Overcoming Unbelief

For today’s meditation we will look at Deuteronomy 1:36, “Only Caleb son of Jephunneh will enter it. He has remained faithful to me, and I will give him and his descendants the land that he has explored.'” (GNB)

A background about Caleb

We see that God speaks highly of a man named Caleb that he would be the only one to enter into the Promised Land which God promised he would give to him and his descendants. Not only did Caleb receive commendation from God, there was a promise of God’s blessing on his descendants too.

This makes us wonder as to what kind of a man this Caleb might have been, what his background was that God would testify this way about him. Caleb was born as a slave in Egypt, and we see that the first forty years of his life must have been filled with unimaginable hardships, and difficulties.

The meaning behind names

In those days when babies were born their names were in keeping with the times or situations under which they were born. Let me give you some examples.

When the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream before the birth of Jesus these were the words of the angel as found in Matthew 1:21, “She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus---because he will save his people from their sins.” (GNB) The name Jesus was given even before His birth because it meant that, ‘He would be a Savior who will save His people from their sins.’

As the daughter of Pharaoh picked up Moses from the basket in which he was found in the River Nile, we read in Exodus 2:10 that the princess named the baby Moses, because she said, ‘she had drawn him out of water.’

Abraham was ninety nine years old when the Lord told him that he would have a son. When Abraham heard this he laughed, and the Lord told Abraham that he was to name his son Isaac which meant, ‘Laughter.’ Just imagine every time Abraham and Sarah called out to their son it was as if they were saying, ‘laughter come and laughter go.’

So what did the name Caleb mean? Amongst the various meaning that are there, the name Caleb also means ‘dog.’ The parents must have been under so much of pressure under the cruel hand of the Egyptians that they named their son this way. Though they were building great structures for the Egyptians, they themselves had nothing to call their own. The first forty years of Caleb’s life was really tough.

In difficult situations, we too have so many questions such as, ‘Is God there?’ ‘Is He watching?’, ‘Does He really care?’ or ‘Why these problems?’

Caleb was forty years old when God delivered the Israelites from the cruel bondage to the Egyptians. As they neared the Promised Land the people of Israel wanted to spy on the land that was promised, so that they could know what it looked like first hand. Twelve men were chosen, one from every tribe to undertake this task to spy on the Promised Land, and Caleb was one of them. This was a great opportunity that was given to Caleb.

The amazing land

We read in Numbers 13:23, “They came to Eshcol Valley, and there they cut off a branch which had one bunch of grapes on it so heavy that it took two men to carry it on a pole between them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs.” (GNB)

The men who went to spy on the land were astounded at what they saw. Generally a bunch of grapes can be carried in one hand or maybe with both our hands. Here we read that one bunch of grapes was so heavy that two men had to carry it on a pole between them. The land was so extraordinarily fruitful.

It is a fact that what God promises His children are always exceptional, and beyond our understanding. We need to trust the goodness of God absolutely.

This was the report that the twelve men brought to Moses as we read in Numbers 13:27, “They told Moses, "We explored the land and found it to be rich and fertile; and here is some of its fruit.” (GNB)

They confirmed that the land they explored was truly flowing with milk and honey, and was exactly the way God said it would be. They also showed the fruit from the land that they had brought back with them.

The dual report

However, we read in Numbers 13:28, “But the people who live there are powerful, and their cities are very large and well fortified. Even worse, we saw the descendants of the giants there.” (GNB)

Whenever, there is a ‘but’ we will see that there is something that we need to be cautioned about. The men saw that the land was astounding as the Lord had promised, but they were terrified by the people who were strong, intimidated by their fortified cities, and fearful of the giants who lived there. Though all the men saw the extraordinary grapes and fruits, ten of them were terrified by the giants, and failed to realize that God was well aware of this even before He promised them that bountiful land.