(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Joshua 14:6–15, “Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba; which Arba was a great man among the Anakims. And the land had rest from war.”
Caleb was a recognised leader in the tribe Judah. (see Num 13:6, “Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.”) He and Joshua were the only two spies who were not afraid of giants and encouraged the Israelis to enter the Land and defeat the giants. Joshua had to wait for forty years while Israel wandered in the desert and then it took another five years of the invasion campaign to run its course. Caleb was getting older, even though he was still fit to fight in a war and was a wise and experienced leader. He wanted to have the land that Moses promised him forty five years before. (Numbers 14:24, “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” Deuteronomy 1:36, “Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.”) He went to Joshua and asked for the land that he had been promised. Joshua chose one of the cities that were inhabited by giants because he had wanted to conquer giants before but was prevented by the unbelief of others. When Joshua told Caleb he could take that land he chose to go to a great leader of the giants, Arba. Caleb followed the Lord’s command and drove out the giants then his portion of the Promised Land was at peace because the Lord had been honoured.
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