To Dwell Among Cedars

I know you love him, and that your heart is just as burdened as ours over his brokenness. But you are not his God, Eliora. You cannot save him from himself. That task is Yahweh’s alone.

The Ark of the Covenant was more than a golden vessel that contained a few relics of the past; it was the physical reminder that the Creator of the universe himself had deigned to dwell among his people.

Because you are the woman the Creator made you to be, no matter where you come from or what you look like.

The Eternal One was not made by man; there is no place you can go that he will not be with you

There is no song more beautiful than the one the creator is composing with every single note of your life, one he’s been weaving together even before your first breath.

They disregarded the Torah — either willfully, or because the knowledge of the laws regarding handling of the Ark was not properly taught generations to generation. They suffered the consequences for such disobedience. The Philistines are not beholden to our laws. They have no such sacred responsibility. However, they still were cursed because of their foolish boast that they’d been victorious over Yahweh — a notion that the pharaoh in Mosheh’s day learned by suffering his own plagues.

The draw she’d had on me, even from the first time I’d seen her dancing at the wedding, was undeniable. And every moment I’d spent with her since then had felt like the unfurling of something far more precious and rare than the most exotic bloom Eliora had cultivated on this mountain—even when my intentions had been less than honorable.

I do not mean to insinuate that your reasons for such self-sacrifice are anything but honorable, only that you do not allow yourself to relax and enjoy what you have, because you are working so hard to earn something you’ve already been given.

How marvelous that two enemy children, wild branches by any measure, could—like my father had said—become one with the sons of Avraham.

Release him to the care of the God Who Sees, and have faith that no matter how far he may stray, Yahweh still holds him in the palm of his hand.

This is a gift to you from Yahweh because of his goodness. Just like I've learned that my failures do not lessen my family's love for me, yours do not change the character of the God who offers grace for all us through the blood of the sacrifice on the mercy seat.

I wanted to know more of her, to build a future with her, to hold a life in my hands that we'd created together.

I've now given two daughters away in marriage, Eliora, and arranged matches for Gershom and Iyov as well. I know a concealed motive when I see one.

...I already felt the loss of her like a knife between my ribs. But it was time to keep my distance.

It is not the Ark that watches over me and protects me, but the God Who Sees...No matter where I go, Yahweh's peace and protection will go with me.

I looked forward to spending the day thanking Adonai for removing me from a people whose gods demanded everything and gave nothing back, and placing me among those whose God lavished blessings on his own and ashes only that they love him with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength.

We must stop fighting among ourselves over man-made traditions and power struggles and submit ourselves to Yahweh’s commands alone.

No matter what decision I made, the cost would be great. But as my father and brothers had learned the hard way on the field at Afek, the cost of going against the will of the Eternal One was greater by far.

And I realized at that moment that I’d made a decision without even knowing it.

They adopted you. Made a binding covenant with you. Any anyone else who does not see the beauty in the incredible story of your grafting into Israel or misses the brilliant light that shines from the very center of your being does not matter.

He may be an obstinate youth right now, and his immaturity a frustration to his family, but I had to distinct sense that one day Eliora’s brother would prove to be a man whose relentless determination would keep him and those he loved alive in dire circumstances.

Ever in motion, she was like a gentle gust of wind flowing about, unseen except for the effects of her silent, selfless service to all those around her.

I could still feel the distinct sensation of her lips pressed to my forehead, as if the last kiss she gave me before her new husband drove away was permanently tattooed onto my skin.

The indulgent mixture of fragrances beckoned me forward, drawing me into the lush forest of blooms, vines, and greens like the crook of a lover’s finger.

I had no idea what lay before us on this dark road, but I would not waste Azuvah’s sacrifice.

Follow the Ark, Arisa. Do not turn to the right of to the left, and do not stop until it dwells among the cedars and you are sheltered in perfect peace.

These hands were made to defend those who cannot decent themselves. And tonight, that means protecting your sister by fleeing Ashdod.

For if Dagon was now powerless and sightless, perhaps the God of the Hebrews had not been bested after all.

Just as I had yesterday, I felt the strangest urge to run toward it and lay myself on the ground at its base, but at the same time, something deep inside told me to flee in terror from whatever awful power it represented.