Wife of Othniel, Achsah

She was the only girl in the family, and had three brothers. She became the wife of Othniel, son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. Othniel became one of Israel’s judges and had, through the Spirit of God, the noble faith of his race. The story of Achsah is told in charming and picturesque detail in the above Scripture. Her father promised her in marriage to the gallant man who was able to capture Debir, or Keriath-sepher which means, “The City of the Book.” The feat was accomplished by Othniel, and Caleb gave to his daughter, as a dowry, a portion of the south land. Not satisfied, she wanted springs of water to irrigate her fields, so Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs. Although, as a Jewess, Achsah looked for great things through faith in God’s promise of the land, her request for an addition to the generous dowry already bestowed, reveals an element of covetousness in her disposition. W. Mackintosh Mackay in his character-study of Achsah speaks of her as “The Discontented Bride.”

Apparently Achsah was looking at the future. She knew that as a dweller in the south land, draught was eventually going to be a major issue for her and her descendants as the years set in, so she needed springs to keep their lands irrigated and livestocks watered. She saw the need her husband was unable to see. She knew the solution and did not delay in pursuing it.
She ‘persuaded’ her husband, meaning that she must have talked about it over and over again with him, but men being who they are, usually don’t like to be seen as a ‘demander’.
Othniel was more than satisfied with what he got; a bride and a land, but his wife saw future challenges concerning the land they had just inherited. As a wife what do you see? Achsah became the wife of Othniel because her father sent her, this made her not afraid to use her position as his daughter to demand for her entitlement from her father. It’s time to stop nagging but take action. It’s time to go directly to your heavenly Father, to see if it's all worth it. 

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