The evening world., 1920-08-16
The LOUe Stories !
of the Bible
BY Rev. Thomas B. Gregory
loooydrht 1920. b. The Prev P,ftaiahins o.
| frhe Nov Yort Evening World.
Mo.7-OtIlnieI and AcItsakl
T'HBRE is no prettier love storSl
anywhere than that OF othnie'l
Arh,oh

'EAh<ANE 10 no pIoNbASi wv AN~ASi
anywhere than that OF othniel
and Achsah.
/ Caleb, Aehsahs father. was q
Prince OF the tribe or Judah ami
stood so high In the Lords favor thai
he was Joined with Joshua In beinE
permitted to enter the Promised Landf
He was, in a word, the second biggofi
man in Israel. &
And Caleb said, HE that smitel}
-Sepher and taketh It. to IN
viii give Achsah, my dsughteiN R
This xirjath -sepher was the he3V
city Of the Sons OF Anak," whoue INIT
menso stature and extraordinary
prowess caused them to be known a.
giants" II was no light task, there
fore. that was 10 be performed by
the one who was to win the heart and
hand OF Caleb's daughter. II must
be observed further that Caleb's offeIl
was Of q general character He wal
SO desperately anxious that the teri
rible Sons of Anak should be over
thrown thae he stood ready TO give,
his daughter to any man who would
conquer them.
The prize was splendid one and
II especially tugged away at Othniel q
heart strings, for Achsah already was
deeply beloved by him. He had set
his affections upon her long before
her father made the offer about tho
taking OF Kirjath- Sepher.
The proof Of Othniel's sincere love
| for Achsah Is seen from the fac; that
! It was for herself alone that he was
to go out against the Sons OF Anak.
/ The maiden alone was offered by
Caleb as the inducement to the at
tempt against his enemy, and Othnie
had no reason to expect anything
more than the maiden herself in the
event Of his success at Kirjath- Sepher
! The success came, the giantsA were
oyerthrown, and true TO his wore
caleb's daughter became othniePs
bride.
1t Is worth noting that in this al
cient story we have the very fN
instance OF chivalry recorded in IN
tory. After the wedding ceremort
had been completed Nthe bride az
preached her husband, "and II came
to pass as she came unto him, she
moved him to ask OF her father a
Geld; and she kghted on the ass. and
Caleb. her father, raid unto her, What
wouldSt thou?' And she said unto
him, Give me q blesBing; for thou
hast given me a south land. give ne
also springs OF water AND Caleb
gave her also the upper springs and
the neither springs"
1t reminds us OF the much later in
stance OF chivalry on the part OF ths
great Sultan. Saladin, when he sent
his camels to the mountains for snow
with which TO cool the fevehed brow
Of his enemy. Richard the Lion
II earted.
In the south lendT the not land,
I Caleb gave his daughter the cooling
upper and neither springs Of pure
and sparkling water!
Very beautiful indeed-beautifm as
the love OF othniel and his princess
bride.
OF the captor OF Kirjad- Sepaer and
the winner OF Achaah the Bible tells
us far too little. II may be permits
sible to say right out, that thu
silences of the Old Book about many
OF its personages are downright pro
yoking Why so distressilgly. briet
where we would give almost anything
to know just little more about tbs
persons and events?
In the third chapter OF Judges w
find this statement, terrible in Va
laconic sincerity: And when thu
children OF Israel cried unto the Lord
the Lord raised up n Saviour to tn.
children OF Israel. who saved the'T
even Othniel, the Son of Eenaz. II
the spirit OF the Lord came UPON :
and he Judged Israel 80
the land Mad rest forty years -
Othniel, the son of Kenaz, died"
Love and death! Will IL not b,
death-and love AGAIN.,