GIVE ME A BLESSING

Judges 1:12-15

Introduction

As we begin, turn your Bibles with me in Judges 1:12-15.

12 And Caleb said, “The one who attacks Kiriath-sepher and captures it, I will
even give him my daughter Achsah for a wife.” 13 Othniel the son of Kenaz,
Caleb’s younger brother, captured it; so he gave him his daughter Achsah for a
wife. 14 Then it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field. Then she alighted from her donkey, and Caleb said to
her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a blessing, since you
have given me the land of the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb
gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

Si Caleb ay isa sa dalawang tapat na espiya na ipinadala ni Moses sa Canaan upang

tingnan ang lupa na kanilang aangkinin based din sa promise ni God sa bayan ng Israel.
Like Joshua, he was permitted to enter the promised land (see Num 13:1–14:9; 14:36-38;
26:65; 32:10-12). At dito sinabi niya, kung sino ang sumalakay at sakupin ang
Kiriath-sepher, he will give his daughter Achsah . . . as a wife (1:12).

Othniel rose to the challenge: he captured the city and became Caleb’s son-in-law. In time
he would also become Israel’s first judge (1:13; see 3:9).

Achsah was the daughter of Caleb and made a bold request to her father. Matapang na
humiling sa kanyang ama. Now, this little story of a daughter and her father na nabasa natin,
is recorded twice in the Bible. You will find it in the fifteenth chapter of the Book of Joshua, as
well as in this first chapter of the Book of Judges. The writer probably recorded it again here
because the event was a significant part of the conquest of Judah’s inheritance (cf. Judges
1:20), and because it introduces the reader to Israel’s first judge.

But I believe this is not inserted twice without good reasons. The fact that this event was
mentioned twice is because God wants to teach us a lesson particularly pagdating sa
paglapit natin sa Diyos sa panalangin. You see ang paraan kung saan pumunta ang
babaeng ito sa kanyang ama, at ang paraan kung saan siya tinatrato ng kanyang ama,
reflects kung paano tayo dapat lumapit sa ating Ama na nasa Langit at kung paano Siya
tumugon kapag lumalapit tayo sa Kanya sa panalangin sa pamamagitan ng
pananampalataya.

How many of you want blessings? It’s not wrong for us to desire to be blessed. Dahil lubos
tayong umaasa sa Diyos na pagpalain tayo para malampasan natin ang bawat
pangangailangan at pagsubok na dumarating sa atin. We need His blessings so we can
fulfill His purpose in our lives and so that we can be a blessing as well to others.

How many of you believe that God wants to bless us? Maniwala ka man o hindi, gusto ng
Diyos na tayo ay pagpalain. He does not just want to, He loves to! God’s heart is to lavish us
with His goodness. He delights in blessing us. As a loving Father whose pleasure is to
shower His children with good things, God wants us to experience the fullness of His
goodness and greatness.

So, sa message natin today, nais kong gamiting example si Achsah bilang larawan ng isang
taong matagumpay na lumalapit sa Lord sa Panalangin. Hindi man ganun ka-sikat si Achsah
kagaya ng ibang mga Bible characters but we can learn sa pamamagitan ng kanyang buhay
ang pagkakaroon ng kumpyansa sa paglapit sa ating Heavenly Father sa panalangin. Hindi
man sinabi ng text na sa Lord siya lumapit para humingi ng blessing, pero makikita natin na
ang kanyang paglapit sa kanyang ama ay sumasalamin sa ating paglapit sa ating Ama sa
Langit na Siyang source ng lahat ng blessing na kailangan natin.

Ngunit ang pinakamahalagang gusto kong mapansin natin dito ay ang pagtugon ng ama.
Kung si Caleb bilang earthly Father ay ipinagkaloob ang request ng kanyang anak, how
much more ang ating Ama sa Langit. Hindi Niya ipagkakait ang mga blessings na ating hiling
kung tayo ay magtitiwala sa Kanya.

May teach us today how to go to Him, na ating Ama sa Langit, at matutunan din natin what
to expect if we go to Him in the same fashion ni Achsa.

Points:

1. Know what you need before coming to God

14 Then it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field. Then she alighted from her donkey, and Caleb
said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a
blessing, since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also
springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower
springs.

Achsah went to her father. Siya ay bagong kasal pa lamag kay Othniel at binigyan
sya ng kanyang ama ng ari-arian upang makapag simula sila. She naturally wished
that her husband should find in that estate something convenient and profitable. And
looking it all over she saw what was needed.

Before you pray, know what you need. Nang pumunta si Achsa sa kanyang ama
upang humingi ng isang bagay, alam niya kung ano ang kanyang hihingin. Hindi niya
ibinuka ang kanyang bibig hanggang hindi niya alam sa kanyang puso at isip kung
ano ang kailangan niya. She saw that the land her father gave her would be of very
little use to the newlyweds because it had no water. Kaya't pumunta siya sa kanyang
ama na may isang tiyak na kahilingan, “Give me, also, springs of water.”

