One of the Nine

ONE OF THE NINE

By

Charlene Bays Rothenberger

Published by Charbo at Smashwords

Copyright Charlene Bays Rothenberger 2004

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like ro share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

INTRODUCTION

I remember when God gave her the idea for this novel. It was in our early life together, when the children were very young, and things were difficult for us. She said, I have an idea for a novel, and continued to explain the idea. This is the novel given to her then, and has remained with her all these years. Through her many adversities it has matured in her mind.

Finally, God has wrested it from her, taking Him and her almost a year to complete.

She received her inspiration at unusual times. In the afternoon, late evenings, waking me in the middle of the night for pencil and paper to jot down an idea, or to get up at 3:00 AM to go to her computer and write what God has laid on her heart.

I hope that this story will touch you as it has me.

Her husband, friend and amazed observer,

Boyd Rothenberger

This book is dedicated

To

My Husband Boyd Allan

Without Whose Patience, Guidance and Help

This Book Would Not Have Made it to the File Drawer,a

And to

Our Sons

Gregory John and Joseph Allan

With Whom We are Well Pleased

And it came to pass in those day, that there went out a decree from Caeaar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night and, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

Luke 2, 1-16, KJV

PROLOGUE

Many people say, Who will show us better times? Let the smile of your face shine on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and wine.

Psalm 4, 6-7 NLT

In his excitement Micah was almost running along the path leading to the road that would take him home.

Home! What a wonderful word! Only someone who no longer had a home would understand what it really meant. His land! He would once again be able to see and walk on his beloved land, the land his forefathers left in his care. Land, precious soil, which came to him from past generations. His to love and take care of and to pass on to his eldest son, who would then pass it on to his eldest son who, as far as he knew, was yet to be born. It had been some time since he was forced to leave. His family would be grown. They would be very surprised to see him. He could possibly even have a grandchild now. His son, Aaron, could have taken a bride and started his own family. A new generation to love and care for our land and to help take care of Miriam and myself in our old age. They would live together in the little white washed house behind the rock fence.

When the local priest declared him unclean because of sores on his body, he had become an outcast. He went to live in the hills, among the caves, with the other lepers. Would the priest now say he was well? Would the priest allow him back into his family’s life?

It really was a miracle. Where did He come from? Who was this man called Jesus? How did He have the power to heal him of leprosy and make the sores on his body disappear?

Oh, that his feet had wings like the birds in the sky. If he could fly like the birds, he could be home in a few hours. It was a long trip to his much-loved village in the hills of lower Galilee and to his land and his family.

Micah slowed his pace as he continued to walk toward home remembering how it began. It started innocently enough with a small white patch on his stomach that did not want to heal and continued to ooze…

CHAPTER ONE

It is a land of wheat and barley, of grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, olives, and honey. It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. When you have eaten your fill, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Deuteronomy 8, 8-10 NLT

Micah walked through his fields of barley and admired the golden grain waving in the warm breeze. The heads of grain were just about to burst. The barley was ready to harvest. Unless there is some unforeseen disaster, he thought, my storehouses will be filled to overflowing. My family will fare well and so will the Priests and tax collectors when I take my tithes to the temple and pay what is levied upon me by the government. On the slopes of the hills in the distance he could see that the vineyards were in bloom, almond trees scattered about his household garden plot were also about to come into flower. The garden appeared to be a little dry; Miriam would need to bring out buckets of water right away, before the Sabbath day began. Olives had been harvested a few months earlier and summer figs were just beginning to show signs of ripening. Jehovah has been good to his servant, Micah thought as he began a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to the Lord God.

Micah walked down the dusty road toward the little village of Jotapata, where he lived with his wife and children. The modest little village was located just across the hills from Cana in Lower Galilee. His family would be awaiting his return from the fields so they could have their evening meal. The road narrowed as he came closer to the village. His house was near the outer edge of the small community; consequently he did not have much further to go. He passed a few small one-room mud brick huts that were huddled around a central courtyard where everyone cooked and washed their hands and faces before eating. The women from huts adjoining the courtyard ground their grains, baked their bread and watched after each other’s children, chickens, lambs and goats.

Truly I am very blessed, he thought to himself again. I have a lot to be grateful for. I am thankful for my God and his goodness, my dwelling, my children and my wife. His home was a small two-story, white washed mud brick hut surrounded by a low rock wall. As he opened the gate and entered the courtyard, he could smell the aroma of fresh baked bread. Micah placed his hand on his belly as it rumbled in response to his visions of the food Miriam would have prepared.

