A Lineage of Grace

by Francine Rivers

  Salmon had always thought it was Joshua’s and Caleb’s faith that had singled them out from all others among the chosen race, but a single evening in the company of a Jerichoan whore had made him realize that God could write His name upon the heart of anyone He chose—even a Canaanite prostitute! Out there in the darkness, across the Jordan inside the wall of a pagan city was a woman of contemptible reputation who’d never seen a miracle, tasted a bite of manna, or heard a single word of the Law. And yet her faith was strong enough that she had greeted, welcomed, and protected those who were coming to destroy her and her people. “The Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below,” she had declared.

  “The woman’s name is Rahab,” Salmon said to the two venerable old warriors. “She called down to us from a window in the wall and met us just inside the gate, then took us into her house. She hid us on her roof before the soldiers came, then told them we’d left the city.”

  Ephraim quickly took up Rahab’s defense as well. “The soldiers believed her lie and went chasing after shadows.”

  “She welcomed us with kindness and recommended we wait in the hill country for three days before returning to give you our report. It was this woman who said the Lord has given us the land. She said, ‘The Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.’ And she asked us to give an oath to save her family from death, an oath by the Lord.”

  Joshua’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And did you give this oath?”

  Salmon felt the sweat break out on the back of his neck. Had he overstepped himself and gone against the will of the Lord? “Yes, sir, we did give our oath.” He swallowed hard. “If I have done wrong in this, I pray the Lord will hold me alone responsible and not punish this woman. We did swear before the Lord our God that anyone inside Rahab’s house would be spared.”

  “Then it will be so,” Joshua said.

  Salmon breathed easier.

  “How will we know her from the others?” Caleb asked.

  Salmon turned to him eagerly. “We gave her a sign to use so that we’ll know where her dwelling is. She used a scarlet cord to let us down to the ground, saving our lives and giving us a way of escape. I told Rahab to leave that same cord tied in her window. It will be easily seen from outside the walls.”

  Joshua rose. “The Lord protects those who belong to Him.”

  “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” Salmon said, relieved.

  Caleb 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 me find it where this woman is concerned!”

  Caleb let out his breath slowly and rubbed his face. “Joshua has already given the command. You will see to the woman’s safety and that of those who are with her. And if you choose, she will belong to you by right of conquest.”

  Salmon’s heart beat strongly. He felt he’d been handed a precious gift, despite the coolness of Caleb’s proclamation.

  Caleb lowered his hands and looked at him gravely. “You will leave this woman and her relatives outside the camp. Perhaps she will go her own way and take her family with her.”

  “She will want to become one of us.”

  “How can you be so certain?”

  Salmon hunkered down. “I saw her eyes. I heard her voice.” He wanted Caleb to trust Rahab as he did. “Were we not slaves when God delivered us? I believe God sent Ephraim and me into Jericho to find this woman. It’s the only reason that makes sense to me, considering that God spoke to Joshua before we returned to give our report. The Lord wants this woman delivered from the evil of the Canaanites, just as He delivered us from Egypt.”

  “Be careful not to add to what the Lord has said, Salmon. You must align yourself with the will of God—not the desires of your own heart. My generation thought they could have their own way, and they all died in the desert.”

  “The will of God is ever in my mind. From the time I was a small boy, you’ve taught me the truth and lived it before my eyes. One thing has always been clear to me. It was not because we had merit or deserved freedom that the Lord delivered us from Egypt. The Lord sav
ed us out of His great mercy.” Salmon held his hands out. “Would the Lord not extend His mercy to anyone who yearns to belong to Him? I saw this yearning in Rahab. I heard it in her voice. She believes the Lord is God, and she declared her allegiance to Him by saving us, His servants.” He paused, weighing his next words carefully. Finally he spoke the question that had been burning on his heart for the past three days. “Could it not be that God has aligned the desire of my heart with His good purpose toward this woman?”

  Caleb considered his words. “You’re only guessing about the desires of this woman’s heart, Salmon.”

  “It is a sign of wisdom that she is in awe of the Lord. Could Rahab truly declare that the Lord is the only God—the God of the heavens above and the earth below—if God Himself had not written His name upon her heart?”

