“Still Moses was afraid, insisting he had never been eloquent, that he was slow of speech and slow of tongue. God said he would teach him what to say, but Moses asked him to send someone else.”
Atretes snorted. “God should have struck him dead.”
“God is patient with us,” Rizpah said, smiling.
“Indeed,” Theophilus agreed. “And we are grateful. God said that Moses’ brother, Aaron, was well-spoken and that God would give the words to Moses, and Moses would give them to Aaron, who would speak them to Pharaoh. He also said he would harden Pharaoh’s heart, and signs and wonders would be performed before the Hebrews as well as the Egyptians.”
“Why would God choose such a coward to lead his people?” Atretes said, disgusted.
Theophilus laughed. “I wondered that myself when I first heard the story. But had Moses been a mighty warrior, vastly intelligent, and with the charisma of an orator, who do you suppose would have received glory for what was to come?”
“Moses.”
“Exactly. God chooses the foolish and weak things of the world to shame the wise and the strong, to show his power and our weakness without him. God’s power is perfect in our weakness, for it’s only through his strength we accomplish anything of value.”
Theophilus went on, telling of Moses and Aaron going before Pharaoh and demanding that he let God’s people go. Pharaoh refused. When Moses dropped his staff upon the floor and it became a snake, Pharaoh’s magicians used their secret arts to make their staffs become snakes also. But Moses’ snake swallowed the magicians’ snakes. When Pharaoh still refused to let the Hebrew slaves go, Moses touched the Nile River with his staff, and the water became blood. Still Pharaoh refused.
The Lord brought plague after plague upon Egypt: frogs, gnats, swarms of insects, pestilence on Egyptian livestock, boils, thunder and hail, locusts, and darkness. During each plague, Pharaoh relented, then, when the crisis passed, hardened his heart once again.
Atretes sat up. “The man was a fool!”
“The man was proud,” Theophilus said. “Proud men are often foolish.”
“Nine plagues! Frogs, gnats, boils? What does it take for him to bow down before God?”
“How many plagues have you suffered in your life, Atretes? Defeat. Slavery. Beatings. Humiliation. Degradation. Betrayal. What did it take for you to bow down before God and accept the truth that he is sovereign majesty of all creation?”
Atretes’ eyes narrowed coldly, his face hardening.
Theophilus saw and wondered if he had spoken too freely, offending rather than teaching. He retracted nothing, nor softened it. Rather, he waited, leaving the choice to Atretes as he had so often done before.
Atretes thought of Julia. He thought of the hundreds of things that had happened to him from the time he was a young man fighting for his people. He remembered all he had experienced as a grown man fighting to stay alive in the arenas of Rome and Ephesus. Through it all, Tiwaz had remained silent and uncaring. And still it was this god’s name he cried out, not that of Jesus. Even after he had been told the gospel by Hadassah.
“You speak the truth,” he said. “I was as much a fool as the Egyptian pharaoh.”
“God is already at work in you, Atretes,” Theophilus said, warming to the barbarian.
Atretes gave a bleak laugh, feeling no vital change within him, only a burning curiosity to hear everything about God. “Go on.” It was more a command than a request, as humble a capitulation as he would allow himself.
“God told Moses that he would send the angel of death upon Egypt and all the firstborn in the land would die, from the child of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the children of slaves in the kingdom down to the young of the cattle in the field.”
“Revenge.”
“Retribution. And hope. He told Moses that Pharaoh would not listen to him so that his wonders would be multiplied in the land. God also told Moses what to tell the people to do to have death pass over them.
“Moses gathered the Hebrews and told them that each household was to take a male lamb, unblemished and one year old, and kill it at twilight. The blood of the lamb was to be put on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house in which they ate. When God saw the blood of the lamb, he would pass over and no plague would befall them when he struck the land of Egypt with death. The meal prepared from the lamb was, and still is, called Passover.”
Theophilus spread his hands. “As God did fifteen hundred years ago for the Hebrew slaves held in cruel bondage, God did again for all of us through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus is our Passover lamb, Atretes. When Christ shed his blood for us upon the cross, he broke the chains of sin and death and gave us eternal life.”
Atretes felt his flesh tingle at Theophilus’ words. “Why didn’t Jesus come then instead of waiting so long?”
“I don’t know,” Theophilus said frankly. “I’ll never have all the answers I want. If I did, I could put God into a wineskin or an amphora. And then what sort of God would he be except one smaller than my own limited mind? God chooses the perfect time. Over and over in Scripture, we see how God teaches and tests man. From Creation to this moment, God offers salvation to any who wish it. A gift by grace, not something we earn.”
“Or appreciate,” Rizpah said quietly. “It struck me as you spoke, Theophilus. Jesus left his heavenly throne, his glory and honor, took the form of humble man. He suffered and died. For me.” She put her hand over her heart. “And what do I do? More often than not, I take my salvation for granted. I fill my mind with unimportant things, such as how long it’ll take to reach Atretes’ people and what they’ll think of me when we get there.” Her eyes grew moist. “Oh, that God would put it in my head and heart what he has done for me every morning as I awaken.”
