Joshua and Caleb are two of the most well-known figures in the Old Testament. They were part of the 12 spies Moses sent into Canaan to explore the land God had promised to the Israelites. While 10 of the spies gave a bad report and discouraged the people from entering Canaan, Joshua and Caleb had faith in God and encouraged the people to move forward. Their story is one of courage, faithfulness, and steadfast trust in God’s promises.
Joshua and Caleb’s Background
Joshua and Caleb came from two different Israelite tribes. Joshua was from the tribe of Ephraim (Numbers 13:8), while Caleb was from the tribe of Judah (Numbers 13:6). They were among the first generation of Israelites who left Egypt and wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. Joshua and Caleb were likely middle-aged at this point, mature men ready to take on leadership roles.
When it was time for Moses to send spies into Canaan, the Lord told him to pick one leader from each of the 12 tribes (Numbers 13:2). The tribe leaders selected Joshua and Caleb to represent their tribes on this reconnaissance mission. Already recognized as leaders, Joshua and Caleb were entrusted with exploring the land and bringing back a report to the people.
The 12 Spies Explore Canaan
Moses sent the 12 spies into Canaan with clear instructions – explore the land, see what the cities and people are like, and bring back some fruit (Numbers 13:17-20). He wanted them to determine if Canaan was indeed a good land, just as the Lord promised. The 12 men explored Canaan for 40 days, traveling from the Negev desert in the south all the way north to Rehob near Lebanon (Numbers 13:21-25).
During their exploration, the spies saw extremely fertile land filled with produce. At the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a large cluster of grapes so big it had to be carried on a pole between two men. They also brought back pomegranates and figs to show the Israelites the abundance of the land (Numbers 13:23-24). After 40 days, the 12 spies returned from their mission.
The Majority Report: A Bad Report
The 12 spies presented themselves before Moses, Aaron, and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh. They showed the people the massive cluster of grapes and other fruit and talked about the richness of the land. But after describing the prosperity of Canaan, 10 of the spies quickly shifted to a negative report (Numbers 13:26-29).
They claimed that the people living there were extremely strong and their cities were large and fortified. They exaggerated that the land “devours its inhabitants” and said that “all the people whom we saw in it are of great size” like giants (Numbers 13:28,32). Essentially, they were trying to frighten the Israelites into thinking Canaan could not be conquered.
Caleb quieted the people so Joshua could also give his perspective. But the 10 spies continued insisting they could not attack those people and their strong cities (Numbers 13:30-31). Their bad report discouraged the people completely (Numbers 13:32).
The Minority Report: Joshua and Caleb’s Faith
Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes in dismay at the other spies’ bad report. They boldly declared, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us” (Numbers 14:6-8).
Joshua and Caleb completely disagreed with the majority’s perspective. They trusted God would help them conquer the land, regardless of seeming obstacles. But the 10 spies incited fear in the crowd, and the people threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:10).
The Lord was very angry at the Israelites’ lack of faith after seeing the miracles He performed to bring them out of Egypt (Numbers 14:11). They experienced God’s power firsthand, yet they still did not believe He could bring them into Canaan. The Lord threatened to disinherit them and make a mightier nation through Moses (Numbers 14:12).
Moses Intercedes for Israel
Moses urgently interceded for the Israelites, asking the Lord to pardon them according to His loving, gracious character (Numbers 14:13-19). The Lord relented from the disaster He planned to send on the faithless people. However, there were still consequences for their unbelief.
God pardoned them from immediate death, but declared that all those who rejected Him would perish in the wilderness over the next 40 years, except Joshua and Caleb. The 10 unfaithful spies died immediately by plague (Numbers 14:36-37). The next day, the Israelites felt remorse and tried to make up for their lack of trust by invading Canaan without the Lord’s blessing. But the Amalekites and Canaanites easily defeated them and drove them back (Numbers 14:39-45).
Joshua and Caleb’s Reward
As the years went by, the rest of the adult generation died off in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb remained because of their faith in God. After Moses died, the Lord spoke to Joshua and promised again to give them the land. He commanded Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan River to begin occupying Canaan (Joshua 1:1-9).
When it was finally time to distribute tribal inheritances in Canaan, Caleb boldly approached Joshua and reminded him of God’s promise 45 years earlier. Caleb was 85 years old, yet still just as vigorous in his faith. He requested the land of Hebron as his inheritance because that is where the giants were. Caleb wanted the challenge to show God’s power in helping him defeat them (Joshua 14:6-14). Joshua blessed Caleb and granted his request because he wholly followed the Lord.
Joshua and Caleb’s great faith and courage to stand against the crowd and follow the Lord fully were rewarded richly. They inherited the Promised Land denied to that faithless generation. Their story illustrates the blessings that come from wholeheartedly trusting and obeying God despite obstacles.
Lessons from Joshua and Caleb
Several valuable lessons emerge from the account of Joshua and Caleb:
- Full faith in God’s promises overcomes fear of worldly obstacles
- Courage to stand for truth may require going against the crowd
- God rewards those who wholly follow Him, regardless of their age and the time passed
- Majority opinion does not determine truth
- Intercessory prayer is powerful
- There are consequences for lack of faith and obedience
- Waiting on God’s timing requires patience and endurance
Joshua and Caleb modeled ideal faith during a crucial turning point for Israel. Their steadfast trust in God despite pressures earned them an amazing legacy as two of the Bible’s great heroes.
