Read Online The Warrior: Caleb by Francine Rivers - Free Book Online Page B

and tired as he told the people to return to their tents and allow the elders to talk among themselves. He and Aaron turned away, dejected, and the elders followed. The people cried out their disappointment and wandered away, weeping.
    Furious, Caleb grabbed Joshua by the arm. “Why didn’t you speak up? Why did you stand silent?”
    “There are two million people and ten shouting to be heard. They wouldn’t have heard me.”
    “You know as well as I do the land is ours. God said He would give it to us. Where is your faith, Joshua? Where is the courage I saw in the battle against the Amalekites? Where is that assurance I saw in Canaan? Those others are cowards. We cannot let them sway the people. You hold a high position. People will listen to you! Are you going to speak out or not? Decide, Joshua! Will you lead the congregation or follow?”
    “I’m not the leader, Caleb. Moses is.”
    “For now, yes. And as his assistant, you can speak to him. But will you have the guts to do so? Why do you think God placed you beside Moses? Think, man. When Moses goes to his fathers, who will stand in his place? His half-Midianite sons? Korah, who would like to take us back to Egypt? God is preparing you to lead. How is it I can see it and you can’t? For God and the sake of the people, stand and be heard! ” Caleb let go of the younger man and strode through the camp to his tent.
    When he ducked and entered his tent, he found his entire family sitting in a circle. He could feel their tension, see their doubt. Only Ephrathah’s eyes shone with something other than fear. “Tell them what you saw, my husband. Tell them about the Promised Land.”
    And so he did, relieved as he saw their fears turn to hope and then excitement. He reminded them of what God had done to Egypt in order to deliver them from slavery. “He is a mighty God. Nothing is too difficult for Him. But we must trust Him. We must be ready so that when He tells us to go into Canaan, we go! ”
    With Ephrathah’s encouragement, they kept him talking about the beauty of Canaan most of the night.
    But outside his tent, beyond his cloistered family members, out there among the thousands upon thousands, the seed of fear had taken root and was spreading its malevolent tendrils through the camp, stifling anticipation, smothering joy, and bringing a wave of murderous wrath.

    When Caleb finally stretched out to rest, he slept fitfully. People wailed in the distance. He awakened once to shouts in the darkness. What had the people expected? That the Lord would wipe out everyone before they reached the borders of Canaan, so they could enter unoccupied land? He got up before sunrise, washed, and dressed in his best clothing.
    Ephrathah heard him moving about the tent and rose. She awakened the others. “Hurry. We must go with your father. Come, Jerioth. We must stand behind our husband.”
    Caleb pushed aside the curtain. “Stay here.” Both women were pregnant, and he didn’t want any harm to come to them or the babies they carried. “The people are angry. I don’t know what will happen. It’s best if you both remain here rather than be caught up in their rebellion.”
    “What would you have us do?”
    “Pray to the Lord our God that the people will listen and obey the Lord.”
    Thousands were coming from every area of the camp, marching and shouting. Caleb ran ahead and pressed his way through those who had already gathered before the Tabernacle. He shoved his way through the crowd and broke free at the front, running to stand beside Joshua. “We have to stop them from rebelling!”
    “What have you done to us, Moses?”
    “We wish we had died in Egypt!”
    “Or even here in the wilderness!”
    “Why is the Lord taking us to this country only to have us die in battle?”
    “Our wives and little ones will be carried off as slaves!”
    “We should go back!”
    Elders from the tribes came to the front, the ten other scouts among them. Red-faced men shouted,