Keepers of the Covenant (40 page)

Authors: Lynn Austin

Tags: #Christian Fiction, #Bible Old Testament—Fiction, #FIC026000, #FIC042030, #FIC014000, #Bible fiction, #Ezra (Biblical figure)—Fiction

Tonight Devorah and her family would celebrate the Almighty
One’s faithfulness and His salvation with feasting and singing and joy.

Ezra sat with his family on the roof of the governor’s residence that night, watching the festivities in the streets below. Songs and laughter filled the air as Jerusalem remembered God’s miraculous deliverance. “Listen . . .” Ezra told his sons. “Hear how joyful our people are tonight? You can’t imagine how different the atmosphere was when we first received news of Haman’s decree. We were in shock, engulfed by hopelessness and despair. The only thing we could do in our helplessness was fast and pray and beg the Almighty One for mercy.”

“And He answered, didn’t He, Abba,” Ezra’s youngest daughter said.

“Yes, He surely did. If things ever look hopeless to you, remember how the Holy One answered our prayers. Don’t ever forget to call on Him in your time of need.”

“Mama says we should remember my father Jude, too,” his son Judah said. “He died protecting her and Abigail and Michal.”

“That’s true. Your mother’s right. Along with our happiness, we will always grieve for my brother Jude on this day.” Ezra reached to encircle Devorah’s shoulder and draw her close, marveling how joy and love had come from a time of great pain. “But tell me,” Ezra continued, “did you listen closely as I read the story today?”

“Yes, Abba.” Judah and Shallum answered simultaneously, the way they had since they’d first learned to talk. They made Ezra smile.

“Did you notice anything missing from the story?” he asked.

“What do you mean, Abba?” Shallum asked.

“I’ll put the question another way—how many times was the Almighty One mentioned in Queen Esther’s story? What part
did He play?” The boys looked at each other as they tried to recall, both frowning the way Devorah did when she was deep in thought.

“How many times?” Shallum repeated. “I don’t think . . .”

“Wait! You’re right!” Judah interrupted. “I know what’s missing! The story never mentioned the Almighty One at all.”

“Are you sure?” one of Ezra’s daughters asked him.

“I’m pretty sure . . .” Judah said. “Am I right, Abba?”

“Yes, you’re right. God is never mentioned or even referred to in the scroll. His name is curiously missing, and He seems to play no part at all in the events. Now, we know Mordecai was a God-fearing man, so why do you suppose he had the story written and passed along to us this way? Why is the Almighty One never mentioned? Any thoughts?”

Ezra sat back to listen as his children discussed the mystery for several minutes, giving various reasons for His absence. Even Devorah joined in, offering a few guesses of her own. But as time passed, they all decided that none of their reasons was satisfactory.

“We give up, Abba,” Judah finally said.

“Do you know the real reason, Abba?” Shallum asked.

Ezra shook his head. “No, Mordecai didn’t provide an explanation. But I’ve given it a great deal of thought, and I think I know a possible reason why God is hidden behind the scenes in this story.” His children sat forward, listening intently. “I believe Mordecai wrote it this way because this is how we most often experience the Holy One in our own lives. God’s plan is often hidden from us in such a way that we can’t see what He’s doing. We may feel abandoned by Him and wonder what He is doing and why He has left us all alone. But of course He isn’t ‘missing’ at all, just as He isn’t really missing in Esther’s story. He’s always right beside us, only a prayer away, working out events for our salvation. He wants us to trust Him in faith, even when we can’t see or understand what He is doing.”

“I remember how abandoned we felt when we first heard Haman’s decree,” Devorah said. “No one could understand why He allowed evil to win.”

“Yes. But now we know from Esther’s story that God hadn’t abandoned us after all. He was hard at work behind the scenes, arranging to save us through a Jewish queen.”

“I think you’re right, Abba,” Shallum said. “I think that’s why the Holy One is ‘missing.’”

