Caleb, the Octogenarian Giant Killer
Thursday, February 12, 2026
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” – C.S. Lewis
I didn’t plan it this way, but it seems like a lot of this week’s quotes have to do with aging… and more importantly, with not allowing your chronological age to prevent you from setting new goals and aspiring to new heights.
Ironically, tomorrow (Friday the 13th), I will be speaking at a local Christian school as part of their Grandparents Day program. Guess what message God laid on my heart to share with the students and their grandparents?
The story of Caleb, the 85-year-old giant slayer!
That’s right, after being forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years due to the fear and faithlessness of their fellow spies, Joshua and Caleb spent the next five years crossing the Jordan River and then fighting to drive out the heathen people living in the Promised Land. Finally, at age 85, there was peace in the land and Caleb could retire, resting on his laurels, right?
W-R-O-N-G!
Yes, he could do that, but he chose not to. Instead, Caleb went to Joshua and demanded the greatest physical and spiritual challenge of his life. You see, when it came time to claim his inheritance, Caleb didn’t ask for some fertile farmland in the valley. On the contrary, he pointed to a distant hilltop occupied by giants who hated God and said, “Give me that mountain!”
And so, off he went, an octogenarian warrior ready to do battle for God. The hill country that Caleb inherited – and that was infested by heathen giants – was known as Kirjath Arba, named after Arba, the greatest of the giants (also known as the Anakim). However, once Caleb was done with them, they were forced to change the name of the area to Hebron.
Why? Because 85-year-old Caleb had killed off all the giants, so why name a city after a bunch of dead heathens, right?
C.S. Lewis was right… and Caleb is proof!
“And afterward, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
