Unholy Empire: Chronicles of the Host, Vol 2: Chronicles of the Host, Book 2 (47 page)

After Shammua’s address to the assembly, Moses and Aaron didn’t say a word, but simply fell to their faces on the ground in shame of what the people were asking.

Joshua angrily tore his clothes and began addressing the people. Serus, ever watchful, stayed right with him as he spoke.

“Israelites! Brothers! Do not do this dreadful thing,” Joshua began. “It is the Lord God of Abraham who brought you out of Egypt to bring you into this land of which we speak. Yes, there will be some challenges. But do not be afraid! The Lord God will go before us into the land and will sweep the enemy before us!”

“
I say we stone them here and now
,” came a voice.

It was one of Pellecus’s demons. Everyone looked about to see who said it, but it didn’t really matter. People began to pick up on the theme and call for stoning the men on the spot. A few actually picked up stones as people began pulling away from the four men.

Michael stood by, sword drawn, as did his angels, ready to protect and even kill any person who made an attempt on Moses’ life. Serus moved close to Joshua. He did not have the same authority to kill if necessary, but he could more than handle any human that might attempt something. Besides, it really wasn’t humans who concerned him. He was watching the increasing number of both Kara’s and Pellecus’s demons closing in on the group.

Suddenly the devils shrieked and scattered like leaves in a maelstrom, disappearing in every direction. Kara and Pellecus were thrown to the ground in a great shudder as the glory of God burst forth over the tabernacle of meeting. Even the humans saw the brilliant display, so intense that they had to turn their heads from it. Most of them dropped to their faces in fear, humbling themselves before God’s mighty presence. Moses and Aaron stood, helped to their feet by Joshua and Caleb.

Moses entered the tent, with Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb waiting outside. The people remained uncomfortably quiet, fearful of what the verdict would be when Moses returned. Korah managed to slip away to his tent to await the news there. Shammua remained behind with the other spies, trying to encourage them that perhaps this was another of Moses’ tricks.

Michael and Serus waited with everyone else. Gabriel, Crispin, Sangius, and many other leading angels among the loyal Host had arrived as well to hear what judgment the Lord had rendered.

“I fear, Michael, that this time they have gone too far,” said Serus.

Michael remained silent and motioned Serus to do the same. The other holy angels shuddered in reverence at God’s mighty presence and what it portended. Even the normally conversant Crispin remained silent.

Kara had recovered himself by this time and, though he remained on the ground, he managed to skulk away, complaining bitterly of the Lord’s undue interference and questioning the justice of it all. Pellecus, who could hear Kara’s nonsense somewhere behind him, could only shake his head at the foolishness of such a highly placed demon.

When Moses finally emerged from the tent, his face was very grim indeed. All eyes were upon him. Even the children seemed to sense the importance of the occasion and remained quiet. He waited until Aaron stood next to him and then began to speak.

“The Lord your God is slow to anger, abounding in love, and forgiving of sin and rebellion,” he began. “The Lord God has forgiven your insolence and your rebellion in not going up into the land…”

A huge relief moved through the camp as people began to feel a bit more at ease with Moses’ words. Korah, listening from his tent, hung on every word. The 12 spies who were indirectly implicated in the charge were stone-faced and silent, averting their eyes from anyone in particular.

“The Lord God reminded me that you have tested Him ten times now, since He delivered you from bondage in Egypt. You shall therefore not enter the land that He promised you. The Lord declares that since you desire to remain in the wilderness, in the wilderness you shall remain. All of this evil generation from the age of 20 and up shall die here in the desert. You shall not see the land the Lord promised you. Rather your bones shall rot here. Only Joshua and Caleb and their families shall the Lord your God bring into the land. For you have tempted the Lord, and He has spoken against you!”

Moses returned to his own tent. The sounds of anger and bitter complaining gave way to weeping and wailing by the people, who now would remain in the desert until their deaths. Joshua wept as well at the sight of his people, who, because they did not have the faith to endure Canaan, must now have the will to endure the wilderness.

“Such a dark time for the people of God,” commented Crispin finally.

“And a dreary time for angels as well, good teacher,” mused Michael.

In his tent, Korah brooded about the developments. Dathan and a few others were with him. Now Moses had not only arrested his movement toward returning to Egypt, but had relegated the people to hardship in the wilderness for the next 40 years—and under the law that he had composed on the mountain! The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. It was clearly a case of vengeance on the part of Moses to punish the people for not agreeing to his personal dreams of conquest in Canaan.

