Qualities of Caleb

Bible Character: Qualities of Caleb

Read Numbers 13

1. He was appointed a spiritual spy at age 40.
2. Only Joshua and Caleb believed in God and trusted him to help the Israelites possess the promised land – vs 30-33. ^30 “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. ³¹ But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. ³² And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. ³³ And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”
3. He was one of the 12 spies appointed by Moses on God’s directive to search the land of Canaan.
4. He is of the tribe of Judah – vs 6 “Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.”
5. He opposed the evil report of the 10 other spies – vs 30
6. He is bold, courageous, fearless, and believes in God – vs 30
7. God testified about him as follows – 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.”

• He is God’s servant
• He has God’s spirit
• Faithful and loyal to God completely
• He will inherit the promised land

8. He was 85years old when he assisted Joshua to conquer the land – Joshua 14:10“And now, behold, the Lordhath 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.”
9. He followed Moses and Joshua faithfully for 45years; he was a loyal associate.
10. He knew his birthday. He marked his birthday and numbered his days to determine his achievements. Caleb was one of the few people in the Bible who marked his birthday. – Joshua 14:10 “And now, behold, the Lordhath 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.”
11. At 85, he was still physically strong as he was at 40. His strength did not fail – Joshua 14:11 “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.”
12. He inherited Mount Hebron as he had earlier prophesied he would inherit with God’s help.
13. He received a blessing from Joshua
14. He asked for a birthday gift from Joshua. ‘Give me Mount Hebron, his birthday request was granted.
15. God kept him alive for 45 years in the wilderness in the midst of wars – Joshua 14:10
16. He was still a fighter and warrior at 85. He conquered Hebron at 85 – Joshua 14:12 “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lordspake 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”
17. He received Mount Hebron as a reward of 100% devotion to God
18. The Bible did not record his day of death