365 Devotionals: The Promised Land

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22 AMP

The Seeds of Promise Devotional Series

Achsah: Princess of Judah

“In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself”. John 1:1 AMP

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March	Book	Read From	Read Also	Devotional
18^th	Joshua	Chapter 15	Joshua 15:16-19; Joshua 17:3-6; Judges 1:11-15, I Chronicles 2:4	Achsah: Princess of Judah

Devotional Reading: Joshua 15:16-19 AMP

¹⁶Caleb said, He who smites Kiriath-sepher and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife. ¹⁷And Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. ¹⁸When Achsah came to Othniel, she got his consent to ask her father for a field. Then she returned to Caleb and when she lighted off her donkey, Caleb said, What do you wish? ¹⁹Achsah answered, Give me a present. Since you have set me in the [dry] Negeb, give me also springs of water. And he gave her the [sloping field with] upper and lower springs.

Caleb betrothed his daughter by an act chivalry. She was to be the prize for whomever defeated the people of Kiriath-sepher (Debir- “The Spirit of the Book”[1] . Caleb’s daughter was named Achsah (Adorned, or Bursting the Veil [2]). Judah ultimately have five sons; and Achsah was the only daughter among them. When Othniel – Achsah’s cousin defeated Debir, Caleb gave Achsah to Othniel to wife. Othniel later became a judge of Israel, full of he Spirit of God, and trusted by all his people.

Achsah must have had favor with her father, being his only daughter. After marrying Othniel, Achsah asked permission of her husband to seek another possession from her father. She honored her husband by discussing the matter with him, first. She was also smart to ask for places with water. This was an intelligent forward thinking action that would bless her future generations.

Caleb granted her daughter’s request and gave to her the upper and lower springs. God says if you being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father which is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him. As Achsah was the daughter of Judah, you are a daughter or son of God by reason of the atoning sacrifice of Christ. You have the opportunity to go to God directly to seek your needs and the desire of your heart.

⁴Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. Psalm 37:4 AMP

W. Mackintosh Mackay in his character-study of Achsah speaks of her as “The Discontented Bride” [3] because she asked for an additional blessing beyond what she already been given.

Selfish or not, Achsah secured vital resource for her family. If the lower springs ran dry, the upper spring would be still available since they ran from the mountains at a higher sea level. This is foreshadowing the living water of the Holy Spirt, which as the upper springs cannot go dry, even if the lower springs of natural, earthly waters cease.

Footnotes

[1], [2], [3] – All The Women of The Bible – Achsah. https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Achsah. Accessed April 4, 2015

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