It’s nearly impossible to go through any Christian education without stumbling across the story of Joshua and Caleb. Even those new to the faith have probably heard their names joined together, praising them for their faith amid daunting circumstances.
Considering Joshua alone has a book in the Bible titled under him, right after Deuteronomy, there’s a lot we could cover in this article. But for the sake of not breaking your fingers from having to scroll past thousands upon thousands of words, we’ll stick to the basics: what they did, what others didn’t do, and what we can learn from them.
What Is the Story of Joshua and Caleb in the Bible?
Joshua and Caleb were Israelites—part of the generation of Israelites who escaped the Egyptian slavery. You may recall Moses telling Pharaoh to let his people go, the Egyptians experiencing the 10 plagues, and the splitting of the Red Sea.
Joshua, son of Nun, and Caleb were both tribe leaders. How do we know this? We get to know them in Numbers 13. Caleb led the tribes of Judah, and Joshua led the tribe of Ephraim. God sends 12 spies into the Promised Land, the very land the Israelites trekked across the desert for.
As the story goes on, they observe that the land is fertile and full of goodness. The crops were so big that it took two men to carry back a single cluster of grapes.
Unfortunately, the land also has some formidable warriors. The 10 spies describe the inhabitants as giants, so big that they make regular people look like grasshoppers. They may have been the Anakim—descendants of the Nephilim (offspring from the “sons of God” and “daughters of men” mentioned in Genesis 6:104, potentially giant demon-human offspring).
When they return 40 days later, after scouting the land, 10 spies go on and on about how big and intimidating the people of the land are.
Joshua and Caleb probably frown at this point. Joshua doesn’t say anything in the text, but later on, we know he sides with Caleb. Caleb steps in and says that with God on their side, they can defeat the people of the land.
Unfortunately, the majority wins. The 10 unfaithful spies manage to convince Israel not only to avoid taking over the land…but to rebel against Moses, God’s chosen leader.
God gets angry and says that anyone above a certain age (20 years old) won’t make it into the Promised Land. Instead, they will wander for 40 years because of doubt and unfaithfulness.
What Did God Promise Joshua and Caleb?
That is . . . every person 20 years and up is in trouble . . . except for Joshua and Caleb.
God saw their faithfulness and trust and allowed them to continue living. Forty years later, God led the Israelites into the Promised Land. This is the promise God makes for them in Numbers 14.
Sure enough, after some time passed, the Israelites successfully conquered the Promised Land and enjoyed its spoils.
Joshua succeeds as the next leader of Israel after Moses. Unfortunately, Moses did not make it to the Promised Land due to his direct disobedience to God. Joshua lives until the ripe age of 110 and dies in the Promised Land. After him, a series of judges ruled over Israel. If you recall correctly, the Judges were prophet-leaders who ruled based on God’s calling over them. This was before the time of the kings, which drove Israel into depravity before the Babylonians and Assyrians took over.
Caleb outlives even Joshua and inherits a bountiful portion of the land. Caleb also lived past the age of 100, married well, and lived well.
All because the two men decided to trust in God.
What Made Joshua and Caleb Different?
What made Joshua and Caleb different? Critics often pose this question, and we cannot blame people for asking. After all, 12 spies went into God’s promised land, but only two immediately called for Israel to take over.
So what set them apart?
First, we have to understand the context. Both of them would’ve experienced slavery in Egypt. They were quite accustomed to being ruled over by formidable people, such as the Pharaoh. We can imagine Caleb and Joshua feeling trepidation when they saw the people of Canaan.
If some scholars’ speculations are true, that these Canaanites were true descendants of the Nephilim, they would’ve been frightening to behold. Furthermore, the city barricaded itself well. It takes the Israelites marching around it for seven days and shouting and blasting trumpets for God to tear the walls down and allow them to invade.
Joshua and Caleb would’ve known this would’ve been a greater enemy than Egypt. Far bigger than anything they’ve ever faced before.
So I don’t believe it’s courage that set them apart, but rather, faith.
Joshua and Caleb knew that God had split the Red Sea, had caused the 10 plagues, and led them with a pillar of fire at night…furthermore, he’d promised them the land of the Canaanites. And if they knew anything about Yahweh, he didn’t back out of promises.
What also made them different was just how quickly they obeyed. In Numbers 13, we don’t see Caleb hemming or hawing before saying, “All right, I guess we can try to defeat them.” He immediately calls for the Israelite’s obedience. He and Joshua had 40 days to reflect as they scouted the land, so they had no excuses for tarrying.
As you can imagine, these two great men have much to teach us about daunting circumstances.
What Can We Learn from Joshua and Caleb?
Joshua and Caleb went from enslaved people to tribe leaders to landowners and leaders of Israel (in Joshua’s case). All because they trusted God’s promises and how God had moved in the past. Here are three life lessons we can derive from their stories.
1. God-ordained decisions aren’t always popular.
This may seem like a given. After all, it has perhaps been drilled into us since Sunday school that we may sometimes stand alone in God-ordained decisions. However, we can imagine the peer pressure Joshua and Caleb felt when the 10 spies not only tried to deter Moses from leading them into the Promised Land but also got the entire assembly of Israel riled up. Nevertheless, Caleb and Joshua remained resolute and avoided losing the land.
2. God has a very good sense of irony.
Something that sticks out to me in Numbers 14 is how much the Israelites go on and on about how the Canaanites will ransack their children. We know it’s a flimsy excuse to avoid obedience to God. How often do we avoid our duties by blaming our spouses, children, or other responsibilities? Funnily, God says that the very same children who they use as an excuse to rebel will be the ones who enjoy the Promised Land, while the parents will miss out. We certainly don’t want to end up like that.
3. God expects swift, decided obedience.
Caleb and Joshua act the moment they get back to camp. But God expects this from them because they have seen God act personally. They’ve seen God out in the wilderness, witnessed his glorious acts… and have no choice but to trust his promises. In the same way, God wants us to trust him. He has moved so many times in our lives that if we obey him the first time he asks, we will be surprised by the results.
Photo Credit:©GettyImages/Peter Dennis
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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