Lesson 2 *October 2–8

Caleb: Living With the

Wait

Sabbath Afternoon

Read for This Week’s Study: Numbers 13, 14, Joshua
14, Judg. 1:12–15.

Memory Text: “My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the
morning. Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is
mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption” (Psalm 130:6, 7).

H
e saw the best of times and the worst of times. Caleb knew
what slavery was like. He had been there when the Lord had
led His people out of Egypt with a mighty hand. He had seen
the sea open before Israel and swallow the Egyptian chariots and
army. He had been with Israel at Mount Sinai and had seen Moses
descend from the mountain with God’s law. He had been one of the
first to see the land of Canaan. And through no fault of his own, he
had to spend his best years wandering in the desert with the Israelites.
He had watched all of his generation die there too. At last, as an old
man, he was able to enter into the land of Canaan. Even then he shows
courage and faith in God.
Caleb was a leader who seemed to work more behind the scenes than
in front of an audience. This week we will learn from his gentle leader-
ship style. We will get to know a great leader willing to take risks and to
lead by example, someone who was generous and encouraged leader-
ship in younger people. But beyond the many positive character traits of
Caleb, we will study a story relevant to us, who live at the end of earth’s
history, as we wait to cross over into the heavenly Canaan.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 9.

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 S unday October 3

The “Facts”
About 15 months earlier, Israel had left Egypt. Tents dot the desert
of Paran, close to the border of Canaan. Everyone is excited to know
about the land that is soon to be their home. At God’s direction, 12
explorers are chosen. Caleb is to represent Judah as one of the 12
who will conduct a fact-finding mission to Canaan. The spies spend
40 days exploring the land, and finally they return and prepare to give
their report.

Read Numbers 13:26–14:2. What lesson can we learn from this

account about living by faith and not by sight?

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The spies bring along something that they can see, smell, and taste.
Although the 12 spies are all exposed to the same facts, they come to
very different conclusions.
Ten of them interpret the fertile land and great cities to mean that
they are doomed, that there is no way these wandering ex-slaves can
take the land. Conveniently, they seem to forget that they would not
be standing on the border of the Promised Land if it were not for the
miracles of the plagues in Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the
water from a rock, and the daily manna that they received for more
than a year. God did all these things for them, and now, for some
reason, they fail to trust Him and His promises, going by what they
see instead of what God has promised. How easy for all of us to do
the same thing!
What we see, and how we interpret what we see, can have very
direct personal consequences. Our interpretations of “facts” form
the building blocks of our daily decisions, and these “facts” so often
interact with our emotions. The idea that we can believe whatever we
like without those beliefs affecting who we are and what we do is a
myth.
Facing the “facts” without God’s Word will lead to interpretations
that point away from God and toward faithlessness. Facing the facts
with God will lead to evidence that will help us to trust God and
strengthen our faith in Him.

Why is it so easy to live by sight and not by faith? When was

the last time you faced something similar to what we have read
today? How did you respond, and what did you learn from your
response and all that followed about trusting in God and in His
promises, despite the “facts”?
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teachers comments

The Lesson
Learning Cycle in Brief
C O N T I N U E D

Key Text: Psalm 90:12–17

The Student Will:

Know: Identify the patterns of Caleb’s behavior in which he is described
as serving God “wholeheartedly.”
Feel: Long to live just such a life of faithfulness as Caleb did, in the
midst of family and friends who might choose to live differently.
Do: Model single-mindedness toward God’s purposes in servant leader-
ship, regardless of the consequences.

Learning Outline:
I. Know: Warrior Leadership
l
A Where others saw impossibilities, Caleb saw opportunity. What evi-
dence of faith did Caleb reveal in his words and actions?
l
B How did Caleb’s faith affect his leadership when he was in the desert,
as well as when he was claiming the territory that God had given him in
the Promised Land?

II. Feel: A Lonely Road

l A It can be a thankless and isolated journey when we follow God’s way
while almost everyone else feels no compunction to travel the way with
us. How did Caleb respond when he was faced with a complaining and
rebellious mob?
l B How did Caleb relate to the punishment that Israel deserved but that
he didn’t?

III. Do: Single-minded, Servant Leadership

lA Caleb chose to take some of the most difficult and challenging prop-
erty as his share of the Promised Land, though he was much older than
most of Israel. What aspects of our lives could use a good dose of Caleb’s
courage and determination to follow where God leads?
lB How can we model faithfulness to those who follow us?

