Daughter of Deliverance

by Gilbert, Morris

  During this period Rahab was constantly concerned about Othniel. As the days went on in the seemingly endless fight, she thought about him more and more. At night she would often dream of the young man, and a feeling slowly grew in her that she somehow should be a help to him. She had not seen him at all lately, for he had left the camp.

  One early afternoon the feeling that she should do something about Othniel grew stronger, and finally she could no longer ignore it. She made her way to Phinehas’s tent and found him instructing a group of young men. She waited patiently without interrupting, and finally, when Phinehas dismissed his class, she approached and bowed low before him. “Master, may I speak with you?”

  “Come in, Rahab,” Phinehas said. “I’ve just finished a class. Here, sit down and tell me what you’ve been doing.” Phinehas smiled. “I hear good things of how you are attending the wounded and comforting the survivors of those who were lost in battle. That is a good thing.”

  “I wish I could do more. It grieves me that the men of Israel are being lost.”

  “Yes, it is a sad thing”—Phinehas nodded—“but it is the price we must pay.” An odd expression crossed the priest’s face, and he shrugged his thin shoulders. “Our people expect to walk into a land of milk and honey and have it handed to them on a silver platter. But Moses knew better than that. I myself heard him talk many times about the battles that were sure to come. Very few things in this life come easily.”

  The two sat there talking, and finally Rahab brought up the subject that had become so pressing to her. “I’ve been concerned about Othniel, Phinehas.”

  “I can understand that. I feel the same way.”

  “He needs a friend. He’s lost everything.”

  “Indeed he has. It’s always a shame to see a young person throw away great potential. Othniel could be almost anything he wants. He has so many fine qualities.”

  “Why has he thrown them away?”

  “Who can say why a person does such a thing? One man goes right and serves God and is faithful, while another takes the wrong turn. Each of us every day are making choices like that.”

  “Do you know where he is? I haven’t seen him since he left the camp.”

  “Oh yes. He’s not far away. The rumors come drifting in.” Phinehas shrugged. “There’s a local tribe that stays on the outskirts of our nation. They are scavengers, more or less, dwellers in tents. Raise a few cattle and sheep. Not an admirable people, but they’ve taken him in, I hear.” He looked at her keenly and said, “I thought that I should go, but I’ve neglected it. I think it would be a good thing, however, if you would go talk to him. Maybe you can have some influence on him.”

  Rahab smiled. “I don’t know whether I can or not, but I can never forget how he and Ardon brought us out of Jericho. They saved our lives.”

  “Well, it was only right. You saved their lives first. If you find him, tell him that I still care for him and value his friendship. Try to do something for him. He has so many fine qualities, and he’s throwing them all away.”

  ****

  As Rahab came to the village where Phinehas said she would find Othniel, she felt a sense of disgust. The children were ragged and thin, almost like miniature wild dogs. They glared at her suspiciously, and one of them picked up a rock and threw it at her. It missed, and she ignored the boy.

  An old woman was stirring something in a pot. She was dressed in rags and had very few teeth. She bared her yellow fangs that were left at Rahab as she approached. “What do you want?”

  “I’m looking for a man named Othniel.”

  The woman laughed a high-pitched wavering sound. “Oh yes, the drunkard. He’s over there. You won’t get any sense out of him, though. We thought he’d help us, a strong young man like that, but he’s no good.”

  “Thank you.” Rahab nodded. She made her way to the tent that the old woman had indicated. Ignoring the stares of other villagers, she ducked low and went inside, and for a moment had to stop while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Finally she was able to discern a figure lying next to the wall of the tent. “Othniel?” she called.

  “What…who is it?”

  “It’s me, Othniel. Rahab.”

  Her eyes had adjusted better now, and she moved closer as Othniel sat up. In the darkness of the tent she could see his haggard features indistinctly. He obviously had not cut his hair or bathed or taken any care of himself personally. A rancid odor rose from him, and his voice was thick as he spoke. “What do you want, Rahab?” He reached over and picked up a wineskin, tilted it, and she watched as he squirted a thin stream of liquid into his mouth. He swallowed it and then sat there staring at her dully.

