THEN THE LAND HAD REST FROM WAR

Joshua 14:6-15 / Keywords 14:15b

Then the land had rest from war.

 

Allotment for Caleb

14:6 Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’[a]

10 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the Lord, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)

Then the land had rest from war.

Footnotes

a. Joshua 14:9 Deut. 1:36

1. Caleb came to Joshua and reminded him that Moses promised to give him an inheritance. Caleb told Joshua what Moses had said 45 years before, that the land that Caleb put his foot on would be his and his descendants’ inheritance. This was promised to Caleb because Caleb followed the Lord his God wholeheartedly, while all the other people had melted in fear because of the Annakites in the land.

 

2. When Caleb followed God wholeheartedly, the promise of God came to fruition. The hill country, which the Israelites had once feared they would not be able to enter, was conquered. As promised by God through Moses, Caleb was claiming the right to receive that land. Then Joshua blessed Caleb, son of Jephunneh, and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

 

3. When we follow the Lord our God wholeheartedly, God is pleased. God wants to fulfill his mission and vision through those who follow God wholeheartedly. When they had conquered the land, the land had rest from war.

 

Prayer Lord, help us to follow you wholeheartedly and inherit your promised land.

One Word Then the land had rest from war