caleb

CALEB ~ MAN OF FAITH

After being set free from an impossible situation in Egypt, the people of Israel had journeyed as far as Kadesh. Kadesh was a real place. The combined armed forces of several kings passed through Kadesh in the time of Abraham (Genesis 14:7). David mentioned it in one of the songs of praise he wrote (Psalm 29:5). Its name today is Qudeirat. It is situated about 100 kms south west of the southern shoreline of the Dead Sea. The area contains plenty of evidence of previous habitation. To the west of Kadesh stretched a wide plain where the Canaanites had gathered to halt the advance of the people of Israel. To get around the Canaanite forces Israel would need to go though the mountains to the east (Numbers 13:17,21,22). In the areas north of Kadesh there remains evidence of the former cultivation of grape vines. I have met people in Papua New Guinea who were surprised to learn from photographs and from people who have travelled in the Middle East that the places mentioned in the Biblical story are actual places on earth. They previously had thought that Palestine was somewhere in the unseen world.

The Kadesh where the people of Israel had pitched camp was a real place in our world.

There are several factors which point us to the conclusion that Caleb was a real person. The vocabulary used by the Biblical historians in writing about Caleb is that which we associate with stories of real people. The word pictures created by the Biblical writers are those of the real world rather than the world of mythology.

Writing independently of the Biblical writers in the latter part of the first century AD, the Jewish historian Josephus[1] also writes of Caleb as a real person. He writes, “But two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, went into the middle of the crowd and restrained them, challenging them to be courageous and not believe those who had frightened them. They assured them that neither mountains nor rivers could deter men of true courage, especially when God would assist them.”

A convincing piece of evidence that Caleb was a real person is that of his genealogy, which is referred to by several writers. His father’s name was Jephunneh. His clan name was Kenaz, making him a Kennizite. His clan belonged to the tribe of Judah. (Numbers 13:6, Joshua 14:6, 1 Chronicles 4:13-15).

Genealogies are still important to Jewish people in establishing a person’s identity. And also to many other groups of people in the world today. I became aware of this when talking one day to a good friend from Pongani village in Papua New Guinea. We lived with his people while translating the New Testament into his Ewage language. He was a priest in the Anglican Church. When the Ewage New Testament was published he read it carefully. His first comment concerned the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Matthew. He said to me, “Now I can prove to my people that Jesus must be a real person. The Book says so here in the record of his clan.”

My Papua New Guinea friend’s understanding is supported by Copleston in his lectures to Catholic seminary students. Copleston[2] writes, “Christianity ... had the inestimable advantage over all pagan mystery religions that it was an historical religion, based on the Life, Death, and Resurrection of the God-Man Jesus Christ, who lived and suffered in Palestine in a certain historical period: it was based on historical fact not on myth.”

Returning to our discussion of Caleb it is worth noting that over 400 years after his experiences at Kadesh, he is still spoken of in words that can only refer to people and places as if they were part of the real world. (1 Samuel 30:13-14).

And today, if you were to visit the Jewish synagogue in Adelaide you would find that the Hebrew congregation there hold Caleb to have been a real person. It has been my privilege to be shown over the Synagogue by the Rabbi. He showed me the handwritten scroll of the book of Numbers. It was contained in a beautifully decorated cylinder and kept with the other books of Moses. Each Sabbath day a scroll is taken out and a portion read to the congregation. I had no reason to doubt that the Rabbi considered the scrolls to contain an accurate record of the lives of real people belonging to a real place in the history of his people.

We conclude that Caleb was a real person whose name is associated with real places.

After being released from the harsh rule of the ruler of Egypt, the people of Israel began the journey to their new land in high spirits. But by the time they reached Kadesh they had lost their way spiritually. Instead of pushing on in faith they suggested sending scouts ahead ‘to spy out the land’ (Deuteronomy 1:22). Moses asked the Lord about it and the request was agreed to. Caleb was one of 12 men chosen to go. Most likely they would have split into small groups so as not to draw attention to themselves as they travelled the busy trade routes in the region. After being away for 40 days they returned to Kadesh, but with the exception of the encouraging report from Caleb and Joshua, their report was negative.

The scouts reported to Moses, “We went into the land to which you sent us and it does flow with milk

and honey. Here is its fruit.” (Numbers 13:27). But even after producing the evidence and telling the people that it was a good land ten of the scouts told the people to forget about trying to possess it, because, they said ...

The ten followed their commendation of the land with a 'but' as they reported to the people, “But the people who live there are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large.” (Numbers 13:28). They focussed on what they saw as the difficulties and decided that their mission was impossible. It was a decision that left God out of the picture. They had forgotten what he had said to Abraham and Sarah, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14).

Even though Caleb and Joshua presented a positive report, the comments of the other ten were listened to most. Despair spread quickly among the people as “They spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.” (Numbers 13:32). The negative and critical attitude of the ten sent a wave of discouragement, discontent, and disbelief rolling through the camp.

