The KT OLLA Web Stories

BACK home now, Micah was left with nothing. He’d got no idol left with him. He’d got no oracle to consult in trouble. He’d got no sorcerer on his side; no god protecting him from woes. Micah was left naked and vulnerable like the enemies of Dan. But both the father and his son didn’t know that this, particularly, was Heaven’s device to rescue them. So now, like a storm of dust settling down; like the sea waves falling flat, Micah’s heart crashed to nothingness. All the hopes that he’d built in things of wood and silver became dust and nothing. He ached; he cried. His longing soul screamed in silence; and his heart bled the tears. The man felt vain and empty again. As his desperate hope in an immortal carving was shattered by mere mortals. He felt defeated; felt hopeless. So he mourned and grieved the stolen god. Dinuel came to comfort his father in the ash yard where he grieved. But Micah’s pain was more than what words could take away. So the child only sat there and watch his father...

THE Danite troop marched on from there, while Ajar and his companions had Jonathan go along with their party. But when they reached the gate which led out of Ephraim, they looked behind and saw a small horde advancing towards them on mules and asses. Ajar looked back at those men chasing them. He observed that it was Micah and Dinuel leading the group. Truly, when Micah got home, it didn’t take him a moment before he found out that he’d been robbed. He came home with his son and found his treasure gone. Micah’s household were quick to tell him what happened. That the spies they’d earlier sheltered had come and stolen his insurance. His idols were all gone. And his priest, too. So, Micah had gathered his neighbours, and chased after the men of Dan. Now they held clubs and sticks, ready to fight if they had to. For the Ephramite was prepared to fight and bleed to reclaim his stolen god. But the children of Dan wielded swords to kill like the heavens do lightning. Right there, where Ajar ...

AJAR and the four marched up the mountain slope, fully armed with weapons of battle. Then they came on Micah’s house. Their coming was disaster for a wealthy home of idols. But Micah and his son Dinuel weren’t home when the men arrived. So they were welcome by other members of the house, including Jonathan. Yet, in spite of the warm welcome, the former spies didn’t lose sight of their goal here. They snubbed the pleasantries and went straight for their steal. It was three men who headed for the shrine where Micah’s idols were. But when Jonathan was hastening after them, Ajar seized him by the hand, steadied him, and spoke to him. Another member of his team was standing by, where the hunter and the priest lingered within the estate. ‘Hey you, you’re coming with us, huh!’ growled the hunter. ‘Pack your things now and come with us!’ Jonathan knew what this meant. He knew Ajar wasn’t asking him for his permission. He’d known the man to be a demander, a violent one at that. But still, the ...

THUS, like the pace of an excited panther, the spies from Dan rushed back to their people, carrying good news in their arms. The five men returned home. To Zorah and Eshtaol farther down in the south. And there, they delivered reports on that quiet land they found in the farthest north. That porous, open city called Laish. Yes, their elders caught the excitement, too, on hearing the prospect in Laish. They applauded Ajar and his companions for a mission well accomplished. So now, the council felt Dan mightn’t have to labour or sweat to wipe out the land and inherit their place. Therefore, those elders decided to send 600 men from their militia force. So that with one swing of their swords, they would end all that was called Laish. After a day or two, the Danite people gathered her soldiers and made Ajar captain over the army. Ajar took with him his companions on their previous spy mission. And so, that band of former spies led the army to battle that city called Laish. Now, the 600 sol...

AT the first crow of the rooster the following morning, the Danite spies set out of Micah’s house and continued on their way. They were still northward bound, as they exited the countryside of Ephraim They travelled for many days, passing through the vast northwestern parts of Manasseh. Then they crossed the parting Jordan to the northeastern sides of Manasseh But there were no people to dispossess of their homes in that territory. Since Manasseh was a settlement of fellow countrymen, fellow Israelites So the people knew that their quest wasn’t done. Not until they’d found a city of enemies and total strangers But those enemies of the Danite people must necessarily be a weaker nation than they were. If their quest for a home must be fruitful Therefore, these hunters here went on combing through Israel for that perfect kill. That city of heathens and weaklings that made a good kill Then at long last, they left all of Manasseh behind, and in time came to the farthest north There, before ...

JONATHAN made the Danite spies wait outside his little shrine, while he consulted for them within. The men had told him about their mission to find a permanent city for their tribe. So the priest went inside and consulted the oracle of Micah’s idol. The spies waited for the priest to come out with good news. As a thirsty soil longs and waits for the first rain. So that long wait eventually came to end so well, as the Levite bolted the door open and smiled. ‘Blessed are you of the Lord, People of Dan! Come on in, and hear what the oracle says about your path.’ The spies were caught with surprise. Ajar exchanged some elated glances with his companions and gestured with a nod that they follow him in. Ajar moved to step inside first while Jonathan held the door with a hand. That instant the young priest raised a hand to halt him. ‘Where? Where do you think you’re coming into shod in your sandals? Your bedchamber, or my shrine?’ Ajar halted and every one of the spies gazed down at their san...

