By Way of the Wilderness Read online

  Throughout the long period that the tabernacle was being built, Shani had come into her time as a woman and had grown taller. She was still slender, but her figure had begun to take shape. Although no one knew her exact age, she had the look of a young woman who was old enough now to be married, according to the Hebrew customs. Her face had filled out, and there was a beauty in her light green eyes that many of the younger men had begun to notice. But Bezalel did not notice. To him, Shani knew, she was still the frightened child he had rescued from the vicious soldier’s sword.

  As the celebration for the completion of the ark grew near, Shani grew more determined that she would make Bezalel look at her not as a child but as a woman. She had worked for months on a special dark green garment of a finely woven cloth she had obtained from one of the wealthier families in exchange for doing some work for them. She had worked for weeks to get enough to make herself a dress, and now she was finished!

  She could hear the sounds of laughing and men shouting outside, for the celebration was going to be the biggest thing that had ever happened in the life of Israel. Stripping out of her simple everyday dress, she slipped on the green garment. She had traded some wild-bird eggs she had found for the material to make a belt with a silver buckle. Miriam had given Shani a pair of her earrings, which she fastened in her ears. She stood up and tried to look down at herself but could not see much. Still she knew she was a woman and no longer the child that Bezalel still thought of.

  “He’ll notice me today,” she whispered sturdily. “I’ll make him notice me.”

  Leaving the tent, Shani was plunged at once into a whirlwind of activities. The framework of the tent for the tabernacle was up, and the final adjustments were being made to the coverings. She stood for a moment and looked at it. It had become a familiar sight to all of the Hebrews now, but it still was impressive. It was a simple rectangular structure surrounded by a fence made of curtains with an entrance at one end. No one could enter the tent itself except Aaron and the sons of Levi, whom God had appointed as the priests of the Hebrew people.

  After some difficulty, Shani finally found Bezalel. He had a crew working hard, and he was covered with sweat. She came up to him and said, “Bezalel—”

  Bezalel turned and said, “Not now, Shani. Can’t you see I’m busy?” He turned again and hurried away, shouting commands.

  Shani stood there, her shoulders slumping. “He didn’t even see me,” she cried, tears spilling down her cheeks. She turned and walked away. All of the shouting and celebration meant nothing to her. I’ll never be anything to him, she thought. He’ll never see me as anything but a dirty, frightened child.

  ****

  Finally the sanctuary of God, the tabernacle, was completed and the dedication began. Moses had counseled with the priests, especially with Aaron, spending much time with them, and finally he led Aaron forth, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, in a ceremony of washing with water. As they approached the new sanctuary, the cloud covered the tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it. Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle himself; only the priests and Aaron, the high priest, were commanded by God to enter and make atonement for all the people.

  When the glory of God, the shekinah, seemed to lift itself, Moses turned to Aaron, who was wearing the ritual attire of the high priest. This consisted of a tunic and a girdle and the ephod, tied on with a skillfully woven waistband. Moses placed on Aaron’s chest the breastpiece, which was woven in wool of gold, blue, purple, and vermilion, and placed a turban on his head with a sacred diadem on the front of it. He said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people.”

  Aaron was trembling, but he turned and approached the altar and laid out the sacrifices as Moses had commanded him. Aaron then lifted his hands and blessed the people with the blessing that God had given to Moses.

  What happened next was never forgotten by anyone who stood there that day. God accepted Aaron’s offerings in a most dramatic way. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering on the altar. The people all shouted for joy and fell facedown to worship God.

  Aaron’s sons, however, were jealous of the honor given to their father by God. Having planned beforehand to upstage their father, Nadab and Abihu, each approached the altar with a censer filled with fire and incense, and offered this unauthorized fire before the Lord, contrary to God’s commands.

  Moses cried out a warning—but it was too late. As the two men raised their censers to cast the incense on the altar, mighty flames of fire suddenly roared out from God’s presence and enveloped the two men. The horrified crowd watched as the flames swirled around them, consuming their garments and blackening their flesh. They fell to the ground dead, and the odor of burned flesh filled the air.

  Aaron’s face was ashen, and he trembled from head to foot. Moses turned to Aaron, his eyes flaming, and said, “Do not let your hair become unkempt, and do not tear your clothes, or you will die and the Lord will be angry with the whole community. Your sons have put strange fire on God’s altar, and God has rained his judgment on them. Your other two sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, will serve in their stead.”

  Aaron stood looking at the two burned corpses of his sons. He swallowed hard and bowed over. “It shall be as you say, my lord.”

  Bezalel was standing beside Caleb, his kinsmen. “God is not to be tempted,” Caleb said sternly. “Be sure you do not tempt the Lord your God.”

  “Never,” Bezalel whispered. He knew he would never forget the sight and resolved more than ever to be faithful to his God.

  Chapter 23

  After the deaths of Aaron’s sons, the tribes waited for God to speak. While they were waiting, Moses continued to wait upon the Lord to receive all the laws that would govern Israel. He knew it was no easy task to take a nation of slaves and make them into a nation of free-born citizens.

