The Strength Of His Hand Part 9

like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good; ...

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him.

The truth of the familiar words slowly calmed Eliakim's fears. He had dedicated his life to G.o.d. Whether he lived or died, his life remained in G.o.d's hands. Eliakim felt the peace of G.o.d filling him, replacing his panic and fear.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

do not fret when men succeed in their ways,

when they carry out their wicked schemes... .

For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Eliakim stole a glance at Gedaliah. He appeared less self-a.s.sured than before. Eliakim looked back toward the Court of the Gentiles, but he couldn't see Shebna in the crowd of wors.h.i.+pers.

The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.

The high priest sprinkled the blood around the altar as the Levites sang. Then as he made his way up the altar ramp with the sacrifice, he deliberately paused to gaze down at the royal dais, staring long and hard at Gedaliah.

The wicked draw the sword and bend the bow ...

to slay those whose ways are upright.

But their swords will pierce their own hearts,

and their bows will be broken.

Eliakim glanced at Gedaliah again, and their eyes met. "This is your doing, isn't it?" Gedaliah said. Eliakim looked away, suppressing a smile.

All sinners will be destroyed;

the future of the wicked will be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; ...

The Lord helps them and delivers them;

he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,

because they take refuge in him.

When the service ended, nothing had changed. Eliakim remained hopelessly trapped. But he knew that the priests and Levites stood courageously beside him. They had made that clear, even though Gedaliah's forces could quickly overpower and destroy them. They had placed their lives in G.o.d's hands, their trust in Him. Eliakim would do the same.

He didn't return to the palace after the service. Instead, he hurried home, concerned for his family's safety. Even if he couldn't escape, he determined to find a way to save them.

Jerusha and little Jerimoth met him at the door. "You're home early."

"I got tired of fighting with Shebna, so I decided not to go back to the palace after the sacrifice."

Hilkiah returned a few moments later, still wearing his prayer shawl. "That was certainly an unusual sacrifice," he said. "What on earth is going on?"

Eliakim shrugged vaguely and sank down on a bench to remove his sandals, hoping his father would change the subject. He didn't.

"Why do you suppose the high priest conducted the evening sacrifice?" Hilkiah persisted.

"Maybe they drew his lot."

"But that wasn't the usual liturgy, either. It-" Eliakim pleaded silently with his father when Jerusha's head was turned, and Hilkiah stopped midsentence. "Oh ... when's supper? I'm starved. How about you, Jerimoth?"

"Yeah, I'm starved, too." The boy patted his round tummy in imitation of Hilkiah, and Eliakim managed a smile.

It required an enormous effort for Eliakim to enter into the conversation during dinner, knowing that this family meal together might be one of their last ones. His mind strayed back to the king, and he silently prayed that Hezekiah would live-even though he was certain he would die.

When dinner ended, they all went out to the garden to sit until the sky grew dark and the stars began to appear. As Eliakim watched his children playing, his heart squeezed until he could scarcely breathe. He had to get his loved ones out of Jerusalem. He had to hide them somewhere. He silently begged G.o.d to help him come up with a plan.

Finally, Jerusha announced the children's bedtime and held the baby out for Eliakim to kiss. "Abba ... Abba," she chattered happily.

"Good night, Tirza." He kissed her and stroked her soft hair; then his arm tightened around little Jerimoth, nestled on his lap. "How about you, son? Isn't it your bedtime, too?"

"Abba, say prayers with me, okay?"

"All right. Get into bed, and I'll be up in a minute."

Jerimoth climbed off his lap and skipped over to give Hilkiah a loud, wet kiss.

"G'night, Grandpa." He followed Jerusha upstairs.

When they were alone, Eliakim slowly exhaled from the strain. "Abba, we need to talk."

"I could tell you had something on your mind all evening. What is it, son?"

Eliakim forced himself to say the words out loud. "I think ... it looks like ... King Hezekiah is going to die."

"Oh no. Heavenly Father, no. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

In the silence that fell between them, Eliakim heard the laughter of his children through the open windows and Jerusha's sweet voice as she talked to them. The happy sounds didn't belong beside the sorrow in his heart.

"But I didn't think the king's burns were that bad," Hilkiah said, "just the one on his leg. Hasn't he been working with you every day?"

"We worked together at first, but the doctors say the poison in the burn has spread through his body. He's been delirious with fever and only half-conscious for the past couple of days. And he's in such terrible pain, Abba. Last night after I talked with him he fell into a coma."

Hilkiah closed his eyes. "Oh, Holy One of Israel. Help him, I pray. Send him a miracle."

"I've been praying for a miracle, too, because that's what it's going to take. I've even asked the high priest to hold a special sacrifice tomorrow to pray for him."

"He's that close to death?"

"Yes, Abba."

"And is this what the evening sacrifice was all about?"

Eliakim nodded. "Listen, I'm going to need your help. As soon as you hear that King Hezekiah is gone, as soon as it's official, you've got to get Jerusha and the children out of Jerusalem."

"Why?"

"King Hezekiah's brother, Prince Gedaliah, is preparing to succeed him and ... and the prince hates me."

"He hates you? Why?"

"Lots of reasons. Remember a few years ago when I made so many trips to Lachish to work on their fortifications? Gedaliah and I got into some terrible arguments, and it grew to the point that he wouldn't speak to me anymore. He's a liar, a cheat, and an idolater, Abba, and he makes little pretense of following G.o.d's Law. I challenged his fitness to govern many times because of his hypocrisy, and eventually King Hezekiah learned of his brother's idolatry through me. Gedaliah also has close ties with Shebna. He appointed Gedaliah governor in the first place. And you know how things stand between Shebna and me."