“So be it,” Theophilus said, his voice gruff with emotion. How many times had he found himself caught up in plans for serving the Lord in the future, rather than praising him now. Too often, of late, they had arisen early, said a perfunctory prayer, and hastened on. It had taken Mattiaci warriors and Rizpah’s death to slow them down!
Atretes brushed Rizpah’s cheek, drawing her attention. “We will praise God first thing every morning.” She put her hand over his, her eyes shining with so much love that he felt the warmth of it spread through his entire body. He wanted her close against him and moved so that he was sitting behind her, legs drawn up on either side. He put one arm across her. She snuggled closer to him, her head back against his shoulder.
Theophilus continued his story. “The plague came at midnight and not one household in Egypt was left untouched by death. Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and told them to get out, to go and worship God, and take their flocks with them. The Egyptians urged them to hurry, afraid all would die if the Hebrews didn’t go. They even gave them gifts of silver and gold as well. Six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from women and children, followed Moses from Rameses to Succoth, and a mixed multitude went with them, along with flocks and herds and livestock.”
“Egyptians?”
“Yes. Anyone who believes is God’s child,” Rizpah answered.
Theophilus smiled at her, then went on. “God told Moses that if any foreigner sojourned with them and was circumcised, they were to be treated as a native, for they had become part of the covenant. And God went before them, a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to give them light. For Pharaoh was hardened again and pursued them. When they came to the Red Sea, the people were terrified. Moses cried out to them, ‘The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.’ But God told him to go forth and to stretch out his staff over the sea, and when he did so, the ocean divided. The Hebrews crossed over on dry land, and the pillar of cloud moved behind them. Pharaoh and his army tried to follow, but the moment the last Hebrew stepped on dry land, the water descended, destroying the Egyptians and their horses and chariots, thus giving glory to God in all of Egypt.”
Theophilus told of how the people grumbled as they traveled
and God gave them manna from heaven to eat, and quail by the thousands when they complained about the manna. God was angered by the people, but Moses pleaded for them. Moses went up onto Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments. Atretes listened intently as Theophilus listed each and then went on to tell of the establishing of law, the sabbaths, the feasts, and the firstfruit offerings. He told of the making of the ark of the covenant, in which was placed the testimony of God and a portion of manna as well as Aaron’s staff that budded.
“Below the mountain, the people sinned mightily and made graven images of the gods they had worshiped in Egypt.” He told of the grumbling, of God’s patience and provision, and also of his justice in punishing the people. Still there was rebellion. Aaron and Miriam spoke against their brother, Moses, questioning his right to leadership. God made Miriam leprous, healing her when Moses cried out to God on her behalf.
“When they reached the Promised Land, still the people didn’t change. Twelve spies were sent into the land, ten reporting the people who inhabited it were giants and too strong to conquer. Only Joshua and Caleb said they should obey the Lord and go up and take possession of the land.”
“Caleb,” Atretes said, smiling. “A good name.”
“Even Moses, who spoke face-to-face with the Lord, took the counsel of the ten who were afraid. Rebellion arose, led by Korah, while others, unconsecrated, were burning incense. God swallowed up many in the earth and sent fire to consume others.
“Because the people refused to believe and trust God, he made them wander for forty years in the wilderness. When all of the unbelieving generation had died, Moses spoke to the people. He gave the people the Law again and went up on the mountain, where he died. Joshua and Caleb, who believed God wholeheartedly, led the sons and daughters of the old generation into the Promised Land.” He prodded the fire, adding more fuel.
“God divided the Jordan River as he had the Red Sea, and the Hebrews crossed over with the ark of the covenant. Through God’s counsel, Joshua and the Israelites brought the walls of Jericho down and overran the city. From there, they conquered many cities, dividing the land, south to north, and then settled in it. The land was divided up among the twelve tribes, and for four hundred years God spoke to the people through judges.”
He grinned at Atretes. “One of them you would understand very well, for you share similar weaknesses. His name was Samson. But I’ll save his story for another time.” He tossed another branch on the fire.
“All during this time everyone did that which was right in his own eyes except Ruth, a Moabitess, and Samuel, who was promised to God before his birth. The kingdom was united for one hundred and twenty years and then the people told Samuel they wanted a king like the nations around them. The people rejected God and insisted they be like everyone else. God told Samuel to give them what they wanted, so Samuel anointed Saul, a tall, handsome, and well-formed young man who had no heart for God. Saul was proud and jealous as well as something of a coward. As the kingdom faltered under his rule, God told Samuel to anoint another, a humble, young shepherd named David. David was a man after God’s own heart. As a boy, he killed Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, with a sling and stone. The people loved him. That was reason enough for Saul to want him dead. Every attempt he made to kill David met with failure. Even his own son, Jonathan, loved and protected David. When Saul was killed in battle and Jonathan with him, David became king.
