“The Dog” who was a “Servant of God” - Caleb

“The DOG” who believed.

There is an interesting anecdote about people who are 49
“The same law shall apply to the native as to the
about to die: It asserts that people are more saddened about stranger who sojourns among you.”
the things they could have done in life than what they As you know, the Jews looked at people in one of two
actually did. I’m sure that is not a universal truism but ways: either you were a Jew, or you were a Gentile. Caleb,
certainly has some basis in reality. The Bible surely gives and others who came into God's community, were
multiple examples of people who must have rued many originally Gentiles who were grafted into the Jewish Olive
things they did in life. tree. Israel did not establish a thirteenth tribe for such
For example, King David had many instances in which he persons; they were absorbed right into God's people and
regretted his actions. Otherer examples are: Solomon, became members of one of the twelve tribes. In this case,
David’s son, the wisest man who ever lived. He definitely Caleb became a member of the tribe of Judah, and was
succumbed to ungodly living. Samson; The strongest man adopted into one of the families.
in the world had his moments also. Both were given Whereas apparently he had no family before his adoption -
outstanding divine blessings in their youth. Are there at least none that he could be proud of -- he became a
people who had nothing to build upon or were raised not member of the aristocracy, because it was from the tribe of
knowing the true God ever get to the place where they Judah that the kings and great leaders of Israel came.
reveled in their accomplishments more than their regrets?
It struck me that a number of Gentile converts in the Old
There is one individual in the Old Testament who started Testament, such as Rahab the Amorite, Ruth the Moabitess,
out living in a society that warred against the people of and Caleb the Kenizzite--these three, at least--were taken
God. His name was “Dog”. Bible readers know him as into the kingly tribe, the tribe of Judah, the Lord's line. All
Caleb who became a leader in the tribe of Judah. He also believers are continually reminded of the statement in the
was one of the twelve scouts sometimes referred to as book of Hebrews that Jesus is not ashamed to call us
spies, who evaluated the promised land prior to entering it. brothers. See Hebrews 2:11 So now Jesus and the ones he
Caleb is an interesting character. Since dogs were outcasts makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not
in the Eastern culture, one wonders why he was given that ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. See also
name. Eventually he found his way into the midst of God's Mark 3:31-35?
people eventually becoming a leader in the tribe of Judah.. If all the promises of God are to come through the Jews,
Wait a minute! If he was a leader in the tribe of Judah, how did Caleb come to be so privileged? The answer is that
how could he not be a Jew. was God’s plan from the beginning that no man should
Caleb was not a Jew; he was an Edomite. This is interesting perish but have everlasting life. Although it was not
to reflect upon. He is described as "Caleb the son of apparent from the beginning, it can be found even in the
Jephunneh the Kenizzite." The Kenizzites were the sons of Old Testament. As far back as we can determine, the
Esau, and were related to the Edomites, long-standing promise of deliverance was given to Eve when God cursed
enemies of Israel. Throughout most of the history of their Satan in Gen 3:15: And I will put enmity between you and
relationship, the Edomites carried out border wars and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will
skirmishes against the Israelites. Therefore, Caleb was born crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
outside the covenant people of God; he was not a Jew. In Genesis 5, God gives the genealogy of Adam’s line
That he identified with the Jews in Egypt is most certain as whose name meanings tell the story of the Gospel.
it is written in the listing of the spies who went into Canaan Adam= Man > Seth (Appointed) > Enos (Mortal) >
land; from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh; Cainan (Sorrow) > Mahalaleel (Blessed God) > Jared
Numbers 13:6, (Shall come down) > Enoch (Teaching) > Methuselah
It is interesting to discover, in tracing his lineage in the (His death shall bring) > Lamech (Despairing) > Noah
book of 1 Chronicles, that sometime in the history of his (Rest, Comfort). Genesis 5:1-29.
family, he was adopted into the tribe of Judah. There was Most Christians would skip over this passage as being
no special category in Israel for people who formerly were meaningless for their edification. But, when we take the
Gentiles. Exodus 12:47-49 makes that very explicit: 47“All meaning of these names beginning with Adam through
the congregation of Israel are to celebrate this. 48“But if a Noah who of course was the most righteous man at the time
stranger sojourns with you, and celebrates the Passover to of the destruction of the earth by the flood, we get this
the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let hidden prophecy: Man was appointed mortal sorrow, but
him come near to celebrate it; and he shall be like a native the blessed God shall come down teaching that His death
of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. shall bring to the despairing rest and comfort. This verse
teaches us His divine will by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit given to Moses and others by the living word.
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 “The Dog” who was a “Servant of God” - Caleb