  “If you seek a quick answer from me, my son, I have none. We must both pray and seek God’s will in this matter.”

  Salmon struggled against the urgency he felt. “If anyone finds out she’s given aid to Ephraim and me, she may not survive long enough to be rescued. I should go back—”

  “Did she ask this of you?”

  “No, but—”

  Caleb’s eyes blazed. “Then I would ask you this: Where is your faith, Salmon? If it is indeed God’s plan to deliver this woman, He will do it.”

  Salmon started to say more but was silenced when he looked into Caleb’s eyes. He had said enough already. The lines in the old man’s face showed wisdom earned by years of suffering. The sins of others, including those of Salmon’s own father and mother, had caused Caleb and Joshua greater heartache than he would ever know. It had been almost forty years since Joshua and Caleb had received the promise that they would be the only ones of their generation to set foot in the Promised Land. Two out of an entire people. All because the others had refused to believe the promise God had given them.

  “I believe the Lord will protect her,” Salmon said, lowering his head. “May God forgive my unbelief.”

  “I was young and impetuous once,” Caleb said more gently. “You must learn to be patient. God doesn’t need our help.”

  Salmon raised his head and smiled. “When you meet Rahab, you’ll understand what I see in her.”

  “If I meet Rahab, I’ll know it is by God’s will—not by your efforts—that her life has been spared.” He stood. “It’s late, and we both need to rest. There is much to do tomorrow. We must make our preparations for the days ahead.”

  Salmon rose with him, but didn’t move away from the fire. He wanted Caleb’s blessing for his plans regarding Rahab. “Then you have no objections to my taking Rahab into my tent?”

  Caleb gave him a rueful stare. “It would be wise to wait and see what choice she makes.”

  “She’s already made her choice.”

  “Indeed, and if God delivers Rahab from Jericho, it will be left to her to decide what to do with the life God grants her.” His mouth tipped up in a gentle smile. “If she is as wise as you say, she will prefer an older man.”

  Salmon laughed, all the tension falling away. Had Caleb merely been testing him? “You said she belonged to me by right of conquest.”

  Caleb laughed with him. “Ah, that’s true, but a woman with her faith and courage will have a mind of her own.” He clamped his hand upon Salmon’s shoulder, his expression serious again. “When the battle is over, Joshua will decide her fate. Her true motives will be put to the test.” He let go of him. “If she is as you say she is, then you needn’t concern yourself over the outcome.”

  Salmon felt less than satisfied. He’d wanted a firm answer, and instead he had been told to wait.

  Would Rahab prove to be the woman he thought she was? If not, it would no doubt fall to him to make sure she didn’t trouble Israel again.

  FOUR

  Rahab poured grain into the pottery bin Mizraim’s son had brought her. Two more baskets, and the jar would be full. Three large storage jars contained water. She had two baskets full of dates and two more of raisins. Over the past few days her mother, her sisters, and her brothers’ wives had brought beans, lentils, onions, garlic, and leeks. Her house was beginning to look like one of the booths in the marketplace, loaded with foodstuffs for sale. But would there be enough if the siege lasted longer than a week? She looked around again, taking mental inventory of what she had and what more she might still need to take care of her family until the Israelites could break through the gates and come to their rescue. Time was short, and each day that passed increased her feelings of urgency—and excitement.

  Jobab and Mizraim came to her each evening after their labor on the walls. As she served them a meal, they told her what they’d heard. Every bit of information she could glean might become important later. Most important was to encourage her father and brothers to trust in the God of Israel and not to put their confidence in the king’s plans.

  “The king’s convinced we’re all safe,” Mizraim said one evening. “The Israelites have never faced a wall so high and thick as this one.”

  Jobab tore off a piece of bread and dipped it in the lentil stew Rahab had prepared. “They may not even be able to reach the walls. The king has thousands of arrows made and ready for the attack. The entire army will be standing on the battlements, ready to shoot any man who dares come close.”

