Harvest - 02 - Harvest of Gold
Page 30
He thought of the walls of Jerusalem, and how they had been rebuilt in spite of incessant danger and threat. How the ravages of the past had been overcome by the persistent faithfulness of one man. It occurred to him at that moment, when exhaustion still had ahold of him, that God had restored his own life no less than He had Jerusalem. Nehemiah had once called the walls around Jerusalem a harvest of gold.
Darius looked at his little son, eating his fill at his wife’s breast, and acknowledged that God had given him a harvest, as well.
AUTHOR’S NOTES
According to some archaeologists, during the time of Nehemiah the population of Jerusalem might have been as low as several hundred inhabitants. Other scholars estimate as many as three or four thousand. Certainly, the city had shrunk substantially since the days of Solomon, and I try to capture that tragic loss in the plot.
We are unable to fully reconstruct the location of the walls in Nehemiah’s day or even to know what the walls would have looked like. Many of the landmarks mentioned in Nehemiah’s letter were destroyed during Herod the Great’s renovations four hundred years later. My description of the walls is based on a combination of archaeological discoveries from that period, biblical narrative, and of course, literary license.
According to the lunar calendar, in the year 445 BC the month of Nisan occurred between April and May, which was unusually late. This means that Nehemiah must have accomplished the arrangements for travel from Susa in an astonishingly rapid manner and arrived in Jerusalem earlier than the average caravan would have.
As always, where possible, I have tried to remain faithful to history. The plot on Artaxerxes’ life is inspired by two unrelated stories from the Achaemenid period as reported by Greek historians. In one case, Histiaeus, planning insurrection against the Persians, sends a secret message to his nephew, tattooing the words on his slave’s shaved head to prevent discovery. In another, the plot to kill the king involves a knife that is poisoned only on one side. I combined the two stories in order to create the fictional plot against Artaxerxes. Pyrus is also a figment of my imagination.
The description of Megabyzus’s rebellion against Artaxerxes, and the king’s benevolent response, is historical and based loosely on Ctesias’s account. It seems likely that Megabyzus really was the satrap of the Trans-Euphrates at the time of this novel.
The education of aristocratic Persian boys, as well as the role of magi in their instruction, has been captured by a number of ancient writers. According to one Greek historian, boys did not live in palace dormitories until the age of sixteen or seventeen. Others don’t distinguish the age the boys were sent to live in the palace, only the fact that their education started between the ages of five and seven, and that they lived in the palace while being educated. The plot makes use of both these details. I found it fascinating that the magi were not only the astrologers, philosophers, teachers, and scientists of their age, but also the seekers of highest truth. To several such men, the Truth they sought with such passion would one day be revealed in a simple manger.
A number of early rabbinic scholars claim that Nehemiah was a eunuch. Most historians find no evidence of this assertion. I have portrayed him as a single man, because the Bible mentions no wife. That he was an extraordinary man—at once courtier, project manager, politician, and military leader—one cannot doubt. Few in history equal his perseverance and faith. I chose to loosely base one of his proclamations on a speech given by Winston Churchill in the early days of WWII, because I think the two men would have understood the concept of working against great odds while holding on to the hope of victory.
Harvest of Gold is a love story. But at its core, it is also a novel about overcoming in the midst of battle. Jerusalem is under attack. The king’s life is threatened. Darius and Sarah’s marriage is slowly unraveling. How do you respond to the interior and exterior forces that threaten to destroy you? Harvest of Gold tries to answer that question based on the timeless principles we find in the book of Nehemiah.
As always, the best way to study the Bible is not through a novel, but simply to read the original. This story can in no way replace the transformative power that the reader will encounter in the Scriptures. For the biblical account of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, please refer to the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
I hope you have enjoyed Sarah and Darius’s adventures, which began with Harvest of Rubies. After so many years of working with them, they feel like old friends to me.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Harvest of Gold
To access a printable pdf of these discussion questions, go to www.moodypublishers.com/978-0-8024-0559-3. Click the “Resources” tab to download the questions.
1. In the first two chapters of the novel, we glimpse certain strengths in Sarah and Darius’s relationship. But we also become aware that this marriage is already in trouble. Identify some of the strengths and weaknesses you see in Sarah and Darius’s relationship.
