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Authors: Francine Rivers
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tossed a branch onto the fire, sending up a burst of sparks. He stared into the flames, his hands clasped. Joshua glanced at his old kinsman and then came around the fire to Salmon. He put his hand on Salmon’s shoulder. “You and Ephraim will both see to the safety of this woman and her family. The Lord spoke to me this morning, and I’ve given His instructions to the commanders of the tribes. You will hear them now. We cross the Jordan in three days. Make your preparations.”
Ephraim watched Joshua walk away. “Our mission wasn’t necessary. He had already decided what to do even before he heard our report.”
Caleb snapped a branch in half. “Never question the ways of the Lord or the servants He has put over the people!” He glared at Ephraim and then at Salmon. “Joshua is God’s instrument.”
Salmon didn’t share Ephraim’s disappointment over lost glory for their deed. He’d been honored that Joshua had felt enough confidence in him to send him to Jericho at all. What did it matter that the Lord spoke to Joshua before they returned? Did God need their report? It seemed to Salmon that he and Ephraim had been sent to Jericho for another reason, a reason no one had known about except the Lord: God had sent them so they would find Rahab and open the way for her deliverance.
Caleb looked between them. “Which of you intends to take charge of the woman?”
“I will,” Salmon said.
Caleb’s eyes darkened.
“Blessings upon you, my brother,” Ephraim said. “I’d be hard-pressed explaining to Havilah how I came to be in the company of a prostitute!” Laughing, he slapped Salmon on the back.
“I’m certain your brothers and sisters await your safe return,” Caleb said.
Ephraim’s amusement evaporated. “Yes, sir.” He gave Salmon a quick, sympathetic glance as he strode off to rejoin his relatives.
Salmon waited for Caleb to speak his mind. Since the death of Moses, there was no man other than Joshua whom Salmon respected more than this patriarch of his tribe, the tribe of Judah. Caleb was one of only two men to be found faithful among the slaves who had been delivered from Egypt.
The old man raised his head, his expression challenging. “She is a foreign woman. You know the warnings about foreign women.”
“She wants to be one of us.” Salmon wanted this man’s confidence and approval. He debated within himself, and then decided the best course of action was to speak the truth about his feelings and seek Caleb’s counsel. “I want to take this woman into my tent.”
“One battle at a time, my son.”
Salmon met his look. “I thought it best to discuss it now.”
“She must be beautiful,” Caleb said wryly. Salmon could feel the heat climbing into his face. The old man’s smile turned cynical. “You blush like a boy.”
Anger stirred Salmon to speak more boldly. “I’m twenty-six years old, and I’ve never met a woman who has so inclined me toward marriage.”
Caleb shook his head, angry and aggrieved. “It’s ever thus, Salmon. It’s always the pagan women who draw our men away from God.”
“Rahab isn’t a pagan!”
“She is a Canaanite.”
“This woman has acted with more faith than my father or mother. But let’s lay out all the objections at once. She’s older than I, and she’s made her living as a prostitute!”
Caleb’s eyes shone strangely. “And you would choose such a woman to be your wife?”
“Rahab is a woman of excellence.”
“Excellence?”
“She proclaimed her faith by her actions.”
Caleb poked the fire with a stick. “Perhaps she’s merely a cunning liar who’s betrayed her people in order to save her own skin.”
“Who are her people?”
When Caleb raised his hand as though to wave Salmon’s words away, Salmon plunged ahead in his defense of Rahab. “It is God’s will we are to follow. You and Joshua are the ones who have taught me that. And that’s what I seek to do: God’s will. Help
Ephraim watched Joshua walk away. “Our mission wasn’t necessary. He had already decided what to do even before he heard our report.”
Caleb snapped a branch in half. “Never question the ways of the Lord or the servants He has put over the people!” He glared at Ephraim and then at Salmon. “Joshua is God’s instrument.”
Salmon didn’t share Ephraim’s disappointment over lost glory for their deed. He’d been honored that Joshua had felt enough confidence in him to send him to Jericho at all. What did it matter that the Lord spoke to Joshua before they returned? Did God need their report? It seemed to Salmon that he and Ephraim had been sent to Jericho for another reason, a reason no one had known about except the Lord: God had sent them so they would find Rahab and open the way for her deliverance.
Caleb looked between them. “Which of you intends to take charge of the woman?”
“I will,” Salmon said.
Caleb’s eyes darkened.
“Blessings upon you, my brother,” Ephraim said. “I’d be hard-pressed explaining to Havilah how I came to be in the company of a prostitute!” Laughing, he slapped Salmon on the back.
“I’m certain your brothers and sisters await your safe return,” Caleb said.
Ephraim’s amusement evaporated. “Yes, sir.” He gave Salmon a quick, sympathetic glance as he strode off to rejoin his relatives.
Salmon waited for Caleb to speak his mind. Since the death of Moses, there was no man other than Joshua whom Salmon respected more than this patriarch of his tribe, the tribe of Judah. Caleb was one of only two men to be found faithful among the slaves who had been delivered from Egypt.
The old man raised his head, his expression challenging. “She is a foreign woman. You know the warnings about foreign women.”
“She wants to be one of us.” Salmon wanted this man’s confidence and approval. He debated within himself, and then decided the best course of action was to speak the truth about his feelings and seek Caleb’s counsel. “I want to take this woman into my tent.”
“One battle at a time, my son.”
Salmon met his look. “I thought it best to discuss it now.”
“She must be beautiful,” Caleb said wryly. Salmon could feel the heat climbing into his face. The old man’s smile turned cynical. “You blush like a boy.”
Anger stirred Salmon to speak more boldly. “I’m twenty-six years old, and I’ve never met a woman who has so inclined me toward marriage.”
Caleb shook his head, angry and aggrieved. “It’s ever thus, Salmon. It’s always the pagan women who draw our men away from God.”
“Rahab isn’t a pagan!”
“She is a Canaanite.”
“This woman has acted with more faith than my father or mother. But let’s lay out all the objections at once. She’s older than I, and she’s made her living as a prostitute!”
Caleb’s eyes shone strangely. “And you would choose such a woman to be your wife?”
“Rahab is a woman of excellence.”
“Excellence?”
“She proclaimed her faith by her actions.”
Caleb poked the fire with a stick. “Perhaps she’s merely a cunning liar who’s betrayed her people in order to save her own skin.”
“Who are her people?”
When Caleb raised his hand as though to wave Salmon’s words away, Salmon plunged ahead in his defense of Rahab. “It is God’s will we are to follow. You and Joshua are the ones who have taught me that. And that’s what I seek to do: God’s will. Help
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