A delegation from the tribe of Judah, led by Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, came to Joshua at Gilgal. Caleb said to Joshua, "Remember what the LORD said to Moses, the man of God, about you and me when we were at Kadesh-barnea. I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the LORD, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God. So that day Moses solemnly promised me, 'The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your grant of land and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the LORD my God.' (Joshua 14:6-9 NLT)
Caleb has been one of my heroes for as long as I've known his story. Twelve spies were sent into toe promised land to scout things out. Ten of the twelve came back and gave bad reports, frightening everyone. Two of them, Joshua and Caleb, disagreed. We hear quite a bit about Joshua. His role was to lead Israel after Moses passed away. He even led the armies when Moses was alive. Caleb, however, was simply there...in the background. He, too, was a mighty warrior - even though he was over eighty now.
"Now, as you can see, the LORD has kept me alive and well as He promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. (Joshua 14:10-11 NLT)
That's the way I want to be at eighty five - still fighting as a part of the LORD's army. He wasn't asking to retire. He was asking for more assignments. He just kept going.
So give me the hill country that the LORD promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the LORD is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the LORD said." So Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave Hebron to him as his portion of land. (Joshua 14:12-13 NLT)
He wasn't asking for a retirement village. He was asking for the inheritance for his family. The land he asked for wasn't conquered yet. He would need to conquer it, leading his troops into battle. This was a man of God. He followed all the way into his golden years. God honored him for it.
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