Daughter of Deliverance (34 page)

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The banquet was noisy, and wine was as common as water. Everyone knew what the purpose was, but that didn't seem to matter. Caleb had spared no expense. Now he stood talking to Joshua, and Joshua nodded happily. “It'll be a good thing, this marriage between Othniel and Ariel. Both from the tribe of Judah. You should have some wonderful grandchildren out of that pair.”

Caleb was somewhat nervous. “I don't know what's the matter with Ariel. She's sad. I went to see her and she was crying. That worries me.”

“It's a good thing for a young virgin to be scared and nervous,” Joshua said.

“I didn't know you considered yourself an expert in these matters,” Caleb said.

“It just shows good breeding,” Joshua said.

“Well, I hope you're right. I'm going to get my daughter now and make the announcement.”

“She'll be all right. You'll see.”

Caleb went to get Ariel. They were having the banquet in the largest tent available, and the crowd overflowed. When he reached his own tent, which he shared with Ariel, he called her name and then he stepped inside. She was waiting for him wearing the new dress, and he said, “You look beautiful, daughter. As beautiful as your mother when I married her.” He stepped closer and saw that her face was tense and her lips were trembling. “What's wrong?”

“Father, what if he won't have me?”

“Won't have you! Don't be foolish! He fought for you. Come, now. You're just having the fears that all young brides have.”

Ariel saw there was no hope of getting out of this. She took her father's arm and accompanied him out of the tent. When they entered the larger tent, her name was called out and a pathway opened. She saw Othniel standing there and would have given anything to be anyplace in the world other than here. She knew well what he was going to do, and there was no way to avoid the humiliation that was about to happen.

****

Othniel stood stiffly waiting as Caleb brought Ariel into the tent. He was wondering,
How did I ever get myself into this? I don't hate her. I've been a fool. She's frightened and I've made it worse
.

As he watched Ariel, his mind brought back many memories of the childhood pleasures he had shared with her. They had always been the best of friends while growing up. He realized that he was the one who had gone astray and had shamed the family and that, somehow, he was blaming her for this.

Fixing his eyes on her face, he knew that she was terrified. Her eyes were enormous, and he was shocked when he saw tears glimmering in them.

Why, she's scared to death of me! That's not what I want
.

****

As Ariel approached Othniel, she saw through her tears that his face was tense, and she prepared herself for what she knew was coming. Yet she could see that he was not angry, that there was a strange look on his face and something in his eyes that she had not seen for a long time. She remembered once when he had hurt her quite by accident and it had nearly broken his heart. He had that same look on his face right now, and she could not understand it.

Then she and Caleb were in front of Othniel. “Here is your bride-to-be, my son,” Caleb said.

Ariel raised her eyes to meet those of Othniel, and she saw not anger or wrath but tenderness. He reached out and took her hands, and she was shocked. He dropped to his knees, kissed her hands, and looked up. And she heard him whisper, “Will you have me, Ariel?”

The world seemed to turn over for Ariel. She looked into his eyes and saw that instead of anger there was love! With a glad cry she pulled at his hands and he came to his feet. “Yes,” she said. “You will be my husband as long as I draw breath.”

A great cheer went up, and Ardon leaned down and said to Rahab, “Oh, I knew from the first it would end like this. I guess I know women pretty well.”

Rahab wanted to laugh, but she knew she could not. Her husband was the most ignorant man concerning women she had ever known. “I'm sure you do, husband,” she said meekly.

And then the music began, and Ariel was drawn close as Othniel embraced her. She looked up and the tears were gone and her eyes were filled with joy. “Are you certain about this, Othniel?”

“Am I certain? Why, I fought a war for you. Now,” he said, and his eyes were laughing down at her, “I've got so much invested in you that it's going to take a lifetime to get my full value out of you.”

“Do you think I'm worth it?”

He pulled her closer and said, “You're worth it, Ariel—worth it all!”

The early-morning sun bathed the village in a pink glow as Rahab, with a small boy by her side, made her way to the well at the central plaza. After lowering her large clay jug into the water to fill it, she hoisted the heavy container to her shoulder for the walk back home, looking forward to making the morning meal for her family.

“Mother, come quickly!”

Rahab looked up to see her oldest daughter running down the cobblestone street toward her. “What is it, Kaliah?” she asked as her daughter arrived out of breath. “What has happened?”

“It's Bezalel, Mother. We got word that he needs to see you right away…he says he doesn't have much time.”

Rahab nodded. “All right, I'll gather my things and be right there. Take little Boaz home and prepare the meal for the family.”

Rahab hurried home to prepare a basket of medicinal herbs and soothing ointments to take to the home of old Bezalel. She knew there was not much she could do to stop the progression of the disease that was claiming his life, but she could at least offer him comfort and try to ease his pain in his dying hours. While she worked, her mind recounted all the years since she had first left her home in Jericho and become a daughter of Israel.

