The Children of the Kenite - Judges 1:16

In the book of Judges we learned how, “Caleb said, He that smites Kirjathsepher, and takes it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter to wife. And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it: and he gave him Achsah his daughter to wife. And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field: and she lighted from off her ass; and Caleb said unto her, What will you? And she said unto him, Give me a blessing: for you have given me a south land; give me also springs of water. And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs”, and in chapter one and verse sixteen of Judges, we learn about, “the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law” where we read,

And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

The verse reads, “And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, …” The writer began with the words, “and the children” which means “and the offspring and progeny” “of the Kenite” or “belonging to the Kenite whose name means ‘smiths’ and was the tribe from which the father-in-law of Moses was a member and which lived in the area between southern Palestine and the mountains of Sinai”, “Moses’ father in law” which means “Moses’ whose name means ‘drawn out’ and was the prophet, lawgiver and leader of the exodus”, “went up out of the city of palm trees” or “arose and ascended from the dwelling place, habitation and abode pertaining to date palm trees” “with the children of Judah” or “alongside and accompanied by the offspring and progeny belonging to Judah whose name means ‘praised’ and was the fourth son of Jacob by Leah and the male progenitor of Judah” “into the wilderness of Judah” which means “in the open plain and desert place belonging to Judah whose name means ‘praised’”. The writer shared how the offspring belonging to the “Kenite” who was “Moses’” “father in law” ascended from the dwelling place with date “palm trees” into the open desert place alongside of the offspring belonging to “Judah”. 

The verse continues, “… which lies in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.” The writer added the words, “which lies in the south of Arad” which means “that is the area within the southern direction pertaining to Arad whose name means ‘a wild ass’ and was a royal city of the Canaanites north of the wilderness of Judah ”: “and they went” or “and they, the children of Kenite and Judah, proceeded forward” “and dwelt among the people” which means “and lived, abided and inhabited in the midst and middle of the human beings located there”. The writer shared how “the wilderness” located within the southern area “of Arad” is where the offspring of the “Kenite and Judah” abided in the midst of the “people” there. 

When we meditate upon words in this verse, we learn about more of the “tribe of Judah” who were occupying the land of the Canaanites. The offspring of the “Kenite and Judah” left the territory of “date palms” and pursued the southern area of “Arad” to live in the midst of the inhabitants there. One by one God was supplying the promise land to the people of Israel, and the Kenite offspring and Judah were seizing their inheritance one portion at a time. God loves to provide for His people, (See Philippians 4:19) and when we yield to His Son Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of all mankind and was resurrected from the dead after three days, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and put His Holy Spirit within us to guide us into all truth and help us to receive all that He desires give us in this life and the next. (See John 3:16; 16:13; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 3:20)

Next time we learn how, “Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".