Eyes Only

To: POTUS

From:  Secretary of State Roberts

RE: Initial contact with The Kingdom

In light of the current crisis, I request that the President read this discussion with Adoniyah, the ambassador from the Kingdom, immediately. 

Adoniyah: I am sure Emperor Yeshua appreciates your affirmation, Ms. Roberts.  But the Kingdom is a sovereign nation with or without your approval.

Roberts: Um, yes, of course.  Your king prefers “Yeshua”, Minister?

Adoniyah: Yes.  It is only an accident of language that you Englishers call him “Jesus”.  He prefers Emperor Yeshua.

Roberts: The United States is not prepared to call him “emperor” however.

Adoniyah: Many within your nation many have been calling him so for years.  “King of Kings” is simply another word for “Emperor.”  But Yeshua will do.  There is really no other you could be referring to, and the emperor is not one to be sticky about titles. 

Roberts: That is good to know.  Is Yeshua open to a visit to the United States?

Adoniyah: In time.  There is much to consider before a formal visit can be arranged.

Roberts: True.  Of course, first on the American agenda is to open up the possibilities of trade. 

Adoniyah: This could be difficult.  The Kingdom recognizes no form of currency, and there will be no banking or currency within the borders of the Kingdom.

Roberts: That is… unprecedented, Minister.  And perhaps unwise.  After all, black market currency would, I’m sure, circulate freely…

Adoniyah: Not if everything is offered to all within the Kingdom without the need for it.  Why go through the effort of obtaining American dollars when that which you desire is granted without it?

Roberts: Surely you won’t be providing everything to your citizens.  For instance, alcohol.

Adoniyah: What about alcohol?

Roberts: Is it your plan to make it illegal?

Adoniyah: Why should we do that?  Wine is served at most every meal. 

Roberts: Well, then, what about illegal drugs?

Adoniyah: These are minor issues, in fact.  Addiction, as a medical condition, is eradicated by our health program and the social necessity of addiction is also eliminated.

Roberts: What is the social necessity of addition, if I might ask?

Adoniyah: Oppression.  In any case, you can see that trade with the currencied nations is difficult.  For now, we would have to bypass trade, until we can establish a means of trade. 

Roberts: Perhaps we could establish a means of barter.  We would have to work out a measure of value, however. 

Adoniyah: Good.  We can have some of our economists gather and figure this out.  Speaking of economics, this relates to the next item on my agenda.  Your poor.

Roberts: OUR poor?  I’m sure we should be more concerned about your poor, Minister.

Adoniyah: We appreciate your concern, Ms. Secretary.  But I assure you, we are taking care of our own.  We are meeting with each nation to be sure that they all do the same.

Roberts: I am not sure what business it is of yours.

Adoniyah: It is the desire of our entire government that the poor of the world be cared for.

Roberts: Very noble.  But we have welfare and earned income credit.  And there are many social agencies for our poor.  Our “poor” are wealthier than many of your middle class.

Adoniyah: Superficially, that is true.  And I admire your programs.  Although less complete than many of the European counterparts, your welfare programs are far better than most nations of the world.

Roberts: I will pass your affirmation on.  I am sure that the president will appreciate the sentiment.

Adoniyah: However, it is incomplete.  Poverty is sourced in two ways: economic social rejection and lack of renewable wealth.

Roberts: I’m not sure what you mean.

Adoniyah: Economic social rejection is to be of a social class that is prejudiced against.  This perpetuates poverty.  For instance, your homeless and your mentally ill.  For whatever reason they become poor, their poverty is perpetuated by the rejection your society puts on them.

Roberts: But many—perhaps most—of our social programs are for these groups.

Adoniyah: But look at the social programs you have.  Giveaways of throwaway items, such as clothes or food.  A tiny income for a small percentage, who prove to you that they are incapable.  Housing for an even smaller percentage.  These programs indicate that you consider these people to be incompetent, unable to help themselves.

Roberts: Well, perhaps if they would help themselves, we wouldn’t need these programs.

Adoniyah: And, right there, ma’am, is why these peoples are economically disadvantaged.  Because these peoples cannot fit themselves in your narrow economic model, you assume that they cannot help themselves.

Roberts: Narrow?  We have a variety of options for our citizens.

Adoniyah: Few of them provide livable incomes, however.  One must have a particular kind of economic patronage, at least 40 hours a week, in order to have a livable income.  Or be of the top 5 percent of income earners.

Roberts: Be that as it may, I don’t see what this has to do with helping our poor. 

Adoniyah: Perhaps nothing.  Over time, I would like some of our experts on poverty to work with your social programs to create new models of assisting your citizens in poverty.

Roberts: I’m sure that can be arranged.  At your expense, of course.

Adoniyah: What expense?

Roberts: Transportation, housing, income…

Adoniyah: This is already naturally provided.  Anyone who can instantly be transported anywhere on the globe, need not worry about transportation or housing costs.

