Youthful Vigor or Fixed Eyesight
“Caleb said, “Whoever strikes down and captures Kiriath-Sepher, I will give my daughter Achsah to him as a wife.”
We find this story in the same detail in Joshua
“Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, descendants of Anak. From there he marched against the inhabitants of Debir whose name used to be Kiriath-Sepher, and Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Achsah as a wife to the one who strikes down and captures Kiriath-Sepher.” So Othniel son of Caleb’s brother, Kenaz, captured it, and Caleb gave his daughter Achsah to him as a wife.”
Joshua 15:14-17 HCSB
But in Joshua 14 we find this detail.
“As you see, the Lord has kept me alive these 45 years as He promised, since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, 85 years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then.”
Joshua 14:10-11 HCSB
So I am struck by the fact that 85-year-old Caleb still has a daughter of marriageable age. Today if someone was 85 their kids would be in their 60s. Should she have been around 18? So he would have been around 67 when she was born?
“Moses was 120 years old when he died; his eyes were not weak, and his vitality had not left him.”
Deuteronomy 34:7 HCSB
The people of the time of Moses and Joshua had youthful vigor and vitality.
A short time later we find an old priest who had finished training the last judge.
“At that time Eli was 98 years old, and his gaze was fixed because he couldn’t see.”
And later we find an old prophet who predicted the 10 tribes being removed from Solomon’s son.
“Jeroboam’s wife did that: she went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Ahijah could not see; his gaze was fixed due to his age. But the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming soon to ask you about her son, for he is sick. You are to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will be disguised.” When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised? I have bad news for you.”
1 Kings 14:4-6 HCSB
Will we be found with vigor in our old age? Or will our youthfulness be gone and our eyes fixed? There is no guarantee of youthful vigor from God. I see the warriors for God’s work will maintain their vigor and fight for God. The prophets will fix their gaze and see what God has for them to see.
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