Imagine the scene. The number of the people of Israel camped at Kadesh would have been around 2 million. A census taken at Sinai several weeks earlier recorded that the number of men over 20 years of age able to serve in the armed forces was 603,550 (Numbers 1:46). Despair spread from tent to tent as news of the negative report of the ten passed along the communication network of the fledgling nation. The people took on the fears of the ten rather than the faith of Caleb and Joshua. The voice of hope was lost in the howling winds of despair. The people wished they were back in Egypt. They thought that to return to slavery there would be better than facing the difficulties of the road ahead. They said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14:4).

Just as the people of Israel began well but gave up because they thought it was too hard, so it is possible for people to begin well in the Christian life only to lose hope along the way. They begin the race well but somewhere along the track they begin to tire and give up. The writer of the letter entitled Hebrews in the New Testament writings was well aware of this possibility. This is why he wrote, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith ... Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3).

Caleb did not underestimate the difficulties and the size of the task ahead of them. But he had faith that the job could be done and tried to encourage the people to believe the same. “We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it,” he said. (Numbers 13:30).

While the ten said, “We can’t,” Caleb said, “We can.”

Caleb’s faith was a faith which remained strong in an environment of doubt and uncertainty. It was also a faith which provided the key to his entrance into the promised land.

We meet Caleb again in Gilgal, a few kms NE of Jericho on the western side of the River Jordan. Since his experiences at Kadesh 45 years earlier, Caleb has witnessed many changes in the nation of Israel. He and Joshua are the only ones left of their generation. All the others have died in the wilderness as they travelled. Theirs was the generation which did not believe that the Lord could give them the land he had promised them. They did not have the faith that Caleb and Joshua had. That was why “The Lord was not able to bring these people into the land he promised them on oath.” (Numbers 14:16). Only those born during Israel’s 38 years of wandering in the wilderness made it into the new land. Along with Caleb and Joshua it was by faith that they entered. The River Jordan was crossed by faith. It was “by faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.” (Hebrews 11:30). By faith, entry had successfully been made to the land. The central part of the country was occupied first, then the southern and northern areas.

And now it was time for Caleb to take possession of some of the land for himself and his family. He made his request to Joshua, “Now give me this hill country that the lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but the Lord helping me I will drive them out just as he said.” (Joshua 14:12). It is interesting to notice that the area he asked for was in a part of the country where the inhabitants had struck such fear into the hearts of the other 10 scouts. It was the country of the feared Anakites (Numbers 14:28). But Caleb was not dismayed. By faith he said he would possess the land and by faith he did.

It is a place of rest. The Greek word translated ‘rest’ (Hebrews 4:1) pictures something coming to rest after it has been in a state of tension. Like a vibrating bow string coming to rest after it has released the arrow. Only Jesus offers rest like this. He gives this invitation to all people, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). The peace Jesus gives is hard to explain. Even that outstanding scholar Paul spoke of it being beyond understanding when writing to people in Philippi about what God’s peace could mean to them. He wrote, “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). Here is an illustration from the Ewage language.

The second day of celebrations for the publication of the Ewage New Testament in Gona Village in Papua New Guinea had come to an end. I was driving a bus load of my colleagues who had come for the celebrations back to the Anglican Church centre where they were staying for the week end.

The lady sitting next to me asked, “How did you translate the word ‘peace’ into Ewage?” At the time, we were travelling on a narrow dirt road through the largest oil palm plantation in the Southern Hemisphere.

I replied, “Look over there. Notice the deep shade formed by the overlapping growth of the oil palms. In this tropical climate we love to walk in places like that, away from the burning sun. In the Ewage language we have a way of describing what it is like in there. We refer to it as a ‘yei jamo jamo ari,’ meaning ‘a quiet, cool, shady place.’ In the same way we describe that inner peace experienced by people who are trusting in Christ for salvation. We say that they have a ‘jo jamo jamo ari,’ meaning ‘a quiet, cool, shady inside.’ That is to say, in the person’s innermost being, it is quiet and calm. It is a place in the inner self not noisy with conflicting voices, not boiling with anger.” My colleague’s understanding was reflected in her reply, “I see. Now I understand our English word peace better.”

Caleb’s faith was a faith which held fast in times of doubt and uncertainty. It was a faith which enabled him to possess the land. And it was also a ...

Caleb was 40 years old when the people were at Kadesh. Now 45 years later at the age of 85, his faith burned as brightly as ever. What a wonderful 85^th birthday it must have been for Caleb as he looked back over the years. And now he looks forward as he trusts the Lord to help him possess all that lies ahead for him. When others of his age would have retired years before and been taking life easy ever since, Caleb had no such thoughts. He remained active in the service of the Lord. The Lord had remained faithful to Caleb and Caleb had remained faithful to the Lord.

Paul was another servant of the Lord who maintained his faith in the Lord all through his life. Not long before his death he wrote two letters to a young pastor named Timothy. He was able to say this to him, “The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).

[1] Maier, Paul L. JOSEPHUS, THE ESSENTIAL WORKS. Michigan: Kregel. 1994. p.66.
[2] Copleston, Frederick. S.J. A HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY. Volume 1. New York: Doubleday. 1993. pp.505-506.