Summary: Caleb never swerved from honoring God’s purposes and modeling faith
and obedience, though he was in the minority of those faithful to God.
C O N T I N U E D

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 M onday October 4

Standing Tall When It Counts

It is not always easy to stand out and stand tall. Group pressure is a
tremendous force. The sheer power of thousands of people cheering in
a stadium for the home team carries an energy that is very intimidat-
ing to opponents. Not many of us would be foolish enough to shout
for the opposing team or wave the other team’s colors in the middle of
the opposition. This is the reason supporters of opposing teams, such
as in soccer, often are kept apart during games. When they do meet,
reason steps aside and violence often results.
For the Israelites, though, this was no game. Their future and their sur-
vival seemed to be threatened, and they all wept. To witness thousands of
people weeping together must have been very moving. And here Caleb,
who normally seems to be in the background, steps forward.

Focus on Numbers 13:30. What can we learn about Caleb and about
trusting in God’s promises from what he said?

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The same information can be conveyed in many ways. How we say

something is as important as what we say. Caleb shows a lot of char-
acter by not arguing with or insulting the faithless ten spies in public
and not remonstrating with the people for their lack of faith. Instead,
Caleb talks courageously and calls for trust and action. However, the
people do not want to hear this. They have made up their minds and
try to stone Moses, Joshua, and Caleb.

Read Numbers 14:1–10, 20–24. What do we see here as an end result

of rejecting God’s Word and thus coming to a faulty interpreta-
tion of the “facts”?

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Caleb must have been bitterly disappointed. He had seen the good
land. He was faithful and ready to enter. But now he must wander in
the desert for 40 years because of everyone else’s fault. Caleb, how-
ever, has a strong sense of community and realizes what it means to be
part of a whole. He leads by example and encourages. Caleb does not
break away and start a new movement. The spirit of simply leaving
when there is trouble or lack of faith may be a current phenomenon,
but it is not biblical. In Caleb we see a man who stays on, even during
the punishment years, without a spirit of “I told you so.”

In what ways have you suffered from other people’s bad

choices? How have you handled yourself in these situations?
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teachers comments

Learning Cycle
STEP 1—Motivate

Key Concept for Spiritual Growth: We must learn to view our

world through the eyes of faith, in good times and bad.

Just for Teachers: Emphasize that faith helps us to perceive and

act upon our circumstances correctly.

We all know how hard it is to keep the faith when times are hard and when God
seems far away. In such circumstances, faith conflicts with logic. We have to
maintain our belief in God and in His promises, even when no reason for hope
or faith is apparent.
The time in which Caleb lived was the opposite. God had just brought
the Israelites through the desert with many and daily examples of miracles
and supernatural manifestations, capped off with a reprise of the parting
of the Red Sea. Few of us ever have experienced such clear evidence of
God’s care and guidance. So, it seems quite inconceivable that the Israelites
would assess the situation, determine that it was hopeless, and huddle in the
proverbial fetal position. Yet, they did! Caleb was one of the few who took
God at His word.
The other Israelites probably viewed themselves not as pessimists but as
realists. But in the light of their recent experience, it was Caleb who was the
realist. May God help us to be realistic enough to believe in His miracles!

Discuss With the Class: Most of us believe that God can help us
with the struggles in our lives, whether physical, spiritual, financial,
and so forth. Indeed, most of us can—if we think about it—point to
many times in which God has helped us in these areas. Why then do
we, as did the Israelites of Caleb’s time, have such difficulty believing
that God will help us in the future?

STEP 2—Explore

Just for Teachers: Note that God has plans, and we have a place
in those plans. We are, in some sense, both the object of the plans
and the means by which they are accomplished. Sometimes we are
the means by which they are impeded or delayed. Of course, we all
can see when others are impeding or delaying them. Caleb’s anger
toward, and resentment of, his fellow Israelites would have been
C O N T I N U E D

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 T uesday October 5

Claiming God’s Promises

Forty years have passed. The Israelites have crossed over the Jordan
into the Promised Land. Like hungry people eyeing a table loaded
with good food, they gaze toward the Promised Land. Campfire
discussions center on what the best sections of land are and who is
going to get them. Long before entering the Promised Land, Moses
already had recognized the potential for infighting and left directions
for the division of the land. The division of the land is touched on in
Joshua 14.

