Keepers of the Covenant (28 page)

“Wait. Why should we follow a God who lets all these terrible things happen to us?”

“Good question. And the rest of that verse gives us the answer. God allowed it ‘because you did not obey the Lord your God.’ But here’s the really good part, Reuben. The Holy One also promises that our people will endure, generation after generation, and that He will always be our God. He told Abraham, ‘I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant’—that means
forever
—‘between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.’ Only the Almighty One would dare to make such a prediction because it’s so unlikely to come true. Where are all the other peoples and nations of the past? Where are their gods? The Assyrians are gone. So are the Canaanites and Hittites and Jebusites. Yet against all odds, in spite of being scattered and hated, we, the sons of Abraham, have endured.”

Ezra paused to give Reuben time to absorb everything he was saying. The sun’s glow had faded in the west. The first stars had begun to appear.
“God’s tiny beacons,”
Abba had called them,
“to light our way through the darkness.”

“Yes, God predicted we would be scattered and hated,” Ezra continued. “But He also promised we would return to our land. The Torah says, ‘When you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey Him with all your heart and with all your soul . . . then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where He scattered you.’ And you and I are part of this caravan right now, Reuben, returning to our land, because the Holy One promised we would be an eternal nation in His sight. What do you think are the odds of this coming true after we’ve been scattered and hated for so many generations?”

And outnumbered. Reuben recalled how outnumbered they’d been on the Thirteenth of Adar, and yet they’d been victorious. “It does seem unlikely,” he conceded.

“So who wrote the Torah, Reuben—God or man? If we con
clude that any man setting out to make up a religion would never write such a book, and that the odds are slim we would endure as a nation in spite of such terrible predictions of our future, then we have to conclude God is the One who wrote it.” Ezra leaned closer, meeting Reuben’s gaze. “And if the Almighty One Himself, Creator of heaven and earth, wrote it, wouldn’t we be wise to study it and live by it? That’s what we’re going to Jerusalem to do. To rebuild our nation according to His law. To be keepers of His covenant.”

Reuben was nearly convinced—and yet he didn’t want to be. He’d chosen his own path, and his mind was made up. “Does the Torah explain why my father had to die?” he asked. “And why his shop was stolen from me?”

Ezra tugged on his beard for a moment. “The Torah insists God has a plan—for us and for His world. Sometimes we can’t see what that plan is until all the events have played out in their entirety. It’s like trying to predict the end of a story before the tale is finished. And for us, ‘the end’ might not come for many more years. I asked the same question about why my brother Jude had to die. I still don’t know all the reasons, but I’m beginning to see how his death might fit into God’s plan.”

“How? What do you mean?”

“Well, for instance, after Jude died, the law commanded me to marry his widow. I had been so wrapped up in my studies I hadn’t thought about marrying. Maybe I never would have. But I obeyed the law and married Devorah, and we had twin sons and three daughters. That unexpected gift and the enormous love I feel for my children gives me a glimpse of the love God has for us, and it propelled me to want a different life for them than living in Babylon. My children belonged home, in the Promised Land. So I traveled to the capitol of Persia and spoke to the king. He issued his decree, and now we’re on our way home. Would all this have happened if Jude had lived? Would we be on our way out of exile and back
to Jerusalem this very minute? I don’t know. Because he did die—and here we are.”

A memory came to Reuben of the day he’d stood beside his father in the blacksmith shop, scared and angry about the death sentence decreed for their people. Abba had tears in his eyes as he’d told Reuben they needed to trust in God’s goodness even when they couldn’t see it.
“We show our faith in God
when we keep moving forward even when our prayers aren
’t being answered. It’s the highest form of praise
to keep believing God is good even when it doesn
’t seem that way.”
And then Abba had bent over his anvil and continued to work as if to confirm his trust.

“Maybe it’s too soon to see all the reasons why your father died,” Ezra said, “and how they’re all going to work together into something good. We’re not to the end of your story yet. But I believe God wanted you to come with us. You were chosen by Him to make this journey. Your father said he would be the first one in line to come if God ever made a way. So ask yourself why you did decide to come—and then ask yourself if your reasons had anything to do with the loss of your father.”

Reuben looked away. They had everything to do with losing Abba. His true reason for coming was to help his friends steal the caravan’s gold. And he never would’ve joined the gang or become a thief in the first place if his father had lived.

“How long have you been living apart from the Torah?” Ezra asked.

“Since Abba died. Fifteen years ago.”

