Joshua 15:13 – 19 “In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so, Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So, Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.”
The Negev is a desert! While there is some grazing, the biggest challenge is water. Without water, neither people nor animals can survive. When Othniel, Caleb’s nephew, conquered Kiriath Sepher/Debir, Caleb gave Othniel his daughter Aksah as a wife. “Othniel” means “God’s strength,” or “God’s lion.” “Aksah” means “adorned.” While Caleb might have had other daughters, obviously he wanted Aksah to marry a man of courage and decision. Caleb evidently gave Aksah land in the Negev as a marriage portion, something commonly done in those days. But now Aksah needed water to make the land useful.
Nobody seems to know the location of the springs to which Aksah is referring. Perhaps the location has been lost, or perhaps during an earthquake, the flow of water shifted or stopped. The location of the springs is not as important as the fact that Aksah was bold enough to ask for them.
Aksah was in an arranged marriage, something quite common in those days. But Caleb had proposed a very strenuous test for any potential groom: the man who would win Aksah must first conquer Kiriath Sepher. When put to the test, Othniel didn’t hesitate but went ahead to take the town. Othniel’s actions demonstrated that he was bold and brave. By traveling on a donkey to Caleb and then requesting for the precious water supply, Aksah proved that she was equally bold and brave. The children of Othniel and Aksah must have really been something!
APPLICATION: Several years ago, a movie came out entitled “Brave.” This cartoon movie depicted a young Scottish girl who was a fearless rider, an excellent archer, and who would explore unknown places, even in the darkest forests. Aksah was probably a lot like the heroine of that movie.
How brave are we? Even though Caleb had given Aksah a good man as a husband and had given her land, Aksah still had to travel to Caleb to ask for the springs of water. There is nothing to indicate that Aksah took anybody else along with her on her journey – something that would be nearly unheard of. Perhaps Aksah was afraid that if she told Othniel where she was going, he might try to stop her out of concern for her safety. But Aksah knew her father and her father knew her as well. Brave Caleb recognized his daughter as being equally brave.
Sometimes as we get older, we become fearful and stop taking risks. We hope that by being careful, we can protect ourselves against any tragedy. But tragedies will occur whether or not we try to be prudent. In 2019 my husband and a friend were driving in a large city when it began raining heavily. While our friend was driving quite sensibly, a huge cargo lorry crossed the center line and ran into our vehicle, knocking it onto its side and destroying it in the process. Blessedly, my husband had only a few scratches and bruises while our friend had a small injury to one leg, but they both survived, thanks to the seatbelts they were wearing. During the recent COVID pandemic, many people became sick or died even though they had taken all kinds of precautions.
If we believe in an almighty God, we should be bold enough to ask for large answers in prayer. At present, believers around the world are interceding for the country of Ukraine. On the face of it, Ukraine has no chance; however, only God can determine the outcome. There is nothing wrong at all in asking the Prince of Peace to bring everlasting peace to the Ukraine situation, and indeed, to the whole world. Hebrews 4:6 tells us, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to realize that You are far more willing to answer our prayers than we are to pray them. Help us to continue to intercede for all those around us and for the international situation represented by the Ukrainian crisis. Let Your light and Your truth come into that situation and take absolute control. Send Your everlasting peace. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
Burunche's Blog 
Leave a comment