A Champion Emerges
Joshua 15:16
And Caleb said, “Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.” And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, captured it.
It might seem awkward at first glance to read that Caleb gives his daughter to his own brother, but remember that ‘brother’ here is a general term for a member of Caleb’s clan, since Caleb and Othniel clearly have different fathers. Also note that while this exchange doesn’t quite read on paper as romantically as, say, the love story between Boaz and Ruth, I actually think Caleb’s call for a champion to earn his daughter’s hand could lead to a flourishing love story and a flourishing legacy.
For one thing, Caleb is now very old, perhaps knocking on the door of a century at this juncture, and he realizes his need to pass on the torch to the next generation of leaders, giving the sort of opportunity he himself was given by Moses all those years ago. But he’s also a faithful father who wants to find the best man to shepherd his daughter when he’s gone. Yet, who could possibly meet his high standard? He hasn’t spent a generation discipling his daughter just to hand her over to some slouch. Oh no—whoever wants Achsah as a wife will have to win her in a big way. He’ll have to prove his metal and his courage and his faithfulness to God. Effectively, he’ll have to be able to bend the bow like the fictional Odysseus when winning Penelope, or split the arrow like Robin Hood in that archery contest for Maid Merrian. He’ll have to be the crème of a very rich crop—the bravest of a historically brave tribe—and the strongest lion in Judah’s pride.
That tells us all we need to know about what sort of man Othniel is, doesn’t it? He really is a brother to Caleb. He bears Caleb’s likeness. He isn’t afraid of giants or fortress walls or enemy forces. And I think he’s exactly the sort of man that Achsah is hoping for. In fact, who knows—maybe she’s been watching him from afar, quietly and meekly, and he’s been watching her as well, and Caleb finally gives that seed of love that has been growing in the shadows a chance to bloom.