Roberts: Oh, of course.  I forgot.

Adoniyah: The other poverty issue is the one I really wanted to discuss with you: Renewable wealth.

Roberts: I’m not sure what that means.

Adoniyah: All of the economic benefits you provide to your poor are consumable.  Currency can only be used once and then must be obtained again.

Roberts: We do give welfare every month, of course.

Adoniyah: Of course.  But it is impossible to build wealth with what you give them.  It can only be used and then one must wait until the next check comes.  The same with food or clothes.  These goods are consumable, not renewable.

Roberts: And what would you propose that we do about this?  What kind of renewable income are you talking about?

Adoniyah: Land.

Roberts: You want us to have a welfare program that distributes land?

Adoniyah: We figured that you would want it to be equitable, so rather than a welfare program, it could be a simple re-distribution program.  Every adult member of your society receives some land.

Roberts: This is insane.  First of all it would never happen.  Most of the land is owned by private owners, and we can’t steal their land and somehow I think that they wouldn’t give it freely for us to redistribute to others.  Secondly, even if we gave the poor—or anyone else—land, they would just sell it.  This would not be renewable at all.  It would just be another form of consumable wealth.

Adoniyah: The ancient program is still the best one: the land cannot be sold or taken away from the family it was originally granted to.  It can be rented or leased for up to seven years.  But the ownership cannot be transferred, except upon death.  This would not provide much of an income, necessarily, but it would be a resource that every single person can use to their benefit.  If not to make money, at least to have land to live on.

Roberts: You intend to create an agrarian society?  The far majority of our people are born urban-dwellers.

Adoniyah: We are not telling you to be an agrarian society.  Rather, it provides people with an agrarian option, should they prove unable to be urban.  We would also work with the religious organizations in your nation to provide education and the basic resources to begin living independently as agrarian. 

Roberts: I am sure that most poor wouldn’t appreciate this option.

Adoniyah: More would accept it than you think.  And as pockets of subsistence agrarian economies develop, more will join.  It isn’t the only solution to poverty, no.  But it is a better option than you have ever provided. 

Roberts: This is an interesting ideological discussion, but it will never happen.

Adoniyah: You do not understand, Ms. Roberts.  You dealing with your poverty is not a request on our part, but a demand. 

Roberts: A demand?  As a nation not yet ten years old you are hardly in the place to demand things of the United States.

Adoniyah: Of course we are.  If you refuse to give land to at least your poor, then we will stop your rain.  If you continue to reject our demands, we will cast fire on your government buildings.  We will continue from there.  Again, we are serious about having your poor cared for.

Roberts: (Silence for a full minute)  If you threaten us like this, there will be repercussions. We are not helpless, you know.

Adoniyah: Which is the next item on my agenda, Ms. Roberts: weapons.

Roberts: Which weapons, Minister?

Adoniyah: All of them.  Nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional.  Everything from your nuclear arsenal to a handgun.

Roberts: (Becoming angry) And what could possibly be your request?

Adoniyah: Of course, they would not be necessary any more, Ms. Roberts.

Roberts: (Laughs) I hardly think that it would be the Kingdom’s business…

Adoniyah: But of course it is.  The Kingdom is not just interested in keeping peace within itself as its own nation.  Rather, the goal is, has always been, world peace.

Roberts: I assure you that this has been the goal of the United States since its inception…

Adoniyah: That is not true, Ms. Roberts, and please do not begin our relationship on such weak ground as you thinking you can deceive me as to your intentions.  Your goal is to maintain the United States as an economic, military and political leader of the world.  This is no longer the case.  You have a voice, but it grows smaller every day. As you know, you have insurrections within your own borders by the Christians who want to make the United States a colony of the Kingdom. 

Roberts: Small pockets.

Adoniyah: Not so small should you aim your military against the Kingdom as a target, I assure you.  You would have every right to question the loyalty of some of your most loyal troops.  Your Christendom is being dismantled.

Roberts: (Aghast) We have never been a Christendom.

Adoniyah: I agree.  That never stopped your leaders from using Christendom language to support your position around the world.  Would you have had the support in the Middle East to obtain oil were it not for the eschatological assumptions of much of your constituency?  Well the eschaton is here.  And this brought confusion, because it was not what was expected.

Roberts: What does this have to do with out weapons?

Adoniyah: I am simply pointing out that you do not have the world position that you once did.  Not all, but much of your power was based on allowing the Christians in your nation to have assumptions that you were meant to rule.  Those assumptions have been stripped.  I do not know your specific plans for the future, but I do know human nature.  You will want to maintain your power base.  Unfortunately, we cannot allow that.  Transfer of power can be… terribly violent. 

Roberts: I have not noticed that the Kingdom is hesitant to use violence.