Israel unprepared for Victory of all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel.
6
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of
"Israel was quite unskilled in the use and manufacture of
those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7 and
implements of war. They had at their disposal only the
they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel,
most primitive weapons--bows, javelins, swords, knives--
saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an
but certainly no horse-drawn chariots which the Canaanites
exceedingly good land. 8 “If the LORD is pleased with us,
possessed in vast numbers. Israel was still spoiled by the
then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a
'fleshpots of Egypt,' for which the older people among them
land which flows with milk and honey.
were continually sighing and bemoaning their present lot.
Despite their new faith and the experiences of the Exodus
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“Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the
which they had shared together, they were not yet welded people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their
into a community which would be prepared to risk a clash protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is
with superior forces." with us; do not fear them.” 10 But all the congregation said
to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the LORD
In fact, the murmuring among each other in the camp after
appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel.
hearing the report of the spies was to appoint a captain and
return to Egypt. Numbers 14:4 What was it that gave Joshua and Caleb the confidence they
The following is an account by Josephus, the Jewish had? What set them apart from the others? It wasn't that
Historian about the reaction of the majority of the people they had a better time in the Holy Land than the others.
against the good report of Joshua and Caleb. The You know how people's experience of a place can color
congregation knew the ten alarmed spies as honorable men, how they look at it, but there was nothing contradictory in
trustworthy, "the bravest among their tribes." So what they their reports. They all saw the goodness of the land and the
said about Canaan and the giants carried a lot of weight. On same inhabitants.
the other hand, they did not trust Caleb and Joshua, perhaps It is not that they knew God's promise better than the
because those two were too closely associated with Moses others. They all knew why they went to check out the land.
and too much under his influence. Supposing, then, from It was to prepare them for entering the land. There wasn't a
what they had heard from the others, that it was impossible question of whether or not they would do it, at least not
to get possession of the promised land, all the Hebrew men until they returned.
numbered for war--a total of 603,550 above the age of It wasn't that Joshua and Caleb had experienced more of
twenty--flatly refused to go up. God's power. All the people were aware of the miracles of
Caleb and Joshua tried to change their minds. But the more God to that point. They had all witnessed the ten plagues,
they sought to persuade the people the more agitated they the parting of the Sea, the provision of the manna, and so
became. As ill feelings against the two heightened, some in on.
the crowd threatened to stone them. They also rebuffed All twelve of them knew what God had said and what he
Moses, shouting him down. They even began murmuring could do. And yet only Joshua and Caleb had confidence in
against God for bringing them into the wilderness to die. facing the challenge of entering the Land.
"And when the congregation was dissolved," relates The difference was, unlike the others, Joshua and Caleb
Josephus, "they, their wives and children, continued their believed God. They were the only ones who were able to
lamentation. They also blamed Moses, and made a clamour apply what the whole nation had seen and heard to the
against him and his brother Aaron, the high priest. current situation. They knew that if their taking the Land
Accordingly they passed that night very ill, and with was something that God wanted, nothing or no one could
contemptuous language against them; but in the morning stand in their way. Yet for the others all the miracles in the
they ran to a congregation, intending to stone Moses and world could not make a difference.
Aaron, and so to return back into Egypt."
God’s viewpoint is the key to the success of Caleb. 24"But
The People Rebel My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and
Here is the biblical account of the reaction to their report: has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he
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entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried,
and the people wept that night.2 All the sons of Israel There are only 30 verses about Caleb, but six times
grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole scriptures state that Caleb “fully followed the Lord”
congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the (Numbers 14:24; 32:12; Deuteronomy 1:36; Joshua
land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this 14:8, 9 and 14). In the entire Bible, only two people were
wilderness! 3 “Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, called God’s servant – Moses and Caleb.
to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will Notice very carefully that God is not a respecter of persons;
become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to A Jew and a Gentile entered the promised land together; A
Egypt?” 4 So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a Jew and a Gentile were similarly regarded as God’s
leader and return to Egypt.” Servant.
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Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces in the presence Shalom

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