JONATHAN heard the loud demand in four more rude voices. ‘Yes, answer! What is a priest doing in this house?’ The young man, together with his first assaulter, turned his head to look. And there ahead in the hallway stood Ajar’s companions, also curious about him. Ajar went on to take a proper look at Jonathan’s garment. He stepped back and glared at him. And it was right then he realized that his victim was garbed in the priestly ephod. So the middle-aged man felt stupid now. He felt silly that he hadn’t calculated this the whole while. And feeling awkward, he simply scratched his head. Yes, in actual fact, the companions of this brash hunter had woken up that night and gone out looking for him. For when they didn’t find him in bed, they thought he was missing. Particularly, the men thought Ajar had been held hostage by their host. Someone who had earlier welcomed them with a peculiar warmth. The spies were alerted, thinking Micah’s family might be an enemy of their mission. So when t...

AJAR and his four had set out on their journey up North, as they searched for a people to displace from their land. Those Danite spies, they’d pushed their way through mountains and plains down South; through towns and many cities. But no, the men didn’t stop at any of the settlements there. For they knew that those places were taken by countrymen or by giant foes. So, the men kept going, and journeyed past the ethnic cities of Judah in the south; then past the cities of Benjamin, too. Then soon, they came to the cities of Ephraim, spreading across Israel’s middle belt. So there they knew they’d got to stop and rest. Ephraim was a tribe among Israel’s own peoples. So here wasn’t the target of those spies. Yes, they were still heading north; they only had to stop at this point to take a breather. And as fate would have it, it was at Ephraim that the men decided to stop.  The spies were almost exiting the land of Ephraim when they stopped that evening. They were already looking towar...

DINUEL was relieved of his duty as priest of his father’s idol. So, as he handed over the burden to their guest, he became free again to pick up his regular life. Particularly his habit of feeding the poor and providing shelter to strangers. Yes, the young man was relieved of the weight of that ephod. But when he sat idle at the gate of his father’s estate, it was with a new burden weighing down his heart. Yet this burden didn’t demand more than he could give. Like the former did with the young gentleman. This burden. It was his heart seeking to know. Dinuel sat outside the gate in the free days following his handing-over. There, he contemplated his encounter with the priest of God who took over the idol from him. And that thought itself was the burden in his heart. Indeed, when Jonathan agreed to serve as a priest to Micah’s household, the young son had high hopes. He didn’t merely anticipate his priestly office taken away. But also, he looked forward to knowing the God of the Levite ...

GOMER addressed the council. It was with words that were the wisest ever spoken. It was with words which arrested the ears and the heart. ‘Wisdom and valour are two enemies,’ began the old man. ‘Like two heirs of an empty throne. Wisdom and valour are brother enemies that never mend. ‘We the wise have no valour, Elders of Dan. And they the valiant ones, they know nothing of our wisdom. ‘Wisdom are brother enemies: they don’t get to play together within the body of a single human.’ The people shifted in their seats, heaving a thoughtful breath. Some leaned back and nodded. Some simply crossed their hands and sighed. Everyone taught his ears to listen. Gomer picked up again after pausing to observe the men. ‘But then doesn’t a miracle happen at times? Doesn’t a wonder occur once in a while? A wonder we ourselves cannot control. ‘So every once in a while, brother enemies are placed together in the same human being. They eat, they play, they live together for as long as nine months. ‘But p...

THE Danite spies finally came to Philistia. But the sight they saw wasn’t anything they could handle. Ajar was himself shattered to pieces. The spies had thought they could easily disguise themselves. Then mingle with the Philistine population while spying out the land. But that didn’t happen. For their enemy had grown big and strong over the long years. Yes, here in Philistia, there were more giants and monstrous men among the soldiers than Israel had ever seen in three centuries. And those Goliaths. They were more heavily built, more terrifying in look, and more ruthless in the art of war. It was a crushing sight to the Danite Five. But the man who felt crushed and trampled over was Ajar. That man who had thought the Philistines were his equal. Now, Ajar could only lead his four as far as to the enemy’s gate. Out there at the gates where they spread their merchandize, they saw their merchants being manned and shielded by many giant slayers. Indeed, there were several many of those mo...

