I Cannot Retire

When you read through the genealogies of Israel, one name begins to stand out not because of pedigree but because of character: Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite. Caleb was not born from the most celebrated lineage in Israel. He was not a descendant of Joseph or Levi, nor a firstborn son of the patriarchs. His father Jephunneh was a Kenizzite — a group originally associated with the Canaanites (Genesis 15:19). The Kenizzites were outsiders, strangers to the covenant promises that God gave to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet somewhere along the line, Jephunneh and his household joined themselves to the people of God, and by faith became partakers of the covenant blessings.