“Your father is the wisest man in Jerusalem,” Devorah said, smiling up at him. She rose and passed around a tray of sweets to all their children.

Ezra leaned back and relaxed as he listened to his family laughing and talking among themselves. Never had he known such joy and contentment. He closed his eyes for a moment as he whispered a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the Almighty One’s goodness and deliverance. God had used the events of Purim to not only give him this beautiful family, but to bring them here to Jerusalem
.

Ezra had studied the Scriptures all his life, seeking to know and understand the God who loved him. But even after all these years, he knew he had barely begun to learn about Him—the God who balanced justice and mercy, law and grace. Tomorrow, when the celebration ended, he would return to his study and open the Torah scrolls to learn even more about his awesome God.

Glossary

Abba
—Father, Daddy.

Apadna
—A huge, open-air terrace used by Persian kings for formal ceremonies.

Aron
Ha
Kodesh
—The sacred ark in the Jewish house of worship where the Torah and other sacred scrolls are kept.

Bar
Mitzvah
—Son of the commandments—The ceremony at age twelve or thirteen at which a Jewish boy is considered a man and can read Scripture in the synagogue.

Bimah
—The raised platform in a Jewish house of worship where Scripture is read.

Gan
Eden
—The Garden of Eden.

Havdalah
—Separation. Havdalah lights are lit as the Sabbath ends to mark the separation between that holy day and ordinary days.

Kidron
Valley
—The valley outside Jerusalem between the city and the Mount of Olives to the east.

Kippah
—A small head covering worn by Jewish men.

Korban
—To make a sacrifice. From the Hebrew root word meaning “to come near.”

Levir
—Brother-in-law.

Levite
—A descendant of the tribe of Levi, one of Jacob’s twelve sons, who later became temple assistants.

Mikveh
/
Mikvoth
(pl)—A bath used for ritual cleansing and purity.

Phylacteries
—Small boxes containing Scripture that Jewish men attach to their foreheads and arms while praying. (See Deuteronomy 6:8).

Purim
—The plural of
Pur
, meaning to cast lots.

Rebbe
—Rabbi, teacher.

Shabbat
—The Sabbath, a Jewish day of rest. It begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday.

Shema
—Hebrew for “hear.” The
shema
is the Jewish confession of faith found in Deuteronomy 6:4. It begins, “Hear, O Israel . . .”

Torah
—The first five books of the Bible, which contain God’s Law.

Yeshiva
—A Jewish school where Scripture is studied.

Ziggurat
—A stepped pyramid used for worshipping pagan gods, like the Tower of Babel.

A Note to the Reader

C
areful study of Scripture and commentaries support the fictionalization of this story. To create authentic speech, the author has paraphrased the words of biblical figures such as Ezra. However, the New International Version has been directly quoted when characters are reading, singing, or reciting Scripture passages.

Interested readers are encouraged to research the full accounts of these events in the Bible as they enjoy the R
ESTORATION
C
HRONICLES
.

Scripture references for
Keepers
of
the
Covenant
:

Ezra 7–10

Esther 1–10

Ruth 1–4

1 Samuel 15:1–35

Genesis 19:1–38; 36:1–12

Exodus 17:8–14; 28:1–42; 34:15–16

Numbers 1:47–53; 3:11–13; 8:5–26; 18:21; 25:1–15

Deuteronomy 25:5–10; 25:17–19

Joshua 2:1–22; 6:22–25

Judges 4–5

Matthew 1:5–6

Bestselling author
Lynn
Austin
has sold more than one million copies of her books worldwide. She is an eight-time Christy Award winner for her historical novels, as well as a popular speaker at retreats and conventions. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and live in Michigan. Learn more at
www.
lynnaustin.org
.

Books by Lynn Austin

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Eve’s Daughters

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Pilgrimage

A Proper Pursuit

Though Waters Roar

Until We Reach Home

While We’re Far Apart

Wings of Refuge

A Woman’s Place