MICAH looked dazed. He couldn’t believe his ears, and so the speaker repeated his words again. ‘I am a Levite sir. I’ve come here to find a place where I can serve as priest and lead people in worship to God.’ It was dinner time in Micah’s house. So the family invited their newly arrived guest to dine with them. But then as soon as dinner was set, that dining table became a roundtable of talk. And both the host and the guest talked a lot. Now Dinuel spoke up. He’d been quiet since the family settled to eat. But then he couldn’t hold his curiosity anymore. ‘Are you a priest? Can you serve as priest like every other Levite?’ ‘Yes I am and I can,’ replied Jonathan. ‘I wish to find a people who needs my service. I wish to find a place where I can serve my God.’ Dinuel wanted to know more. He was Micah’s ordained priest. But now he wanted to hear from those men that the God of Israel Himself appointed to serve as His. The young son was about to pop another question when his father interpose...

DINUEL sat reclined in a deck chair in front of his father’s house. It was early evening and the idle boy simply watched the sun set in the sky. This evening was one like several others, when this young priest of Micah’s household would choose to unwind, gazing at the dusking day. Like the dying sun was promising him the rebirth of a new life come tomorrow. But then this evening was equally different. For when Dinuel was lost in his habitual thoughts, a man stepped in front of him like an eerie ghost and woke him. That man. He’d never seen his face before. ‘Peace to you, young man. I am seeking a man by the name Dinuel – the son of Micah, an Ephramite. Can you please take me to him?’ Dinuel sat up immediately. He repeated the stranger’s words within himself to process it. Then he popped the question: ‘Why do you seek him?’ The man answered. ‘My name is Jonathan from Bethlehem of Judah. I have travelled here to find a home and work in this place. ‘But its evening and I only need a place...

WHEN Micah brought his mother’s idol for his son to own, the latter was simply thrown in the middle. He didn’t feel quite won over to meddle in the older folk’s practices. Micah could read the doubt and question in Dinuel’s eyes. Those crystal eyes weren’t capable of hiding anything. They simply revealed his thoughts like the sun unveils the day. But the middle-aged man wasn’t ready to give up his try. So he leaned towards his boy where they sat together in his bed chamber. And he pestered on and on till he could get a positive response. ‘My dear son,’ he called, looking in his gentle eyes. ‘Who else can lead the family to God if not you? Who else can help us find God through this?’ he queried. Dinuel was hastening to a defense just then. But Micah picked up anew. ‘You know it yourself, son. You know my good heart is nothing beside yours. If the land calls me good today, it’s all because I have goodness as a child—you know that yourself! ‘You’re the one who welcomes strangers into this...

SEVERAL thoughts stormed Micah’s chest as he rode back home. Every once in a while he took a small glance at the gift he got from his mother. The wooden god he was carrying home. The words of his mother hit him afresh. Perhaps, you can someday find your answer from this! That was what the old woman counselled. But those words came back now, demanding more. Micah reasoned: What do I do with Mother’s gift? How do I worship this thing? Should I make a shrine for it in my house? Should I make it a household god? Just then the man gave words to his thoughts. ‘Wait a moment… I can make my children serve it also! We can all worship this immortality my mother made. ‘So my wife and sons will call this gift god! My house and I will serve this thing.’ The Ephraim-born pondered those several things; and he decided his path as he cantered home on a donkey. Then as he came close to his house and saw it appear in the distance, he found the sort of answer he was looking for. The answer to how best he ...

MICAH’S long wait came to an end now. His patient waiting to see what his mother would do with the silver coins. Rekah was done with that sort of consecration she promised. So she invited her son over to come see the result of her toil for him. ‘Oh Micah, my good son!’ she beamed. ‘Here’s the stack of silvers you returned to me weeks ago! ‘See the immortality I made out of them for you! See how I gave a lost jewel an immortal soul!’ So out from a big chest came Rekah’s silvern gift. But that glistening bequest arrived as a disappointment for the waiting son. Micah’s hopeful eyes landed on the present in his mother’s arms. Then they suddenly gave way to a long, lifeless look. For it wasn’t what the seeking child was expecting. Indeed, out of that surprise box had emerged a wood carved idol, which was glazed and decked all around with a thin spread of silver. But Micah wasn’t looking for a graven image to call god like he was raised to do. He wasn’t seeking yet another activity in “relig...