The person, who thoughtlessly or carelessly goes down on his or her knees, with no
specific prayer in mind, will blunder up, again, and get nothing for his or her pain.

Do you always, before you pray, think of what you are going to ask for? “Oh!” you
may say, “I can always say some good words.” Does God need your words? Isipin
kung ano ang iyong hihilingin bago ka magsimulang magdasal at pagkatapos ay
manalangin sa Diyos ng seryoso para dito.

This woman does not say to her father, “Father, listen to me,” and then utter some
pretty little oration about nothing. No, she knew what she was going to ask for and
why. She saw her need and prized the blessing she was about to request.

Naniniwala ako na si Lord ay ilalagay sa puso at isip natin ang ating mga kailangan
bago natin hilingin ang mga ito sa Kanya. Ipapaalam NIya sa atin through the Holy
Spirit kung ano ang kailangan natin (or kailangan ng iba) at bakit natin kailangan ang
mga ito.The Spirit will help you in your weaknesses and suggest other petitions—but
before a word escapes your lips, do what Achsah did—know what you really need as
far as your mental abilities allow.

Know what you need before you come to God. Be specific with your request. Ang
mga Kristiyano kung minsan ay nagdarasal ng malabo, pangkalahatang mga
panalangin. While general prayer requests can be appropriate in certain instances,
ngunit sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang sagot sa mga tiyak na mga panalangin na
makikita natin na ipinakita ng Diyos ang Kanyang pagmamahal at kapangyarihan.

13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may
be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
- Jn 14:13-14

God calls us to pray about everything! We tell God exactly what we want. We pray
for the particulars. You remember the story in John 2 when the wedding in Canaa ran
low on wine? Notice that when Mary went to Jesus, she wasn’t content to say, “Help
us, Jesus.” No! She was specific: She said, “They have no more wine” (John 2:3).

Halimbawa, If I say to you, “Do you mind if I come by your house sometime?” you
may not take me seriously. But if I say, “Can I come over this Friday night? I really
need your advice.” Then you know my petition is sincere. It’s the same for us and
God. When we come to Him and we are sure of what we are going to ask of Him
then we can experience the fullness of His goodness and love for us.

But we can’t just say any and everything that comes to mind and expect God to grant
it. Our request must be "according to His will".

14 This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask

anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He
hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which
we have asked from Him. - 1 John 5:14-15

We must make sure na ang ating mga hiling sa Panalangin ay magbibigay ng

kaluwalhatian sa Diyos. Make sure na bago ka humiling sa Lord, isipin mo muna
kung ang hihilingin mo ay makakatulong maglapit sa iyo sa Lord, makakatulong sa
iyong paglago sa relasyon mo sa Kanya, makakatulong para lumawak ang Kanyang
gawain.
 Remember Jabez?

So when you make your requests known to God, get as specific and detailed as you
can. I suggest that you even think it through, write it down on a piece of paper, and
then submit it as your “petition” to God.

If we want our prayers answered, we must be specific when we pray.

2. Ask Help with your request

14 Then it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field. Then she alighted from her donkey, and Caleb
said to her, “What do you want?” 15 She said to him, “Give me a
blessing, since you have given me the land of the Negev, give me also
springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper springs and the lower
springs.

Bago pumunta si Achsa sa kanyang ama para sa kanyang hiling ay humingi ng

tulong sa kanyang asawa. Sinabihan niya si Othniel na siya ang humingi ng bukid na
nais niya.

According to Judges 2, Othniel was a brave and courageous man upon whom the
Spirit of the Lord came, a Judge in Israel who delivered Israel from
Cushan-Rishathaim, an oppressive Canaanite king. Yet this brave leader was
hesitant, perhaps bashful, when it came to asking his uncle for anything more than
the bride and property he had already received. He was possibly afraid it would look
like begging. So para sa kanya siguro since may asawa na siya at maliit na lupa
mula kay Caleb, hindi na nila kailangan pa ng iba pang dagdag. Kaya hindi na niya
hiningi kay Caleb ang field na gusto ni Achsa. For Othniel it wasn't a need but Achsa
knew they needed it for their family. (you know sometimes…)

Still, learn this lesson, good wives, prompt your husbands to pray with you. Brothers,
ask your brothers to pray with you. Sisters, be not satisfied to approach the throne of
grace alone; but ask your sister to pray with you.

Now, asking for prayer requires humility. Asking for someone to pray for you requires
a humbling; meekness. Wala sa atin ang malakas sa sarili natin. Sometimes tayo din
ay nag-iistruggle sa ating spiritual life at iba pang bagay sa buhay at hindi natin ito
kakayaning mag-isa lamang.

God certainly wants us to bring our concerns to Him privately. Jesus said, “When you
pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then
your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

However, the Bible also encourages us to pray for each other, and to ask others to
pray for us. Paul, for example, repeatedly asked people to pray for him and his
coworkers as they sought to tell others about the new life they could have in Christ.
 Don’t let your pride, or anything else keep you from asking others to pray for you —
because God is pleased when His people unite in prayer. And don’t forget to pray for
those who need your prayers — whether they ask for them or not.

