Joshua and Caleb are bosom friends. I don’t know if you ever had a bosom friend. It’s more than a blood-brother; it’s like a kinsman redeemer. It’s someone who would give up their life for you in a battle or give you a vital organ if you needed it. In Numbers 13, Moses, the ‘servant of the Lord,’ chose 12 men who were the rulers of their tribes in Israel to search out the Promised Land. They saw the produce, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as God had said, “but there were giants in the land.” These were the children of Anak and the Israelites were like grasshoppers, so they rebelled against God’s command to go. Joshua and Caleb tried to turn the rebellion around but to no avail. As a result, God made them wander in the wilderness until everyone over 20 died, about 1.5 million people. Almost, but not quite. Webster says, “almost is very nearly but not completely.” It makes me think of King Agrippa’s response to Paul in Acts 26:28. “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Listen to Paul’s response in verse 29. “I would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.” Almost! What a scary word! Amen? I was a lifeguard for several years, and I can’t imagine swimming back to shore telling a sobbing wife or mother, “I almost reached them. Just another 20 feet! Next time I will try to swim faster.” There is no next time for them. There wasn’t a next time for the nearly 1.5 million Jewish people because of ten spies’ evil report. Amen?

Caleb means ‘wholehearted, dog-like, imbued with qualities of loyalty and devotion.’ Most intriguing is Caleb’s ties to the Hebrew word “kelev” which means dog-like. I had beagles growing up that were loyal and totally devoted to me! My dog’s name was Lucky. He was missing one eye, an ear and part of a leg, but he could chase rabbits with the best of them. My brother’s dog was Choco, and my father’s dog was Jinx. I have an oil painting of them chasing a rabbit, painted by an Italian artist in the 1950’s who used to hunt with my father. You want to talk about loyalty and devotion? They were the epitome of it! One day a neighbor’s German shepherd came after me on my bike, and Lucky tore into him and lost most of an ear. His owner came to complain. My father answered the door and told our neighbor if his dog got loose again to bring a wheelbarrow to take him home to bury him. My father was not happy, but Lucky got a piece of steak that night. If I ever got another beagle, I think I would name him Caleb. My father could talk beagle and call them off a rabbit or a deer, and they would come running to his feet. He would yell, “Yuk, yuk, yuk!” That’s beagle for “come!” I had his old 1897 Remington 12 gauge pump shotgun redone. Memories! Come, we will sit on my front porch, eat Annie’s homemade apple pie with a slab of sharp cheddar cheese and a cup of coffee and listen for a farmer’s beagle chasing a rabbit in the field across the road. But this blog is about Caleb, not rabbit hunting. Another time!

Then Caleb told Joshua he was 40 when Moses sent him to spy out the land 45 years ago. Now he is 85, yet as strong as the day he and Joshua went in to spy out the land. “As yet, I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out and to come in. Now, therefore, give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there and that the cities were great and fenced; if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said.” (Joshua 14:11-12).

Verse 13 says, “And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.” Blessed (S – #1288) is the Hebrew word barak, which means ‘to kneel, by implication to bless God, as act of adoration, and (vice versa) man as a benefit; abundantly, greatly, praise.’ He gave Caleb Hebron or Chebron in Hebrew, (S – #2275) ‘a place in Palestine, a society, a seat of association’ for an inheritance (S – #5159), nahala, ‘something inherited, to occupy, an heirloom, an estate, a portion.’ Why? The next verse tells us it was “because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.” As should we! Also, Hebron is where Abraham and Sarah are buried (Genesis 23:17, 25:9). According to verse 15, before being named Hebron, this city was called Kiriath-arba (S – #7153), qiryat ha’arba, which means ‘the city of four giants.’ It is believed that Goliath lived here before moving to Gath. Verse 15 also mentions Arba (S – #704), which literally means ‘one of the four.’ Arba was the father of Anak (S – #6059, 6060, 6061) meaning ‘necklace, strangling or choke.’ Could it be that these giants preferred to strangle the life out of their victims by choking them to death or by putting a necklace around their necks and leading them back to their villages as captives and slaves? The verse is not clear on its meaning, but Caleb is going to put an end to their morbid frolic and torture and give the land rest from war, but not until after much hand-to-hand combat with a sword and a club at 85 years of age, for the Lord. Any giants in your life?

By the way, Caleb is the son of Jepunneh (S – #3312) whose name means ‘to be prepared.’ I was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout, and that was our motto – ‘Be Prepared!’ So I guess Caleb was a Boy Scout! However, Jepunneh goes even further. It comes from the Hebrew word pana (S – #6437) which means ‘to turn and to face; to look, behold, turn the corner and face your adversary eye ball to eye ball.’ If you are going to do hand to hand combat, that is the only way – and yelling as loud as you can! Marine! Amen?

Till next time when we’ll see you between the lines in Joshua 18, where they erect a tabernacle in Shiloh and begin to divide the Promised Land by lots. This was always accompanied by much prayer before God’s face. So, join me as we look at the division of God’s Promised Land through the ‘worm’s eye point of view.’

**All numbered words coordinate with the Strong’s Concordance and its definition.**

Till next time – between the lines!

Pierced Hand Publications (piercedhandpublications@gmail.com)

Roger T. Boguski