Joshua 15:13-19

¹³ In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) ¹⁴ From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. ¹⁵ From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). ¹⁶ And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.
¹⁸ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”
¹⁹ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

Introduction

We pray because we expect blessing. Indeed, God wants to bless us. Most prayer items are about asking God for blessings. How would God grant blessings?
Blessing comes when we request it. God blesses as a result of obedience to His command. Obedience to God reveals faith in Him. Blessings come as result of faith.

1. Result

¹³ In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) ¹⁴ From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. ¹⁵ From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).

Caleb received blessing from God as a result of his faith. He believed God would do as He says. Caleb’s private life exemplified how God adds blessing to faith. Caleb’s life exhibits a blessed life lived by faith. By faith, Caleb believed that God would fulfill His promise, and Joshua gave the portion of land that God has promised to Caleb.
By faith, Caleb defeated the huge residents of Kiriath Arba. Those giants scared the 10 men that Moses sent to spy the land. They did not believe that God would drive them out. Interestingly, the land of giants was given to Caleb, and he drove them out.
Driving the giant Anakites out displayed the faith of Caleb. Caleb believed that he would certainly take the land God promised Him. Giants were no hindrance for Caleb. He took over the land of giants as a result of faith. His faith could have inspired Othniel.

¹⁶ And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” ¹⁷ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

Othniel, the nephew of Caleb might have set his eyes on the daughter of Caleb, Aksah. The beauty of Aksah could have inspired Othniel to attack the people of Kiriath Sepher. Or was Othniel inspired by the faith of his uncle Caleb?
Caleb set an example for Israel on how to live by faith. Nevertheless, God raised Othniel to be the next leader. Othniel became famous on his own right. He was the first judge after Joshua died. It says in Judges 3:7-11, ⁷ The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. ⁸ The anger of the Lord burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years. ⁹ But when they cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them. ¹⁰ The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. ¹¹ So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Few years after Joshua and the elders of Israel died, the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord allowed enemies to persecute them. After they cried out for help, the Lord raised Othniel to deliver the Israelites from their enemies.
By faith, Caleb and Othniel defeated their respective enemies. Caleb received the land God promised him. Othniel received Aksah as his wife as Caleb promised him.
Blessing from God comes as a result of our faith. Faith is more displayed when we obey the Lord. Whatever the Lord commands, there’s blessing attached to it.
In 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, ²⁰ For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. ²¹ Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²² set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Most often, it is interpreted that the Holy Spirit we received guarantees the eternal life God has promised when we accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour. Yet, there are many promises of God in the Bible. Is it proper to claim any promise of God that we wish or like? What promise of God has been given to us individually?
The Holy Spirit, Christ’s Spirit would reveal which promise He prefers to give us. God knows which promise is best and appropriate for us. When we pray, we should not command God to give what we wish. We must request the prayer item that the Holy Spirit reveals to us. He would also assure us that our request would be granted.

2. Request

¹⁸ One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?” 1⁹ She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.

The “Negev” could be parched land, a land like a desert that needed irrigation. The land that Caleb gave to his daughter needed much water for irrigation. Aksah took advantage of the generosity of her father, and asked for springs of water. Caleb gave her not just access to draw water but the right of ownership for springs of water.
Water has been the source of conflict. People fight for the right of ownership. Water is not only important for flocks but also for farmers to irrigate their fields.
In Genesis 26:19-25, ¹⁹ Isaac’s servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there. ²⁰ But the herders of Gerar quarreled with those of Isaac and said, “The water is ours!” So he named the well Esek, because they disputed with him. ²¹ Then they dug another well, but they quarreled over that one also; so he named it Sitnah. ²² He moved on from there and dug another well, and no one quarreled over it. He named it Rehoboth, saying, “Now the Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the land.”
²³ From there he went up to Beersheba. ²⁴ That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.” ²⁵ Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.
Fighting for water is not isolated to Bible stories. There other places in the world where water is scarce. The land of the Negev that Caleb gave to his daughter need much water. She could have been thankful that she was given a land but she did not hesitate to ask her father for springs of water, in which his father granted. Aksah presented her case before her father, and she boldly requested for spring of water to irrigate the Negev. This boldness of Aksah reminds us of how Jabez prayed.
It says in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10, ⁹Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 1⁰Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

Can we pray like Jabez? Many situations bother or confuse us most of the time. We spend time worrying. Instead of praying about it, instead of asking God to do something about it, our natural reaction is to complain or rationalize things. We complain because it’s our natural human instinct.
When the Holy Spirit is in control of our life, our reaction is to seek understanding from God when we are bothered or confused by things we don’t understand. We should seek God’s help. That is the implication of the greatest command of God.
It says in Mark 12:30, ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

This command of the Lord is seemingly authoritarian but if the Spirit of Christ is active in our life, we would understand that this greatest command is meant to bless us. It includes all blessings that God has prepared, things He knows best to bless us.
When we love God with all our heart, we’ve got joy and peace.
When we love God with all our soul, we’ve got greater decision making.
When we love God with all our mind, we’ve got wisdom and understanding.
When we love God with all our strength, we’ve got wholesome lifestyle.

When we love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our souls and with all our mind and with all our strength, we don’t worry what others say about the confusing events that happened to us even in our church. We welcome and look forward to what God has prepared as added blessing to the faithful believers.
We can only obey the greatest command when we allow the Spirit of Christ to prevail over our heart, soul, mind and strength. Only genuine believers can obey God’s command. Keep seeking the kingdom of God. Meaning allow Christ to be the master over your life and all things will be added as you need them.

Let us then ask God to help us grow strong in our faith so that when God allows challenges in our life individually or as a church, we would be found faithful. The God who helped Caleb to drive away the huge Anakites, the God who granted the request of Jabez is the same faithful God who adds blessing into the life of faithful believers.
May God find us faithful even as we continue to serve Him in His church. Amen.

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