Caleb promised his daughter Achsah in marriage to the man who would lead the attack on the town of Debir, which was also known as Kiriath-Sepher. His nephew Othniel, son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz, volunteered and was successful (Joshua 15:15-17).

It is easy to speculate that as the two of them were cousins, Othniel stepped forward because he already knew and wanted to marry Achsah. Indeed, when she arrived after the battle, the young couple spoke about asking her father for a field of arable land (15:18). In the event, Achsah said to Caleb, “‘Give me a present; since you have set me in the land of the Negeb, give me springs of water as well!’ So Caleb gave her what she wanted, the upper springs and the lower springs” (15:19).

It seems like an odd story: yet it was treasured in ancient Israel to the extent that it would get retold at the beginning of the book of Judges (Judges 1:11-15). Possibly this is because it is something like a love story, embedded in the midst of all the accounts of bloodshed and suffering: how will things go for this young couple homesteading in dry territory? Or it might be because of Achsah’s position as Caleb’s treasured only daughter, amidst a listing of many sons (the text of I Chronicles 2:42-50 is uncertain, but appears to list 14 sons and many grandsons; and then Achsah alone is listed as “the daughter”).

Life takes place in vast sweeping events and as small personal vignettes: as tremendous battles and also as children getting married and seeking to make their way in the world. Just like everywhere else in history, the people of Israel experienced events both great and small. The difference is, they took the time to see the hand of God in both of these.

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It is hard for us to keep both of these in focus, Lord. Some days we think it’s all about our own family, as we ignore the big picture of world events; other days we insist on the grand sweep of economics and politics and ignore the individual families who get ground under the wheel. Help us, O God, to recognize your presence in every event, whether global or local.