Do you have retirement plan? Joshua 11-15

Joshua 15:14-19 (NASBStr)

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. And Caleb said, “The one who attacks Kiriath- sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter as a wife.” Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it; so he gave him Achsah his daughter as a wife. It came about that when she came to him, she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she alighted from the donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” Then she said, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

The legend and story of Caleb is well known to those who are familiar with the Bible or Israel's history.  Under Moses' leadership both Caleb and Joshua were sent out with ten other men to spy out the land we are now reading about in the book of Joshua.   Although the ten brought back a report of based upon flesh and fear, Caleb (and Joshua) believed God and wanted to conquer the land right then (40 years previous to this book).   Now, in the passage above, Caleb is eighty-five years old and he is not ready to retire.  In Joshua 14:11 and following Caleb reminds Joshua of the promise Moses made them both and asks Joshua to give him one of the hardest and formable portions of the promise land.   As we read about the "children of Anak" we must call to mind the giants of the land.  Forty-five years earlier Caleb saw these giants.  He had all those years to dream about conquering them, in the name of The Lord, and securing one of their homes for himself.   In the above passage, we have an additional picture into Caleb's life.  He wants to attack one of the cities of the Anak.  To accomplish this end he is willing to allow the bravest of men to have his daughter in marriage to the one who can conquer this city of giants.   A man steps up, Othniel, and takes on the city.    He wins Caleb's daughter, Achsah.   Caleb was not about to let his daughter marry someone who didn't have his own character of faith and fight.    But, that is not the end of the lesson God gives us here.   Notice what happens when Ashsah, observes the springs of water.  She, like her father, sees more to obtain in life than just the city Othniel has won for her.   Like father, like daughter.   Character matters and faith matters.   Caleb gives us the picture of what faith looks like in day-to-day living.   Caleb is not about retirement.  He is not about sitting on his couch and watching the world go by.   Nor is his family.   They understand that in faith we have life to conquer.    They believe God and take Him at his Word.   That is what men of faith do in life.   They believe God and conquer the land God promised.