Read Joshua 14. What request does Caleb make, and why do you
think he made it? What does this tell us about him and his faith?

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Amid the dividing of the land, Caleb steps forward and, surpris-
ingly, asks for land. This is to be land not for his tribe but rather
for him personally. At first glance this meeting between Joshua and
Caleb, the two oldest men in Israel, seems a little out of character.
Even though Caleb insists that he is strong and ready for battle, first
and foremost he wants to claim a promise given to him by God.
Caleb obviously is unafraid to claim God’s promises. Caleb’s
request is not motivated by selfish ambition. The principle of “get-
ting to give” is deeply entrenched in the old man. Caleb does not
make claim to the nicest, most lush areas; rather, he chooses the area
inhabited by the sons of Anak—giants. That is, the land he is asking
for isn’t yet conquered. These very giants had made the Israelites so
afraid 40 years earlier (Num. 13:33).
Caleb, perhaps, is eager to see that the current generation does not
make the mistakes of their forefathers. Now Caleb demonstrates his
faith in God by choosing the most challenging, instead of the easiest,
territory.
Once again, Caleb is leading by example. In the process, he is living
an object lesson. He is, in effect, saying: “If God can use one of the
oldest men to drive out the giants, then the rest of you need not fear.
God can and will give the victory.” Joshua 15:13, 14 records Caleb’s
victory over Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak.
What had terrified a whole nation was conquered by one old man who
trusted in God’s power.

Read Joshua 14:14. What does it mean to serve the Lord
“wholeheartedly”? What kind of things in our lives, if not con-
stantly put down, will make this difficult for us to do?
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Learning Cycle C O N T I N U E D

exceptionally well-founded. Yet, he didn’t give in to it. We have no

evidence it even existed. What does this say to us?

Bible Commentary
I. Lost in Place (Review Numbers 13:30, 14:20–24 with your class.)

One thing almost everyone knows about the Exodus of the Israelites from
Egypt is that the Israelites wandered for 40 years. What is not generally
known is that this was not necessary. The Sinai desert—assuming tradi-
tions about the setting are correct—did not take 40 years to cross. The
Israelites were not so directionally challenged as to get lost in a tiny strip
of desert and take 40 years to get their bearings. It was not dictated by the
Bible’s preoccupation with the number 40; if it were, 40 days, weeks, or
months would have been sufficient.
No, God was quite ready to give them the land of Canaan right away.
But the Israelites didn’t believe it was possible. Only Caleb responded
with confidence, saying, “ ‘Let us go up at once and possess it’ ” (Num.
13:30). The 1 others looked at the challenges and magnified them. The
faithless, pessimistic “realists” were the ones seeing mythical beings from
bad science fiction, all to avoid the obvious conclusion that God could do
what He said He would do.
And this after God had demonstrated His power in dramatic, super-
natural ways ten times (Num. 14:22). God, who had every right to test
them, allowed them to test Him ten times, humbling one of the greatest
empires in the ancient world in the process. And still they didn’t believe
in His ability to give them the land that had been promised to them since
the time of2Abraham. Given a choice between trusting God and circling
around the same conglomeration of sand and rock formations for decades,
they chose the latter.
Knowing, as we do, how the story ends, it’s easy to deride the children
of Israel. But what about us? How many times have we, in the full knowl-
edge that God wanted something new, different, and better for us, gone
back to the things that were “safe,” the things that we knew? Addictions
that we wanted
3 taken away but not quite yet? Refusing to grow spiritually
because we didn’t want the responsibility that came with it? Avoiding real
intimacy with God because we weren’t sure what He would ask from us or

C O N T I N U E D

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 W ednesday October 6

Passing on the Legacy

In some cultures old age is highly respected, and older people are
well integrated into society and looked to for advice and wisdom. In
others, senior citizens are seen as no longer productive and are ignored
and marginalized. The latter view seems to be growing worldwide.
Caleb gives a wonderful example of the positive use of one’s old age.
Caleb avoids the extremes normally associated with the senior
years. He does not allow himself to be intimidated by others because
of his years. He does not simply give up on life and withdraw. He
does not use his age as an excuse for not being involved in his com-
munity. Neither does he hang on to his position and see all attempts
of younger people to lead as personal threats.