Adoniyah: Yes, we eliminated those who enacted violence against us.  We shall continue to do so.  But our goal is to prevent as much violence as possible, including to defang potential enemies.

Roberts: You see the United States as an enemy?

Adoniyah: Not really.  Our hope is to eliminate the United States as a potential enemy so that we might work together as allies.

Roberts: And you plan to do this by eliminating our weapons?

Adoniyah: Correct.

Roberts: Well, we can negotiate a proposal for disarmament, but we would want it to be equitable…

Adoniyah: It would be.  We have no need for technological weapons.

Roberts: But I can tell you, it will be a long process.  And it is in our foundational rights that all citizens have the right to have weapons.

Adoniyah: I want to assure you that we are not interested in eliminating all weapons.  Only the technological ones.  The ones that can kill another person without thought.

Roberts: Even so, this will take some planning.

Adoniyah: Not at all.  It is already done.

Roberts: (Looking around at her agents, smiling)  I can assure you it is not.

Adoniyah: (Confident) I can assure you that it is.

Roberts: (To Agent)  You still have your weapon.

Agent: (Without moving) Yes, ma’am.

Adoniyah: Please check your ammunition.

Agent: (Without moving) Sorry, sir.  It is against policy.

Adoniyah: You can call another guard in to look over you as you check.

Agent: Ma’am?

Roberts: Please.  I’d like to move on, and we need some proof, one way or another.

Agent: Yes ma’am.  (Whispers into his communicator.)

Roberts: (Turning to Adoniyah) You people are really arrogant, you know.

Adoniyah: Becoming rulers of the world does that, of course.

Roberts: I thought that you upheld humility.  Isn’t that a Christian virtue?

Adoniyah: I am not a Christian, ma’am.  But from what I understand, humility is a virtue of the oppressed.  Remaining lowly in the light of rebellious authorities, and awaiting God’s raising.  We are raised now, ma’am.  We wish to be polite, but it is better for everyone if we remain in control.

(The sound of running in the hall, outside the door.)

Roberts: (To Agent) What is going on?

Agent: (Speaking into his communicator, clearly agitated)  Just a moment, ma’am.

Adoniyah: Having found that their ammunition is missing, they are scrambling to find any.  They don’t want me to know that they are now weaponless.  But I already knew that.

Agent: Ma’am, we have to leave. Immediately.

Adoniyah: All your weapons are eliminated, ma’am.  Every nuclear warhead, every gun, every bomb, every bullet—they are all disarmed.

Roberts: (Being pushed out the door, quickly) We will speak again…

Adoniyah: Oh yes, we will.  (And he disappears)

Roberts: What the hell…

Secretary of State Roberts is quickly moved out of the building to the plane outside.  The Secret Security agent brings Secretary Roberts up to date about the situation concerning weapons.  Every weapon on each guard is empty of ammunition.  Because of the lack of protection, it was decided that the Secretary be transported immediately back to the United States.  Before the plane leaves the runway, the following conversation is held:

Roberts: What kind of magic trick is this?  How could they possibly cause our ammunition to disappear?

Agent: I don’t know, ma’am. 

Adoniyah: (Appearing suddenly) Hello again.

Roberts: (Startled) Damn—what the…

Agent: (Grabbing Adoniyah and putting him into a hold) Reinforcements, now!

Adoniyah: Don’t kill him, Uriel.  Just immobilize him.

The Agent’s arm is forcibly, but invisibly, taken off of the Minister, pulled behind the Agent’s back and an audible crack is heard.  The sound of other agents are outside the plane’s office door, but none come in.

Adoniyah: (Facing Secretary Roberts, her eyes wide, staring at him)  This is no diplomatic game, Ms. Roberts.  We are serious about our demands, and we intend to enforce them ourselves, if we must.  We have an uncountable army, because you cannot see them.  Every soldier in our army is stronger than any human, able to instantly transport themselves anywhere on earth and able to do anything, gather any information completely unseen.  We are not asking your weapons to be disabled.  They already are.  All of them.

Roberts: That is impossible…

Adoniyah: What was impossible is now everyday, Ms. Secretary.

Roberts: What gives you the right…

Adoniyah: The destruction of good people throughout the globe.  Yahweh had given you the opportunity to rule the globe.  And instead of creating peace on earth, justice for all, including the poor, you did what every other empire did.  Re-shape the world so that the majority of resources were available to your people, for the benefit of your wealthy.  We will admit, you were not the worst of empires.  No, there were many empires in the past that were worse, and this last evil empire was far worse.  Nevertheless, we intend to make it certain that such wars that took place this last century—nay, for the last millennia—would never occur again.  You want war?  It will never come down against the Kingdom, that we will be certain of.  But even should you war against other nations, it will be with spears and arrows.  Even your planes will be disabled for now to eliminate any possible repeat of 9/11.  Any planes will only be able to take off by asking permission from the Kingdom.  We are serious about creating a new world of peace, Ms. Roberts.  We are serious about seeing the poor of the world have equality.  And we have the means to make our demands occur.

