Hello, friends!
Here we are a whole month into this quarantine and I haven't even written one story for you. Well, today I am finally sitting down to write. The story on my heart today is another one I don't remember ever hearing in Sabbath School class. Did you know Caleb had a daughter?
So often in the stories of the judges or kings, we read that their children, or grandchildren, fell away from God. It is so sad to read about how quickly people lost all that a previous generation had fought so hard to conquer. This is a good news story though!
Caleb's dad had a cool name: Jephunneh (Jeff Funny). I don't know if he had a sense of humor, but he sure had a positive view on life! Remember the story in Numbers 13 about the twelve spies going into the promised land? Remember, Joshua and Caleb were the only ones who believed God was big enough to help them slay the giants in their way? Remember all the other people were crying and shaking and beaten before they even started? Well, in case you don't remember, the children of Israel had experienced a miraculous delivery from oppressive slavery in Egypt. God opened the Red Sea for them when there was no other way to escape the Egyptian army. God fed them with bread from heaven when they feared starvation in the wilderness. But, when they got to the land God had promised them they began to cry to go back to Egypt. Why? There were scary giants in the land. There were huge walls preventing them from entering. It was at this time we meet a man from Joshua's generation. A man named, Caleb. I didn't see him mentioned before this. He wasn't an elder. He didn't get his name in the Book for helping organize the trip out of Egypt. But, here he is. Suddenly. He stands up and says something like: "Quit freaking out everyone! Are you kidding me!? Let's go! God's got this!" He was full of the optimism of youth, even though he was way past 20. Sadly he had to endure 40 years of wandering in the wilderness because his comrades wouldn't back him up.
Did Caleb dream of the beautiful land he had explored? Did he tell his children about the huge cluster of grapes the spies had found? Did his kids ask what grapes were? I don't know, but, I do know that he didn't lose his optimism. He married a beautiful lady who, no doubt, shared his dream. He kept healthy and strong by walking every day! ;) He never lost hope that, someday, would enter into his inheritance.
Finally, the day arrived. He was in his 80's. He had been fighting for several months with men a lot younger than him. Never did he complain. Joshua is mentioned several times, but not Caleb. Not a word of him all of Deuteronomy and half of Joshua. Much younger men had already built houses for their families. Finally, in Joshua 14, Caleb comes to visit his old buddy. Joshua and Caleb talked about the old days. They talked about Moses. They talked about those many years ago when they had first walked this land. Then, Caleb looked at the mountain in front of them. Mount Kirjatharba. He knew that mountain well. He had walked all over it for 40 days when he was a spy. He had revisited it, no doubt, many times in his dreams. Perhaps he still had a map he had drawn all those years ago. "Moses, the man of God... promised me this mountain!" he said. Moses had said he could settle that area. He was finally home. It was time for Caleb to take what was promised him.
Joshua blessed his buddy and sent him on his way. Caleb had waited his whole life for this moment. He led his tribe into conquering the mountain. He renamed it, Hebron. He was as strong and determined as ever. His faith and hope were unrivaled. The Bible says that Caleb followed God with his whole heart (Josh. 14:14). That can't be said of very many people, then, or now. He killed giants! He scaled the mountain! Then he got to Kirjathsepher. He now knew the great feeling of conquering and providing a place for his family. He looked at his daughter Achsah. He knew she was also ready to settle down. She had been traveling her whole life. It was time for her to marry and start a family of her own. It seems she was his favorite child. However, he says something that makes our modern ears cringe: "Whoever takes the city of Kirthjathsepher gets to marry my daughter Achsah!" Yikes! Poor girl! But, wait. Othniel steps up and does the job and gets the girl!
Who was Othniel? Don't worry. He was the best! Caleb knew this man very well. He was his nephew. Caleb probably had a twinkle in his eye as he made the announcement. Othniel didn't give anyone else a chance to take his girl. Maybe Achsah was Caleb's youngest and the last one to marry. Othniel and Achsah's wedding was no doubt exhilarating! I imagine Caleb spared no expense. The happy couple began their new life together.