“And how has your life been since then? Are you content with it? Has it been blessed?”

Reuben thought of the pouch filled with gold he’d left behind for his mother. It had been worthless to him. He thought of his dreams, all unfulfilled, and how his only friends were a gang of Babylonian thieves. He could never go home again after this robbery. Instead, he would return to the dark, damp hideout
with them to drink wine for the rest of his life. The empty place in his heart would probably never be filled.

When he didn’t reply, Ezra stood and said, “Why not give the God of your forefathers a chance? Serve Him. Live by His Torah. Apart from Him we’re doomed to live our lives in darkness that’s even blacker than this night.”

N
EAR
THE
A
HAVA
C
ANAL

S
tars filled the sky when Reuben heard the first rustlings of movement inside the tents. Rebbe Ezra announced last night that the caravan would break camp at dawn and begin the journey to Jerusalem. Reuben hadn’t slept well on the hard, rocky ground. His bed was out in the open behind Rebbe Ezra’s tent, and his blanket offered scant protection from the chilly spring night. He’d awakened every hour, it seemed, Rebbe Ezra’s words rolling around in his mind like pebbles in a bucket. Had God really written the Torah? Was Reuben doomed to live in darkness if he didn’t obey it? And if God had a reason for allowing Abba to die, was it so Reuben could move to the Promised Land?

Abba. Reuben’s thoughts always returned to Abba. He would’ve been so proud yesterday to see Reuben consecrated as a Levite. But Abba wasn’t here. And Reuben didn’t want to be here, either. Today would be his last day with the caravan. Tonight he would escape with enough gold to live on for the rest of his life. He still had no idea what he would do with it.

Rebbe Ezra’s wife and daughters were kindling a fire and fixing breakfast when Reuben rose. The rebbe and his sons had
removed some of their possessions from the tent to load onto the cart. “Need help with that?” Reuben asked.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” Ezra said. “If you wouldn’t mind, Reuben, could you help the other Levites load the gold onto the camels this morning? It might take a while, so I’ll tell Devorah to save you some breakfast.”

Reuben agreed, grateful for any excuse to get away from the rebbe and his disturbing lectures. The bags of gold were heavy, but Reuben was one of the strongest workers. His gang of friends would be lucky if they could carry two bags apiece, especially Bear with his bad arm. The camel drivers prodded each ornery animal to kneel while a load was placed on its back, then drove it to its feet again, the camels bellowing and protesting. Strung together by ropes into a long line, the camels waited to begin the journey. By the time the Levites finished their work, the entire caravan was preparing to leave. Reuben hurried back to Ezra’s camp for the promised food.

“I enjoyed our discussion last night,” Ezra said as Reuben gulped his breakfast. “You’re welcome to travel with my sons and me today if you have any more questions you’d like to ask.”

The last thing Reuben wanted was to raise more disturbing questions to interrupt his sleep—and his concentration. He needed to be alert for what he and the others planned after midnight. “Thank you, Rebbe, but I think I should stay close to the camel train and the gold today.”

“Yes, of course.”

The caravan followed the Euphrates River all day, and the steadily falling rain turned the road—trampled by thousands of feet, loaded wagons, and pack animals—into a quagmire. The mud splattered Reuben’s legs and the hem of his tunic and clung heavily to his sandals. All day while they traveled, Reuben tried to make sense of Rebbe Ezra’s words. Was the Almighty One real or wasn’t He? Reuben knew He was. Abba had believed in Him, and besides, the world revealed too much
evidence of a Creator to believe otherwise. The kippah he now wore on his head reminded him he lived beneath the gaze of an all-knowing God. But was His Torah true with all of its laws and rules—like not stealing?
“Apart from Him we’
ll live in darkness,”
Ezra had insisted
.
Reuben remembered sneaking around Casiphia’s dark streets, feeling empty, even with a bag of gold tied to his belt. Would more gold really fill that emptiness?
“Why not give the God
of your forefathers a chance?”
Reuben pushed all these thoughts aside and kept walking. He was committed to his task tonight. And he certainly didn’t belong here with the other men and women in this caravan. There was nothing for him in Jerusalem.

