The time had come for the division of the long-promised, long-sought inheritance of the children of Israel. And: "As the Lord commanded Moses, ... they divided the land." (Joshua 14:5)
Twelve men had been appointed by the Lord to apportion the possession to the different tribes, and among those appointed for this work was Caleb, of the tribe of Judah, the man of faith, who had brought back a good report of the land forty years before, and who had said in the face of opposition and unbelief: "If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land." (Numbers 14:8)
When Israel had rejected his testimony, God had promised that, because of his spirit of courage and confidence, he should live, and inherit the land he had spied out. An opportunity was now afforded to remind Joshua of what the Lord had spoken concerning him, and yet Caleb did not act independently, as though he thought his former faithfulness was sufficient to entitle his rightful claim to his inheritance.
The chief men of the tribe of Judah presented themselves with Caleb before Joshua manifesting their interest in his behalf, and placing Caleb's action above the suspicion of being one of mere selfishness, and due to his position among the twelve who apportioned the land. There is a hint here of the character of Caleb, of his caution, his meekness, and his union with his brethren.
There was no boasting of his former action before rebellious Israel, no coloring of the hard circumstances in which he had been placed when his brethren were about to stone him for his adherence to the right; but a simple, unvarnished statement of the facts of the case. And he said to Joshua, "You know the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning you and me at Kadesh-barnea." (Joshua 14:6)
This was simply to recall to Joshua's mind the reason for the request which he was about to make. He then speaks of how he brought back word from the promised land, and had spoken to the people, "as it was in his heart." (Joshua 14:7)
When his brethren had "made the heart of the people melt," (Joshua 14:8) by words of discouragement, he had "wholly followed the Lord." (Joshua 14:8)
He had followed the leading of God's Spirit, and although the people had not appreciated his action, he had manifested himself before them as a son of God, and the Lord had honored him before His people by promising him an inheritance in the very land they had despaired of entering.
Not always is faith so immediately and signally commended as was Caleb's. And yet, while God had blessed him with the assurance of His favor, Caleb's faith was tried by more than forty years of waiting for the fulfillment of the promise. He now rehearsed the promise that Moses had made to him: "Surely the land whereon your feet have trodden shall be your inheritance, and your children's for ever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God." (Joshua 14:9)
The people of God had come into the promised possession, and the portions were being assigned. Caleb was in the country of his inheritance. He had only to ask, and the right would be granted to him to go up and possess the place whereon his feet had trodden. What thoughts must have stirred him! What gratitude must have welled up in his heart! He had seen the "fearful, and unbelieving," (Revelation 21:8) a great host, fall in the wilderness, a prey to death as the result of their lack of faith in the God of Israel. But of himself he declares: "And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as he said...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." (Joshua 14:10-11)
While he had seen that "the way of the transgressor is hard," (Proverbs 13:15,RV) he had realized that: "They that wait upon the Lord ... renew their strength." (Isaiah 40:31)
He had found that in keeping the commandments of the Lord there was "great reward." (Psalm 19:11)
He who wholly follows the Lord, as did Caleb, will have it to say that: "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage." (Psalm 16:6)
After this introduction, Caleb was bold to proffer his request, for it was evident that he was simply asking his right as a servant of the Lord. "Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the Lord spoke in that day." (Joshua 14:12)
He then reminded Joshua of what had been said concerning Anakin, the race of giants that the spies had magnified before Israel, and "the cities great and fenced," (Joshua 14:12) that had seemed impregnable to the people of God forty years before; but the spirit of Caleb had not changed. He still had confidence in God, and he declared, "if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord has said." (Joshua 14:12)
Forty years before, Caleb's faith had said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able." (Numbers 13:30)
And now the Lord had brought him to the test. There are many whose faith seems of the genuine order until some trial is brought upon them, and then faith weakens and fails on the very border of their inheritance. Caleb's faith was not of this character. He was no more dismayed at the giants and the fenced cities when brought into actual contact with them, than when they were prospective enemies and hindrances. "And Joshua blessed him." (Joshua 14:13)
He bade him Godspeed. "And Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb." (Joshua 14:14)
This man of faith is a representative of those who shall enter into the land of which Canaan is a type. Those whose fervent faith impels them to act upon His promises shall enter into the heavenly Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, the eternal inheritance of the saints.--Signs of the Times, November 2, 1888--Notes on the International Lesson, November 11--Joshua 14:5-15
E.J. Waggoner