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Battle of the Godless – Ch. 17 | KT OLLA

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 sandals. But Ajar went on to look at Jonathan’s feet. For that demanding priest was equally shod in a pair of sandals.

Then in spite of anyone, the Levite went on to sound his order again. ‘Take off your sandals, everyone! Don’t you profane my ground!’

Then he added in a commanding voice: ‘Now, hurry!’

The men crouched low and unshod their feet. Ajar was to the last to respond, but he did put off his sandals still.

Yes, Jonathan wanted his point registered. That he was the commander here. And those men, they could do nothing to that stand.

Truly, the men had bullied him earlier; but now he wanted to, at least, order them around. Even when it was true that they’d paid him well to say good visions.

He wanted to, at least, order these boys around.

So Jonathan invited the men into his shrine barefooted, when only him had his feet properly shod.

Then he let them stand and roam his sanctuary with their eyes and their fancies; while he sat on a brazen stool and told them their fate.

‘Go in peace,’ the man said. ‘The presence of the Lord be with you on your way!’

Those words were good news to the men of Dan. But Ajar was no longer touched by them.

He was the one whose eyes were roaming. So he was only stuck with the glitter in Jonathan’s shrine.

There at a corner of that shrine was the decorated altar of Micah’s god. And on that gilded altar was the huge idol layered with silver, which Jonathan was priest over for Micah’s household.

Ajar glared at the glittering silver image and felt convinced that his host had too much than a family deserved.

If a man is keeping a whole Levite as a family priest, and he even owns for himself a big silver idol… then, what? What more should a city or a tribe dream to own?

Mm… if our tribe should have these two assets. If we take this silver idol plus this Levite priest as ours—then we’ll definitely be safe from enemies and disasters! In the new land we’re claiming.

Those were the thoughts that troubled Ajar’s mind in that shrine. 

But when Jonathan was done speaking to the men and dispersed the men, Ajar was still stuck with the thoughts in his head.

The spies went to bed at last, but their curious leader wasn’t sleeping. He lay in bed but his soul had been locked in that shrine he left behind.

He wanted Jonathan for his tribe; he wanted his idol for the people.

Now he would do anything to own that man.

Together with his god.

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