2. Most of the characters in Harvest of Gold seem to be engaged in a battle. The king is battling to save his life. The Babylonian brothers are trying to preserve their freedom. Nehemiah is striving to save Jerusalem. Sarah and Darius are desperate to keep their marriage intact. Where are the places you see a battle in your life?
3. What do you see in your life that is worth fighting for? What have you given up on?
4. What are some of the lessons we can learn from Nehemiah to help us overcome in the midst of the battles of life?
5. In Chapter 12 Sarah has a miscarriage and Nehemiah prays for her. How can you help and comfort others as they grieve? How do you personally cope with loss?
6. In Chapter 24, Nehemiah talks about Gideon. Are there places in your life where you are hiding in a metaphorical winepress? What are you afraid of? (For example, failure, disappointment, suffering, ending up alone …)
7. Gideon’s perception of himself differed from the way God saw him. Do you think you are like Gideon in that respect? How do you think God sees you? In contrast, how do you see yourself?
8. Describe Darius. How do you think Darius’s emotional distance affects his marriage? Can you relate?
9. What prevents Darius from placing his trust in the Lord? In the end, what causes him to change?
10. We sometimes build walls around our hearts that need to come down: walls of fear, defensiveness, pride, emotional distance. But there are also godly defensive walls that we should establish around our lives: walls that protect our relationship with God and with others, walls that safeguard our destiny and our soul. But like Jerusalem, many of us have allowed these walls to fall into ruin. Talk about areas of your life where the wrong walls have to come down, and areas where new protective structures have to be raised up.
11. Nehemiah has a special role in Sarah and Darius’s lives. In your own words, describe their relationship. Do you have a Nehemiah in your life? Are you a Nehemiah in someone else’s life?
12. What caused Nehemiah to overcome all the odds against him?
13. Who is your favorite character in this book? Why?
14. Which character can you identify with the most? Why?
15. What are some of the scenes in this story that touched your heart? Why?
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The gracious expertise and help of many people made this novel possible. I would like to thank my agent, Wendy Lawton, whose efforts on my behalf continue to pave the way for me as a writer. I was blessed the day we met. To Deb Keiser at River North, whose support of this project has remained unstinting from its conception, and Pam Pugh my editor: simply, thank you.
Thanks to my dearest friend, Rebecca Rhee who, in spite of being very pregnant with her first baby, applied her inveterate knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and love of literature to Harvest of Gold and made it a far better book with her insights. I don’t know how many hours I have spent boring her with my fears and plotline problems in this book. But she has always been there to hold my hand. I am profoundly grateful for my friends B
eth and Rob Bull who never cease to encourage and support me along this path. Thanks for believing in me, guys! It’s the best gift you could give me. As always, my sister Emi Trowbridge’s undeserved faith in me sustains me every day.
Special acknowledgment is due to Tegan Willard for her astute suggestions and incredible editing. My faithful and encouraging critique partners, Cindy McDowell and Lauren Yarger, occupy a special place in the completion of this book. Cindy’s suggestion to use a poor couple as Darius’s inspiration for change added a new dimension to the story. Deryk and Christy Richenburg provided unstinting support and incredibly helpful hints on male psychology. I deeply appreciate their constant grace. Others worthy of mention include author Karl A. Bacon for his editorial suggestions.
Professor Glenn Sunshine, a genius in matters of history and most things theological, turned out to be a wealth of information on Chinese martial arts. The brilliant Rabbi Paul Saul spent a whole afternoon trying to explain the book of Nehemiah from a Jewish perspective. I am grateful for the Reverend Halvor Ronning’s suggestions regarding Nehemiah’s wall. Any deviations or mistakes in the manuscript are due to my error and not the fault of these eminent scholars.
A book’s life is complicated and there are many who are essential in the process. My profound thanks to Michele Forrider, Jeane Wynne, and Janis Backing for helping to release my novels into many hands. A special note of appreciation is due to the sales force, who manage to land these books in the most astonishing locations. You folks are amazing.
And to my fans, who write Facebook messages, emails, and best of all read my books, you are a true joy to me—my beloved companions on this adventure.
River North Fiction is here to provide quality fiction that will refresh and encourage you in your daily walk with God. We want to help readers know, love, and serve JESUS through the power of story.
Connect with us at www.rivernorthfiction.com
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