Roberts: Are we allowed to take off and go back to the United States?

Adoniyah: Yes, of course.  I will visit you in Washington soon.  That will be our next communication.

Roberts: Then please leave the plane. 

Adoniyah: If you wish.  I am sorry to have embarrassed you.  I hope we will be able to work together toward similar goals, now that the ancient goals have finally been set aside.  (He disappears).

Why Remember?

"Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief cornerstone…? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

An ancient teaching by Yeshua, the rabbi from Nazareth, aka Matthew 22:42-44

Yakov: This board of elders of the town of Zorah is now convened.  We will now consider the statements made against Adoniyah, son of Azaliah.  Who saw the crime?  (Silence in the courtyard.)  Well?  Rehebiah, did you not see the crime?

Rehebiah: (Head bowed, voice soft.) Yes, elder.

Yakov: Why do you not speak?  The security and survival of Zorah is at stake!  By the Most High, speak of what you saw!

Rehebiah: What do you wish me to speak of, elder?

Yakov: (Exasperated) Of the crime you saw Adoniyah do!⁴⁴

Rehebiah: Yes.  Well.  I saw Adoniyah walk onto your property, elder Yakov.

Yakov:  (Angry) I do not know why you force me to pull every word out of your mouth!  What did you see him do while on my property?

Rehebiah: I saw him harvest some of your grain, place it in his cart and drive it away.  But, honestly, elder, it was not much.  Perhaps it was a cartful, but it was only a small amount compared to your great fields.  And it was only at the edges of your fields…

Yakov: What does it matter the amount?  Or where the grain was originally placed?  Was the grain not in my property?

Rehebiah: Yes, elder.

Yakov: And did Adoniyah go into my property to take this grain?

Rehebiah: Yes, elder.

Yakov: And didn’t Adoniyah steal this grain and take it away?

Rehebiah: I do not know, elder.

Yakov: What do you mean, you do not know?  Didn’t you see him steal it?

Rehebiah: I saw him walk on your property and take grain.  But I do not know what he did with that grain, whether he had permission from you, or what circumstances there were for him to take the grain.  Perhaps he did not steal it.

Yakov: But you suspected that he stole it, didn’t you?

Rehebiah: (Blushing) Yes, elder.

Yakov: I can tell you now, with my own mouth, that Adoniyah did not do this with my permission.  He stole my possession from me.

Rehebiah: (Silent)

Yakov: Next witness!  Habazziniah, come forward!

Habazziniah: Yes, elder.

Yakov: Can you speak of the crime of Adoniyah which you witnessed?

Habazziniah: Yes, elder.  I saw Adoniyah blithely stroll onto my fields and steal my grain. 

Yakov: When did this happen?

Habazziniah: Two weeks ago.

Yakov: And does it matter to you where or how much grain it was?

Habazziniah: Well, it is true that it is a minor part of my whole harvest.  I might have ignored it if he had done it at night, as a common criminal would have.  But he did it in open daylight, before my eyes.  He had no shame in his eyes, but stole in front of me.

Yakov: Did you confront him about his crime?

Habazziniah: Of course I did.

Yakov: And what did he say?

Habazziniah: He told me that the Lord had need of the grain. 

Yakov: Did you try to stop him?

Habazziniah: Well, no.  I am not a young man and I feared.

Yakov: Why did you not call your workers to stop him?

Habazziniah: They were a distance away, at the house.  By the time I could collect them, Adoniyah would have been gone.

Yakov: Very well.  Thank you, friend Habazziniah.  Now, Adoniyah, come forward!

Adoniyah: Yes, lord Yakov?

Yakov: The proper title is elder, not lord.

Adoniyah: Are you sure, Yakov?  Then why do not any other of your elders, sitting beside you, ask questions or make comments.  They are barely able to show their faces, here.

Yakov: I am the lead elder, here.  Who are you to question our proceedings?  Are you Adoniyah, son of Azaliah?

Adoniyah: Yes, I am.

Yakov: You were seen, in two separate occasions, stealing grain.  What do you say to these charges?

Adoniyah: I did not steal.

Yakov: Oh yes?  Did you enter my field and take my gain?

Adoniyah: I did enter your field, but I did not take your grain.

Yakov: But we have a witness who says you did!

Adoniyah: Your witness spoke the truth.

Yakov: And that witness said that he saw you steal my grain!

Adoniyah: No.  He said he saw me walk onto your property and harvest grain that was on your field.

Yakov: What game of semantics are you playing, Adoniyah?  That is stealing.

Adoniyah: Not if the grain was not yours.

Yakov: But my men planted it.  It was growing on my property.  It was mine.