What does Psalm 92:12–15 say about old age?

It has been said that God has no grandchildren. As long as God

remains the God of my fathers, He has nothing to do with me person-
ally. Caleb knows that every generation must have its own experience
with God. The Israelites, collectively and individually, could not live
off the miracles of Egypt or even the wilderness experience of their
parents. Caleb sees it as his duty to create an environment for the
younger generation to take their first steps of faith.

What sort of experience is Caleb facilitating in Judges 1:12, 13?

The people of Judah are taking possession of their land. The tribes
of Judah and Simeon cooperate and work together in faith in order to
make good on God’s promises. But on coming up against the forti-
fied city of Kirjathsepher (vs. 12), they face a tremendous challenge.
We know from archaeology about the often elaborate design of Late
Bronze Age fortification systems in Palestine. However, instead of
focusing on the walls, Caleb sees this challenge as an opportunity for
growth. Here someone can claim God’s promises and have the victory.
Although it may sound strange to us, Caleb offers a wonderful incen-
tive. Whoever conquers the city would become his son-in-law. Othniel,
Caleb’s nephew (Judg. 1:13), takes up the challenge, and God gives
him victory. Through Caleb’s nurturing, a new hero is born. Caleb’s
investment would pay rich dividends in later years. God would use this
young man as Israel’s first judge and deliverer (Judg. 3:7–11).

As you have matured, how have your attitudes changed? What

have you learned simply by experience? How can you avoid get-
ting entrenched in wrong habits and attitudes?
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Learning Cycle C O N T I N U E D

how other people would react? Aren’t those same rock formations losing
their appeal the five hundredth time around?

Consider This: God gives us a chance to go somewhere new and be

something new, just as He did the Israelites. What is standing in the
way of our claiming the promises He has made to us? How can we set
them aside and attain the better things He has for us?

STEP 3—Apply

Just for Teachers: Emphasize that although life is a struggle and

that there are people who don’t wish the best for us and that there are
circumstances that can wear us down, God is equal to all of them.

Thought Questions:
Strictly defined, a miracle is a perceptible contravention of the laws of
nature, such as might occur through direct divine intervention or through
the medium of a holy person or “miracle worker.” Have you personally
experienced miracles or divine intervention? How did they affect your
conduct of life from that point?
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Application Questions:
l
1 Life is full of dangers and potential negative outcomes. As such, it
is only natural that we take such possibilities into account and plan for
worst-case scenarios. On the other hand, the Bible implicitly and explicitly
cautions us against worry (Pss. 37:1, 5; 91:1, 2). What is the difference
between worry and prudence? Given that worry is both an emotion and a
habit, how can we control a tendency to worry? What is lost when we give
in to it? What is at the heart of worry? How do we uproot our unbelief ?
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C O N T I N U E D

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 T hursday October 7

Giving Freely
Read Judges 1:14, 15. What more does this tell us about the charac-
ter of Caleb?

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Inheritance was very important to the Israelites. Owning land to

pass on to your heirs was seen as a way of ensuring that your legacy
would not die out. As a matter of fact, this was so important that
detailed laws were given to provide for an heir if a man died child-
less, so that someone would take the deceased’s name and continue
his legacy (see the Levirate laws in Deut. 25:5–10).
At Caleb’s age, he would have been thinking seriously about his
own inheritance. The later genealogical records show that Caleb
had sons. He would have been eager to leave them as much as pos-
sible. Although Acsah was his daughter, any land that was given to
her would leave Caleb’s immediate family and become part of her
husband’s property. We do not know exactly what prompted Acsah’s
request for land, but we do know that refusing her request would have
been acceptable and in line with the social norms of protecting one’s
own inheritance.
The surprising thing is that Caleb not only gives her the field but
then also gives the springs of water, too. And not just one spring of
water but both the upper and lower springs.
Generosity works both ways. Proverbs 11:25 states that “a generous
man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”
(NIV). When we are not ready to give freely, it is perhaps a sign that
we have not yet received.
4
What implications does this story have for our spiritual life in,
for example, the area of forgiveness? Read Matthew 6:15 and
18:21–35.

