Joshua 14:6-9 – Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’ (see Deut. 1:36)”

The original meaning of the name “Caleb” was “dog” in ancient Hebrew. Caleb was, in fact, like God’s “bulldog” in the Old Testament – tough, persistent, eager to fight for the Lord, and sure of his victory. He was the son of Jephunneh, whose name meant “nimble” in Hebrew. Caleb provides a prophetic illustration for us of what a faithful believer should be like.

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Joshua 14:4 – “…The Levites received no share of the land but only towns to live in, with pasturelands for their flocks and herds…”

The tribe of Levi received no allotment of land when Joshua and Eleazer the priest assigned the tribal inheritances after conquering the Promised Land. The other tribes all received a region of the Promised Land that they would pass to their descendants for generations. There were four reasons for this special treatment of the Levites, each of which teaches a valuable spiritual lesson.

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Joshua 2:18 – “…unless, when we enter the land, you have tied this scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you have brought your father and mother, your brothers and all your family into your house.”

The blood of Jesus is a like a scarlet cord that connects us to eternity. It is a continuous line that reaches from our existing in this present world to the life and light found in eternity. It is through this line, the blood, that we receive salvation and eternal life.   continue

Joshua 10:12-14 - On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord in the presence of Israel:  “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”  So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar.    The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the Lord listened to a man. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!

This was a major battle for Israel as they entered the Promised Land.  Up to this point, the Israelites had fought and won only two localized battles (Jericho and Ai).   continue

“Be strong and courageous…for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

The Lord gave this injunction to Joshua at the moment when Israel was ending their decades of wandering in the wilderness, and about to enter at last into the Promised Land.  They were encamped on the banks of the Jordan River. 

Why did a seasoned warrior like Joshua need encouragement?  Tremendous challenges awaited them—many battles against enemies with larger armies and superior weaponry.  Also, while the hardships of the wilderness wanderings would soon be over—the daily quest for adequate water, etc.—God’s miraculous daily provision of food, Manna, would also end the day they entered the Promised Land.  The Lord expected his people to take advantage of the abundant natural resources and produce of the land they would inherit, and this involved some responsibility for farming, working the fields and orchards, etc.  It was a great blessing to enter the land, but it involved a greater level of maturity and responsibility than previously required.   continue