CALEB: THE MAN WITH A DIFFERENT SPIRIT

BACKGROUND
Some years back, there was a Vice-chancellor’s inter-departmental cup match between the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Department of Economics. The Department of
Economics had almost 50% of the best players in the school in their team whereas Department of
Mathematics and Statistics comprised a crop of sophomores and few players who have raw talents
but rarely train. A quick surveillance into the Economics team is no doubt intimidating but
Mathematics and Statistics team went all the way and defeated the Economics team by 2 goals to 1
in a well entertaining and highly-tensed match. We will be studying a Bible character who was part
of a team assigned to spy out the Promised Land and how he stood against popular but dispiriting
opinion.

Welcome to GEL 202, a course that promises to bestow on you life’s treasure every one hour of the
week for the Second Semester. Avail yourself the privilege of prompt attendance and you will be
glad you did. Do not attend classes primarily because of the need to pass examination, no, come
enthusiastically because you want to be a leader who will eventually define the future.

INTRODUCTION
As the Israelites journeyed through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, God
instructed Moses to “send twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan (Numbers 13:2). The terms of
reference of their operation include “what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are
strong or weak, few or many; whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they
inhabit are like camps or strongholds; whether there are forests there or not” (Numbers 13: 17-20a)
and they were also instructed to “…be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.”
(Numbers 13:20b).

To carry out this top-rated assignment, there is a need for mentally and physically strong men;
leaders, men who command respect within the ranks of their family, one from each tribe of their
fathers. One of these men is Caleb, “from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh” (Numbers
13:7).

The men “went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, near the
entrance of Hamath. And they went up through the South and came to Hebron; Ahiman, Sheshai,
and Talmal, the descendants of Anak, were there…” (Numbers 13:21-22).

They “came to the Valley of Eshcol, and there they cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes”,
it was heavy and huge that they “carried it between two of them on a pole” (Numbers 13:23)
probably on a shoulder of each of them. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs from
there. This is an attestation that this land is indeed a flourishing land, a land flowing with milk and
honey.

1
They returned from the mission after 40 days and “came back to Moses and Aaron and all the
congregation of the children of Israel in the wilderness of Paran at Kadesh; they brought back word
to them and the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land” (Numbers 13:26).

They acknowledged that the land they were sent to spy up “truly flows with milk and honey”
(Numbers 13:27) and they presented the fruits they brought as evidence. They added that “the
people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover, they saw
the descendants of Anak there” (Numbers 13:28). They also gave a long list of the different types
of people and tribes that “dwell in the land of Canaan” and their report caused a huge apprehension
among the people then Caleb rose up, raised his voice and “quieted the people before Moses and
said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Number 13:
30).

The other ten men who went to spy out the land with Caleb (Number 14:6), got up and negated the
assertion of Caleb, they frightened the living day light out of the people by claiming “the land is a
land that devours its inhabitants, and that all the people whom they saw in it are men of great
stature– giants, in actual fact (the descendants of Anak); and asserted that they were like
grasshoppers in their own sight, and also in the sight of those men.” (Numbers 13:32-33). These ten
men, though leaders like Caleb, saw themselves as grasshoppers (Psalm 78:9) but Caleb and his
counterpart, Joshua, saw themselves as giant killers.

CALEB: THE MAN

At the time the first census of Israel was conducted according to the number of names, from twenty
years old and above, all who were able to go to war: those who were numbered of the tribe of Judah
were seventy-four thousand six hundred.” (Numbers 1:26-27). From these seventy-four thousand
and six hundred men that are above twenty years old, Caleb, son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite was
chosen to represent the tribe of Judah when there was a need to have a commanding figure to
represent the tribe in spying the enemy territory.

Caleb was forty years old at that time when he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan (Joshua 14:6)
and at eighty-five years old he was still as strong and agile as he was at forty that he could fight
against the giants in the land. All these years he kept following God wholly and kept sustaining the
understanding that God is the only one who can give him victory and he obtained what God had
promised him which was the land of Hebron.

