Sunday School Lesson on Caleb in the Bible: A Lesson on Following God for all ages.
Caleb in the Bible: A Short Lesson on Following God
Following God is a Choice
Those who follow God young will enjoy the blessings of God when they are old.
Caleb had plenty of excuses
- His name means “dog”
- He was born in slavery. (His people were oppressed before being freed from Eygpt.)
- He was surrounded by people too afraid to act. (It could have affected him.)
But, he wholly followed the Lord according to him, Joshua, and Moses (Joshua 14:6-14 KJV).
The Story of Caleb in the Bible
Caleb’s story can be found in Numbers 13-14 KJV. Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent to spy out the promised land, one man from each tribe. The group was gone for forty days. When they returned, they had great things to say about the land: it flowed with milk and honey, and they brought fruit showing just how blessed the land was.
However, ten of these men cast doubt on God’s promise. They claimed that the enemies in the land would destroy the children of Israel if they even tried to fight. Only Joshua and Caleb said otherwise, but the damage had been done.
The children of Israel murmured against Moses and even declared to stone Caleb and Joshua! When they claimed, “Would God we had died in this wilderness,” God took it to heart. The forty years of wandering began. Only Joshua and Caleb would survive to enter the promised land when the forty years had passed.
The Twelve Leaders
Caleb was one of the twelve leaders chosen to spy out the land. While all the men chosen probably seemed like good guys, there were ten fakers in the bunch. They had no faith and were simply beneficiaries of God’s blessings (just how the United States has been benefiting from the actions of our Christian forefathers.)
Moreover, these then leaders probably had a testimony of being godly and faithful, but when they were put to the test, they failed. This is a warning to us because, a lifetime of a good testimony can be wasted in just a few minutes. This was Paul’s greatest fear: becoming a castaway (1 Corinthians 9:27 KJV). Remember how Peter got in trouble because he got his eyes off Christ? (Matthew 14:28-30 KJV)
When we are distracted by the world, we are prone to falling.
These men showed themselves as faithless, and not only did it impact an entire nation, they paid for it with their lives. When we sin, we impact more than just ourselves. Our families, churches, and loved ones are also affected, and people are always watching. Some of these people won’t ever let us forget these mistakes.
The Wilderness
Thanks to his fellow spies, Caleb spent most of his life in the wilderness – similar to the trials that modern Christians face. We live in a dark, cruel world, and sin causes everyone to suffer, even those who are doing their best to live righteously and follow God. However, and the entire time Caleb was in the wilderness, he was thinking about the promises of God: the land of milk and honey, the grapes, etc. This is how we Christians should be. We will face trials in life, but our eyes should be on heaven and the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:11-5:13 KJV).
Caleb remained faithful while in the wilderness. Because of what he did earlier in life, he reaped the benefits when old (He was forty when sent as a spy and eighty when he finally entered the promised land). Similarly, if we suffer for Christ now, we will be rewarded at the Judgment seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:10 KJV)
Don’t Wait to Serve God
People who wait for the perfect situation will never start serving God (Ecclesiastes 11:4 KJV).
However, no matter how old you are, you can still serve God. Moses was called at 80, and Aaron at 83. George Mueller was 70 years old when he was rejected from five mission boards, but he went on to open orphanages and preach all over the world 6000 times.
But, keep in mind that you will still reap the sins sown in your youth (Ecclesiastes 12 KJV). Older Christians often reminisce with regret over the years they had wasted. They wish that they had gotten saved and/or decided to follow Christ when younger.
When Caleb finally entered the promised land, he got Hebron, which means “fellowship,” a picture of us Christians when we are finally united with our Savior.
If you enjoyed this Sunday School Lesson on Caleb in the Bible: A Lesson on Following God, be sure to check out other Sunday School lessons here.
Leave a Reply