Douglas Jacoby Podcast

OT Characters: Caleb

Episode Summary

A look into the story of Caleb. Douglas shares what we learn from the life of Caleb and the things his story teaches us about the character of God. Also included is material for devotionals with your children based on the lessons we draw from Caleb's life.

Episode Notes

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Hebrew words:

• Khelev (Caleb) -- dog
• Appears 35x in the OT (compared to 223x for Joshua), in Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, 1 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles

Further study:

• Passages covered in this podcast
  • Numbers 13-14
  • Joshua 14-15
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Proverbs 13:12; Hebrews 11:13,39.
• Quotable quotes
  • “I am long on ideas, but short on time. I expect to live to be only about a hundred.” – Edison
  • "To hold the same views at forty as we held at twenty is to have been stupefied for a score of years, and take rank, not as a prophet, but as an unteachable brat, well birched and none the wiser." – a famous educator
  • "And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." – Lincoln
• Some passages on old age
  • Leviticus 19:32
  • Psalm 71:8; 91:12-15
  • Isaiah 46:3-4
  • Luke 2 (Simeon and [H]anna), Philemon 9 (Paul), etc.

Some things we learn about God:

• As he did for Caleb, God will give us too a different spirit -- the Holy Spirit!
• God will work in our lives till the very end, if we keep our faith.
• Even when we are old, God still has work for us to accomplish! (Ephesians 2:10 always applies.)

For kids:

• Read the Caleb story.
  • Ask the kids to act out how a very old person walks / talks / moves around.
  • Then ask them to move and speak the way they imagine Caleb did.
  • Ask, What is the difference? Is it only that his body was different than theirs? (No -- his spirit was different!)
• Read some of the extra verses on old age (above).
• Pray together:
  • That we and our friends will respect the aged.
  • That we will learn from their wisdom.
  • That the older members of the church will be active in the work of the Lord.
  • That the older members of the church will be and feel valued.
  • That the children in the church will respect parents, grandparents, and all their elders, as the word of God instructs.
  • That we will keep our spiritual fervor as we age.

Key verses:

• Numbers 13:30 -- Caleb a dissenting voice among the tribal spies.
• Numbers 14:24 -- Caleb has "a different spirit."
• Joshua 14:10 -- Still vigorous in old age.
• Joshua 14:12 -- "Give me this hill country!"

Next lesson: Deborah