The Time To Obey

Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Nehemiah 4:17

Young Jadon followed his father up the hillside to the base of the city wall, a short spear suited to his stature in one hand and a pair of squared-off stones cradled in the other. His father carried a full spear and several of the larger middle stones which left Jadon ashamed until his abba told him to be patient as strength would come with growth in a season or two. As his father began work on a section of wall that their family worked at Nehemiah's direction, the young men of Jadon's age began the trek back down the hill to gather more stones for the wall building, following the asses and wagons which brought the large main stones up.

As the portage train wound its way along the steep trails, Jadon gave some thought to how long this project would take, and how or when he could get back to his leather work, something he enjoyed doing after the day's stone work was finished. If all of them could carry more stones with each trip, Jadon pondered, then the building might go faster. Even the ass drivers carried a weapon in one hand, meaning each of them could only manage one ass per trip. What if he could put together some sort of sheath, then they all would only be a little slower to deploy their weapons should the Samarians attack as Nehemiah suspected they might before the wall was completed.

Taking up his cloak at their water break, Jadon tore some strips and fashioned a mock-up of what he would make with leather later. Not on the side or front of the body, that was for sure; he didn't want to interfere with the larger loads they could carry. Jadon arrived last in the stone line but with his spear slung diagonally across his back and both hands free to tote the load. The supervisor of the quarry looked at him with a strange glance, but loaded him with twice the usual stones for his trip up the hill.

As they had the energy of the young, Jaden's friends questioned him about this rig, but refused to change theirs at the next break for fear of disobeying their abbas. Jaden, pushed aside the fear that rose up in him too, and instead chose to dream of the accolades his elders would bestow for his creative thinking. Perhaps he would even be sent to Nehemiah for special words of praise! It was in this dreamy state as he neared the wall that the alarm was shouted, "Samarians!"

The other men, young and older, quickly set down their wall stones and stood ready, spears in hand. Jaden grabbed for his spear, dropping his stones in the process and breaking two of them he saw, and tried to draw the spear bound to his back. What had worked so well in the calm of the water break below, did not go quite so easily in anticipated combat. First the 'sheath' tended to want to follow the shaft up and over his shoulder, and then the straps did not stay but lifted the back of his shift so that a rather demeaning view of his breeches showed over the valley below.

Seeing the readiness of the Hebrews, the squad of Samarians backed off quickly, acting as though it was some sort of exercise on their part. Jaden's abba helped him remove his spear and straighten his clothing. Jaden tensed up for the expected punishment, but his abba only led him out of hearing and away from the laughter he could hear starting among his friends as they retrieved their unbroken stones.

"Son, it is a good thought, but our lives hang in the balance here and we do not have the luxury of time to experiment. When the wall is completed, you shall have time to work out the problems with your sheath. Now though, is the time to obey," his abba stated gently. "And I suspect you have ruined the cloak your mother and sisters worked so hard to make for you."

Face flushed in shame, Jaden decided to obey, and to weather the storm sure to spring up back at home.

A Friday story for you!

God is good,

Bucky