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1

We can give only what we have. If we are unable to forgive, then

it is a sure sign that we have not claimed God’s forgiveness for our-
selves. Caleb had received blessings from God and was happy to
share them. He showed a generosity far beyond the social norms of
his time.

How generous are you with what you have? Do you find that the
more you have, the more willing you are to share with others,
or do you tend to hoard? How can you learn to be more willing
to give of yourself for the good of others?
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Learning Cycle C O N T I N U E D

l
2 An extreme tendency to worry, and to fully expect the worst—to the
extent that we leave God out of the equation—is something we see very
clearly in the behavior of the other spies in the story of Caleb. But is it pos-
sible to err in the direction of a denial of existing reality and presumption
in the face of future challenges? How can we distinguish this presumption
from faith, especially when others may try to guilt-trip us into doing things
or going along with courses of action we may feel to be unwise?
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STEP 4—Create
Just for Teachers: The following activity is meant to emphasize
the fact that God is equal to any of the troubles or fears that we face
now or in the future.
Cut up scrap paper into roughly equal-sized bits, at least enough
for the maximum number of people who might appear at your class.
Bring a medium-sized box or other container.

Activity: Mention that we all have fears and worries about things that might
happen or that might not happen or that might not turn out as we hope or
expect. Pass around the slips of paper and ask each member to write down
anonymously something he or she fears or worries about. Pass around the
container and have each class member put the slip of paper into the container.
4
When it comes back to you, lead the class in a free-form prayer over the con-
tents of the container, asking God to resolve these issues. You can pray the
prayer yourself, or you can solicit input from class members. Follow this with
a disposal of the slips of paper in whatever manner you choose.
Alternatively, you may perform the same exercise without supplies.
1 Invite class members to construct the worry box in their minds. Next ask
them to imagine writing their worry on a slip of paper, folding it up, and
putting it into the box. Now ask them to imagine nailing the box shut and
2
then burning the box until there is nothing left. Tell them that this is what
God wants to do with our worry. Invite them to construct the worry box in
their minds anytime they find themselves worrying and to pray that God
will give them the strength to put their worries inside it and nail the lid
shut. Remind them to pray to our God, who is a “consuming fire,” that He
will burn the box and its contents to ashes.

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 F riday October 8

Further Study: “Caleb’s faith now was just what it was when his tes-
timony had contradicted the evil report of the spies. He had believed
God’s promise that He would put His people in possession of Canaan,
and in this he had followed the Lord fully. He had endured with his
people the long wandering in the wilderness, thus sharing the disap-
pointments and burdens of the guilty; yet he made no complaint of
this, but exalted the mercy of God that had preserved him in the
wilderness when his brethren were cut off. Amid all the hardships,
perils, and plagues of the desert wanderings, and during the years of
warfare since entering Canaan, the Lord had preserved him; and now
1
at upwards of fourscore his vigor was unabated. He did not ask for
himself a land already conquered, but the place which above all others
the spies had thought it impossible to subdue. By the help of God he
would wrest his stronghold from the very giants whose power had
staggered the faith of Israel. It was no desire for honor or aggrandize-
ment that prompted Caleb’s request. The brave old warrior was desir-
2
ous of giving to the people an example that would honor God, and
encourage the tribes fully to subdue the land which their fathers had
deemed unconquerable.”—Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets,
pp. 512, 513.

Discussion Questions:
l1 As Christians we are constantly bombarded with “facts” that

3 are interpreted in ways that contradict our faith. Notice, the key
word is interpreted. What are ways that we can confront these
challenges without making fools of ourselves and yet at the same
time maintain our integrity?

l2 Dwell more on the idea that how we interpret “facts” isn’t

always correct. For instance, we look at matter and see it as
solid; yet, in reality, matter is almost all empty space. We look at
the ground and judge it to be unmoving, even though it is moving
very quickly through space. We can be in a closed, empty room
and hear nothing, even though the air in the room is filled with
radio waves carrying all sorts of sounds that we, left to ourselves,
can’t hear. What lessons can we draw from this about what it
means to live by faith and not by sight?

l3 Drawing on the life of Caleb, how can we nurture new believ-

ers, young people, and children to fill positions of leadership and
responsibility in our church?

l
4 Caleb stuck with his people, even amid their gross sins and
mistakes. What lessons does this have for us today as Seventh-
day Adventists?

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