The 1st Judge - Othniel

The 1st Judge - Othniel

In the conquest of Canaan Caleb, the son of Hezron

Had inherited Hebron through hard-fought warfare.

Then came Caleb to Kirjathsepher and said to his

Soldiers, “He that smiteth Kirjathsepher shall marry

Achsah, the apple of my eye and only daughter

Of my old age.” And Othniel, the son of

Kenaz, Caleb’s brother conquered Kirjathsepher.

He was Caleb’s Kinsman and Achsah’s admirer.

He had proven his prowess & thus procured him

The favor of the fair Achsah & her famous father. He

Had earned a beautiful bride because of his bravery.

But after, Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord

And so came a cruel king Chushanrishathaim,

Monarch of Mesopotamia, and made them serve 8 years

In bitter bondage. They begged the Lord

To forgive their follies & defend them from this

Powerful opponent & the pain he had caused them.

So Othniel went out to war with weapon in hand.

The Holy Ghost of God would give him the victory.

The fighting was fierce as famous men and their

Faithful followers fought with all their might.

Bright blades clashed & broken bodies collapsed

Amid the clank & clamor caused by the killing.

But by and by, the battle’s outcome was clear,

Obvious to all. Othniel had dealt

A decisive defeat to the devilish Canaanites.

Israel praised Providence for preserving their lives &

Freedom, forgiving their faults, and raising up

A daring deliverer to defy their enemies

& a respected ruler to rebuke unrighteousness.

And so, for forty years, he faithfully ruled them

Preserving peace, and preaching righteousness.

-Steven L Anderson, 2011