Rahab the Harlot--Wattys Awards

Chapter Twenty-Four

Following the victory over the Amalakites, Moses said to Salmon, "Take this written petition to the King of Edom to ask for permission to pass through his country. We want no trouble with their king. Only to pass through his country in peace."

Salmon took a fast camel, food and provisions, and left the next day. There was much wasteland as he traveled, but soon he was on the King's Highway. Traveling north, he soon came on a land of good farm land, forests, and rivers. How easy it would be to travel there in peace.

When Salmon arrived, he was treated with courtesy due to any other emissary would have been. He then stood before Edom's King and delivered his written petition.

"Thus says your brother Israel: You know all the adversity that has befallen us: how our fathers went down to Egypt, and we dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our fathers; and when we cried to the LORD, he heard our voice, and sent an angel and brought us forth out of Egypt; and here we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your territory."

"Now let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or vineyard, neither will we drink water from a well; we will go along the King's Highway, we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, until we have passed through your territory."

But the King of Edom said to him, "You shall not pass through, lest I come out with the sword against you."

With that Salmon was instructed to say the following:  "We will go up by the highway; and if we drink of your water, I and my cattle, then I will pay for it; let me only pass through on foot, nothing more." But he said, "You shall not pass through."

Salmon brought word back to Moses, who then moved a large body of his people to the Southern Border of Edom. But the King of Edom came out against them with many men, and with a strong force. Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his territory.

Moses, Joshua, and Salmon stood for a while as they viewed Edom's army in the distance.

"I will inquire of the Lord," Moses said. "If he tells me to fight, that is what we will do. If I get no answer from the Lord God, we will travel around Edom."

Joshua then said, "We can defeat Edom if we attack now."

Moses said, "We may indeed defeat Edom, but it may cost us too many warriors."

So Israel turned away from their planned journey through Edom.

"The way will be rugged for our people," Moses said, "but we will prevail."

The people of Israel came to the foot of Mount Hor. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom, "Aaron shall be gathered to his people; for he shall not enter the land which I have given to the people of Israel, because you rebelled against my command at the waters of Meribah."

"Take Aaron and Eleazar his son up to Mount Hor; and strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son. Eleazar shall then be Israel's High Priest over Israel when our people enter the Promised Land. Moses Eleazar shall come down the mountain."

"But Aaron, who shall be gathered to his people, shall die there."

Moses did as the LORD commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation. And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son.  Aaron died there on the top of the mountain. Then Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain. When the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, the house of Israel wept for Aaron thirty days.

At Luxor in Egypt, Sinhue returned to Pharaoh Thothmes with Moses' reply: "In the name of the God of Israel, I accept your friendship but will need no military assistance. We must rely on our God to deliver the Land he promises to our Father Abraham.  It would help if you sent messages from your servant Sinhue, who may without danger pass through Canaanites, Moabites, and Edomites in peace if you provide him the Pharaoh's Seal of Protection. They dare not upset Pharaoh without risking destruction of their peoples."

So Paraoh Thothmes sat down and gave orders to Sinhue.

"Appoint another Captain of One Hundred. Take an armed escort for yourself, prepare a caravan, and take your wife Salome to cheer you. Find his beloved Rahab, then bring information that will assist my friend Salmon in his service to Moses and the God of Israel."

Sinhue then saluted Pharaoh Thothmes and returned to Migdol. He then made provisions for his journey again to Canaan to find Rahab. Then he was to bring word to Moses about the situation in Canaan.

"If Moses' is to invade Canaan, he will first need to destroy Jericho. He cannot bypass such a large city. He must attack it."

Sinhue spoke to Salome, "We must find Rahab, and then we must help Salmon and his people."