Adoniyah: Not according to God’s law.  For it is written: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest, nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you pick the fallen fruit of your vineyard, you shall leave them for the needy and the stranger.”⁴⁵  That grain was in the corner of your field, even as the grain I picked up at Habazziniah’s was at the corner of his field.  That grain did not belong to you, but to the poor, according to the law of God.

Yakov: What law is this?

Adoniyah: It is the law of God, as given to Moses, the servant of God.

Yakov: We recognize no such law here.

Adoniyah: That is obvious.  But the governor, Zerubbabel does. 

Yakov: This is not Zerubbabel’s town!  Nor is it Moses’!  It is mine!  I built this town, and I determine the law!

Adoniyah: Is that right?  That should be as much a surprise to Zerubbabel as it is to the ears of your elders who sit beside you.

Yakov: They all owe me!  I paid for them to come to this place!  I paid for the building of all the homes in this town!

Adoniyah: Even were that true, the money that you did use to pay for these travelers and their buildings you took from those weaker than you.  You have stolen from the anawim, while I have only taken that which belonged to the poor! 

Yakov: Shut up, shut up!  I gave to these lackeys!

Adoniyah: Yes, so you might have them in your pocket when you came to the restored land of God!

Machir: Excuse me, elder.  Perhaps I can question the accused for a bit?

Yakov: (Waves his hand, too angry to speak properly.)

Machir: Thank you, elder.  Adoniyah, we are not here to accuse elders.  You would have to gather at least two more witnesses to support your claim.

Adoniyah: And so I would, if elder Yakov would allow Yohann to return to Zorah. 

Machir: He who threatened elder Yakov years ago when we first settled the land?  I think not.  Just answer my questions, Adoniyah.  Were you not already condemned for theft?

Adoniyah: Yes, in this very court.

Machir: And what was your punishment?

Adoniyah: This. (He holds up his right arm, which is missing its hand). 

Machir: Yes.  So we can all see that you have already been branded a thief. 

Adoniyah: So I was, wrongly.

Machir: Is that right?  How is this?

Adoniyah: Because I was only taking that which belongs rightfully to the poor, according to the law.

Machir: So you say.  What poor do you speak of?  Yourself?

Adoniyah: No, the stranger to our land. 

Machir: Are these the lazy immigrants you allow to inhabit your land?

Adoniyah:  They are not lazy, for they have built my land up to be the richest in the town.  They have built their own houses and have planted and harvested my fields.

Machir: Yet, this is not enough for you. 

Adoniyah: No.  Every family has children, and on my land are twenty families—perhaps a hundred souls all together.  That is just shy of being half of the population of the rest of the town.  My fields are not large enough to feed all of these.  So I take what belongs to these poor, to feed their children.

Machir: Why do you have these foreigners on your land, in any case?  It is none of your business.

Adoniyah: I take them on my land because the town would persecute them if they would settle anywhere else.  They are forbidden to settle within two miles of the town.

Machir: And why should they?  They are not even Judeans.

Adoniyah: Because our Lord God says, “You shall not oppress a stranger in your land, for you were once strangers in the land of Egypt.”⁴⁶  We are to remember the fact that we were immigrants, and that not long before.  As God provided for us, and delivered us from the oppression we experienced in the land of our sojourn, so we should deliver the immigrant from oppression.  Even as we were once homeless and poor, we should help the homeless and poor in our midst. 

Machir: We give all praise to God, but you must realize, Adoniyah, that it is Cyprus who delivered us from our oppression, and he gave us the responsibility to provide for our own security, our own provision, our own help.  Yes, the Most High delivers us, only in the amount that we deliver ourselves.  Right now, the oppression we face is not that of being homeless or made slaves, but rather impoverished and made hungry because of theft.

Adoniyah: Not a single person went hungry because of the grain I took!  Rather, many would be left hungry if that food was not delivered to the poor!

Machir: Guards, please silence Adoniyah.  (Machir waits while five young men, waiting for the command of the elders, hold Adoniyah and hit him in the face repeatedly.)  There, now I can speak without interruption.  Dear Yakov, and the rest of the elders, the true threat against Zorah is Adoniyah himself.  Not only has he stolen from some of the most important and respected members of this community, but he has done it even after punishment.  And he has done it in order to feed these foreigners who threaten to overrun our land.  As you have heard him speak himself, these foreigners are now a third of our population, and they have all been brought in to our town because of Adoniyah.  As it is clear that Adoniyah has no shame for his crimes, yet continues to threaten our way of life and our freedom, because he provides an example of rebellion to our young, I suggest that another simple punishment would not suffice.

Yakov: What is your suggestion, elder Machir?

Machir: Elder, I fear that if we simply banished Adoniyah, then he would return with his foreigners, and perhaps more from another land, and take over our town.  He would destroy all that we have built, and enslave us all to these foreigners.  To truly deal with the threat of Adoniyah, we must kill him. 

