12 CALEB
He Fought Loyally for His God
ABOUT the time that Moses fled from Egypt, a baby named Caleb was born to Israelite slaves there. The child grew up in slavery, but he lived to see freedom. When Caleb was about 40 years old, Moses returned to Egypt—this time, under Jehovah’s command to free His people, Israel. Caleb must have been amazed and thrilled to see Jehovah showing His power through the Ten Plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the triumphant liberation of His people.
Caleb never forgot those faith-strengthening events. He stayed loyal when many faithless Israelites rebelled just a few months later at Mount Sinai. Not long afterward, Caleb was entrusted with a special assignment: to spy out the Promised Land along with Joshua and ten other Israelite men, chieftains.
The 12 men courageously went into Canaan, spending 40 days spying out the cities, the people, and the produce of the land. They returned with samples, including a cluster of grapes so massive that it took two of the men to carry it. But when it came time to give a report to the Israelites, Caleb must have been disappointed to hear what ten of his fellow spies said. We read: “They kept on giving the Israelites a bad report.” They complained that the Canaanites were too strong to defeat and that they were huge, even making the outrageous claim that they were descendants of the Nephilim, who had been destroyed in the Flood. All the people were discouraged, and some even talked of appointing a new leader to take them back to Egypt.
Caleb and Joshua held their ground. They tried to encourage the wavering people, saying: “Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them.” But that only infuriated those faithless Israelites. They even talked of stoning Caleb and Joshua to death!
Jehovah was deeply offended. After all that he had done for his people against the mighty nation of Egypt, Israel had quickly lost faith in him. Still, God took note of the courage and faith of Caleb and Joshua. Jehovah even said: “My servant Caleb had a different spirit and kept following after me wholeheartedly.” Jehovah decided that the entire faithless generation of Israelites would die in the wilderness.a However, Caleb and Joshua would be among the few to live on into old age and enter the Promised Land.
Caleb stood up for Jehovah against a crowd of hostile and faithless Israelites
Throughout the 40 years that Israel wandered in the wilderness, Caleb kept on showing faith and courage. He loyally supported Moses, and he loyally supported Joshua after Moses’ death, when Joshua was commissioned by Jehovah to lead God’s people across the Jordan River and into the land of promise. Elderly Caleb proved to be a courageous warrior against God’s enemies in Canaan.
Six years after God’s people crossed the Jordan River, much of the Promised Land had been conquered. At last, it was time for Caleb to decide where he would like to settle. He chose Hebron, a place that the faithless spies had said was protected by huge warriors and was impossible to conquer. Though Caleb was 85 years old, he was convinced of what would happen: “Jehovah will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as Jehovah promised.” And so it was. Caleb took the city, settling there. Next, we read: “And the land had rest from war.”
Decades earlier, Moses had said to Caleb: “You have followed Jehovah my God wholeheartedly.” No doubt Caleb lived up to those words to the end of his days. And he will surely live up to them again!
Read the Bible account:
For discussion:
In what ways did Caleb show courage?
Dig Deeper
1. Why can we say that Numbers 13:23 does not exaggerate the produce of the Promised Land? (w06 6/15 16 ¶1-2)
2. Was the Promised Land really abundant with “milk and honey,” as Caleb and Joshua described it? (Num. 14:8; w11 3/1 15) A
Institute of Archaeology/Hebrew University © Tel Rehov Excavations
Picture A: Clay beehives in Israel dating from the tenth century to the early ninth century B.C.E.
3. When Moses sent out the 12 spies from Kadesh, how close were the Israelites to the Promised Land? (w04 10/15 17 ¶11-12) B
Picture B
4. How did Jehovah reward Caleb’s faith and courage? (w06 10/1 18 ¶11)
Reflect on the Lessons
Although Caleb showed faith, he had to wander in the wilderness with the rest of the Israelites. Even so, he humbly continued to trust in Jehovah. In what situations might we imitate Caleb’s example?
How does the example of Caleb help us resist pressure to “follow after the crowd”? (Ex. 23:2) C
Picture C
In what other ways might you imitate Caleb’s courage?
Meditate on the Bigger Picture
What does this account teach me about Jehovah?
How does this account tie in with Jehovah’s purposes?
What would I like to ask Caleb in the resurrection?
Learn More
Examine how Caleb’s faith was closely related to his courage.
“Courageous Through Faith and Godly Fear” (w06 10/1 16-19 ¶1-12)
Why could 85-year-old Caleb say: “I followed Jehovah my God wholeheartedly”? (Josh. 14:8)
a Jehovah’s decree did not include the Levites or any Israelites who were not yet 20 years of age at the time.—Num. 14:29.