Possessing With Confidence Series

Joshua divided Canaan among the tribes of Israel (Joshua 11:23) just as God had commanded him (Joshua 1:3, 6); and then some time later, the Lord approached him again, and in Joshua chapter 13, verses 1 and 7, the Bible shares the account of what He instructed Joshua to do. We read, “Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: ‘You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed . . . Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh’” (Joshua 13:1, 7).

The Promised Land was so vast that there were many regions left unconquered; and after having a period of rest, it was time for the people to pick up where they had left off in purging the land of the dreaded Canaanites. Only nine tribes were assigned this task, and allowed to take possession of the land once they drove out the inhabitants. The tribes of Rueben and Gad had settled for a lesser inheritance on the east side of the Jordan River (Joshua 13:8), and had therefore forfeited their right to the Promised Land; and the tribe of Levi was set aside as the priests, and the Levites were not allowed to own any land (13:14); thus, explaining why only nine tribes could take possession.

A Possible Cause for Discouragement

There is one thing that could have posed a problem for the Israelites in further conquest of the land, and that was their age. The Lord candidly informed Joshua, “You are old, advanced in years” (Joshua 13:1). Just before he entered the wilderness wanderings he was forty-years-old (Joshua 14:7); therefore, he was probably around eighty-five-years-old at the time of this conversation.

The youngest of the Israelites would have been around age sixty-five (cf. Numbers 14:29). Judah is portrayed as one of the nine tribes afforded the great privilege of obtaining more land; and Caleb, the leader of Judah, declared himself to be eighty-five-years-old (Joshua 14:10), the same age as Joshua.

In application, perhaps the Lord will ask you to follow a calling later on in life, and you might become concerned because of your age. This, however, is only one of many reasons why you might find yourself discouraged when following God’s calling, and feel hindered in trying to possess the Promised Land of His best. Battle fatigue can set in as well, leading to the temptation of settling down just short of the real prize, like Rueben and Gad. Whatever the problem might be, we find in Caleb some insight into overcoming discouragement to continue pressing ahead in conquest of His best.

Recounting the Promise and Journey (vv. 6-10)

6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.”

7 “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God’.”

10 “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”

Joshua was probably having feelings of inadequacy. Caleb, who was the same in age, approached him with a word of encouragement. He reminded Joshua of what the Lord had earlier told Moses concerning them both some forty-five years prior. God had informed Moses, “But My servant Caleb . . . I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it” (Numbers 14:24).

The Lord did not just mention Caleb; for when He pronounced judgment on the Israelites through his servant Moses, he told them, “Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in” (Numbers 14:30). The Lord mentioned Caleb and Joshua together as being allowed to one day enter and inherit the land.

Caleb was quick to remind Joshua of this promise. In fact, Caleb was always quick in speaking words of encouragement and faith. For example, when the Israelites were complaining of the giants in the land, he immediately declared, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it!” (Numbers 13:30).