  “I’ve been worried about you for a long time, so I came to see how you were.”

  “You can see. How do you like it?”

  Rahab knelt down so she was on the same level with Othniel. Flies were swarming in the tent. One of them lit on his upper lip and began crawling, but he did not even bother to brush it away. He was that drunk.

  “I’ve come to see if I can’t persuade you to come back home.”

  “Who sent you?”

  “No one. I came because—”

  “I know it wasn’t my uncle or my cousins. They hate the sight of me.”

  “No they don’t. You shouldn’t talk like that. Nothing would please them more than to see you come home.”

  “I’m sure they’d love to have a drunk come home and live off of them.”

  The bitterness was harsh in Othniel’s speech, and his eyes were grim. He sat there listening as Rahab tried to convince him that he was capable of better things. Finally he shook his head. “Go away, Rahab. I’m no good, and I never was.”

  “There’s good in you. I’ve seen it.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen it, and Ariel hasn’t seen it.”

  “People can change, Othniel.”

  “I’m glad you believe that, but I don’t.”

  “I have to believe it, because I’ve changed.”

  Othniel took another long drink of the wine. It was almost flat, and he frowned and hurled it across the tent. “Well, maybe you have, but I’ve had plenty of chances to change and I never have.”

  “I think it was Jehovah who helped me to change. The Lord has been working in my heart, and I think He wants to work in yours.”

  “Jehovah doesn’t care anything about me.”

  “You know better than that. Phinehas says that Jehovah loves everyone.”

  “How could He love a drunk?”

  “How could He love a harlot?” Rahab said sharply; then her voice softened. “That was what I was, but He’s preserved me. He used you and Ardon to bring me out safely from that city with my family. And since then He’s blessed me greatly. He wants to do the same thing for you.” She leaned forward and put her hand on his shoulder. “Jehovah loves you, and I believe in you.”

  Othniel fell silent while Rahab continued to speak, pleading with him. She saw, after a while, that there were tears in his eyes. He did not attempt to wipe them away, and they encouraged her. “Our God is a loving and forgiving God. That’s His nature, Othniel. You know that far better than I.”

  “That may be true for you but not for me.”

  “It’s true for everyone.”

  “Rahab…I can’t go back again. I’d be too ashamed.”

  “Shame is sometimes a good thing. We have to go through that after we have sinned, but as we bring our shame to God, He forgives us. You must come back, Othniel. You have to.”

  “I can’t do it, Rahab, I can’t!”

  Rahab then sat down on the floor of the tent. “Othniel, you may as well make up your mind to do it. I’m going to stay here until you call upon God and then go back to your home. Now, unless you throw me out, I’m going to pray and ask Jehovah God to forgive you for your sins and to give you a new heart.” Without preliminary she began praying. She had prayed often enough for Othniel in the privacy of her tent and oftentimes out tending her new flock
. Now she poured her heart out to God, saying, “God, save my friend from what he has become. You’re the great, the almighty God. You delivered a whole people out of Egypt. You can deliver this one person from the bondage that has come upon him. Open the door, Lord, and let him come out….”

  Rahab did not know how long she prayed for Othniel, sitting and weeping in the gloomy darkness of that stinking tent. Finally, when she lifted her head and wiped her eyes, she saw Othniel was sitting up straighter. He was looking at her in a dazed manner, but his voice was clearer.

  “I’m glad you came,” he whispered. “While you were praying I made a decision. I made a vow to God. I’m going to give myself to Jehovah and be what He wants me to be.”

  “Oh, Othniel, how wonderful!” Rahab exclaimed. “Come. Now you’ve got to go home with me.”

  She stood to her feet, and Othniel slowly followed suit. He looked down at her and smiled shakily. “It’s going to be hard. Nobody’s going to believe me.”

  “They’ll believe what you show them, and you’ve made a vow. Now, let’s see what God can do.”

  ****

  Caleb and his family had enjoyed a fine meal of roasted lamb cooked with spices and fresh bread. There were also a few wild greens Ariel and the servants had gathered. Now Caleb, Ardon, and Ariel were sipping wine and nibbling at the grapes that were on a silver dish.