Micah was once more thinking about his children as he walked into the courtyard. They should be at home by now. Aaron, his first born, was spending extra time studying daily with the priest until he was needed for the barley harvest. Joseph and Hannah, the younger children, would have returned from the foothills where they drove the few sheep in his flock to graze. Joseph was finished with his schooling at the synagogue and was now practicing his trade as a farmer. Hannah was learning her wifely skills and duties from her mother in preparation for when she would have a family of her own to care for. Micah understood the harvest needed to start immediately after the Sabbath or the grain would fall off in the fields as they cut and bundled it into sheaves.

Miriam, his wife, was a good wife even though she birthed only three living children. She worked hard and was a good helper on the land. She tended the garden, grew flax for linen, wove cloth to make their garments and took care of the animals and few chickens they kept for eggs and occasional meat on feast days.

Micah tried not to draw too much attention to his blessed life for fear that something might happen to a member of his family, his crops, his animals, or himself.

Miriam knelt by the fire stirring a kettle of boiling vegetables. When she saw Micah she rose immediately to greet her husband. Welcome home Micah, she said to him as she brought him a cup of refreshing water. Was it a good day for you? Were you able to accomplish everything you needed to do? Did you ask David about help for the harvest?

Yes I was able to talk to David, Micah told her while walking toward the washbowl sitting on a small table. It has been a very good day. The garden is looking a little dry, so you will probably need to take water out tomorrow before the Sabbath begins."

I will carry water out for the vegetables in the morning, Miriam called softly over her shoulder. The children are home and the evening meal will soon be ready. The water was cool, Micah noticed. Miriam must have drawn it recently from the well in the center of the village." He knew she went twice a day to draw water and talk with the other women who gathered there.

Miriam dipped the vegetables out of the boiling pot and put them in a serving bowl. She called for Hannah to come and help carry the bowls up the steps to the rooftop where they would have their evening meal. It would be a little cooler on the roof. Miriam carried bowls of nuts and figs up the stairs and handed them to her daughter. Then she went back down to the courtyard to get wine and cheese and carry them up to the table. Hannah followed her Mother so she could take milk and bread upstairs for her. Hannah, her mother asked, Will you please call your father and brothers? Tell them to wash and get ready for the evening meal. Hannah saw her father at the earthenware-washing bowl in the bathing area of the courtyard and called to him. Father you may go up to the rooftop when you are finished, we are nearly ready to serve the meal. I will go find Aaron and Joseph to let them know. She found her brothers in the shed that housed their animals during the warmer months. They were putting down fresh straw. My brothers, she called to them. Father is ready and you need to wash your hands so that we may eat. The boys, without delay, put up their tools and ran to the washing bowl. Hannah climbed up the stairs so she could be ready to serve the men their evening meal.

Micah took his customary place at the head of the table. Aaron reclined on one of the rugs that lay on the hard sun-baked floor around the long, low table. Joseph came up the steps quickly and slid into his usual place. After their Father blessed the bread and broke it, he passed the bread to his sons, starting with the oldest. The women brought the communal food bowls and sat them down on the table. The men ate heartily and drank their fill since this was the final meal of the day. They awakened early, and did not eat their first meal of the day until the middle of the morning as they worked in the fields or studied, so everyone was very hungry. When the men finished eating, then the women sat down to eat.

Aaron would you go downstairs and bring up the chest containing the scrolls of the Torah? Micah asked. Yes father. Aaron replied as he got up to go down and get the precious container. When he came back up to the rooftop, Aaron sat the container on the floor next to his father. The scrolls were wrapped in white linen for safekeeping. Micah selected one of the scrolls, unrolled it and began to read to his family. Come Hannah, Miriam told her daughter as she picked up one of the bowls. Let’s get the food put away so we can enjoy the readings. Cleanup was fairly simple for Miriam. The food remaining in the bowls would be sent with her men folk and daughter, to have as their mid-day meal, when they left for the fields tomorrow. Miriam was thinking to herself as she worked at putting away the food In the morning, I will need to rise earlier so I can plan the things we will need for the evening meal as well as prepare everything for the Sabbath day and get the garden watered.

The Sabbath always begins at sunset and continues until sunset the following day. Cooking or working is forbidden after the