How We are Supposed to Live

Judges 1:12–15 (ESV) 12 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will give him Achsah my daughter for a wife.” 13 And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, captured it. And he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife. 14 When she came to him, she urged him to ask her father for a field. And she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing. Since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water.” And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

Here in the first chapter of what will be a tragic history in the book of Judges stands a solitary example of the faith God wants from all of us. If this story sounds familiar it should. It is a repeat from Joshua 15 and placed here at the beginning of Judges on purpose. The Holy Spirit inspired this story for Israel's dark hour as a small rebuke to a nation who will not drive out completely the inhabitants of the land and fall into the trap of thinking they had it better.

Don't we do the same with the world around us? Do you ever let the enemy convince you it's "not worth" serving the Lord? Do you ever take a look a the pagans and think, "Man! They have it so good and they don't even try to please God!" I've been there. Israel will get there slowly and surely from Judges 1 onward. So a brief reminder was in order for Israel - this is how I wanted things to go for you.

Caleb stands as a type of God the Father. He provides the scope of conquest. The land must be captured by a heroic and faithful young man who trusts God for complete victory over his enemies. Othniel is that man. His name means, "strong lion" and he is from the tribe of Judah. The reward of his conquest will be the daughter of Caleb as his wife. 

It is hard not to see the image of Christ and His bride in this story. Jesus is the true Othniel who obeyed the voice of His Father perfectly and won His bride by complete conquest of His enemies.

Yet I can't help also look closely at Achsah's (Caleb's daughter's) faith in the goodness of her father. I think she stands as a rebuke to both ancient Israel apathetic in their God-given directive for conquest as well as for some Christians today. She stands as a picture of how we should approach our Father for blessings with confidence believing He WILL bless us.

Notice that upon being given to Othneil as a wife, she immediately starts to ask for land, blessing and springs of water. The story is illustrative of how we should live as the bride of Christ, the Son of God. We should be bold and unafraid in our approach. We should believe He will bless us and provide well for us. We should not hesitate or drag our feet in prayer but rather unwaveringly appeal to His kindness for our lives.

The alternative of this sort of relationship to God is to miss out on His blessings and being to imagine all the ways in which the pagans SEEM to prosper far better than us. We can fall prey into a "woe is me" mentality while being sons and daughters of the living God!

Do we not understand that such a mentality is dishonoring to Him? He can and He will bless us if we only ask. You say, "I don't deserve it." Well, remember in this story, it was Othniel who obeyed the voice of the Father, not Achsah. And based on his obedience and success Acshah is suddenly emboldened to approach him for her needs.

Christian, instead of looking at the pagans and thinking they have it so good, why not approach your Father in heaven on the basis of Christ's obedience for you and ask Him for what you need and want. He is a good and generous Father. Billy Graham once said, "heaven is full of answers to prayer that were never asked." Don't leave them there. Ask, believe and receive.