“Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak. Then he went up from there against the inhabitants of Debir; now the name of Debir formerly was Kiriath-sepher” (Josh 15:13-15).
Caleb’s ability to “drive out” the children of Anak and take possession of his inheritance comes in stark contrast to all the verses in Joshua which emphasize the failure of the rest of the tribes to “drive out” the Canaanites from the land. It’s worth reading them one by one. “But the sons of Israel did not dispossess the Geshurites or the Maacathites; for Geshur and Maacath live among Israel until this day” (Josh 13:13). “Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day” (Josh 15:63). “But they did not drive out the Canaanites who lived in Gezer, so the Canaanites live in the midst of Ephraim to this day, and they became forced laborers” (Josh 16:10). “But the sons of Manasseh could not take possession of these cities, because the Canaanites persisted in living in that land. It came about when the sons of Israel became strong, they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but they did not drive them out completely” (Josh 17:12-13).
The purpose of this stark contrast between Caleb’s individual success over against Israel’s collective failure is to shine a Messianic spotlight on Caleb. Because of Caleb’s close association with the tribe of Judah, he is nothing less than a prefiguration of Israel’s Messiah who will come to defeat the enemy and rule from the Promised Land. “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples” (Gen 49:10).
And how encouraged we should be to see Caleb’s victory extended to his daughter, when he blesses Achsah by giving her the upper and lower springs (see Josh 15:18-19). And as it was for Achsah, so too for all those who have become God’s children by faith in Yeshua. Yeshua’s victories (past, present, and future) are our victories: his resurrection, our resurrection; his ascension into the heavenly places, our ascension into the heavenly places. And in that glorious day when God finally makes Yeshua’s enemies a footstool for his feet (Psalm 110:1; Heb 2:8), his kingdom will become our kingdom too.
“And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed…. Then the sovereignty, the dominion and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all the dominions will serve and obey Him” (Dan 7:14, 27).
