Give Me The Hill CountrySýnishorn

Long after the events in the desert where Caleb and the Israelites learned their fate, Caleb appeared before Joshua as the latter was assigning property to the tribes following many years of conquest. Caleb had not forgotten God’s promise of his inheritance. He had fought for it and poured himself out for it. Now he had come to collect.

This is a terrific picture of how we can expect from God what He promises, not because we deserve anything from His hand, but instead that we can be thrilled to take Him at His word when He gives unmitigated favor. Caleb knew it was all from God’s hand, and that was the source of his pride in this speech.

Also of note is how old Caleb is: eighty-five. By that time in life most of us just want to have the energy to golf more or pull weeds in the garden. Those are fine pursuits, but the idea of “retirement” needs to be radically redefined. Caleb is not close to being finished with his conquests. Indeed, he asks for more battle as his inheritance. The city he wants has still not been taken, and if you’ll recall his original spying mission, he has unfinished business with the giants who inhabit the land.

“Give me this hill country” is one of the all-time great war cries. Once we humbly determine the Lord’s will for us, we should attack it with all force and ferocity. Not for the sake of violence but because we have a set number of years on this earth within God’s plan in order to threaten the Enemy so that land will “have rest from war.”