And he would still wait for the promise to come true. In a moving declaration, Caleb asked God for the mountain of Hebron.
The Kiriath Arba settlement is in the outskirts of Hebron, where the urban Israelites have settled. Caleb was a servant of God.
He followed the Lord and his life was blessed by the lord. He was sent as a spy to the blessed land, and God made a promise to him that he would be the owner of the land. He left Canaan in faith and fought the sons of Anak at the age of 85.
God blessed Caleb and Caleb's life after his struggle and wandering in the wilderness. Caleb had a different spirit and followed the Lord wholeheartedly.
He was a faithful man. When Moses enter Canaan, he was with him among the twelve tribes in the land of Canaan. His father was Jepunnah.
In the church of Jesus Christ, The servant Caleb is portrayed as an example of a humble spirit and servant. Caleb's devotion to the Lord and his obedience made him an example of god's faithfulness.
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