by Brian Godawa
“It will be a royal bloodline from which a king of Israel shall arise. A gibborim warrior.”
And the last one finished, “The Seed of Promise shall issue forth who will crush the Seed of the Serpent.”
A strange peace came over Rahab. It was as if Yahweh’s spirit rested upon her as well. It was as if he were comforting her, clearing away all her doubt, and all her years of pain and anguish in search of one true love. And now she had found it.
She kept clinging to Caleb.
The prophets then lost their breath and looked at one another. The Spirit that had come over them was now gone.
Caleb looked up at Joshua, whose face was frozen stupefied. He said, “Commander, I never heard your answer to my question.”
• • • • •
Caleb and Rahab had a small wedding for their two families alone. The feast would only last one day instead of seven. Caleb did not want to draw too much attention to the affair out of respect for Joshua’s wishes to avoid controversy. It was a sad fact that even though Yahweh had clearly spoken through the prophets, many in Israel did not trust the prophets as they had Moses and would continue to cause problems if it was made public.
They kept the prophecy hidden. They emphasized the levirate nature of the marriage in order to stress its legal side. It would be hard for the scribes to argue with the Torah, the revealed law of Yahweh.
The first order of business was business. Caleb signed a contract, called a ketubbah, with Rahab’s father. This was the transfer of authority from father to husband and was the legal foundation of the marriage. Caleb then paid a dowry to her father of fifty shekels, according to their law. This was the customary money held in faith by the father should a wife’s husband forsake her through divorce or death.
The next order of business was for the wife to give an inventory accounting of her assets that would be transferred to her husband’s estate. Since Rahab had left everything behind but her family when Jericho was destroyed, she had nothing. To Caleb that sacrifice was more than he could ever offer her.
The next stage in a normal wedding with a virgin was not the celebration, but consummation. The husband and wife would go to the father’s home and consummate their union in the marriage bed. A white cloth would be placed beneath the virgin so that there would be a discharge of blood with her first carnal knowledge of a man. The cloth would then be taken to the celebration feast to prove her virginity and a priest would pronounce a benediction over them.
But this was not a normal wedding with a virgin.
Because of the shame of this lack of virginity, Rahab requested that they perform the ceremony and celebration before they would leave to consummate. This way, attention would not be drawn to her shame.
Caleb graciously agreed.
The families gathered in Caleb’s tent. Wine and oil were distributed among the participants, and nuts for the children. A small band of minstrels played on flutes and lyres.
Since Joshua had not followed through on Caleb’s demotion, Caleb was dressed in his military officer’s garb. He wore a pure polished copper breastplate and shin greaves, and he carried a pure copper sword in his sheath. It was all ceremonial dress and weapons and it made him shine like the heavenly host. He had a royal purple cape made from the Philistine coast, and a fine cloth headpiece whose three corners lay down his back, reminiscent of their Egyptian past.
He walked around greeting people and making small talk with the several commanders who had been invited.
Caleb’s daughter Achsah accompanied him, dressed in a fine white linen celebration garment with flowers in her hair.
Othniel watched Achsah with longing. She had grown into a beautiful young woman of seventeen years old. He had shriveled up into a coward who could not reveal his desires to her or to Caleb. But now was his brother’s day. He would not want to distract from that in any way.
At least that is what he told himself.
Caleb stepped up to Joshua, also dressed in military ceremonial garb like Caleb.
“General,” said Caleb. “I am honored with your presence.”
“You deserve it, Caleb,” said Joshua. “I do not want any of the men doubting my support—or Yahweh’s support—of this union.”
Caleb grabbed wrists with Joshua and gave him a look of solidarity.
At one point, Caleb looked at Achsah and leaned in to whisper to her, “You are as lovely as a bride, my child. One day, this will be your joy as well.”
“Thank you, father,” she said, hiding the painful resignation of her own despair.
Achsah was a bit afraid of this enigmatic exotic new stepmother and her Canaanite family. But she trusted her father because his wisdom and valor were impeccable. Ever since her mother had died, her father had always made decisions with a careful concern for how they affected her.
The crowd went hush. The bride was coming.
Rahab had walked along the pathways of the camp, accompanied by her companions carrying flowers and lamps. Others joined in the procession until she arrived at the bridegroom’s tent with her entourage.
When Rahab arrived at the tent opening, Caleb’s breath was taken away. The afternoon sun glared behind her, creating an angelic presence to her astounding beauty. Her hair had been growing back in, but it was still rather short, so she wore an elaborate headdress and translucent veil.
Her eyes were the most gorgeous intense and penetrating eyes Caleb had ever seen. The elaborate makeup accentuated them even more and hypnotized him.
She wore a multi-colored gown covered with flowers. She was a Garden of Eden to him. White was reserved for virgins. But as far as Caleb was concerned, Rahab was a clean and pure soul.
She saw him and her own legs went weak. His uniform and confidence made him so strong and dignified that she never saw his age. He was a tower of strength to her. He was a gallant, virtuous, and mighty man who would protect her from the monsters of her past and the monsters of the future. She never thought she would ever be worthy of such grace. She fought back the tears.
