Joshua

Joshua 14: God keeps His promise to Caleb

Begin in prayer

Before we read how God keeps His promise to Caleb, let us ask Him to teach us wholehearted trust. Please bring our family before Him and ask for eyes to see Jesus, who obeyed His Father perfectly.

But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed me fully, him I will bring into the land into which he went. His offspring shall possess it.

Numbers 14:24

Father in heaven, please teach us to trust Your Word as we read about Caleb. Open our eyes to see Jesus, whose obedience was perfect. Make us more like Him, willing to follow You even when it is hard. Please bless our family and give us hearts that believe Your promises. In Jesus' name, Amen.

See where we're going

Israel divides the land by lot as the LORD commanded Moses. Caleb was forty when Moses sent him from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. He says the other men made the people's hearts melt, but he wholly followed the LORD. God has kept Caleb alive for forty-five years, and now he is eighty-five. He asks for the hill country, trusting the LORD to be with him against the Anakim. Joshua blesses Caleb and gives him Hebron because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly.

As you read Joshua 14, look for the answers:

Reflect together

Key truth

God keeps His promise to Caleb, who follows Him with his whole heart.

Eleazar, Joshua and the tribal heads divided the land west of the Jordan by lot, as the LORD commanded (verses 1 and 2). Judah came to Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb reminded him of what the LORD had spoken to Moses at Kadesh Barnea (verse 6). Caleb was forty when Moses sent him to spy out the land, and he brought back word as it was (verse 7). The men who went with him made the people's hearts melt, but Caleb wholly followed the LORD his God (verse 8). That day Moses swore that the land where Caleb had walked would be his inheritance (verse 9). Forty-five years later Caleb was eighty-five, and he said the LORD had kept him alive as He spoke (verse 10). He asked for the hill country where the Anakim lived in great and fortified cities (verse 12). He trusted that the LORD would be with him, and that he would drive them out as the LORD said (verse 12). Joshua blessed him and gave him Hebron, because Caleb followed the LORD wholeheartedly (verses 13 and 14).

How does Joshua 14 show us that God keeps His promise to Caleb, who follows Him with his whole heart?

God keeps Caleb alive as He said.

Forty-five years had passed since the LORD spoke to Moses about Caleb (verse 10). Caleb said the LORD had kept him alive, as He spoke (verse 10). At eighty-five he was as strong as when Moses sent him (verse 11). He asked for the hill country, trusting that the LORD would be with him (verse 12).

God gives Hebron to Caleb, who follows Him with all his heart.

Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron (verse 13). The text says Hebron became his inheritance because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly (verse 14). Caleb followed the LORD while others made the people's hearts melt (verse 8). Only Jesus has followed God perfectly, and through His obedience many will be made righteous (Romans 5 verse 19).

Memorise

Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Yahweh, the God of Israel wholeheartedly.

Joshua 14:14

Looking to Jesus in my life

Ask yourself in your heart, where does my heart need Jesus so that I can follow God wholeheartedly?

Caleb looked back over forty-five years and said that the LORD had kept him alive, as He spoke. He wholly followed the LORD, and Hebron became his inheritance. Yet only one man has followed God perfectly, and that man is Jesus (Romans 5 verse 19).

Jesus obeyed His Father in everything, and then He went to the cross for His people. By His one death He paid for their sins once for all. The Father raised Him to life.

We have not followed God with all our hearts, so we need Jesus. Turn from your sin and come to Him. Those who trust Him are forgiven.

Parent's note

Tell your children that the LORD kept His promise to Caleb for forty-five years, and that only Jesus followed God perfectly. Please do not tell them they are saved just because they grew up in a Christian home. Call each child to turn from sin and trust Jesus, and pray that God would give them a new heart.

Pray together

Now please close your time together in prayer. Thank God for His faithfulness to Caleb, and bring the heart question to Him. Every child can pray, so give each one time for a short prayer if they would like to.

I cried to you, Yahweh. I said, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Psalm 142:5

Faithful God, thank You for keeping Caleb alive and giving him Hebron. Please help each of us turn from sin and trust Jesus alone for forgiveness. Teach us this week to believe what You have said and follow You wholeheartedly. Give us patience when we must wait. Amen.