  Caleb was speaking while Ardon and Ariel listened. “The battles aren’t going to get any easier. As a matter of fact, they’re probably going to get harder.”

  “But we’ve won every battle,” Ardon said.

  “Yes. And we’ve lost good men. There are at least ten more kingdoms that have to be conquered before we possess this land, but we can do it. This one coming up is going to be especially hard, though. You’ll have to encourage your men greatly.”

  Ardon nodded. “I’ll be—” He broke off at the sound of footsteps outside, and then a man entered the tent. Ardon stared at Othniel, and his glance drew the eyes of Caleb and Ariel. “Well,” Ardon said harshly. “I’m surprised you had the gall to come back, Othniel.”

  Caleb got right to his feet and stared at Othniel. His nephew’s face was drawn and he looked thin, but his eyes were clear.

  Ariel was watching also, and there was a great bitterness in her. This man had disappointed her more than any other person. “Why have you come back, Othniel?” she asked. “Did you run out of wine?”

  Othniel shook his head. “No, I didn’t run out. I came back,” he said, speaking slowly, his eyes fixed on Caleb, “to ask your forgiveness, sir. I’ve brought shame to my family, on my father’s name, and on you. And on all of you.” He waved his hands. “So there’s nothing I can do about the past, but I ask you to give me a chance to redeem myself.”

  Ariel got to her feet, her face flushed. “How can we believe you? You’ve failed everyone who has trusted you.”

  Ardon was even harsher. “Your name is rotten among the troops, Othniel. The worst thing a soldier can do to his fellow soldiers is to run away. He leaves a hole in the line in which the enemy can come. There are men among our troops that have threatened to kill you themselves if you ever came back.”

  Caleb remained silent while his daughter and son spoke harsh words to Othniel. He was watching the face of the young man, searching for something. Finally he said, “You have been a disappointment to me, Nephew. Why do you come now?”

  “As I said, Uncle, just give me a chance.”

  “All right,” Caleb said firmly. “I will give you one final chance to redeem yourself. You will serve as the lowest soldier in the toughest troop in our army. You’ve been spoiled all your life, Othniel, and you’ve failed at everything except being a prodigal. But you will serve Captain Benzai, and I will give him orders to make life as hard for you as he can. My fondest hope is that you will survive long enough to die a soldier’s death and wipe out the shame that you’ve brought to your father’s name. Now get out and wait until I finish, and I’ll take you to Benzai.”

  Othniel said quietly, “Thank you, Uncle.” He turned without another word and left the tent.

  “You can’t trust him, Father,” Ariel said angrily. “He’ll just hurt you again and all of us.”

  “That’s right,” Ardon said. “He’ll run the first time he has to face the enemy.”

  Caleb turned to face the two. “When I was a young man,” he said slowly, “I performed a rather disgraceful act. Everybody in the family was disgusted with me except one uncle. He believed in me. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be standing before you right now. I probably wouldn’t even be alive. I’m giving Othniel one small chance. It might kill him, but it might also make a man out of him.”

  ****

  Captain Benzai was sitting down, casting lots with some of his fellow soldiers. As Caleb approached, he immediately got to his feet, a tough, burly man with features battered from many a battle. “Commander,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

  Caleb motioned Othniel to come forward, but he kept his eyes on the face of Benzai. He saw recognition and also disgust. “I see you recognize my nephew, Captain.”

  “I know him,” Benzai said in a curt voice.

  “You’re going to take my nephew and make a soldier out of him.” Caleb smiled grimly at the expression on Benzai’s face, but he did not hesitate. “I want you to make him the lowliest recruit in the whole army. Give him every dirty job that comes along. Work him until he drops and then work him some more. Do whatever you must to make a soldier out of him. Show no favoritism just because he’s my relative. You understand me, Captain?”

  Benzai grinned. “Are you giving me a free hand, Commander?”

  “I am. I know what you can do, Benzai. I’ll never question your methods. If he dies by them, I’ll never say a word.” Caleb put his gaze on Othniel, waiting for a protest, but Othniel’s face did not change. He nodded to Benzai and the other soldiers and said, “I’ll leave him in your charge.”