“He was a valiant warrior and the leader of a group called the mighty men. Their feats in battle are nothing short of miraculous. David secured the nation, but he fell into sin with the wife of one of his friends. Because of it, his family and kingdom were plagued with trouble from then on. Even his children were beyond control. They committed rape, murder, and even rebelled against him to try to take the throne. David’s one great dream was to build a temple for the Lord, but God denied him the privilege because he had blood on his hands. His son, Solomon, who reigned during a time of peace, had that privilege.
“When Solomon became king, he asked God to give him wisdom to rule the people. Because of his humility, God gave him not only wisdom but great wealth as well. Solomon is reputed to be the wisest and richest king who ever lived, in any kingdom, but even Solomon in all his earthly glory proved foolish and halfhearted toward God. He married women from the very nations God told the Israelites to destroy: Edomites, Hittites, Amorites, Egyptians. They set up their own altars and pulled him away from the Lord. He didn’t repent until he was an old man, and by then it was too late.
“The kingdom fell to his son Rehoboam, who refused the wisdom of the elder counselors of his father in favor of spoiled friends who had been raised in the palace. The people turned away and the nation was divided by civil war, Israel to the north, Judah to the south. There were nineteen kings of Israel, and not one had a heart for the Lord. There were twenty kings in Judah, and only eight sought God.”
Atretes was amazed. “After all God had done for them, they still turned away.”
“And God still loved them.”
“Why?”
“Because God’s love never changes. He’s faithful and trustworthy. God doesn’t think like man, Atretes. The Israelites were still his children, disobedient and proud, but still his. As they are today. Just as we all are by the fact of his creation. He set the Jews apart so that the rest of the nations might see God working through them, but his chosen people wanted to be like the rest of the kingdoms. God sent prophets to speak for him, warning them to repent or be judged, but they scorned and murdered every one of them.”
“He should have destroyed them.”
“We all deserve destruction, don’t we? And some of us are destroyed on occasion. God used Assyria to scatter Israel, and Babylon took Judah into exile. The exile lasted seventy years, long enough for an unbelieving generation to die, and then God worked upon the heart of the Persian king, who allowed Zerubbabel to return to Israel with a remnant of believers to begin rebuilding the temple. Esther became queen of Persia and saved the Jews from annihilation. Ezra and Nehemiah restored the temple, rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, and celebrated Passover.”
“So the Hebrews returned to God.”
“For a time. It’s well to remember one thing, one thread that moves through the entire narrative of the Scriptures: God’s love never changes and his will prevails. There always have been and always will be those who love the Lord wholeheartedly, through slavery, hardship, famines, war, exile, persecution. His people. You and Rizpah and I. God salts the earth with the faithful because those who cling to the Lord in faith through all circumstances preserve the rest from complete destruction. However, to my knowledge, the last Scriptures were written four hundred or more years before our Lord came to walk among us, and the prophet Malachi was appealing to God’s people to repent again. The Scripture says they had hearts of stone.”
“And so, this time, God sent his own son to call them back again.”
“Yes. Jesus shed his blood for us during Passover.”
“Ah,” Atretes said, feeling as though his mind had filled with light. “And death passes over those who believe and obey him.”
“And for everyone who has the eyes to see and ears to hear, the barriers between man and God were removed for all time. The way is open to the Lord through Jesus Christ. Any man, woman, or child who seeks the Lord with heart, mind, and soul will find him.”
Atretes was filled with excitement. “My people will understand this. It is not far removed from our own religion. One man sacrificed for the many. Such rites have been performed in the sacred grove for centuries.”
Rizpah was chilled by his unexpected and appalling words. Theophilus said nothing. She looked up at him in horror and saw he wasn’t the least surprised. Perhaps he had always known.
“Let’s hope they not only understand, Atretes, but that they embrace salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord as well.”
31
Atretes was eager to find his people, but for reas
ons far different from when he had set out from Ephesus. He was on fire with the good news of Jesus Christ, anxious to impart it. He wanted his people to know Jesus, born of woman, declared the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead. He wanted them to know God had poured out his life for them, that they could be one with his power and glory and might. If God was for them, who could come against them? Not even Rome could stand against them with God on their side!
“I will make them embrace Jesus!” he said as he walked alongside Rizpah.
“You can’t make your people embrace anything,” Theophilus said, seeing the way of sin.
“They have to know the truth.”
“And the truth they shall know. Have patience, beloved. Did you come to the Lord by force or revelation?”
“I’ll tell them how God raised Rizpah from the dead. They’ll accept my word.” It never occurred to Atretes that it might be otherwise.
Evenings, around the campfire, Theophilus nourished Atretes’ hunger by continuing to tell him all he knew. He told Atretes of Mary, the chosen one of God, a virgin, who was to bear the child Jesus. “She was betrothed to Joseph, a righteous man who was a carpenter. When she told him she was with child by the Holy Spirit, he had to decide what to do. By law, it was his right to have her stoned to death for impurity.”
“The Chatti have that in common with the Jews,” Atretes said. “We don’t tolerate impure women. Their heads are shaved and they’re driven out of the tribe or drowned in the bog. Only virgins marry.” He saw Rizpah look at him, eyes wide. “You are different,” he said firmly.
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