Single lesson
Caleb Receives His Inheritance
Joshua 14:6–15; Joshua 15:13–19
This lesson helps children follow Caleb’s inheritance step by step, notice the choices made by Caleb, Joshua, Othniel and Achsah, and see how the passage connects wholehearted following of Yahweh with the land that was given.
Before you teach
In these verses, Caleb reminds Joshua what Yahweh spoke through Moses about him. Caleb says he wholly followed Yahweh, asks for the hill country, and receives Hebron. The passage then tells how Caleb drove out Anak’s descendants, how Othniel captured Debir, and how Achsah asked Caleb for a field and then for springs of water.
Students will be able to sequence the events in Joshua 14:6–15 and Joshua 15:13–19 and name at least two choices and outcomes from the passage.
Welcome: Listen for requests and outcomes
4 minInvite the children to listen for requests in the passage. Explain that Caleb speaks to Joshua about something Yahweh had spoken before, and later Achsah asks Caleb for more within the land she has received. Tell the group they will trace the order of the account and match each request with its outcome.
Joshua 14:6, Joshua 14:12, Joshua 15:18, Joshua 15:19
Read and explain: Caleb asks for the hill country
8 minRead Joshua 14:6–15 aloud. Explain that Caleb says he was forty when Moses sent him, and now he is eighty-five. He says others made the people afraid, but he wholly followed Yahweh. Caleb asks for the hill country with the Anakim and fortified cities, and Joshua gives Hebron to him as an inheritance.
Joshua 14:7, Joshua 14:8, Joshua 14:10, Joshua 14:12, Joshua 14:13, Joshua 14:14
Discuss: Choices named in the passage
5 minHelp the children identify choices in the text itself. Caleb brought back his report and says he wholly followed Yahweh. Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron. Caleb then drove out the sons of Anak. Ask the class to notice that the passage itself links Caleb’s inheritance with following Yahweh wholeheartedly.
Joshua 14:7, Joshua 14:8, Joshua 14:13, Joshua 14:14, Joshua 15:14
Make and respond: Sequence the account
9 minChildren make simple sequence cards for the main events: Caleb reminds Joshua, Caleb asks for the hill country, Joshua gives Hebron, Caleb drives out Anak’s sons, Caleb says the one who takes Kiriath Sepher will receive Achsah as wife, Othniel takes it, Achsah asks for a field and for springs, Caleb gives the upper and lower springs. Retell the account in order using the cards.
Joshua 14:6, Joshua 14:12, Joshua 14:13, Joshua 15:14, Joshua 15:16, Joshua 15:17, Joshua 15:18, Joshua 15:19
Closing: Repeat the passage’s own explanation
4 minReview the sequence and ask children to name one thing Caleb did and one thing Achsah asked for. Finish by repeating the passage’s own explanation that Hebron became Caleb’s inheritance because he followed Yahweh wholeheartedly, and note that Caleb gave Achsah the upper and lower springs after her request.
Joshua 14:14, Joshua 15:18, Joshua 15:19
Questions to explore
What reason does the passage give for Hebron becoming Caleb’s inheritance?
Look for the verse that explains the reason directly in the account’s own words.
Joshua 14:14
What two parts of Achsah’s request sequence are mentioned in these verses?
Notice first the mention of asking her father for a field, then read her spoken request for springs of water.
Joshua 15:18, Joshua 15:19
Which people and places make Caleb’s request for the hill country sound difficult?
Find the words Caleb uses when he asks Joshua for the land.
Joshua 14:12
Make, think or respond
Caleb Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or markers
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Write or draw seven moments from the passage on separate cards: Caleb speaks to Joshua, Caleb asks for the hill country, Joshua gives Hebron, Caleb drives out Anak’s sons, Caleb says the one who takes Kiriath Sepher will receive Achsah as wife, Othniel takes the city, Achsah asks for a field and for springs.
- Mix the cards and let children work alone or in pairs to place them in order.
- Read the matching verses after each card is placed to check the order.
- Invite each child or pair to retell the account using the ordered cards.
Sequencing the cards helps children follow the order of Joshua 14:6–15 and Joshua 15:13–19 and connect each choice with its outcome.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare picture prompts in advance and limit the sequence to four main steps: Caleb asks, Joshua gives, Caleb drives out, Achsah asks.
- For older or confident readers, have them find each event in the Bible text themselves and add the verse reference to each card.
An optional closing prayer
You may pray: “God, thank you for this passage about Caleb and his inheritance. Please help us listen carefully to your word and learn to respond faithfully and wisely.”
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
Joshua 14
6 Then the children of Judah came near to Joshua in Gilgal. Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know the thing that Yahweh spoke to Moses the man of God concerning me and concerning you in Kadesh Barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of Yahweh sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land. I brought him word again as it was in my heart.
8 Nevertheless, my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; but I wholly followed Yahweh my God.
9 Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where you walked shall be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have wholly followed Yahweh my God.’
10 “Now, behold, Yahweh has kept me alive, as he spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that Yahweh spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. Now, behold, I am eighty-five years old, today.
11 As yet I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, to go out and to come in.
12 Now therefore give me this hill country, of which Yahweh spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that Yahweh will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as Yahweh said.”
13 Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
14 Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Yahweh, the God of Israel wholeheartedly.
15 Now the name of Hebron before was Kiriath Arba, after the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.
Joshua 15
13 He gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of Yahweh to Joshua, even Kiriath Arba, named after the father of Anak (also called Hebron).
14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.
15 He went up against the inhabitants of Debir: now the name of Debir before was Kiriath Sepher.
16 Caleb said, “He who strikes Kiriath Sepher, and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.”
17 Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.
18 When she came, she had him ask her father for a field. She got off her donkey, and Caleb said, “What do you want?”
19 She said, “Give me a blessing. Because you have set me in the land of the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.
Source passages
Something to make together
These activities connect with the passage. Choose one that suits your group and the time you have.
