The Kenezite

From: Faithful Follower: Practical Meditations on the Life of Caleb By: James Nelson Hyland

1 Chronicles 2: Judah in Relationship to the Kingship

• 7 min. read • grade level: 10

“Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite” (Numbers 32:12¹²Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the Lord. (Numbers 32:12)).

Three times Caleb is referred to as “the Kenezite.” In Joshua 14:6⁶Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the Lord said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea. (Joshua 14:6), as well as verse 14 of that same chapter, and of course, in the verse we have just cited in Numbers 32.

If we were to go back to Genesis 15:18-19¹⁸In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: ¹⁹The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, (Genesis 15:18‑19), we would find that the “Kenezites” are listed among some of the original inhabitants of the land of Canaan. This was at the time when the land was promised, by God, to Abraham and his descendants, because of his faith and obedience in earlier answering the call to come out of Ur of the Chaldees and dwell in the land as a stranger and pilgrim. “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the Kenezites ... ”

Now, we don’t want to go too far with our applications, or read into Scripture more than God has told us. It is true that Caleb was an Israelite, he was of the tribe of Judah, and further he was one of the heads of his tribe. However, I just make this gentle suggestion, without being definite or dogmatic, that perhaps we learn from this that Caleb is a picture of one who was brought into the place of blessing, by grace. Isn’t this how all of us are brought into the family of God, and all the privileges connected with it? We were enemies of God, sinners, and “far off” (Ephesians 2:13¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)). We had no claim on God or on any blessing. We were nothing but hell-deserving reprobates, doomed to a lost eternity, “having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)). “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20²⁰Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20)). As Paul could say, regarding his own case, “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14¹⁴And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:14)).

Later on we have another beautiful example of grace in Rahab. “And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father’s household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho” (Joshua 6:25²⁵And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day; because she hid the messengers, which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. (Joshua 6:25)).

Another outstanding incident of one brought in by grace in the Old Testament, is the case of Ruth the Moabite. We read in Deuteronomy 23:3³An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: (Deuteronomy 23:3), “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord forever.” No wonder, when Boaz told her to glean in his field without fear, “she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?” (Ruth 2:10¹⁰Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? (Ruth 2:10)). She had no claim, except on the ground of pure grace! We find later on in her history that grace even included her in the royal lineage of Christ, as also in the case of Rahab (Rachab), according to Matthew 1:5⁵And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; (Matthew 1:5).

None of us have any right to any blessing, apart from the grace of God. The Bible is full of story after story of His amazing grace in reaching out to individuals, and heaven, through all eternity, will resound with the recounting of such histories! Everyone will have a unique account of how the Lord picked them up, saved them, and carried them safely home to the Father’s house, and all because of grace! Is it any wonder that there will be continual praise in heaven? Furthermore, we will cast our crowns at His feet, saying, “Thou art worthy ... ” (Revelation 4:11¹¹Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. (Revelation 4:11)). We will realize the full import of Philippians 2:13¹³For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13), “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” Then and only then, will we have a full sense and understanding of grace. No wonder John Newton penned these words still sung around the world today:

Before leaving this section we will quote from H.L. Rossier’s commentary on 1 Chronicles.

Rossier continued: “Must we conclude from all this that the text of Chronicles is a human and capricious compilation and that thus the historical value of this book is nil? This is what the rationalists assert, but thank God, their reason is always at fault when it attacks His Word. No enlightened Christian will deny that the genealogies of Chronicles are composed of fragments gathered up in the midst of general confusion, yet documents upon which God sets His seal of approval. So it is true that a number of passages in these genealogies are of very ancient origin, not mentioned in the other books of the Old Testament.

“Thus Caleb, who by his origin really had no right of citizenship in Israel, received this right amidst Judah by virtue of his faith and was incorporated into the family of Caleb the son of Hezron, as it appears in 1 Chronicles 2:49⁴⁹She bare also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah, and the father of Gibea: and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah. (1 Chronicles 2:49) and in the passages already cited in Joshua. The fragments preserved of the genealogy of Caleb the son of Hezron confirm the place that God assigned to Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and this substitution is one of the important points the Spirit of God calls our attention to here.