The Yale expositor., 1907-10-25
Caleb's Faithfulness
Rewarded
Sunday School Lesson for Oct. u. 1907
Specially Prepared for This Paper

faithful over few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things. Matt.
25:23.
TIME.-The verses OF the lesson belong
about six years after the last lesson. to-
ward the close of the first conquest of
Canaan, and during its distribution
among the tribes.
PLACE.-Ioshua's capital was at Gill
gal; Caleb's Inheritance at Hebron, 20
miles south of Jerusalem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Caleb-Fam.ly Origin.-"Caleb
the Kenezite" the descendant of
Kenas, the son of Esau. The proba-
bilities are that Caleb, or his father,
became members of the tribe Of Judah
by adoption" prof. Beecher), like
Hobab, Ruth and Heber. THE faith
of this family was prominently the
fruit of conviction, and not the &C
cident of heredity. 1t had a firmer
basis than that of most lsraeiites. 1t
was woven more closely into the tex
ture of their being, and swayed their
lives more powerfully. 1t is pleasing
TO think that there may have been
many such proselytes; that the prom
Use of Abraham may have attracted
souls from the east, and the west, and
the north. and the south" "a foretaste
of the glorious fulfllment yet TO
Gomez Blake in Expositor's Bible.
He was born while the Israelites
were still in slavery in Egypt, for he
was 40 years old when Moses
-. send him from Kadesh-barnea to
espy out the land" ". y.
His Character. Caleb was great
and marked man, but what is often
called "a self-made man." rather, a
God-Iaade man. Coming from without
the nation, he became a prince, and a
power in the nation because Of his
faith in God and utilization of all that
God had given him.
2. Mr.. Tuck in his Revelation by
! Character represents Caleb as quite
an ordinary man no genius" but
the message Of his life was that "he
did commonplace things in an uncom-
mon spirit. The uncommon thing
! about Caleb was precisely this-his
religion was thorough q. he wholly
followed the LORD" ". 81"
8. On the other hand, Matheson in
Representative Men, calls Caleb a
leader and explorer, capable of Pts
gah glimpses," his life pitched upon a
hill; he could see things afar off; he
was the real hero of the exploring eX-
petition. WAS faith to drop her
wings at the very gate of Paradise!
4. By faith and faithfulness were
the living heart of Caleb's character.
He was sincere to the core. His faith
endured 40 years without fading or
faltering. Caleb is one of those men
whom we meet with seldom in Bible
history, but whenever we do meet
them we are the better for the meet
ing. Bright and brave, strong. mod
est and cheerful there is honesty in
his face, courage and decision in the
very pose of his body. and the calm
confidence of faith in his very look
and attitude.
8. Caleb met opposition with cour-
age and faith, when my brethren that
went up with me made the heart of
the people melt" ". 81. They could
stone him, but, like the prophets of
old, he never wavered
6. Caleb was of a thankful disposi-
ton and full of cheer. He did not
| dwell on his desert trials, or the 45
years delay, or the opposition of his
brethren, or his failure to change their
minds; but on what God had done for
him on his promises, on his long and
healthy life of usefulness, so that even
at So he could say with Xavier in his
dream realized in his life, And yet
more, o Lord, yet more"
10. 1.-The Lord hath kept me alive"
| AS he promised. One promise full
filed gave the assurance that the
| other would be. But Caleb's clean,
active life was one of the means to
this healthful old age. Maclaren in
the Sunday School Times warns the
young thus:
1.-The old man of IS is vigorous and
hale as when he tramped through the
| land nearly half a century ago. The
| life that is dictated by Christian prin-
ciple directly contributes to physical
health and longevity. Insurance Offices
find that clergymen live longer than
the average. In England some Of
fees have separate tables for total alb
stainers, whom they insure at a low.
err rate than others. 1t is true still
that sinners do mot live out half their
days" In our great cities every year
numbers of lads from the country.
who have been going the pace" have
to drop out of the race.
IL. "Yet l am as strong this day as
I was" Spoken to give assurance
that he could take possession of the
land.
"This old veteran, whose services
would have entitled him to almost any
reward he might ask, did not seek for
soft place for his declining years,
but authority to do yet more hard
fighting. PROF. Beecher.
Practical Points.
The world is to be converted for
| Christ. Not an enemy is to be left.
But 1t is to be conquered by spiritual,
not carnal weapons. and bv the won.