I guess the love birds walked their land hand in hand, picturing their future children running and playing, imagining large flocks of sheep grazing on the hillside... "You know what we need?" Achsah asked Othniel. "Water!" "Yes!" Othniel agreed as he began scanning the area for a good place to dig a well. "Look over there," she said. "A little spring right next to our land! Let's ask Daddy for it!" Othniel had already received so much from the oldest man in Israel! How could he ask for more? "Please?!" she asked sweetly. "It is such a nice little spring. You should ask. I know he'll let us have it." Othniel didn't say much. In fact, it sounds like he never went to visit Caleb. When his ass arrived at Caleb's tent it was Achsah who jumped off.
"What do you want?" Caleb asked her, ready to give her the world.
She politely and gratefully asked for his blessing. She thanked him for the land and asked for the nearby spring.
Not only did Caleb give her the spring she requested, but another spring on the other side. I like to imagine he remembered drinking from that spring as a spy and knew that there was another one near there too. She thanked him and hurried home to her groom.
Othniel saw his beautiful bride riding up and heard her voice before she even got close enough for him to understand her words.
"Daddy said there are two springs we can have. One is over here, and the other is that way!" she pointed them out. The two love birds worked hard on their land. They loved each other very much. But, they also loved God with all their hearts. How do I know? It doesn't say this in Joshua. At first, I just imagined it would be so. Even though I have read many stories of the children of great men turning from the Living God, I really hoped this couple would be different. I was kind of relieved when their names didn't come up again. Maybe no news is good news. I left them on the hill nestled between 2 springs, just past Papa Caleb's tent. Happy and full and blessed.
Judges chapter 1 repeated the story and, thankfully, no sad news was added. Judges chapter 2 described this generation as staying true to God. But, as expected the next generation began fiddling around with idolatry. They fell in love with sin. Marrying wickedness. So sad. Caleb's grandchildren, or maybe great-grands? I sighed. I wondered if Othniel and Achsah had also forgotten their first love.
And, so, as I continued reading Judges, the vicious cycle began... The people strayed. God took away his protection and allowed their enemies to oppress them. Then a few years, or decades later, the people would remember God and think, "Hey. Maybe God can help us!" So, God would feel sorry for them and send them a judge, or prophet, or king. They would get deliverance and live in peace until they again forgot God!
I turned the page ready for some familiar names to appear and some I had forgotten. Do you know the name of the first judge mentioned? Othniel?
Our Othniel?! Yes! Othniel became the elder! The first Judge of Israel to be mentioned in the Scriptures.
When the children of Israel strayed and God gave them into the hand of their enemies, Othniel and Achsah stayed on their hill, between their two springs and waited. When the people had enough, I imagine someone visited the family on the hill. Achsah and Othniel opened their door and listened and talked. Othniel was older, a lot older, but he was still strong. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Othniel. He rose up. He led them in gaining victory over their enemy. For forty years the people listened to Othniel. For forty years they stayed true to God. For forty years they had peace.
I must end there because I promised this would be good news. And, it IS good news! Caleb stayed strong for God his whole life. He lived for God when the rest of his generation was full of fear and disbelief. Caleb led the next generation into the promised land. He must have been so proud of the strong, obedient young men and women who sought after the Lord with their whole hearts. Not only that but, his kids lived through the time of victory and prosperity. They say good times are the hardest times to stay strong for God. The cares of this life and temptations around them didn't distract Caleb's kids. They stayed true when many of their peers lost their way. Then, when hard times came, their faith still did not waver. All the way to the end of the life of Othniel, the son-in-law of Caleb, the wife of Achsah, he was strong.
Did you think this story would be about a woman? Well, it is. So many of Othniel's peers married women from the people around them, who did not worship God. They married for many reasons, but Othniel married the daughter of the man whose heart was stayed on God. He married a girl who loved her Daddy and loved her God and loved her man and wanted all they could possibly give her. She inspired Othniel to do more, be more and love more. I say this with confidence because I can see her fruit. An old man who stayed strong more than likely had an old woman next to him reminding him of who he is: the blessed of the Lord.
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