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Giving Freely
Read Judges 1:14, 15. What more does this tell us about the character of Caleb?
Inheritance was very important to the Israelites. Owning land to pass on to your heirs was seen as a way of ensuring that your legacy would not die out. As a matter of fact, this was so important that detailed laws were given to provide for an heir if a man died childless, so that someone would take the deceased’s name and continue his legacy (see the Levirate laws in Deut. 25:5–10).
At Caleb’s age, he would have been thinking seriously about his own inheritance. The later genealogical records show that Caleb had sons. He would have been eager to leave them as much as possible. Although Acsah was his daughter, any land that was given to her would effectively leave Caleb’s immediate family and become part of her husband’s property. We do not know exactly what prompted the Acsah’s request for land, but we do know that refusing her request would have been acceptable and in line with the social norms of protecting one’s own inheritance.
The surprising thing is that Caleb not only gives her the field but then also gives the springs of water, too. And not just one spring of water but both the upper and lower springs.
Generosity works both ways. Proverbs 11:25 states that “a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (NIV). When we are not ready to give freely, it is perhaps a sign that we have not yet received.
What implications does this story have for our spiritual life in, for example, the area of forgiveness? Read Matthew 6:15 and 18:21–35.
We can give only what we have. If we are unable to forgive, then it is a sure sign that we have not claimed God’s forgiveness for ourselves. Caleb had received blessings from God and was happy to share them. He showed a generosity way beyond the social norms of his time.
How generous are you with what you have? Do you find that the more you have, the more willing you are to share with others, or do you tend to hoard? How can you learn to be more willing to give of yourself for the good of others?
| THURSDAY | October 7 |
Read Judges 1:14, 15. What more does this tell us about the character of Caleb?
Inheritance was very important to the Israelites. Owning land to pass on to your heirs was seen as a way of ensuring that your legacy would not die out. As a matter of fact, this was so important that detailed laws were given to provide for an heir if a man died childless, so that someone would take the deceased’s name and continue his legacy (see the Levirate laws in Deut. 25:5–10).
At Caleb’s age, he would have been thinking seriously about his own inheritance. The later genealogical records show that Caleb had sons. He would have been eager to leave them as much as possible. Although Acsah was his daughter, any land that was given to her would effectively leave Caleb’s immediate family and become part of her husband’s property. We do not know exactly what prompted the Acsah’s request for land, but we do know that refusing her request would have been acceptable and in line with the social norms of protecting one’s own inheritance.
The surprising thing is that Caleb not only gives her the field but then also gives the springs of water, too. And not just one spring of water but both the upper and lower springs.
Generosity works both ways. Proverbs 11:25 states that “a generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed” (NIV). When we are not ready to give freely, it is perhaps a sign that we have not yet received.
What implications does this story have for our spiritual life in, for example, the area of forgiveness? Read Matthew 6:15 and 18:21–35.
We can give only what we have. If we are unable to forgive, then it is a sure sign that we have not claimed God’s forgiveness for ourselves. Caleb had received blessings from God and was happy to share them. He showed a generosity way beyond the social norms of his time.
How generous are you with what you have? Do you find that the more you have, the more willing you are to share with others, or do you tend to hoard? How can you learn to be more willing to give of yourself for the good of others?
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