They met in the middle and were crowned with garland. He led her to the priest who waited to make a benediction over them, and announce the celebration of their newfound life together.
As the people feasted, Caleb and Rahab left their guests to go to her family’s tent for their consummation.
Everyone had been cleared out for them to be alone that night.
Caleb and Rahab bathed themselves in separate tents. Caleb made his way to Rahab’s tent and found the marriage bed. He had a surprise for her. He had brought a bag of white rose petals picked by Achsah. He spread out the petals on the floor all around the bed as a symbolic gesture of her purity to him. He sat down on the bed to lay in wait for her to finish her preparations.
At his age, he was proud of how virile he still was. In fact he was getting uncomfortable waiting for his new queen.
When she appeared from behind her partition, he lost his breath a second time this day. Because of her past as a paramour, she knew exactly how to please a man. And she held nothing back.
He saw her eyes first. They were the most beautiful eyes in the heavens and earth and her dark eyeliner only accentuated their loveliness. Yahweh above, she knew how to use makeup. She had switched headdresses to a more exotic one than at the ceremony. This one was laden with gems and had strings hanging down, touching her body with temptation.
She wore a very expensive looking translucent garment that allowed him to see just enough to arouse him, but not enough to satisfy his hunger for more.
He could see she had tattoos on some of the more sensual areas of her body; her lower back just above her buttocks, down low near her vulva. They were marks of her past life that she would not be able to erase. But he was secretly glad for it. Although Yahweh had forbidden tattoos like those of the Canaanite prostitutes, those were marks from her past life. She was forgiven now, and would never display them to entice any other man than him.
She was a sensuous woman o
f the flesh who was redeemed for Yahweh’s purposes. It was really the perfect combination that most men dreamed of: A woman of God who was a nymph in the marriage bed.
She began to writhe in performance for him. She knew how to move with sublime sensuality.
He was instantly alive and completely in her control.
But then she saw the white petals on the floor.
She knew what they meant.
And it was too much for her to handle.
She broke down weeping.
“I cannot do this, I cannot do this,” she cried.
Caleb was up in a flash and was holding her, comforting her.
“What is wrong, my lovely bride?”
She would not answer.
He pulled her gently over to the bed and they sat down. He continued to hold her in his strong arms.
“I will not hurt you, Rahab. I will not treat you as other men have. I will not let anything hurt you ever again.”
“I know. I know you will not.”
“Then what is it?”
“I do not know how to be. I do not know how to love. I cannot separate the darkness I have experienced from the act. Please forgive me, Caleb. Please do not divorce me. I want to love you. I just do not know how.”
It was true. She had lived a life so entrenched in depraved sexuality, that she had no idea of how to reorient that sexuality with holiness. The only feelings that came to her in the throes of passion and desire were illicit feelings reinforced like a bad habit and ingrained into her soul. How could sensuality be spiritual? How could the erotic be holy? How could lust be love?
And then she felt this strong man in whose arms she felt safe, tremble. But he spoke with a voice that was strong and true. “It is all right, Rahab. Do not fear. I will never divorce you. I will show you how to love. And I will start tonight. This is love.”
He helped her to stand up. He pulled back the linen bed sheets. He lifted her and laid her in the bed, and pulled the sheets back over her.
Then he lay down beside her, outside the sheets, and held her in his arms.
“Let me help you release yourself,” she said. It was her automatic response. She knew no other.
“No,” he said. “Sleep my dove. You are safe now. Sleep.”
She sighed deeply and realized how drowsy she was. It was like a magic spell on her—a spell of peace and rest. And she soon discovered she had never slept before in her entire life until this very moment.
She drifted off into a deep slumber.
Chapter 45
Rahab awoke the next afternoon. It was late already, and Caleb was gone. She became anxious and looked around.
“Caleb? Caleb?”
Caleb stuck his head into the tent, “Just a moment.”
She felt like she had awakened from a year of sleep.
Caleb entered with a smile.
“Hello, sleepyhead,” he said.
“What time is it?”
“Late afternoon.”
“Late afternoon?”
“Yes,” he said, “You slept about eighteen hours.”
She plopped back into bed exhausted by the thought of it, and called out, “I am starving.”
She heard servants come inside. They were carrying trays of food: Pomegranates, dates, bread cakes and honey, fresh goat’s milk. They set them up for her to access from her bedroll.
Caleb jumped onto the cushion next to her with a smile.
“Food for my queen.”
She gave him a wry smile, and hungrily grabbed a couple dates to munch on them. “You are too good to me, Caleb ben Jephunneh.”
“Yahweh has been too good to me,” he said. “Although I will now have to change the name of my whip sword.” She knew which one he was talking about. She had seen him use it in Jericho. He was a master, wielding the strange flexible blade like a whip with frightening accuracy. And he had saved her life with it.
“What do you mean?” she said.
“My sword’s nickname is the same as yours—‘Rahab.’ That might be confusing.”
“You named your sword after me?”