Unused to so much walking, Reuben’s legs were weary by the end of the long, first day, his feet aching. When the caravan finally camped for the night, he helped pitch the tent to house the treasures, making careful note of the landmarks surrounding it so his friends could find it in the dark. He felt jumpy and on edge as he ate the evening meal with Rebbe Ezra and his family, twitching at every little sound, barely tasting his food as he gulped it down. He finished quickly, then made an excuse to leave again, walking to the northeastern edge of the camp where he’d agreed to contact his friends. He waited in a drizzling rain for Digger’s signal. Just like before, he followed the sound and met up with his gang a short distance away. They greeted him jovially, but he cut them off, impatient to give them instructions and leave again.

“Listen, they know the caravan is being followed,” he began. “You’re not being very careful.”

Bear waved away his concerns. “It won’t matter after tonight. Did you find out where the treasure is? And how much there is?”

“They have tons of silver and gold. I watched them weigh it yesterday. And I can tell you exactly where it is because I helped them unload it tonight. But they also have more guards now. Armed guards.”

“You’re one of them, right? You can get us in and help us load up?”

“That’s the plan. But you’ll need to be quiet and quick. Grab a couple of bags each and get out of there. I can’t distract the other guards forever.”

“Listen, Reuben, that plan isn’t going to work now. We’re going to need a longer distraction. You have to buy us more time.”

“Why?”

They looked at each other—guiltily, Reuben thought. “We recruited a few others to help us out—”

“What? No!”

“This is the biggest haul we’ll ever have a chance to make—
tons
of gold, you said. We need to take advantage of it.”

“No! You weren’t supposed to recruit anyone else. It’s supposed to be just the five of us.”

“Look, not only can we carry more gold this way, but the Jews have thousands of men traveling in that caravan, don’t they? What if we have to fight our way out? We need more help.”

Reuben took a step back, holding up his hands. “I never agreed to this.”

“Well, we decided to make a slight change in your plans. And you weren’t around to consult with us.”

“How many others? And where are they now?”

“Out there,” Bear said, gesturing vaguely to the darkness beyond their camp. “Don’t worry about how many. They’re all well-armed.”

Reuben felt sick. “It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. Send them back home. Tell them you changed your mind. It’s risky enough to sneak the four of you in and out with sacks of gold. Stealing any more than that is going to be impossible. I don’t want anyone on either side to get hurt.”

Nib wore a sly grin on his face as he tugged on the tassels
dangling from Reuben’s robe. “You aren’t joining them now, are you, Reuben?”

He brushed Nib’s hand away. “They have women and children with them. I don’t want to put them in danger. Look, send the other men away. Tell them the robbery is off. All we need is the five of us, got it?”

Digger and Ram started to protest, but Bear stopped them. “Fine. Whatever you say, Reuben. Just don’t turn traitor on us now. Remember, we’re friends.”

“Right. We’re friends. But you’re going to have to do this my way or not at all.” He hadn’t told them yet how to find the tent with the gold, hidden among thousands of other tents. He could walk away right now and call the whole thing off. But if he did, they would probably overpower him just like they had on the night he’d met them, forcing him to tell. They’d keep Reuben here, pressing him for details until he helped them rob the caravan. They would never let him go.

“Give me your word you’ll send the others away,” he insisted. He waited for each of his friends to raise his hand and swear. Only then did he tell them how to find the gold.

Reuben walked back to camp with a sick feeling in his stomach. Why did they have to recruit more men? What were they thinking? They’d been carried away by greed, obviously, and they hadn’t been thinking. Could he trust Bear and the others to send these extra men away as they’d sworn to do? Reuben scrubbed his face with his hands, wishing he’d never gotten involved with this robbery to begin with. He didn’t even want his share of the gold. But it was too late to back out now. He made his way to the treasury, his feet dragging, and approached the chief Levite.

“I’d like to volunteer to stand guard tonight,” Reuben said. “I’m not tired at all.”

“Are you sure? After all the walking we did today?”

“I’m sure. I don’t need much sleep.”

“Go get a weapon, then.” The man gestured to the smaller tent beside the treasury where the weapons were stored. Reuben ducked inside and nearly collided with his uncle.

“What are you doing here, Reuben? You aren’t one of the assigned guards.”

“I volunteered. I need a sword.”

His uncle studied him for a long moment, and Reuben’s temper flared beneath his scrutiny. He was about to unleash it when Hashabiah said, “I have a special sword for you, son.” He carried the oil lamp to an open crate and searched through it for a moment before pulling out a sword and handing it to him. “Here, use this one. It belonged to your father.”

Reuben stared in disbelief. This was the sword Abba had made for himself, the one he had fought with on the Thirteenth of Adar. Reuben helped him make it. Abba had engraved his own symbol on the handle along with the words, “Dedicated to God.” The sword disappeared after the battle, and Reuben thought he’d never see it again.

