As Israel walked out of Egypt, a lone child in beggar’s rags sat by the road, watching them walk out into the wilderness. A Merchant with a fine purple sash came to join him, watching after the crowd with hungry eyes.
They both went unnoticed, but The Boy spoke coolly. “You lost. These people didn’t have to do anything but let Jah fight for them.”
“I know.” The Merchant wasn’t worried. “It was quite obliging of you, to remove them from their enemies.”
The Boy blinked. “Obliging?”
“Giving them an oppressive enemy made them united. What will they turn on now that they don’t have an enemy?”
“They won’t turn on anyone at all.”
“Of course they will.” The Merchant said simply. “They are human. Humans are, by their nature, cruel, petty, bloodthirsty and selfish. He’s taking them out into the wilderness where they have nothing to do but turn their attention to each other.”
“That was what you said to me about Job, and he proved you wrong.” The Boy shook his head. “We all see things as we are, more than they really are. You think the worst of them, because that’s all you have to turn to.”
As Israel walked out of Egypt, a lone child in beggar’s rags sat by the road, watching them walk out into the wilderness. A Merchant with a fine purple sash came to join him, watching after the crowd with hungry eyes.
They both went unnoticed, but The Boy spoke coolly. “You lost. These people didn’t have to do anything but let Jah fight for them.”
“I know.” The Merchant wasn’t worried. “It was quite obliging of you, to remove them from their enemies.”
The Boy blinked. “Obliging?”
“Giving them an oppressive enemy made them united. What will they turn on now that they don’t have an enemy?”
“They won’t turn on anyone at all.”
“Of course they will.” The Merchant said simply. “They are human. Humans are, by their nature, cruel, petty, bloodthirsty and selfish. He’s taking them out into the wilderness where they have nothing to do but turn their attention to each other.”
“That was what you said to me about Job, and he proved you wrong.” The Boy shook his head. “We all see things as we are, more than they really are. You think the worst of them, because that’s all you have to turn to.”
~/*\~
Moses called for a Festival to Jehovah, after a week of eating nothing with leaven in it. The flatbreads were easier to make, and the celebration was clean and joyful, once they were officially out of Egypt. Moses told them they would be holding one every year, to commemorate what God had done for them, as a people.
After a week of celebrating their freedom, the journey started in earnest.
Moses was the centre of everyone’s attention. Everyone had the same questions, and Moses made regular announcements that answered most of them. Even with everyone wanting to know the same things, there were still individual questions. Everyone had something that mattered to them personally, and though everyone could approach Jehovah in prayer, Moses was the designated spokesman for everything Jehovah said back. Everyone wanted just a few minutes, but with millions of people, that time added up. Ohad-Ittai had waited for weeks to get a chance to speak with Moses.
“We’ll never have a better opportunity to hit back.” He nearly begged the old man.
“Ohad-Ittai, Jehovah promised a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses told him patiently. “He promised Abraham that his descendants would live there. If we live in Egypt, even as rulers, we’d not only be living the lives of our oppressors, we’d be making God a liar.”
“Who says?” Ohad-Ittai returned reasonably. “God also promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. We can certainly rule Egypt and a Promised Land.”
“But such is clearly not the plan.” Moses returned. “When we began this journey, God deliberately led us through a wilderness country so that we need not pass through the territory of the Philistines. He deliberately made sure that our people were not immediately subject to the specter of war.”
“All violence that our people have faced has been one-sided.” Ohad-Ittai argued. “Finally, the Egyptians know what that’s like, watching the Plagues spare Goshen, while their own could do nothing.” Ohad-Ittai spread his hands wide. “We could tear down every temple. Smash every idol. Why are we fleeing Egypt when we’ve won?”
“We aren’t fleeing.” Moses told him firmly. “We’re going home.”
Moses called for a Festival to Jehovah, after a week of eating nothing with leaven in it. The flatbreads were easier to make, and the celebration was clean and joyful, once they were officially out of Egypt. Moses told them they would be holding one every year, to commemorate what God had done for them, as a people.
After a week of celebrating their freedom, the journey started in earnest.
Moses was the centre of everyone’s attention. Everyone had the same questions, and Moses made regular announcements that answered most of them. Even with everyone wanting to know the same things, there were still individual questions. Everyone had something that mattered to them personally, and though everyone could approach Jehovah in prayer, Moses was the designated spokesman for everything Jehovah said back. Everyone wanted just a few minutes, but with millions of people, that time added up. Ohad-Ittai had waited for weeks to get a chance to speak with Moses.
“We’ll never have a better opportunity to hit back.” He nearly begged the old man.
“Ohad-Ittai, Jehovah promised a land flowing with milk and honey.” Moses told him patiently. “He promised Abraham that his descendants would live there. If we live in Egypt, even as rulers, we’d not only be living the lives of our oppressors, we’d be making God a liar.”
“Who says?” Ohad-Ittai returned reasonably. “God also promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars in the sky. We can certainly rule Egypt and a Promised Land.”
“But such is clearly not the plan.” Moses returned. “When we began this journey, God deliberately led us through a wilderness country so that we need not pass through the territory of the Philistines. He deliberately made sure that our people were not immediately subject to the specter of war.”
“All violence that our people have faced has been one-sided.” Ohad-Ittai argued. “Finally, the Egyptians know what that’s like, watching the Plagues spare Goshen, while their own could do nothing.” Ohad-Ittai spread his hands wide. “We could tear down every temple. Smash every idol. Why are we fleeing Egypt when we’ve won?”
“We aren’t fleeing.” Moses told him firmly. “We’re going home.”
~/*\~~/*\~~/*\~
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