The Israelite army had long since conquered the land of Canaan, promised first to Abraham and then to his descendants over the centuries. Now the twelve tribes had been allotted their places throughout the land and had settled into towns and villages, stretching from the northern hill country to the southern deserts and the western sea. Rahab's village was located just outside the ancient city of Jerusalem, where Bezalel lay dying.

Rahab thought lovingly of her first husband, Ardon, the son of Caleb, who had died some years ago, leaving her to care for several children by herself. She had grieved deeply over the loss of her first love, but she had peace in her heart knowing that he was safely in God's care now and that she must attend to her family, who needed her more than ever. While she threw her energies into caring for her own children, and for those in her village who were sick or in need, another man came into her life whose name was Salmon. Rahab smiled at the thought of her second husband. He was a loving and caring man who had lost his own spouse and who, too, had been left alone with growing children. It did not take Rahab and Salmon long to marry and unite their two families into one. Rahab felt so blessed by Jehovah, who provided for her even in the midst of death and loss. Within the first year of their marriage, an additional blessing from God, a beautiful little boy they named Boaz, was born to them.

“Take care of the children, Kaliah, until I return. I don't know how long I'll be. This may be Bezalel's last day.”

“I will, Mother,” Kaliah said as she gathered the children to the table for their morning meal.

****

Rahab walked swiftly along the dirt road into Jerusalem. It was close to midday by the time she arrived at the home of Bezalel. A servant woman welcomed her in and led her to his bedside, whispering quietly that his time had come and he was insistent on talking with her.

She wondered at this as she drew close to the dying man's side and gently took his hand in hers. “What can I do for you, Bezalel, my friend?”

“May the Lord God of Israel bless you, daughter.” Bezalel could barely whisper the words, but his smile was radiant as he looked up at her.

“He has done that for me every day of my life since I became a believer in Him,” Rahab said, returning his smile. “What blessing can I bring to you this day?”

“Sit down here,” Bezalel said, indicating a small stool by his bed. “I would like you near me in these last moments I have on this earth. I am not afraid of the future, for I know into whose hands I am returning, but I have one last task I must accomplish before I go to my true and everlasting home.”

“Is it something I can help you with?” Rahab wondered what else the old man could possibly need to do, since he had been a faithful servant of Jehovah all of his life, carrying out the building of the magnificent plans for the tabernacle of God given to Moses in the wilderness.

“Help me sit up,” Bezalel said hoarsely.

Rahab leaned over the old man and carefully helped prop him up so he could look directly into her eyes.

With shaking hands and fumbling fingers, he reached inside his tunic and pulled out the gold medallion he had shown Rahab many years earlier. “Help me take this off,” he whispered.

Rahab gently lifted the medallion on its leather strap off from around Bezalel's neck and stared at it once again. “It is so beautiful,” she murmured. Then looking up at Bezalel, she asked, “Would you like me to take this to the person of your choosing? Has God told you who it is to be?”

Bezalel lay back against the pillows, his eyes closed, breathing hard from the exertion of removing the medallion. After a moment he opened his eyes again, and gave her a look that astonished her in its depth. It appeared that the wisdom of the ages was reflected in the eyes of one who had seen so much of God's miraculous dealings with His people.

“It is for you…Rahab.” Bezalel could barely speak, but his eyes focused on her in such a way that she could not question his sincerity, nor his sanity. This was not the decision of a demented, dying man—it was the wish of the ever-mysterious God of Israel.

Rahab was stunned. She, a woman—a woman with a sordid past, no less—was being given this incredible honor of carrying on the line from whom would come the Redeemer of the world. She did not know what to say. She could only weep as she stared at the image of a lion, strong and powerful, on one side of the medallion. Warm tears of joy slid over her cheeks and dripped onto the precious gift in her hands as she turned it over to look at the beautiful lamb on the other side. Strength and power, balanced by meekness and humility. It was indeed a great mystery, but a privilege she could not begin to fathom.

Tears streamed down her face now as Rahab lifted her eyes to Bezalel to thank him. But when she looked on his face, she saw that he had already gone. His eyes were closed, and his breathing had stopped so silently, she had not even witnessed his passing from this life into the next.

Slowly she put the leather strap over her head and tucked the precious medallion inside her tunic, close to her heart. She fell to her knees by the lifeless form of Bezalel and raised her eyes and hands toward heaven. “Blessed be you, O Lord, God of Israel, God of all creation. You alone, O Lord, have given us life everlasting. May your humble servant be yours forever.”

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—Hebrews 11:1–2, 31, 39–40

GILBERT MORRIS spent ten years as a pastor before becoming Professor of English at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas and earning a Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas. A prolific writer, he has had over 25 scholarly articles and 200 poems published in various periodicals and over the past years has had more than 180 novels published. His family includes three grown children, and he and his wife live in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

BOOKS BY GILBERT MORRIS