“No, silly,” he said, “It was named by my ancestor, Lamech ben Methuselah, who was the father of Noah. He named it after the sea dragon of chaos. The sword was handed down to me through the family line.”
“I chose that name for the same reason,” she said.
“Now you really have me curious,” he said. “What was your birth name?”
“I do not want to speak of my past, husband. It only brings back memories of pain.”
“Then speak of it no more,” he said.
“Keep the name. I like it. Just make sure you do not make love to it.”
They both smiled. But then she added, “And if you ever betray me, I will be like your whip sword. I will bite like a cobra.”
Caleb was suddenly somber, “Rahab, my precious garden, you have only known perversion and betrayal. And for that I do not blame you. I will earn your love.”
She looked into his deep blue eyes, as if she could see his soul.
She leaned over and kissed him.
“You already have.”
He was so grateful, just for the moment. But when he pulled away, she pulled his chin back and kissed him again.
But then she stopped. Something had intruded on her mind. She realized something had been missing.
“Where is Donatiya?”
“I do not know,” he said.
“She was not with the servants. She should have been. She would have been.”
“I have not seen her anywhere,” he said.
She jumped up and began to get her clothes on. “Something is wrong, Caleb. Donatiya would not do this. I know her.”
He said, “Check the tents. Get the family to help. I will mount my horse and scout the perimeter of the camp.”
• • • • •
It was nightfall and they had still not found Donatiya. She had vanished. They spent the entire day inquiring of neighbors, but no one had noticed anything strange.
Back at Caleb’s tent, Rahab felt sick.
Caleb tried to comfort her. But Rahab could only think the worst. “I just know she was kidnapped. But who could have entered the camp unnoticed?”
Caleb said, “Is it possible she ran away?”
“I thought she was content with us.”
“I am sorry, Rahab. I have alerted the outer tribes. If she is spotted near camp, we will be notified.”
“What more can I do?” She looked at him with tearful eyes of dread. She knew the barbaric things that would be done to a young innocent girl by desert criminals and brigands—Amorites and Canaanites—once they got ahold of her.
He said, “We have done all we can do for now.”
She said, “I will never forgive myself.”
They both knew that if Donatiya had run away, they would not find her because there was a hundred possible directions she could have gone.
She would not last two days in the hostile desert. She was gone and there was nothing more they could do about it.
At that moment, a servant announced a messenger from Joshua waited outside the tent. Caleb exited to find the messenger on a horse.
“The Commander wants to see both of you.”
Caleb did not understand, “Rahab too?”
“Yes, sir.”
Caleb shook his head. Why Rahab? Had Joshua changed his mind on supporting Caleb now that he was married? This could not be good.
“Tell him we will follow you shortly.”
When Caleb and Rahab met in the war tent, Joshua was alone and seated pensively in his chair.
When they approached him, Joshua stared at Rahab with his troubled look.
Caleb said, “My Commander, we hurried over as soon as we could. We have spent the day in a frantic look for Rahab’s maidservant. She disappeared after last night, and we could not find her.”
Joshua turned to concern, but still kept his eyes on Rahab. “I am sorry to hear that. I
can see you are distraught, Rahab. I will not keep the both of you long.”
“You cause us no inconvenience,” said Caleb.
Rahab added, “We are your servants, my lord.”
Joshua rubbed his hand around his face. “Yes, well, we are all servants of Yahweh. Unfortunately, I just happen to be one of his more rock headed servants.”
Caleb and Rahab were surprised at Joshua’s self-deprecation.
“I owe the both of you an apology. My temper and lack of wisdom was a display of foolishness and spiritual ignorance that are unworthy of my position as leader of this people.”
Caleb said, “Joshua, there is no need to…”
“No,” interrupted Joshua. “I do have need of confession and repentance. To you, my dear friend, and most trusted warrior of Yahweh, I was a proud and faithless man.”
He shifted his gaze to Rahab and a chill went down her spine. “And to you, precious woman of Israel, I was a heartless hypocrite.”
“My lord,” she protested. She could not believe it. He had called her a woman of Israel. It was another redemption for her to be called such an honor by the very leader of Israel himself.
But he continued, with his eyes set on her, “It took the Spirit of Yahweh to chastise me, and I beg your forgiveness.”
Joshua kept his look on Rahab. She demurred, “We are all sinners in need of atonement.”
Joshua would not release her with his eyes. “Do you forgive me, Rahab?”
She said with humility, “I do, my lord.”
Joshua looked at Caleb, “And you, Caleb?”
“All is forgiven, Joshua.”
Unfortunately, for Joshua, all was not confessed. For within his heart, he felt an irresistible attraction to Rahab. At the wedding, he had seen her as he had never before. She was the incarnation of feminine beauty that he had lacked for so long. Caleb was right. When he lost his wife and children to the Canaanites, he had become a hardened man. He felt like he had no love in his soul left. But seeing Rahab resurrected those feelings. And now he felt more terrible for having them.
He was not sure if he had called them here to confess or just as an excuse to see her again. He had been forgiven of his sin of pride, only to fill the hole with a new sin of covetousness.