Interestingly enough, just as we never read of Caleb’s wife, we never read of the death of Caleb either. The Word of God gives precise details surrounding the deaths and burials of many of the Old Testament greats, and if not details, at least confirmation by a brief mention of the fact itself.
Now there is no doubt that Caleb died! There are only two in the Old Testament that we read of who left this world without dying:
Possibly the reason we are not told of the death of Caleb, is because we are not to look for death. We have a hope far better than that! We look forward to the Lord’s coming, often referred to as the rapture. That is what we are to be looking for. “Looking for that blessed hope” (Titus 2:1313Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; (Titus 2:13)). “Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching” (Luke 12:3737Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. (Luke 12:37)).
We should be so much in the enjoyment of heavenly things (the land of Canaan), that when the Lord comes it will simply be to be taken from His presence into His presence. From a partial enjoyment to a full enjoyment!
We do not look for death,
The grave is not our goal,
The coming of our Lord,
Is that which cheers the soul;
We know it may be anytime,
We long to be in heaven’s bright clime,
And Jesus’ praises fully chime.
We do not wait the tomb,
We wait the shout to hear;
We listen for the call,
When Jesus will appear:
Then to the cloud we’ll quickly rise,
To meet the Saviour in the skies,
And seize the everlasting prize.
“To dust,” is not our hope,
The change we’re looking for;
When bodies like our Lord,
We’ll have forevermore;
Then death can never touch us there,
And all is perfect glory where
We’ll live with Christ, in heaven so fair.
We may, like Caleb, and a vast multitude of saints, pass through death. “To depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:2323For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: (Philippians 1:23)). But this is not what we are to be expecting. We are to be looking up every day and saying, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:2020He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Revelation 22:20)).