Rehebiah: Adoniyah would harm no one!  He has never hurt anyone in this town!

Machir: Rehebiah, are you an elder?  I must insist upon your silence, or else you will receive the same as Adoniyah.  If Adoniyah is set aside, then his land would be forfeit, as his sons are too young to run them properly.  Until they come of age, the eldership would take possession of the land, and the land could be used for the benefit of the town, instead of it’s detriment.  We would not harm the foreigners, just tell them to leave.  And all the grain found on the land would be returned to Yakov and Habazziniah.  What say you, elders?

Yakov: (Looking around at the elders.)  I think I can speak for all the elders that your plan is excellent, Machir.  Is there any objection?  (The elders remain silent, some looking askance).  Excellent.  Then I command, on the authority of the elders, for Adoniyah to be killed by stoning, immediately.  Guards, take him outside of the town.  Every elder and member of the town of Zorah, please follow. 

Adoniyah is dragged outside the town, with the elders following.  All but a few citizens remain behind, not wanting to throw a stone, nor even to see the evil proceedings.  The accusers and condemners surround the servant of God, picking up stones.  He cries out, “God, grant justice!  Judge between me and my accusers!”  Yakov throws the first stone, and bloodlust falls upon all of them, picking up as heavy stones as they can, casting at the head and body of the servant.  Bones crush and blood flows.  Overlooking the execution stands Isaiah, proclaiming God’s word:

Isaiah: “My servant will prosper.  He will be exalted above you.  You may be astonished at his appearance, how he is marred and malformed. But he will cleanse those from other nations.  Kings and governors will be silent before him.  He had no majesty that we should look to him for leadership, nor charisma that we should follow him.  He was despised and forsaken by men,  and we did not speak out for him, for we did not honor him.  Yet he bore our sorrows, he carried our grief.  We called him cursed by God and forsaken by our Lord.  He is being pierced for our transgressions, and crushed for our iniquities.  But we are made well by his wounds.  We have all gone astray like sheep, but the Lord has laid on him all of our sins.  He is oppressed and made one with the anawim.  Like a sheep before the shearers, he is now silent, not saying a word.  But the Lord is pleased to have him crushed, to make of him a guilt offering.  Because of this oppression, the Lord will grant him children to rise up in his place.  Because of the anguish of his soul, the Lord will give him prosperity.  The Lord will set aside the evil in this land, due to this oppression.  And He will restore it to the oppressed.  Therefore I allot him a portion with the great.  He will be of the mighty because he allowed himself to be poured out to death.  He was numbered with the transgressors, and bore the sin of many.”⁴⁷

Isaiah took word of this tragedy to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judea.    Zerubbabel tore his cloak and mourned for this good man, Adoniyah, who died for obeying the word of the Lord.  Then he took five hundred men and had them travel to Zorah, eight miles away.  All the elders were put on trial and killed for their injustice.  And the widow of Adoniyah was granted rule, in the stead of her children, and all the foreigners, once restricted to the land of Adoniyah was all granted the land of the elders, as well as land surrounding the town.  Thus, the town remained peaceful for a hundred years.

Notes

42. To recall the history of Yakov and Adoniyah, you might want to glance over their first story in chapter 2.

43. Leviticus 19:9-10

44. 22:21.

45. Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

The Penultimate Redemption

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

Because the LORD has anointed me

To bring good news to the afflicted;

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to captives

And freedom to prisoners;

To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To grant those who mourn in Zion,

Giving them a garland instead of ashes,

The oil of gladness instead of mourning,

The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.

So they will be called oaks of righteousness,

The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins,

They will raise up the former devastations;

And they will repair the ruined cities,

The desolations of many generations.

Strangers will stand and pasture your flocks,

And foreigners will be your farmers and your vinedressers.

But you will be called the priests of the LORD;

You will be spoken of as ministers of our God.

You will eat the wealth of nations,

And in their riches you will boast.

Instead of your shame you will have a double portion,

And instead of humiliation they will shout for joy over their portion.

Therefore they will possess a double portion in their land,

Everlasting joy will be theirs.

            -An Ancient Hebrew Prophecy, AKA Isaiah 61:1-7

To my great lord Yakov, the redeemer of the forsaken:

Yes, I have heard of your fame!  Yakov is now praised most highly among the former captives of Judah!  For he took his considerable wealth and delivered great numbers of Judeans—possibly up to a thousand!—to return to the homeland.  How wonderful is the name of Yakov, how magnificent and merciful he is!  How your name will be remembered in this generation!  I am sure that many of the men whom you supported for the return will feel deeply in your debt!  These same men will build whole towns in your name and pay you taxes gladly for the joy you gave to their lives!  You granted them their home, a place for their families, and you will be their voice in the new order under governor Zerubbabel.¹⁸  Glory to the name of Yakov!

