The story of the children of Israel and their exodus from Egypt is filled with strong characters such as Moses and Aaron and Joshua. But throughout the narrative, Caleb stands as the man who did not succumb to the pressure of peers or the perils of impatience.
Years before, as Moses and the Israelites first neared Canaan, the people became fearful about what they would find waiting for them there. Would they be slaughtered by the inhabitants? Would their wives and children be sold as slaves? To assure the people of the good land that awaited them, the Lord told Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders” (Numbers 13:2).
For forty days these men explored Canaan, finding at every turn bounty and beauty, just as the Lord had promised. But the land was not without challenges. Its occupants were city dwellers, men of might. When the spies returned to give their report, it was this fact — of fortified cities and giants — that colored their descriptions. Ten of the twelve talked only of the fearful inhabitants.
But “Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it’” (Numbers 13:30). Only he and Joshua saw with holy eyes what the Lord had in store for the faithful.
What about you? Are you easily frightened by the hardships and challenges you confront? Do you see only the “giants” in the way of your dreams? Or, like Caleb, are you willing to trust God to do mighty things in your life?
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