  “Don’t fool yourself, brother.” Rahab replenished his wine. “Don’t put your trust in that man to save us. I know him better than you, remember? Besides, he and all his soldiers and weapons won’t mean a thing when the Israelites come against us. They have God on their side. Do as I’ve told you. Drop everything and come here when the Israelites step foot on the west bank of the Jordan.”

  “But how are they going to get to the west bank?”

  “I don’t know!” Rahab set the jug down and put her hands on her hips. “Maybe they’ll build rafts. Maybe they’ll swim across. Maybe they’ll walk across!”

  Mizraim laughed. “Maybe eagles will come and carry them across. Or better yet, maybe they’ll sprout wings and fly!”

  “You dare laugh?” Rahab smacked him on the back of his head. “If God can part the Red Sea, do you think that river will stop Him? He could dry it up with one breath! The only safe place outside the camp of Israel is right here where you’re sitting.” She took the jug and glared at her two brothers in frustration. Why wasn’t it as clear to them as it was to her? “God is coming! And you’d better be ready when He gets here!”

  Jobab pushed his stool back and stood. He looked around the room at the storage jars, the rush mats stacked in the corner, the blankets piled on her bed. “What more do we need?”

  She closed her eyes tightly, trying to still the trembling inside her. “Patience.” If the Israelites crossed the Jordan at this very moment, it would not be too soon for her.

  * * *

  While the Israelites remained camped in Shittim, manna continued to rain down from heaven, though it lessened each day until only a soft sprinkling appeared like dew as the sun rose.

  Salmon went down onto his knees with the thousands of other men, women, and children who gathered their share for the day. He made a cake of the coriander-like flakes of manna and placed it on the camp stove his parents had brought out of Egypt. He thought of his parents often now, praying he wouldn’t make the same mistakes, praying he would stand in faith, praying he would not weaken in the face of battling the enemy, praying he would be a man of God, not just a man.

  Breathing in the wonderful, sweet aroma as the manna cake sizzled in olive oil, he took a pronged stick and carefully turned the cake. His stomach clenched with hunger. When the cake was finished, he rolled it up and sat back to eat it slowly, savoring its sweetness. Soon the manna would disappear altogether, for the people would have no need of it when they entered Canaan, a land of milk and honey. Milk meant herds of cattle and goats; honey meant blooming fruit trees, vines, and crops of grain and vegetables, foods his generation had heard of but had never tasted. The Lord had said the
y would take possession of orchards and vineyards they hadn’t planted, harvest the wheat and beans and lentils another nation had sown, shepherd herds and flocks left by the fleeing enemies of God. Yet Salmon couldn’t help but feel a deepening sadness.

  He’d never known anything but the taste of manna. The first time he had tasted anything else was the day he and Ephraim had camped alongside the stream in Canaan, where they’d caught and roasted fish. Though the meal had been delicious, it couldn’t compare with what God had given them and what God would soon take away.

  Salmon held the bread of heaven reverently. All his life he had taken it for granted; now he realized how precious it was. As he ate of it, tears came, for he knew this bread had come from the very hand of God, a free gift keeping him alive. Could there ever be anything as sweet? Could anything else be as nourishing?

  Soon the people would cease to be children wandering in the desert and stand as men and women of God in the land of promise. And like mother’s milk, the manna would be taken from them. He and the others would plow, plant, tend herds and flocks, and harvest crops. They would have children, build homes, build cities.

  Oh, God, keep us faithful! he prayed. Don’t let us again become whining infants! Don’t let us become arrogant in the victories You will give us. The sins of our fathers are ever before us. If only they could be wiped away once and for all time, so that we could stand in Your presence the way Adam and Eve did, when first You created them.

  And the shofar blew, calling the people to gather.

  The time had come to move forward and receive the gift God had so graciously prepared for them.

  * * *

  Officers came through the camp, calling down the orders from Joshua. “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”

  Salmon quickly took down his tent, rolled the leather around the poles, and secured it to his pack. He shouldered his load and stood waiting with thousands of others from the tribe of Judah. He felt a rush of strength and longed to run to the river, but he held his place, keeping the heat banked within him.