            I have heard this from my close friend, Yohann, who was redeemed from his prison by his cousins, who gathered together to pay his debt to Shad.  Of course, you know this, for this letter has been handed to you by none other than Yohann himself, to grant you these words of praise you so rightly deserve. 

            Have you heard of the prophet Isaiah?  Not the Isaiah of Hezekiah the Great, but of the Isaiah that spoke right here in Babylon for years?  I just received a prophecy from him.  It is a declaration of redemption, even as Cyrus offered you.  This declaration is for me and my kind.  Cyrus offered freedom to the Jews, but not to the prisoners.  He offered release to the wealthy, not the afflicted or oppressed. 

All men only see those one step below them.  Should a master free the slave?  No, but only the servant who can almost reach his standing.  Can a Pharaoh release a cat from debt?  No, but only his priests. Should a king release the poor?  Of course not, for he does not even see them.  The king does not eat with the poor, the counselors of the rich do not fellowship with the servants.  Like serves like, and all the rest are on their own.  Even so, Cyrus released from captivity only those who could afford to be released.  Many like me, educated sons of the great of Judah, are left behind, for we do not have the means to be delivered out of exile.

But Yahweh, the God of heavens, the Lord of all lords is not like men.  He sits with the needy and hears the cries of the afflicted.  He promises to deliver the prisoner, not the wealthy.  He saves the poor from slavery, not the oppressor. 

You may think of yourself, Yakov, as the builder of broken walls, the restorer of the lost land.¹⁹  And so may you be, according to the promise of Cyrus.  But the promise of Yahweh belongs to me.  To me, says the King of kings, belongs the title “Rebuilder.”  You may see me as insignificant, swept away of no standing in God’s people.  But that is not for you to determine, is it, Backstabber?²⁰

Yudah’s family discovered more of our situation as we sat, mourning in prison.  They found that Shad was actually in your pay, the Babylonian front to your scheme, dear Yakov.  You had already heard of Cyrus’ plan long before the rest of us, did you not?  So, quickly, you plotted our demise, having your servant seed blighted crops into my own.  You yourself were Yudah’s partner who stole the goods from him.  And you stopped up Yohann’s irrigation so his crops choked.  All this, so you could buy up the whole of the land of the refugees before it emptied out.  Then, you divided it up and sold it to the Babylonians as prepared land, which they bought at a low rate, but you sold at a great profit.  Ah, Yakov, how you are aptly named after our forefather.  You are not an Israelite at all, for you wrestle not with God, but you are the Deceiver, who takes away that which belongs to his brother.

But Yudah’s and Yohann’s family, after hearing this tale, had mercy on us.  As this story was passed from village to village, they collected monies and gems from those not as unlucky as we, to release us from our captivity.  Yahweh’s word is already fulfilled.  Yes, I still sit in prison at the writing of this letter, but my release is at hand.  The Most High be praised for His deliverance!

I can see you sitting in your large tent as you read this letter, Yohann standing before you.  He smiles as he hands it to you.  He sees my wife, sitting next to you, your latest possession gathered to yourself.   Is this why you made sure I was destroyed, even after I pleaded for your mercy?  To keep my wife for yourself, a part of your harem?   Yet, this is your prideful mistake, the seed of your ruin. For now, I have no family, no land, nothing to keep me in Babylon.  You need have no fear of Yohann, turning away from you to leave.  He holds no knife to murder you, to take out our vengeance against you.  Vengeance belongs not to the poor.  We have no such power.

So, as Yohann runs away from your tent, fearing your order to your guards to kill him, I am now in Jerusalem, standing before governor Zerubbabel.  I hand him another letter of my writing.  A letter speaking of your treachery in the land of our refuge.  I hand it to him now, as you finish this letter.

Perhaps you will have the fortune of the wicked.  Perhaps Zerubbabel will see your theft as a small thing that happened in a land far away.  At the very least, the governor will watch himself when you are near.  After my audience with the governor, however, I will walk to the dedicated altar.  There, I will bow before the King of heavens who has delivered me.  I will give Him the praise rightly obtained for delivering me from my captivity.  And I will hand you into His hands.  May He judge between you and me.  I hope to never see you, adversary.  But you will stand before the Most High, and you rightly should be trembling before the altar.²¹  For I shall be a witness against you in the Court.

Until we meet again,

Adoniyah

18. Zerubbabel was the leader of the first caravan of refugees returning to Judah, and the governor of Judah under Cyprus.  Zerubbabel was a descendant of David, one of the potential kings of Judah.

19. These titles were appointed to those who established the land after its destruction. But Isaiah says that these titles truly belong to those who help the poor, establishing justice for the weakest. Isaiah 58:6-12.

20. Yakov is the name “Jacob” which literally means “ankle grabber” the equivalent of our term, “backstabber.”  See Genesis 25:26, 27:34-36.

