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ralph_dnd,
but that's different), but this bit of whimsy struck me earlier today.
"Who are these people with you?" It was a reasonable question, but
it brought a flood of decades-old memories.
He had been a child when his cousin had wed the fugitive from a distant land. This had caused no small amount of trouble; surely, other family members said, the daughter of the high priest should be able to find a husband from within the clan. He agreed with this sentiment, though of course no one cared what a child thought. But the stranger had at least turned out to be useful, tending to some of the flocks, and in time his objections faded.
That is, until his uncle announced that the entire family would sojourn with the stranger's kin in another land. This was unheard of! He was now near 20, ready to marry and set out on his own, and his uncle insisted that they all go -- abandoning his own priestly duties in the process. What nonsense was this?
They travelled across the desert and joined a vast multitude. Their tribal god was more powerful than any he had ever seen, and he was frightened. No wonder his uncle had abandoned his own clan's god to join this group, despite the disgrace. But was this any better, really? Would this god strike out at the strangers in his people's midst? Wouldn't it have just been safer to stay at home, unaware of ths new force in the world?
And who was leading this multitude in service to this new god? None other than his cousin's husband. And it seemed clear that this man was new to leadership and to talking with gods. Perhaps he should have stuck to tending sheep.
In time he became more accepting of this people and their god, and he saw their leader (with his uncle's guidance) become stronger and more confident. Eventually, in fact, when his uncle prepared to depart the group, he himself decided to stay. He wasn't sure why, but he was caught up in the excitement of the people around him. And besides, their god was clearly powerful and it would be wise to stay in good graces.
So he stayed and travelled with the people, seeing miracle after miracle and, despite all that, hearing complaint after complaint from those around him. They complained about their leaders; they complained about the food; they complained about not having a home.
The final straw came when the people were on the verge of conquering what would be their home. When victory was assured, the people suddenly turned cowardly. The occupants of the land were too strong, they said; they will crush us like grasshoppers. And in response their god decreed that every one of them would die in the desert, and only their children would settle the land.
That was enough. He was not going to continue to follow a god who had decreed his death in the wilderness. He had a land to return to; he didn't need to stay with this group. And so he returned to his homeland, where he became a powerful priest in his own right.
That was forty years ago. Since then he had had a good life; he had the gift of prophecy and the ability to influence gods, or so it appeared. So when the messengers came with a royal commission, one he was inclined to accept, he sought counsel from the most powerful god he knew.
"Who are these people with you?" And he answered "they would have me curse a people that is about to conquer their king". But the heavenly voice said "no, you will not curse them, because they are mine and they are blessed".
Could it be true? Could this attacking army be none other than those he had lived with for a time? In confusion, he sent the messengers away.
But as time passed he convinced himself otherwise, and when more messengers came, with tribute this time, he accepted the job and stubbornly ignored all signs that he might be wrong. He set out to do the king's bidding.
Later, he would explain that he had only spoken the words that came to him in prophecy; he was not to blame. He found that an easier story to tell than what really happened.
But the truth was that when he looked out over the land and saw the vast multitude, he saw the children of his onetime companions. He saw their strength, their resolve, and their readiness to follow their god into their land. These were not the miserable souls of the previous generation who had been unable to accept the god who dwelled in their midst. That generation was gone save four -- their prophet, two of their spies, and himself. Three of them had remained faithful.
And at that point he wanted nothing more than to call forth blessings on this people, these resolute souls who had endured forty years as nomads so that they could enter their land. And so he opened his mouth to speak.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-29 03:37 am (UTC)Is there something in the text that says he was a cousin or is that "just" part of your story.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-05-29 03:42 am (UTC)Cousin: no, I made that part up. For that matter, the text doesn't say where he's from, so Midian is pure fabrication too. This started out with the question "why the heck would he cite God by name?" and went from there. (When the question came up this morning at study I said "maybe he was an apikorus".)
interesting similarities
Date: 2005-05-29 09:31 pm (UTC)(I also noticed that it says Yitro brought Moshe's wife & two sons and doesn't mention anyone else, but then again the torah is known for leaving out details.)
Re: interesting similarities
Date: 2005-05-30 02:05 am (UTC)Balak's father is Tzipor (and thanks for pointing out this similarity!). Bilaam's father is Beor.
Discovered while confirming that:
"Some say that Balaam was descended from Abraham's nephew Kemuel (Lekach Tov; see Genesis 22:21). Others say that he was a descendant of Laban (Sanhedrin 105a; Torah Temimah)." (From Navigating the Bible from ORT.)
Re: interesting similarities
Date: 2005-05-30 03:09 am (UTC)