The Drought
Published by Shell Isenhoff at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Shell Isenhoff
Cover image by Oxfam East Africa (Flickr)
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1. The Drought
Nathan stood at attention, holding his spear before him, sword sheathed at his side. He gave the appearance of alertness, but his mind often drifted in the secure halls of the palace. As a member of King Ahab’s personal guard, the only time he really had to be prepared for danger was when he accompanied the monarch beyond the palace gate. Inside, threats were eliminated well before they advanced to the royal chambers, outside of which Nathan was stationed.
Usually, Nathan enjoyed his job. The king was a nice enough fellow. He could be friendly, cheerful, even downright chivalrous, though he wasn’t without his faults - his greatest being his choice of a wife. The only time Nathan hated his job was when he was assigned to her excursions.
Queen Jezebel was the daughter of the Phoenician king. Times in Israel were hard, with many wars in recent years. Ahab’s marriage had been a political alliance, a safeguard against dangerous times, but he’d gotten more than he bargained for. The queen was spoiled, stubborn, and ruthless. The king denied her nothing, and Nathan wondered if he even possessed the strength to refuse her if he wanted to.
A devout worshipper of the Phoenician gods Baal and Asherah, Jezebel had made her religion the official one in Israel, and the worship of Jehovah, the God of their forefathers, became illegal. She kept nine hundred and fifty prophets of the idols under her own personal protection and support.
The Phoenician religion involved many practices that were cruel and horrible. Having grown up in a family that worshipped Jehovah, Nathan found the new worship distasteful, but his intense fear of Jezebel was stronger than any faith in God that his mother might have instilled in him, so he kept his mouth shut. Besides, the Israelites seemed to embrace it willingly, and if it made the masses happy, he reasoned, his job would be easier.
Nathan’s wandering thoughts were reined in by a mousy little man hurrying down the hallway toward him. His steps were nervous and uncertain, and fear shadowed his face. Nathan watched with curiosity as the courier slipped into the royal chambers to speak with the king. He emerged some time later with obvious relief; the queen must not have been present.
Soon the courier reappeared leading a rugged-looking fellow. His hair grew wild and unruly, both on his head and on his face, and his skin was burned a deep brown. He wore garments of the coarsest fabric, coupled with the skins of animals. His steps were long sure. Obviously, he was a man unfamiliar with the coddling of palace life.
When the mismatched pair reached the door to the king’s room, Nathan fell into step behind them, accompanying them into the sacred chambers. The rugged fellow boldly approached the throne, and the king appraised him with mingled respect and apprehension. “Who are you? And why do you request my ear?”
“Oh, King Ahab,” the man replied, “my name is Elijah, a Tishbite from Gilead. I come on behalf of the Lord, the God of Israel. His anger burns against you and your house. Did he not command, ‘You shall have no other gods beside me’? As surely as he lives, there will be neither rain nor dew in the next few years except at my word.”
Ahab waved him off with a gesture of annoyance, and Nathan followed him from the room. The man was brave to take such a bold and lonely stand, but Nathan counted him a fool. The queen would be furious when she learned of the incident, and she would take immediate action. What a pity the man had thrown life away on such a vain and idle threat. Israel could use such men alive in these perilous times.
As Nathan had guessed, Jezebel sent men to search for the man and strike him down, but the fellow had disappeared. And his threats turned out to be more than just impossible words. From the day he visited the castle, rain ceased to fall, and the crops withered and died. Even the dew that wet the ground in the early morning hours had vanished, leaving the earth parched and cracked. Creeks and rivers dried up, and water became a scarce commodity. If one had water, his family and animals could live. If he did not, they died.
The king and queen were powerless in the face of this disaster. Jezebel ranted and raged, condemning Elijah over and over and demanding her prophets to plead with the gods to send water, but they could not call down the rain. The queen became so vicious that Nathan’s job became a nightmare.
As seasons went by and still no rain fell, Nathan looked back at Elijah’s visit with wonder and perplexity. Elijah had called himself a servant of Jehovah, the same God his own mother served. She had taught Nathan about him, but God had seemed so distant, and the old stories so incredible, that he had tucked him away with other warm memories of his youth. But as he witnessed the power Jehovah held over the elements, he found himself thinking of him more and more often.
After three and a half years, the drought became critical, and the death toll mounted. The queen remained in a state of constant agitation, and the name Elijah had been forbidden in the palace. Just about this time, the mousy little courier brought news that Elijah desired another conference with the king.