21. Thus Jesus’ warning to make peace with one’s adversary before going before the altar of God.  This is based on Exodus 22:21-27, where it is declared that if there is no justice for the poor on earth, then Yahweh will take vengeance out against the oppressor for the sake of the poor.  Matthew 5:23-26.

Emperor v. Emperor

An ancient copy of the Cyrus decree

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying: "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the LORD, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.'" Then the heads of fathers' households of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites arose, even everyone whose spirit God had stirred to go up and rebuild the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem. 

A passage from an Ancient Hebrew History, otherwise known as Ezra 1:1-5

Dear Yakov:

            Thank you for your kind response.  But most of all, thank you for speaking to that monster, the terror of the poor, Shad.  I now know of my terrible mistake.  I did not know that he was not to be trusted.  As you have seen yourself, your offer of good will and partial payment of my debt has been coldly refused. 

But being the instrument of my horror is not sufficient for Shad.  Two more sorry souls have been thrown into our small box—Yudah and Yohann—and their tales are much like mine.  Yudah was involved in some poor business decisions, for his partner stole all of his goods, leaving him impoverished.  Shad had fronted him finances for the business, and when Yudah was unable to repay, then he became my companion.  Yohann, like me, had a couple of poor years in his field, had even sold his children to slavery to that evil creature, Shad, only to be captured himself when his children were said not to be “worth” what Shad had paid for them!  The three of us are closest companions, as you might imagine.  Sharing the same bucket, exposing our shame before each other draws us closer than brothers.

            Have you heard of the psalm that is circulating?  Of how the humble before Yahweh will be exalted before the wicked who cast them down?  Yudah told me of it, and it is exhilarating!  In it, I can see Yahweh looking down on my imprisonment and having a heart of compassion.  He looks at me, at my suffering wife, at the disaster that is my life and has tears in his eyes.  Then he glances over at oppressor, at his arrogance before the Creator of All, thinking that he can crush the poor under his thumb.  The Mighty One laughs at him in derision, mocking his supposed strength.  Then the Lord of all nations comes down and crushes the oppressor, granting to Yohann, Yudah and myself all the land that once belonged to him.  How I long for that day.  I seek our God daily for the redemption from slavery and a restoration of His mercy.  Adonai, hear our prayers of deliverance! 

            As to the other matter you mentioned, Yakov, yes I have heard some of King Cyrus’ great mercy.  His greatness on the earth cannot be excelled, except by the mercy of our One in Heaven!¹⁷  To allow our sorrowing people a release back to the land of our fathers is a gift unsurpassed by any other emperor.  I can feel the excitement of your letter to me of your preparations of return, of the gathering of your wealth to prepare for the journey to come.  It must be a hardship, indeed, to attempt to travel such a great distance with so many flocks and stored crops!  It will almost be like you at the head of a small army, only less manageable!  I rejoice with you in your fortune from the Most High!

            I can’t help but think of Cyrus’ true plan.  When he received the empire from the hands of Nebuchadnezzar’s descendents, he took on the problems that the Great Emperor left.  A huge land, peppered with expensive refugee camps all over the world.  The Assyrians scattered among the speakers of Ugarit, the Sidonians at the Sea of Reeds and the Hebrews in Babylonia itself.  The whole world was as a cloth cut up and then reassembled.  Cyrus, however, is a man of order, as appointed to him by the Most High.  So he sends back all the refugees, and suddenly he is Savior of the world, the Anointed One of all the lowly peoples.  Then, instead of having to constantly put down rebellions throughout the world, half the world is indebted to him, ready to defend his name before all.

            Ah, Yakov!  This discussion of world politics reminds me of sitting at my grandfather’s knee, as he discussed with my father the machinations of Nebuchadnezzar, tearing apart the necessity of the Old Emperor to crush nations in order to be great!  I am so happy that you and yours are allowed to return to the old land and will be apportioned some of the land.  Glad that for you the psalm is being fulfilled in your own lifetime!

            But as for me, the salvation of Cyrus is still distant from me.  For as you are released from the refugee camps, I still sit in this cell.  Even as Yahweh has blessed you fully in your years of exile, so I have been forsaken.  I am without son, without land, without crops, without flocks.  All has been stolen from me.  And as you establish your houses and make ready to rebuild the temple with Zerubbabel and Yeshua where the prayers of our people can finally reach our God, praising Cyrus for his glory, I shall still be here in the dark, still smelling like shit, still sweating in the day and freezing in the night, still slowly starving, my only companions the forsaken and rejected. 

            Please do not think I remain in bitterness.  I truly rejoice at God’s blessing for you.  I speak so dramatically so that when the temple is rebuilt you will not forget your friend’s son, still remaining far distant in Babylon.  May my name be raised before Yahweh, and may He fulfill his promise to the poor.

Your dear friend,

Adoniyah