Skip to main content

Sons of the Flaming Throne 3 – Ch. 5 | KT OLLA

NATHAN finally arrived at Bathsheba’s, and the old queen was caught unawares.

The ageing woman didn’t expect to have such a noble guest at her door. She feared and worried.

She recalled the visit the prophet had made to her house more than twenty years before. That visit which preceded the death of her child, which also sealed a sentence for David.

She still remembered the time; so she feared what sort of message the old man had brought again.

Then just when she panicked, she heard Nathan’s gentle greeting.

‘Peace be with you, Your Majesty!’

At that point her turbulent heart found some rest.

The woman assured herself: He wouldn’t bring ill news and still speak of peace, would he? No, it must be peace that the prophet brings for me!

Yet Nathan’s ‘peace’ was only a compliment, a phatic word, and not a promise. Still Bathsheba took that peace from the prophet’s lips as hers.

‘My lord!’ she spoke at last. ‘To what do I owe this honour, that you should knock at my door with the prophet’s rod?’

‘May the Lord bless and keep you!’ replied Nathan. ‘Both you and the son of your heritage!’

The woman bowed and said amen; but she wondered at what manner of greetings those were.

She raised her gaze the next moment and asked, ‘Is everything well, my lord, that you have come this early to my house?’

‘Everything will be,’ replied Nathan. And the woman hung onto that promise.

Thereafter, the prophet sat briefly and spoke about the news, the surprising news that took him down there.

‘Have you heard this thing about Adonijah, that he is sacrificing now at the spring of En Rogel?

‘Then it is in the same manner that Absalom had planned to stage rituals during his revolt twenty years ago!

‘It follows that he is making himself King presently, like his brother did in those days!

‘Now he has invited all the King’s sons; except your son, the chosen prince of David. He has summoned all his ministers, too; except Benaiah, Zadok and I.’

Bathsheba was hit with shock. She stammered, ‘I... I heard nothing! Ah even my son—even... oh I don’t know!’

Nathan breathed, ‘I know you wouldn’t have heard!’

The woman picked up with a troubled voice. ‘Is Joab there, Commander of the army?’

The old prophet grunted yes.

‘What about the high priests?’

‘Only Abiathar has deflected.’

‘But what about—?’

The elder interposed her then. ‘I told you everything will be well! Your Majesty, everything will be all right!’

Bathsheba heaved a doubtful sigh. But even still she lingered on the words of that promise; then soon enough she saw they were prophecy.

Everything will be well. Everything will be well.

She repeated those lines in her mind again.

Yet then the situation was speaking contrary; so she bowed her head and mumbled things.

‘I believe! I really want to, God!’

It was her effort to cling on to hope.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sons of the Flaming Throne 2 – Ch. 20 | KT OLLA

DAVID had been reigning for about forty years already. And in those years of his reign in Israel, soldiers have stood and fallen for him. The warlord had conquered lands, conquered nations. He’d taken territories, subdued enemies. Yet as the monarch grew older and nations bowed to him, there remained no wars to fight; and so his valiant men had nothing doing. His soldiers settled in families and kept livestock. They became shepherds and keepers of vines. The great ones among them got involved in public duties and administration. Still, there were a few who didn’t change with the changing tide. And chief among them was Joab, commander of the army. No, it wasn’t that the man didn’t settle down with family or other civil matters. But Joab wasn’t quite settled enough when it came to his heart and attitude. The old man had been quite loyal to David through the long years. But ever since the time that wars were done with, he had lost his sense of purpose. Joab wasn’t all that interested in n...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sons of the Flaming Throne 2 – Ch. 9 | KT OLLA

ABISHUM wasn’t done speaking. So she picked up on the matter as things were bound to change. She spoke: ‘See, it was a bedroom cry for Aleph. But not until the day things were shoved in her face… ‘And that day she gave up on hoping! ‘Well, what Aleph thought was the reason why Beth couldn’t marry, was different from what it was with people. ‘She used to think it was because there was no man in her house to ask the daughter from. As is our customary practice in Israel.  ‘But when a drunken man shoved it in her face one night, it hurt her too much what people say. ‘“No one will marry your daughter, woman! Why will anyone do? When death hides in her bosom like it hid in yours. Or why did your husband die? ‘“Look, if you don’t know it – your family is cursed! You only have one child in a nation of plenty. ‘“God has prospered Israel with many children like the sea sand. But what do your family bear? Only one! ‘“So, who will want your cursed daughter for his son to love? You really don’t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sons Of The Flaming Throne – Ch.50 (Final Episode) | KT OLLA

PRINCE S’alom was beaten once; and then a second time. It was by two things that baffle the mind. For not only was he shocked that his men kept running for their lives. As they fled when they were chased past; and he wished they could stop to help. But now he was even more dazed when he saw that his father’s men left him hanging. He realized that those boys weren’t sent to kill him. Yes, the Third One knew this from the start. That if David had wanted him dead, he’d have been long dead and buried. Now it was clear that he’d been taking advantage of the just man’s goodwill. And this he knew himself. The prince faced this truth; so it knocked him off that David was still being kind. No, he’d so taken things for granted. Therefore, it happened that one of the chasers who ran past returned to find Joab when he saw the prince hanging. He told the captain what he saw and assured him the prince wasn’t dead. Now when the general saw that the boy didn’t kill him, he went all mad and furious. ‘W...
Post a Comment
Read more