NOTABLE STRENGTHS IN THE LIFE OF CALEB

1. Caleb was a courageous man. Despite the presence of the descendants of Anak who were
giants as well as very experienced in war, Caleb stood his ground and maintained that the
land was conquerable. Also, it takes huge courage and boldness to stand in opposition to ten
men of your ranks who obviously have the popular votes and confidence of the people.
There is the saying that goes, “if you can’t beat them, you join them” which Caleb restated
by his action that “if you can’t beat them, you stand out”. To stand out takes courage, it
takes boldness to stand for the truth and the right opinion against popular but dispiriting
opinion.

2
 2. Caleb was a man full of faith. He did not trust in his own human strength like his colleagues,
he believed in God; forty-five years later, we see Caleb still strong in Faith (Joshua 14:12).
3. Caleb was a man who fully followed the Lord and the Lord attested to that Himself. He
“followed me fully” (Numbers 14:24). Many years later, Hebron became his inheritance
“because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel” (Joshua 14:14).
4. He was a man subject to authorities. Caleb could be called an elder statesman or simply put,
‘an associate of Joshua’ but yet he humbled himself and subjected himself to the authority
instituted by God (that is, Joshua). He acknowledged Joshua as the instituted authority by
approaching him to demand for the portion of the land God had promised him (Joshua 14:6-
12).
5. Caleb was a man who acknowledged the challenges that lie ahead and trust in the people’s
ability to overcome those challenges with God’s promised help and protection.
6. Caleb was a man who saw potential success and possibility even in the midst of great
challenges. He saw tomorrow today.

EXCELLENCE IN THE LIFE OF CALEB

Excellence exhibited by Caleb are enumerated below:
(i) Persistence (Joshua 14:6-15) - It took forty-five years before he got the land on the
mountains at Hebron where his heart has been all the years. (Joshua 15:14). He never
let go of the ‘BIG PICTURE’.
(ii) Possessed a different/uncompromising attitude (Num. 14:24) – he remained positive
even when all was not well.
(iii) Kept God’s promise for his life intact and never lost sight of it (Joshua 14:12).

THE GODLY NATURE IN THE LIFE OF CALEB

1. A different spirit. (Num. 14:24). A spirit of courage when others have the spirit of fear and
the spirit of courage takes its root from the Spirit of Lord.
2. He was consistent in following God. Caleb did not only followed God wholly but he also
followed God wholly all his life. Numbers 14:24, Joshua 14:14.
3. Faith and Patience. Two key Godly attributes that Caleb exhibited to obtain the promises
were faith and patience.
4. Right influence.

IMPACT OF CALEB IN THE IMMEDIATE AND IN THE FUTURE.

Caleb alongside Joshua were the only ones in their generation who entered the Promised Land.
Caleb remained relevant and highly impactful for the following reasons:
▪ He was bold; when others were pessimistic, he was optimistic.
▪ He chose to stand for God and excelled;
▪ Caleb was not intimidated by the popular opinion. “One with God is majority.”
▪ Caleb waited for the manifestation of the promise of God. There is time and season
for all things, pending the full manifestation, there should be consistent belief and
keeping hope alive and not giving up on oneself or God.

3
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Note that Caleb was not a Jew; he was an Edomite. Caleb was often referred to as “Caleb the son
of Jephunneh the Kenizzite.” The Kenizzites were sons of Esau and were related to the Edomites.
But Caleb was adopted into the tribe of Judah. He was absorbed right into God’s people and became
members of one of the twelve tribes – the most revered tribe for that matter.

Caleb brought back a report of hope and victory while others brought back a report of fear and loss
but still was not intimidated because he had a different spirit from others. He kept following God
wholly all his life till he conquered the land that was promised as his inheritance.

A common quote says, ‘if you believe you can, you can and if you believe you can’t, you are still
right, you can’t.’ But if you believe you can, you must believe you can, only by God’s grace as we
have seen in the life of Caleb. Having a cordial relationship with God, holding on to Him all day
and whatever comes your way even if everyone else takes a different route, stick to Him and be rest
assured that it is the guaranteed way for excelling in every sphere of life.