  The incident of the golden calf and the defilement of Israel had sunk deep into Moses’ heart. He began to issue, in the name of the Lord, laws that would govern not only the religious life of Israel but their social lives as well. Most of the peoples of that part of the world were given to incest, so Moses laid out strict commandments against such abominations. He also laid out the Lord’s dietary commandments forbidding the consumption of certain animals and fish. But most important, he emphasized the heart of it all: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.

  Some of the laws were not well received by many. The law that forbade a husband to be with his wife during her menstrual period shocked the men who were used to having their own way. Moses sternly commanded the husbands to respect the woman’s state of body and mind and not to force himself upon her during those times. This was a tender and delicate thing for Moses to proclaim, and many men rebelled against it, but others saw that Moses was interested not only in men but in women. He was also interested in the strangers, the mixed multitude. Aaron and even Miriam had urged him to make the mixed multitude a secondary race, for they were not Hebrews, but Moses had insisted, “No. We shall be as one. The stranger will receive the same benefits as the children of Abraham.”

  ****

  Finally the cloud that had remained stationary for so long lifted, and Bezalel cried out to Miriam as he rushed back to their tent, “We must get ready to leave, Mother! The cloud is moving on.” He turned and saw that Shani was sitting down sewing. “Aren’t you excited, little lamb?”

  Shani looked up. She had still not gotten over the hurt she had received when Bezalel had not even recognized or commented on her new garment. “It doesn’t matter,” she said glumly. “One place is like another.”

  Bezalel shot a glance at Miriam. “Is she sick?”

  “You can talk to me,” Shani said sharply. “I’m not deaf.”

  “Why, of course not, little lamb.”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  Bezalel felt terribly aw
kward. He saw that Shani was upset and had no idea what was going on. “I’m sorry you don’t feel well,” he said. “Would you want to come with me and help me load up some of my things?”

  “No!”

  “Well,” Bezalel said, “you know where to find me if you change your mind.”

  As soon as he had left the room, Miriam said, “Why did you treat Bezalel like that?”

  “He never sees me for what I am.”

  Miriam was a wise woman. She had dealt with young girls many times, and she knew exactly what Shani’s problem was. “He’s been very busy.”

  “I wish I were dead! I wish he had never saved me!” Shani cried bitterly.

  Miriam came over and put her arm around the girl. “You don’t mean that,” she said quietly. “Growing up is hard, but look at how different you are. Why, you are a young woman now.”

  “I wish someone else could see that besides you!” Shani got up and left the tent, her back stiff.

  Miriam shook her head sadly. “Poor child. She wants to grow up so badly, and that Bezalel, he’s so blind.”

  She began gathering up materials getting ready for the move, and as she did, she wondered what it would be like to live in the land of milk and honey instead of in this desert.

  ****

  The procession that left Sinai followed a strict military formation similar to that which Moses had learned during his service in the Egyptian army. At the head were the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Following these three tribes, the tribe of Levi moved out from the camp where they had stayed so long. On wagons they carried the gifts of the tribe, and the tabernacle, which had been taken apart, was also carried by this tribe. It was a mighty host that made its way across the Sinai and into another type of wilderness. The road to the Jordan River presented many obstacles, and the tribes would be exposed to constant attacks.

  Moses determined to avoid clashes with these people as much as possible. He did not know this country and had to depend totally on God. Each night the caravan stopped and camps were made. Campfires were started, food was cooked, and there was a great deal of excitement about approaching the Land of Promise. The days passed, and once again Moses saw that the people had not yet learned to trust God. Food was scarce, water was even more scarce, and the manna, which had been such a miracle at first, had lost its mystery. The people were ready for an easy life, and Moses was well aware that there would be no easy life for them in the near future.

  ****

  Shani was winding her way back to Miriam’s tent when she saw an argument going on. She drew forward and found that a group of Hebrew women had surrounded a dark-skinned woman who was crouched down with her head covered. Some of the women were even striking her. They were all shouting, and Shani heard them say, “Leave! Go back to where you came from!”

  The woman lifted her head. She was a middle-aged woman with a worn face and tired eyes. “I have nowhere to go,” she whispered. “Please don’t beat me.”

  Shani’s heart went out to the woman, and she waited until finally the Hebrew women shoved her and she stumbled away. Shani ran forward and said to her, “Come with me. I’ll find you a place.”

  The woman turned and stared at the young girl. “There’s no place for me,” she whispered.

  “What is your name?” Shani asked.

  “Lamani.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Ethiopia.”

  “Is that far?”

  “Very far.”

  “What are you doing out here in the middle of the desert?”

  The woman seemed faint, and she shook her head sadly. “I heard that the God of the Hebrews loved other people, anyone who would love Him, so I came to find Him.”

  Instantly Shani knew what she must do. “Come with me,” she said. “I’ll take you to Moses.”

  Lamani seemed to hunch over. “The great leader? He would pay me no heed.”

  “Yes, he will. He’s very kind. Come.” Shani reached out and took the woman’s hand. She drew her along until they reached Moses’ tent. Her heart was beating fast. She had never spoken directly to Moses, though she saw him constantly. “Lord Moses,” she whispered and then cried out louder, “My lord Moses!”

