Photo by Inbal Malca on Unsplash
A Perfect Dark Night
Friendship grows as wisdom seeks, answers from the starry deep…
The trio of friends were Magi: Remnants of the ruling class in ancient Babylon.
Clustered among the boulders on the starlit hilltop, anticipation radiated from the three. Settling on their sheepskin rugs, they prepared for an evening among the stars.
Separated by distance; their allegiance to the Hebrew God brought them together, far to the East of the land of Israel, in the heart of the ancient Babylonian empire.
The sky their pallet; imagination their brush;
The Magi drew inspired pictures from starry clusters in the night skies. Each constellation a story recording the histories of their people and tracking the seasons. The constellation Libra ruled the last eve of winter.
As fall began, Libra’s starry clusters appeared like two saucers on an unbalanced scale;
One saucer higher and the other lower. As the winter nights grew longer, the saucers moved slowly into starry equilibrium. On this magnificent evening, they were in balance. Winter’s passing was imminent. The long awaited spring, lay just ahead.
Spilling from the constellation as each winter drew to a close, the Libride meteor shower was about to begin.
The velvety night was perfect:
It was the dark phase of the new moon, when the lights in the heavens dropped closer to the earth bound watchers. The sounds of laughter and animated conversation came easily and drifted into the night.
After a time, the hilltop quieted. The stirrings of the evening and beauty of the heavens lured the trio under it’s spell.
Gaspar broke the silence….
“The heavens declare the glory of the Lord!”
He spoke in hushed tones, as though the sound of his voice would disturb the vastness of space above them.
Balthasar shifted from his reclining position. Sitting, legs crossed his arms raised in an attitude of worship, he continued the familiar Psalm:
“…and the firmament shows forth His handiwork!”
Melchior, drawn in by the sacred moment, turned his gaze to his friends.
“Who would have dreamed we three, would revel in such truth?”
As his face returned to the star studded sky, he completed the passage.
“…and night shows forth knowledge”.
He paused for a moment….
“Our fathers were pagan…”
He searched for the right words…
“Idolaters…of the lineage of the mighty Nebuchadnezzar.”
He raised an eyebrow, assuming a mocking tone.
“The one who wandered the hills … grazing grass with the oxen!”
The poignant memory, of their forefathers’ humbling, achieved its dramatic effect:
Melchior continued, his words coming slowly, his tone sombre.
“In his pride; he worshiped the works of his own hands.”
Returning to the heavens and spreading his arms, he completed the thought…
“Rather than give glory to the God who created all things!”….. “Can you imagine?”
Gaspar picked it up.
“Hardly, but the ancient books record its truth…”
Balthasar’s mind went back to the former time:
“Still, the patriarch of our fathers, led many of our people to follow after Yahweh; the God of the Hebrews!”
“No doubt!” Gaspar intoned.
Exaggerating, he finished with a melodramatic flurry:
“Believe! Or the fiery furnace!”
Another reference to their formidable forebear.
Nebuchadnezzar, had commissioned an image of his likeness be fashioned from pure gold.
The unveiling ceremony took an unexpected twist: Three of the Jewish youth, groomed for service to the king, refused to bow to the image: Claiming sole allegiance to Jehovah, the God of the Jews.
The king’s displeasure turned to rage!
When his demand to recant, was roundly rebuffed by all three;
In a fit of fury, he had them bound and thrown into an open furnace!
Gaspar deadpanned. “Pretty convincing I’d say!”
The moment of dark humor turned philosophical.
Melchior – “But seriously…..what a gift theHebrews gave us!
Brought to Babylon in chains, they kept faith with their God, creator of the heavens.”
He paused, reflecting on Jehovah, creator of the heavens; the source of beauty that brought them together. He resumed the thread;
“The courage it took to stand! Alone! Refusing to bow, though the king’s fury would know no bounds…”
Gaspar, assuming the voice of the kings cryer.
“The furnace awaits!”……
“Incredible!”
He finished, listing the familiar names;
“Shadrach…Meshach… Abednego!”
Balthasar exhaled in a low whistle…
”The furnace was blue…”
“It must have been something to see: The ones that threw them in, perish from the blast of the opened door….
…while the three, walked free.”
Gaspar …jumped in “Not three: Four!”
”One was not a man. He was the son of God!”
He paused before continuing.
“What must Nebuchadnezzar have thought when they came out of the furnace?”
Nebuchadnezzar, unnerved by the power of the Hebrew God, issued a new proclamation:
Anyone who spoke against the God of the Hebrews would themselves be cast into the furnace!
“I never tire of the story !”
Melchior sighed. Shifting on the sheepskin, he continued wistfully.
“The ropes that bound them were burnt off, but not so much as a hair had been singed! Not even a trace of smoke!”