“I’ve wanted to return it to you for a long time, Reuben, but I’ve been too worried about you. Now . . . now Rebbe Ezra believes in you . . . and so do I.”

Reuben mumbled his thanks and quickly left before his emotions overwhelmed him. He strapped the sword onto his belt and took his assigned position among the other Levites guarding the perimeter of the tent. Time crawled as he watched the shadows for any sign of movement. Reuben’s anxiety soared. Midnight seemed like hours from now. After this robbery, he would be shackled to his gang forever, an outlaw for the rest of his life. Where could he go? Where would he live? And had Bear really sent the other men he’d recruited back to Casiphia?

The more Reuben thought about it, the more he realized that even if Bear tried to dismiss these unknown mercenaries, they probably would never agree to turn back without the promised gold, especially after a long day’s journey. Greed caused men to
do terrible things. The Jewish people’s enemies had attacked them on the Thirteenth of Adar because they’d wanted the Jews’ plunder. They would have murdered every man, woman, and child to get it. Men like these Babylonians would think nothing of killing innocent people in this caravan for their gold.

Reuben drew the sword from its scabbard. His hand fit perfectly on the hilt that Abba had made. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling linked to Abba, who had died defending his fellow Jews from their enemies. Why was Reuben helping them? Rebbe Ezra and the other men had fasted and prayed for an entire day, asking the Almighty One to protect the caravan. According to Ezra, God had already answered that prayer. Had the Almighty One foreseen the defeat of Reuben’s gang?

What should he do? Reuben reached up to run his fingers through his hair and knocked the kippah off his head. He bent to pick it up, and as he replaced it, he knew the Almighty One was watching. This gold belonged to Him.

Still gripping his sword, Reuben left his post and jogged over to the nearest guard. “Listen to me. There’s going to be a robbery attempt tonight. Stay alert while I go get more help.” He hurried to the next guard and the next, telling them the same thing. They looked baffled, but there was no time to explain. Instead, Reuben ran through the camp to Ezra’s tent. “Rebbe Ezra!” he called from outside the door. “Get up! Please! I have to speak with you.” The rebbe emerged a moment later wearing only his tunic, his hair tousled.

“Reuben . . . ? What’s going on?”

“We need more guards at the treasury. Now. A gang of Babylonians is going to rob us tonight.”

“What? How do you know?” As Ezra was speaking, Asher crawled out of his tent next door.

“What’s going on?”

“The gang of Babylonian thieves from Casiphia that I used to work with are planning to rob your gold. That’s why I convinced
you to let me come. I know you can’t possibly forgive me for playing a part in this, but I’ve changed my mind. I want to help you, not them. Please, gather more men and weapons as fast as you can. We have to guard the Holy One’s gold.”

“I’ll wake the other men,” Asher said. He ran to each of the surrounding tents, calling for the men to wake up.

“How many robbers are coming?” Ezra asked as they hurried back to the treasury. The rebbe hadn’t taken time to dress or grab his sandals and walked barefooted.

“I don’t know. They didn’t say how many. There were only supposed to be four of them, plus me. But they changed plans on me and recruited more men to help. And they’re armed.”

“Should we light torches? Scare them off?” Ezra asked.

“No.” Reuben knew how determined his friends were. “They’ll only wait and come back another night and we’ll be forced to live in fear. The best thing we can do is lie in wait tonight and surprise them.”

“Good. That’s what we’ll do.”

“Rebbe . . . I’m so sorry—”

“Never mind about that right now. We have work to do.”

More men poured from their tents to join them. Ezra urged them to be quiet, to get weapons, find places to hide, and wait for the attack to begin. All the swords in the armory were quickly taken up. The rest of the men gathered clubs and knives. They hid in the shadows, silently waiting to spring out when the robbers appeared. “Let us do the fighting when the enemy comes,” Ezra told Reuben and the other guards. “You Levites need to stand your ground and guard the tent so nothing is taken during the distraction of the battle.”

“But I want to fight!” Reuben said. “This is my fault and—”

“Guarding the treasure is your only task. You’ve been consecrated to do it,” Ezra said, then disappeared into the shadows with the other men, still barefooted. Reuben didn’t know how many men Bear had recruited, but more than one hundred Jews
now crouched in the shadows where they couldn’t be seen, including Rebbe Ezra and his brother. If any of these men were injured or killed tonight, it would be Reuben’s fault.