Springs of Water. Judges 1:15 This repeats the same event recorded in Joshua 15. In the Book of Joshua, it seems to be part of the description of the land that was to belong to the tribe of Judah. Here, it forms part of the account of Judah's success in taking possession of its territory. Caleb had asked for and received the mountain he wanted. He was a faithful man who, along with Joshua, gave an optimistic report on the Lord's ability to give the promised land to Israel forty years earlier.
Othniel was Caleb's nephew who won his bride, Achsah, the daughter of Caleb, by paying the bride price and capturing Kiriah Sepher. The land and springs given to Achsah are one of the success stories in the Book of Judges, highlighting the blessings that come from being faithful to God and trusting that His promises will be fulfilled in His way and time.
She was gifted to a good man: a brave warrior, a leader of men, a hero, a victor in battles. Yet, we cannot sustain ourselves on fame - we need nourishment. We cannot survive on reputation – we need real substance. We can't live on past blessings – we require present benefits. We can't spend our lives looking back – we must turn and face the future. She could have complained or depended on her new husband, Othniel, to do everything for her, but she was her father’s daughter. She had her senses. She understood the difference between a southern land and a northern land. And she didn’t complain about the inheritance she received. She could see the problem and worry about it, or she could identify the solution and take action.
Achsah must have learned a lot by watching her father. His willingness to stand out against the crowd and popular opinion set him apart from those around him. His physical and moral strength were not accidents but choices he made before the Lord his God, whom he had learned to trust and obey. His fearlessness in the face of huge, flesh-and-blood men would have impressed his daughter—that what seemed impossible for a man in his own strength was easily done when God was working for him. So, even though Caleb was an old man, respected and honorable before the people, she knew what she needed and where to find it. Only he could provide the water needed for the southern land. The dry and arid south slopes might have all the nutrients in the soil, but they required water to bring them out.
Achsah didn’t ask for another field where the work wouldn’t be so hard. She recognized that God had given the mountain to Caleb; he had asked for it, and God gave it to him. She didn’t ask for the northland where the summer heat wouldn’t be so oppressive. She didn’t ask for the west, where the breezes from the Great Sea would cool the heated brow. She didn’t ask for the eastern slopes where the morning sun would brighten the fields early so the hard labor could be over before the heat of the day. She accepted gratefully what she had been given.
Knowing her sensible father would understand, she asked for a simple but vital gift: springs of water that she could carry to nourish fragile plants—water that could be drawn from dry ground, and life-giving food that was needed. Her request was straightforward: water that could turn a desert into a bloom, water that could make the difference between famine and fullness. Using this water would require her time, energy, and strength, but she was willing to pay that price. All she wanted was water—nothing more; not an aqueduct to carry it, just water. Not a waterfall with tepid water rushing noisily over a cliff that she could easily channel, but springs she could dip from—springs that would come cool and refreshing from deep within the earth. She knew if she received such a gift, it would be a blessing—not just today when the waterfall makes its noise but then dries up in late summer when it’s most needed, but a spring that never runs dry. Not a river flowing by that requires little effort to draw from, but springs that will always be available—whether in or out of season. Springs that produce the necessary food for her and her family's sustenance, providing for their constant needs for years to come.
Caleb must have smiled with deep satisfaction as this young lady, his own child, came to him with wisdom to “keep it simple” but also trust that “You can do it if you will.” He responded by giving her more than she could expect: early-season upper springs flowing abundantly, allowing her to easily carry water downhill to where it was needed. Then, to her grateful desire to receive from his fullness, he gave her the lower springs that would be there when everything else failed. Those lower springs would bring blessings to her, her hero-husband, and family, as well as to those living below her, who would benefit from the overflow and live peacefully beside her because of the water they received.
Our Giving God is a great Benefactor who does “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” However, it is our responsibility (and right as children) to be specific, intelligent, and appreciative of all He gives due to our asking in faith. Her faith was in the person of her father to meet her needs. Our faith is in our Father, who tells us that when we come to Him, we “must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.”