Othniel rose to light another lamp. The storm outside blew steadily on. They hardly noticed it anymore.
“I am exhausted, Othniel.”
“I will leave you now, Uncle.”
“No, I wish to hear of our deliverance.”
Othniel looked at him, confused. “You have been telling me of your deliverance. It has been compelling. Life-changing for me.”
“No,” Caleb said quietly. “I wish to hear it from the hand of Moses. I wish to worship the Lord as I hear the tale of his delivering us. I will tell you of the wilderness years tomorrow. Tonight, I want to hear about the end of our bondage.” He closed his eyes and settled back with a smile on his face.
Othniel smiled in return. He sat down and pulled out the scroll. As the storm raged and the lightning flashed and the wind and rain ground through the mountains, he read the story of Yahweh’s deliverance.
“Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, ‘The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.’ Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.
“Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, ‘God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.’ Then they set out from Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
“The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in. Thus I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.’ And they did so.
“When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, ‘What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?’ So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him; and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them.
“The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out boldly. Then the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
“As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, ‘Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.’
“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.’
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.’
“The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea.
“At the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from Israel, for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.’
“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.’ So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing right into it; then the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
“The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; not even one of them remained. But the sons of Israel walked on dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
“Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.
“When Israel saw the great power which the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.”
Othniel looked up from his reading because he heard something.
Caleb was singing.
Othniel smiled, trying to make out the tune.
The old man, his face radiant, let his lips part, and the words came out in a robust song, his lungs filling.
“I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea!
The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.”
The old man sang louder, and he did not care who heard him or how he sounded to anyone but the Lord his God. It was not the mere song of a war regiment. It was the song of victory.
“Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has cast into the sea;
His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
And in the greatness of your excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against you. . . .”
Caleb’s voice rasped by the end of the song. He fell silent, but his eyes gazed heavenward.
Not for the first time that night, Othniel had no idea how to respond.
A man mighty in war, mighty in deed, mighty in worship.
After he thought enough time had passed, Othniel asked, “Could I at least hear you describe the sea parting?”
Caleb glanced over at him. He appeared to remember where he was.
“When the chariots came, I was near the water’s edge. Moses raised up his staff, and the great wind came over us. It knocked me down. It knocked everyone down. And then . . .” Caleb sighed in wonder. “As the song describes, the seas parted. As though Yahweh’s hand came down with a mighty rush and split it.”
Othniel shook his head. “And the pillar of cloud?”
“It was like fire,” Caleb answered. “Like a swirling column of fire and cloud and dust and light. And darkness. But light.” He threw up his hands. “I have nothing further for you that Moses did not write himself.”
Othniel looked back down at the scroll. His uncle had a gift for storytelling, but perhaps these sights were beyond what he could describe.
“I lost many brothers when the waters closed in,” Caleb added.
This was the first time he had sounded somber since Othniel had read the narrative. It did not last long.
“But they were not my real brothers. I had found my real brothers.” He sat forward eagerly. “You must let me tell you a little more. It is important.”
“You said you were exhausted, Uncle.”
“Yes, yes, I said it. But I changed my mind. Hearing of Yahweh’s deliverance has revived me. You must let me tell you this part myself.”