  As soon as Caleb was out of sight, Benzai scowled at Othniel and called out, “All of you men come here!” He waited until those men within hearing distance gathered around, forming a circle around Benzai and Othniel. “We have the most famous runner in history here. Some of you witnessed what a fine runner he is. He ran away and left his companions in the lurch. So we know he can run away, but now the commander has told me he wants us to change him so that he runs forward. So I’m giving you orders. All of you, be as tough on him as you please.”

  A howl of pleasure and yells of excitement went up from the crew. They were a tough-looking bunch. As Caleb had said, they were the toughest unit in the entire army.

  Tobiah, a giant of a man with snaggle teeth and a scar running all the way from his eyebrow down to his neck, stepped forward. “Just let us have him, Captain. He can’t run from us.”

  “Don’t kill him,” Benzai said. “But anything else you have to do to make something of his rotten carcass is fair.” He reached out and cracked Othniel across the cheek with his hard palm. Othniel was driven sideways and sprawled in the dirt.

  “Get up!” Benzai said. “What are you doing lying down? You think this is a rest camp?” He turned and winked at Tobiah, then left.

  Tobiah reached down, grabbed Othniel, and pulled him to his feet. He slapped him across the face with two ringing slaps and grinned. “You know what I think, runner? I think you’ll not last until the battle comes. And even if you do, you’ll do your running at the enemy. If you try to run away”—he pulled a gleaming knife from his belt and held it to Othniel’s throat—“I’ll kill you myself.” He sheathed the knife, pulled his sword, and nodded at the sword that Othniel wore. “Now, let’s see what you can do with that fancy sword, runner….”

  Chapter 26

  Ardon brushed the flies away from his face, and the effort was almost too much for him. He had slumped down beside a spring and had drunk deeply from the cool water. The past six days had been filled with marching and battles, and the entire army was exhausted. They ha
d defeated Libnah, but now Joshua had sent word that they were going to attack Horam, the king of Gezer, without a single day’s rest.

  A fierce hunger gnawed in Ardon’s belly, but in order to eat he would have to get up, and he was too exhausted to even do that. He heard footsteps and looked up to see Captain Benzai coming toward him.

  Benzai was thinner than usual, worn down by all the fighting. Now he fell facedown and drank thirstily from the spring. When he had finished, he rolled over and sat up, wiping his mouth. “That was good,” he said. “I had quite a thirst.”

  “How many dead and wounded did you have in your company?”

  “Too many. How about you?”

  “We lost some good fighters.” Ardon glanced over east in the direction of Gezer. “We could use a rest.”

  “That’s what I said, but Caleb and Joshua say different, and they’re the commanders.”

  Benzai unhooked a bag from his belt, tilted it up, and drank some of the wine. He handed it to Ardon, who took a few swallows then handed it back. “How big an army do you think we’ll be facing at Gezer?”

  “Nobody knows. Joshua doesn’t seem to care. He just finds the enemy and runs us right at ’em. I always thought this was a land of milk and honey. That’s what the prophets all said, but all I can see is fighting and blood.”

  The two men sat quietly, almost too exhausted to talk. Finally Benzai groaned. “I’ve got to go see that the men get something to eat. You know,” he said after he rose, “I don’t believe in much of anything, especially in men, but that cousin of yours—Othniel—he fooled me.”

  “What’s he done now? Run away again?”

  Benzai laughed. “No. That’s what I thought he’d do, but I put him up in the front line right next to me. When it came time to charge, why the fool ran ahead of the rest of us. He hit their line all by himself, slashing and yelling like a demon. I didn’t believe it. Neither did the other men.”

  “I can’t believe it either.”

  “We treated him rough, rougher than we should have maybe. Let him do the dirtiest work. Worked him until he couldn’t stand up. I figured he’d run away, but he didn’t. I told the men to cut him down if he ran.” Benzai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Don’t know as I ever saw a soldier do any better. You never know what’s in a man, do you, until you see him in battle.”