Evidently Moses had never recovered from losing prestige in Egypt when he went from a ruler to a runaway. And since the people were unwilling to crown him king in Canaan, he now was content to remain a prisoner of Zin.

“
Who does he think he is?
” came a voice in Korah’s mind.

“
Yes. Who does Moses think he is?
” thought Korah.

“
Are you going to stand by and allow Moses and his family to dictate to millions of people what their destiny is?
”

“I cannot simply stand by and allow Moses to rob me of my destiny as a ruler in this nation,” Korah said aloud.

“But what shall we do?” asked Dathan. “Moses has decreed it so.”

“
Perhaps it is time to confront him and expose him
.”

“We shall expose him for the fraud that he is,” said Korah. “And that sorcerer brother of his as well. We will expose them and then stone them according to the law! They are conjurers and experts in witchcraft and all manner of evil arts that Moses learned in Pharaoh’s house.”

“And then what?” asked Dathan.

“And then I will lead the people back to Egypt and away from this accursed desert. I am of the house of Levi, am I not? Who is Moses to be prince over all of us? If indeed one Levite holds the authority to rule and take us
out
of Egypt, where at least we were well-fed, then who is to say that another of the tribe of Levi cannot take us
back
to Egypt? I shall lead the people to the true promised land!”

They exited the tent, agreeing to take the plan up with other key leaders in Israel. Inside the tent, Pellecus said, “Well done, Kara. You certainly know this man’s heart!”

“Of course I know it,” said Kara smugly. “I helped create it!”

Lucifer stood on a hillside, surveying the camp at dusk. He was amazed at how the camp had so quickly settled into the routine and the realization that the desert would be their home for a good many years. Glancing at the tabernacle, where God resided periodically and dramatically, Lucifer sneered with contempt.

“Well, Most High God,” he said. “It seems that You can never shake Yourself from rebels. It seems that all of Your creatures are bent on escaping Your Presence. Even these pitiful creatures made in Your very image have a rebel nature within their hearts that drives them always away from Your face.

“Law? For these lawless hearts? You truly believe that these sordid and sensual people will be able to abide Your law? They broke it before it was even born on Sinai. And now You desire to build a nation—a kingdom of priests—to carry Your law forward, when they cannot even keep it themselves? I have known You to be a God of the downtrodden and a friend to widows and orphans, Most High. When did You become the God of rebels and outlaws?”

He pointed down at the camp.

“These are Your people, Lord? These who would cast You off in an instant if given the opportunity? The only way You hold them is by terrifying them with great billowy smoke and fire and bloody Niles and blotting the sun! What sort of allegiance is measured by intimidation?

“I suggest that You have failed, O Lord. These people shall never bring forth the Seed that I have so long dreaded. I am more confident than ever that in the end, the base and carnal instincts of humans will always win out over Your clever compelling—even when done with great thunder and lightning!

“In the final outcome, O Lord, You will vacate this miserable world and leave it to fester in the sin that You Yourself created by giving these miserable creatures the ability to turn on You. And I shall be here ready to lead them in a new and glorious season on earth. Stay in the heavens, O Lord, for that is where You belong. But leave earth to me!”

Chronicles of the Host

Korah’s Reckoning

True to Lucifer’s brash boasting before the Lord, the people were stirred up once more. Korah, a distant relative of Moses, had rallied some 250 other leaders in Israel, determined to end Moses’ leadership and take the people back to Egypt. Once more Moses met a delegation of leading Israelites who questioned his ability and right to rule over them. And once more Moses responded with great authority as given Him by the Most High God…

“I put it to you, Moses, that your leadership over us is presumption and not legitimate authority!”

C
HAPTER
24

“Korah has set quite a nice trap.”

Korah was building his case against Moses brick by brick, and his audience of 250 men spurred him on heartily. Moses, in a situation far too familiar, stood in front of the Tent of Meeting, listening to the complaint against him.

“It is not you alone with whom we have a grievance,” Korah continued. “Your brother, Aaron, has usurped the position of high priest, and together the two of you have conspired to lead this nation to a place of desolation and wilderness. How petty! I put it before this nation that you are a man obsessed with power. And because power was taken away from you when you murdered an innocent man in Egypt, you returned years later to grab whatever measure of power that you could.