  Moses stepped out of the tent, and his eyes set on the girl and on the woman. “What is it, child?” he said.

  “This is Lamani. She comes from far away, but the women won’t have her. The Hebrews were beating her, and they drove her out of camp.”

  “What are you doing here?” Moses asked the woman.

  Lamani bowed down before Moses. “I came seeking the God who loves the stranger. The gods of my people are nothing but idols. When I heard of the Lord, I came to seek Him.”

  Moses’ heart was touched. “Why are the women mistreating you?”

  “I do not know, my lord.”

  Moses had been praying about the mixed multitude even before he heard the voice of Shani. The Hebrews were always jealous of them and disliked them, and he wanted to make some kind of statement. As he stood there, he said, “I will seek the voice of God about this. Meanwhile, child, take the woman to my sister, Miriam. She will feed her and care for her.”

  “Yes, Lord Moses. Come, Lamani,” Shani said. “It will be all right.”

  The woman could not seem to rise. When Shani helped her to her feet, a light of hope was in Lamani’s eyes. “All I want is to serve and worship and love the Lord, the God of the Hebrews.”

  “So it shall be. I must find a way,” Moses said. “Now go with Shani.”

  ****

  Moses went before the elders to try to speak with them about the mixed multitude of strangers. He found no encouragement there and was saddened. “If the elders of Israel will not accept a lover of the Lord, what can we expect?” he said to them bitterly. He turned and went at once to Aaron’s tent. He spoke with him briefly and found that Aaron was also opposed to paying any special attention to the woman.

  “She’s an Ethiopian, a heathen,” Aaron said harshly.

  “But we are all strangers until God makes us His own,” Moses said quietly. He turned and left the tent, and for a long time he walked, thinking and praying. Finally he sent for the woman, and Shani brought her to his tent.

  “Shall I go outside, master?” Shani said.

  “No, you stay here,” Moses commanded. He turned to Lamani and said, “I’m glad you have a love for the Lord, and I grieve that our people have not accepted you.” He stood looking at the woman, and pity and compassion—always close to the surface of his heart—began to rise up. “I have decided to protect you,” he said. “The only way I can do that is to make you my wife.”

  “Your wife!” Lamani was startled. “You cannot mean that, master!”

  Quickly Moses said, “It will be merely a legal thing.” He thought of Zipporah, who had gone back to Midian again. He had paid her so little mind that she had left him, and he knew now that he must make this matter very clear. “You will have a tent. You will have the protection of my name—but that is all. It will not be an ordinary marriage, but it will allow you to stay with our people. Will you accept this offer?”

  Lamani bowed and whispered, “Yes, my lord, I will accept.”

  “I will find witnesses now.” He marched to the door of the tent and called for Joshua and Caleb, who stood not far away. He called them inside and said, “You two will be witnesses. I take this woman Lamani as my wife. I will be her husband.”

  Both men were startled, but neither would ever think of challenging the word of Moses. “Yes, Moses. What are your orders?”

  “Find her a tent. See that she has food. It will be a legal marriage and that is all, you understand? Protect her from those who would insult her.”

  Caleb grinned. “Yes, my lord, it shall be as you say.”

  “Go with these men, Lamani. We are now legally married.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  Moses watched the woman as she left and then turned to Shani. “Now I must tell my
sister and my brother what I have done. They will not like it.”

  “Why not?” Shani said.

  “They are jealous for my honor. I wish they were more jealous for the honor of the Lord! Come. Go with me while I speak to my sister.”

  Moses found no support at all from Aaron or Miriam. Both were angry and upset with him, and both tried to dissuade him from following such a wild course. Moses finally said, “It’s something I must do. We must learn to love those who are different from us. She is a creature of God, as are all in the mixed multitude. Do you think God is interested only in one race?”

  “We are the chosen race,” Aaron said loudly, his face red with anger. “You have said so yourself.”

  “Chosen for a task, yes, but God chooses every man, woman, and child to love, so this is something I must do.”

  As Moses left the tent Aaron muttered, “My brother is not wise.”

  “No, he is not,” Miriam agreed. “Sooner or later this will mean trouble. We must do what we can to ward it off.”

  “There’s little one can do when Moses gets his head set that he’s doing something for God, but we will try.”

  Chapter 24

  “Bezalel, look—I brought you some cakes.”

  Bezalel straightened up, arched his back to ease the strain, and turned to face Shani. She was holding out two cakes, one in each hand, and her eyes were bright. He took one of them and said, “We’ll share them.”

  “No. I’ve had some already. I baked them myself because I know you like them so much.”

  “You’re too good to me, Shani.” Bezalel bit into the cake and chewed it slowly, with obvious enjoyment. “This is good! You’re getting to be a fine cook. Your husband is going to be a lucky man.”

  Shani laughed. “If all I know how to do is make cakes, he’ll be pretty hungry.”

  “Maybe I’ll have that other one after all.” Bezalel took the cake and leaned back against the work table. He ate the second cake with obvious enjoyment, then said, “I’ve been meaning to tell you. That was a good thing you did for the Ethiopian woman.”