Listen, it’s not weakness to admit na nanghihina tayo. It’s not a weakness to say na
we need help. In fact, yan ang pinaka-wise na gawin upang mas lalo tayong lumago
at magtagumpay. Learn to ask for help. Learn to ask for prayer. And if you are
burdened today about something, make sure na bago ka umalis sa building na ito
you look for someone who will pray for you or with you.

Binigyan tayo ng Panginoon ng mga kapatid sa pananampalataya upang sila ay

maging instrument ng Diyos upang tayo ay tulungan. Tanggapin natin sa sarili natin
na kaylangan natin ang panalangin ng iba. Ito ay paraan din ng pagpapalakasan sa
isat isa.

So it is a good thing in prayer to imitate this woman, Achsah. Know what you want,
and then ask others to join with you in prayer. Wife, especially ask your husband.
Husband, especially ask your wife. There is no sweeter praying on earth than the
praying of a husband and a wife together when they plead for their children, invoke a
blessing upon each other and upon the work of the Lord.

It is good to ask others to pray with you and for you, but if they don’t, or don’t as
much as you would like, don’t depend solely on others’ prayers. God has no
grandchildren. You are His child; you pray, if you must pray alone, then pray alone.

It is often a great help in prayer for two of you to agree touching the thing that
concerns Christ’s kingdom. A cordon of praying souls around the throne of grace will
be sure to prevail.

3. Know that you ask your heavenly Father

Then it came about when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field.

Achsah was so bold and confident to come and ask her request to Caleb because
Caleb is his father. I suppose that she would not have gone to ask anybody else.

Achsah thought of this, na ihaharap niya ang kanyang kahilingan sa kanyang ama.
Maaaring hindi siya pumunta para humingi ng tulong sa iba maliban sa kanyang
asawa, Othniel, but she said to herself, “My father is my father. The gift I am going to
ask is not of a stranger who does not know me, but of my father, in whose care I
have grown up since birth.”

This thought ought to help us in prayer, and it will help us when we remember that we
do not go to ask of an enemy, nor to plead with a stranger; but we say, “Our Father,
who is in heaven.”
 But the question is, Do you really believe that God is your Father? Do you feel the
spirit of sonship in your heart? If so, this ought to help you to pray with a believing
tone. And if you are not sure that God is your Father, I want to encourage you, make
Him your Heavenly Father today.

How? Repent of your sins. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you
from your sins. He died and rose again from the dead. He will come again and He will
take with Him those who believed and received Him as Lord and Savior. And it is only
through Jesus that you can become a child of God. I want to encourage you, receive
Jesus and make Him your Lord and Savior today and you will become a child of God.

Our Heavenly Father will give us whatever we need. Kung ang ating mga earthly
fathers ay ginagawa na ipagkaloob ang ating mga pangangailangan, how much more
ang ating Amang nasa Langit. Indeed, He knows what things we need before we ask
him.

Remember when Jesus is instructing His disciples on how to pray using what we
know today as the Lord’s Prayer? He makes some powerful statements. Jesus opens
up the prayer with some powerful words: “Our Father in heaven.” And sa Matthew 6:8
sabi ni Jesus na kung mananalangin tayo sa Kanya ay bago pa natin sambitin ang
ating mga panalangin, alam na Niya ang ating mga hiling.

Ang isang ama, ina anticipate niya ang need ng kanyang mga anak. Ganyan din ang
ating Diyos. Alam Niya ang mga pangangailangan natin bago pa man natin ito ilapit
sa Kanya. Mahalaga na tingnan natin ang Diyos bilang isang Ama dahil ito ang
nagbibigay sa atin ng confidence na lumapit sa Kanya. Hindi Siya katulad ng mga
ama sa mundo. Ang ating mga earthly fathers may fail us but our heavenly Father
never fails. Sabi ng Bible na Siya ay nagmamalasakit sa atin.

7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

Hindi ba’t magandang isipin na mayroon tayong Heavenly Father na nakakaunawa

sa atin at alam Niya ang mga pangangailangan bago pa natin ito idalangin? Mayroon
tayong Ama na nagmamalasakit sa atin. Tumawag tayo sa Kanya at magtiwala dahil
nais Niyang pagpalain ang mga anak Niya.

You and I have the privilege today to pour out our heart, in prayer to God, our Father.
We have the privilege to tell our Father the joys and struggles you face today at work.

Conclusion:

Each of these approaches ni Achsa gives us a pattern to prayer. We trust for a similar
response from our Father in Heaven. When we look at the response of Caleb to Achsa we
see several things.

1. Caleb the father gave his child what she ask for.
2. Caleb gave to her in large measure.
Friends, our Father in Heaven will respond to our plea in the same way. Because God loves
to answer prayers. We should do exactly what achsa did; Ask.

Go before the Lord in prayer today and ask according to His will.