THE words of Gomer and Hur had birthed a fire in the hearts of the people of Dan. It was that fiery desire to see their dream for a home happen. It was the second day of their conference, pitched on the lengthy shores of the Dead Sea. Far away from their rented towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. Yet those words of yesterday still burned like flaming logs in the people’s chests. And they talked some more about it. From the time of sunrise till the sun came setting. In that conversation of today, the people advanced the matters of yesterday. A man proposed that they chose five men to spy out whatever land they were claiming. ‘Let those five’, he said, ‘go first and bring reports about our enemy’s weakness. Before our militia forces would storm that land to dispose them for us!’ The suggestion pleased the conference. And the onus was on the council of elders to choose the five. The elders didn’t have trouble choosing. They chose one man each from the five clans that made up that small tribe. But...

THAT same day in that southern part of Israel’s land, another resident of the region was determined to leave for elsewhere. But this resident shifting base wasn’t a community of people. That his vacation of space would mean a thing to the people of Dan desperate for a city. No, it was Jonathan thinking to move from his resident town in Bethlehem. It was just someone looking for greener paths and pastures. Jonathan stood up from where he’d been sitting since noon. But evening was fast dusking on that field; yet he wasn’t fagged out by staring at the plains all day. He got up to his feet with a settled resolve. All the scattered thoughts in his head seemed to have found a home. And now he was sure he’d found the way up. The way to better his life. Jonathan happened to be the son of Geshom from the tribe of Levi. And Geshom happened to be the son of Moses, the man of God. Yes, the Levite tribe was the priestly stock of Israel’s twelve. For it was that tribe that God Himself chose to be Hi...

IN that moment when Gomer and Hur bowed in a thoughtful pause, the people murmured trying to reason out a way forward themselves. Then after a little bit, Gomer raised his head musing a thought aloud. ‘We can’t go displacing the sons of our father Jacob! The settled tribes of our people… we can’t go chasing them out of their possession just because we want a home!’ ‘Exactly the point!’ cried Hur the younger man. ‘You’re getting my drift now, you know! ‘But on a second thought, who says we cannot displace a people? Whoever says that?’ Gomer pulled back with a surprise in his eyes. ‘Displace them, did you say?!’ Of a truth, displacing a tribe of their own people—as Gomer heard his partner say. It’d mean fighting a battle to oust fellow Israelites from their own lot. It’d mean killing one’s own countrymen in a battle of shame and dishonour. But the people of Israel appeared religious in that age following the death of Moses and Joshua. And so, everything that could tarnish their name as w...

A SMALL tribe of Israel camped in their few thousands in the south side of the Land of Promise. That land was their nation’s conquered grounds which was once some Gentiles’. It was the blossoming tribe of Dan spreading out their number across the towns of Zorah and Eshtaol. Yet those towns on Israel’s new soil weren’t theirs to own. In those days, three centuries after the conquest of Canaan, the Danites were yet to claim a city for themselves in Israel. Their own lot hadn’t fallen to them in that land overflowing with honey. So, the people of Dan camped with other peoples in towns they couldn’t call theirs. But the small tribe grew large and prosperous over those long years. So much that two rented towns could no longer house them.  In those long years, their houses multiplied beyond what their grounds could grow. Their harvests beyond what their barns could hold. And their herds… they grew and prospered. So much that no fold or ranch could keep them. Thus, the migrants started co...

NOW Rekah felt she had the words, those perfect words to answer her son. But just as she made to speak, Micah took his remorse a step further. The middle-aged stepped behind the chamber door and pulled out the large chest wrapped in heavy coat. He came back to where they were sitting with the bundle in his hand. Then he took away the cloth concealing the treasure and bolted the chest open. ‘Mother, here is everything. I am really sorry!’ he said. Then he handed the treasure box over to his mother and bowed his knee in front of her. Rekah was too stunned that her words escaped her mind. She’d lost hope in finding her money. And just then when her son told her he was the one who stole it, she didn’t expect him to return a part in fact. Let alone expect to have everything back. She’d thought Micah must have spent the money on himself. And she was even willing to forgive it.  But now that the old woman was having her entire loss back, the same child that stole her treasure now appeared...

MICAH’S wandering eyes landed on the bare floor. And then he parted his lips to speak as the words came out in a mumble. ‘Mother, I was the one who robbed you!’ Rekah sat back in her chair conquered, as her devout son dropped that confession. The aged woman wasn’t expecting those lines from her grown son, her good ol’ boy. Not when his heart was so clear for all to see. It was a beautiful sunrise that morning in the distant mountains of Ephraim – the hill country spreading across the central parts of ancient Israel. Yet that pretty sun rising daily on that Promised Land was only a mockery of what was quickly dying. For it was the Age of Darkness in that land of Israel, when men had no law or king to light their paths.  And in those darkest times like ours today, men made themselves good. And made for themselves gods. Now Rekah laughed off his son’s confession after his heavy words hit her. ‘Of course you’re the one, my son! Have you forgotten you stole away my youth when you sudden...