Between the Lines (A Story). 2 Kings 19

I decided to take a slight vacation from writing about the JW's and write a second story based on the Bible. Many stories in the Bible are written in just a few words with the details left to our imagination. I have taken one such story and filled in the details which may or may not have taken place. Why "Between the Lines"? Because what I add to Holy Scripture can only be found in the "white space" of your Bible--"Between the Lines."

From 2 Kings 19

My name is Ruel and my story takes place during the reign of good king Hezekiah. I was but 10 years old when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded and conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He then turned his attention to Judah and in particular David’s city, Jerusalem.

In invading Judah, Sennacherib started by taking Joppa. We heard the city fell in just three days. Thousands were slain and thousands were taken captive. Then the following cities fell in rapid succession: Bene-berak, Beth-dagon, Timnah, Ekron, Arekah, Gath and Lachish. Only three Israelite fortified cites laid between Sennacherib and his ultimate prize, Jerusalem.

Lenah, where I lived, was one of the three. Two days before the actual invasion, we could hear the army approaching. We were quickly surrounded and then their supreme commander met with city officials and demanded our surrender. He took to hurling insults, blaspheming Judah and our God, Yahweh. We knew and I believe their commander knew that the terms would be unacceptable. I think the Assyrians were biding their time; making preparations for a direct assault. And the assault came—just before daybreak. In just two hours our walls were breached and the fighting began house to house.

Our father had been called to the walls and so our family’s defense fell to Jared, my 16 year old brother. Under his care was my mother, my baby sister, Tereza, and myself. Jared and I moved our few pieces of furniture in front of the door hoping to create a strong enough barricade that the Assyrians would bypass our house in order to quickly take the entire city. As I worked I prayed, “Lord of hosts, send just one of you mighty angels to turn back the Assyrians.”

As we waited in our small fortress, we could hear the enemy making their way down our street. Screams and shrieks punctuated the air and grew louder and louder. Finally a deafening blow struck our door. We froze in fear. Too scared to move or utter a sound we just stared at the door. Had our strategy worked? Without warning the door exploded and two large, armor covered soldiers charged into our home. Jared was not even able to raise his knife when an Assyrian short sword ran him through. I covered my sister’s face with my shoulder and hide my face in hers. My mother shouted my name and then she shouted no more. The assassins talked briefly and then left. My sister and I remained in our embrace too terrified to move or speak. 

It was well past midday when someone yanked my sister from my hold. I looked up and saw a much smaller man than the two soldiers who denigrated our home. He flung my sister to an even smaller man and said, “Sell her.” He seized me by my hair and hauled me to my feet. I offered no resistance. I caught a glimpse of both my mother and brother. With their eyes wide open, I thought for just a moment that they were not dead. But the blood that saturated their clothes snapped me back to reality. “Press this one into service.”

I quickly found out what “press into service” meant. I was a slave to carry out the every wish of my captors. I carried, fixed, cooked and did any and all things for the conquerors that would leave them more time to sleep, prepare for battle and fight. The smallest misstep or insult could result in a beating, sometimes unto death. 

After the victory at Lenah the Assyrians, out of strategic necessity, bypassed the fortified cities of Mareshuh and Beth-zur and headed toward Jerusalem. Upon arriving, Sennacherib had his men make ready for a siege of Jerusalem. He then followed his usually practice and sent in his Rabshakeh to confront the soldiers manning the city walls. In Hebrew, he asked them to distrust Yahweh and Hezekiah, pointing to Hezekiah's righteous reforms (destroying the High Places) as a sign that the people should not trust their king. The Rabshakeh’s report back to Sennacherib described the Israelites as immovable. The Assyrians prepared for battle. When, would be decided by Sennacherib.

That night I again called upon the name of the Lord to deliver Judah from her attackers. I fell asleep alternating between praying and reliving the last moments of my family.

Sometime after midnight I was startled awake by a bright flash of light. It penetrated the tent walls and my eyelids. I thought that it must be lightening. What else could be that bright? As I opened my eyes the light filled the tent. It was not a flash, as would indicate lightening, but a continuous shinning as if it was midday and not midnight. I rose to see what could be behind such an unusual occurrence.

As I drew back the tent flap, I beheld a creature that caused my bowels to tremble. There at the far end of the Assyrian camp, taller than any cedar I had ever seen, was a solider fully dressed in battle array, sword in hand. Only this solider was not flesh and blood but light. I could see him, yet see through him. All the camp was now awake and doing what I was doing, staring at the creature.

With the sound of a mighty wind, he brought his sword up, and in a sweeping motion, like a harvester swinging a sickle, cut through several thousand Assyrian soldiers. Not a sound could be heard, other than the swoosh of his sickle cutting through several more thousand Assyrians. Another swoosh and yet another. The creature moved forward coming straight to my position. I tried to run but was unable to do so, held by some force to the ground. I looked around and the soldiers were also trying to move but were being held as I was. Swoosh . . .swoosh . . . swoosh. Thousands were dying with each swing of the mighty blade but we were powerless to move out of the way.

As the creature closed in on my position, I tried harder and harder to extract my feet from the power that held them motionless. But, it was to no avail. Now the creature was upon me and it was my turn to face my fate. Soldiers in front of me tried all manner of bodily contortions to avoid the blade but none escaped. When it was my turn, I instinctively curled into a ball. When the swoosh came, it was louder than any other and for a brief moment I could hear the shrieks of the dying. I heard another swoosh then another. Did he miss me? Was I dead? What was it like to be dead? Was I in Abraham’s bosom?

I opened my eyes and could see the creature had moved beyond me still swinging his sword from side to side, slicing through the Assyrian army. Surrounding me were thousands and thousands of dead soldiers, not dying—dead. There were none wounded—all were dead. I was now able to move and instead of running from the creature I found myself inexorably following him as he made his destructive way through the Assyrians. When he reached the end of the encampment, he turned as if to survey what he had wrought. His voice sounded like a rushing river but he clearly said, “Yahweh tshuvot tfila,” and then he disappeared.

I slowly repeated, “Yahweh . . . tshuvot . . . tfila,”

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!

Between the Lines Story #3 based on Daniel 5 is here.