to know this Yahweh
SERVANTS OF
THE LORD
By KWA KIEM KIOK
NOW I can die in peace. I have
done all that I need to do. I have, I believe, served my master
(and the late mistress, bless her!) well.
I am indeed very satisfied with myself, for I have served my master
for altogether 50 years now, more if you count my days as a boy,
and less if you count just those years that I was head steward
… but all those years were part of my preparation to be head
steward. Ah, this is indeed the biggest achievement, to be head
steward of this large, prosperous and prominent family!
Hmm, this was indeed a good family to serve, even if they are
Jews. I sometimes hear talk about how Jews can't be trusted, but
I have found that Master was a man of his word. You could trust
him to do it, look at how he fought for his nephew, that good
for nothing Master Lot!
I heard him, you know, heard him talking to those men, bargaining
with them as if his own life depended on it. But it was not for
himself, it was for Yahweh's name, he said. Strange. Why do all
that for someone else? But Yahweh's name, that I can understand;
for name is character, no? Which is why my name is so much to
me, and I know that I have to be a man of my word, for that is
my character.
I've grown to know this Yahweh through the years; it makes sense
to worship the God of your masters, but honestly, in the beginning
I found Yahweh a little strange. Not like the gods of our fathers
who had to be appeased with offerings and rituals, and even then
they still did as they pleased.
This Yahweh is different; well he still had his rituals, like
the burnt offerings, those are all still necessary, no? But He
wasn't … capricious, like our gods. What he says, goes. Like
the ram which became the sacrifice for Master Isaac … ah,
that was a strange thing. I was there … Which is why Master
wants a wife for him from their own family, so that they worship
the same God ,yes?
So of course he had to send me … who else could be trusted
to carry on this important task? So, what did I do? Well, first
of all, I brought many fine gifts on ten camels, to show that
we are a good family, and a rich one, no? Ah, the gold, and jewelry
and fine cloths, some of our best. Packed all those things, and
then, well, then I made the journey. Took us some days, but it
was a good journey. Smooth, no bandits, though we were well prepared
for them.
Then I prayed to Yahweh of my Master,
and said, "God of my Master Abraham, give me success,"
then I spelled out very specifically what I felt was needed.
That's what I learned from my master, when you pray, you ask for
something specific; so it makes you think. Not just the way we
used to pray to our gods, give me this or that; but as my Master
said last time, think about what you're praying, work through
the consequences, and then see if Yahweh would be pleased to make
all that happen. Which is what I did.
So, what did I ask for? I asked for a girl who would water me
and the camels. And immediately this girl offered, and she turns
out to be everything I wanted! A virgin, a daughter of the family,
and, willing to serve. That was a blessing, surely Yahweh was
with me that day.
She was willing to come back with me straight away. She told me
why. We had a couple of long talks, actually, on the journey back;
though most of the time she was with the women. But when I went
over to check, she'd usually come out and we'd talk. So, she told
me about how as a family they too never wanted to get too close
to the Canaanites, their gods were different, their ways were
different, she said.
They had always, in their own way followed Yahweh, and they felt
that it was important to marry within the family. But her father
died, and her brother Laban was too busy with looking after the
household and caring for their mother that he didn't have time
to look for her husband. So I came, just at the right time. She
was ready to leave that household.
So, you see, I have been a good servant. I've done my master's
bidding all these years, served him well, travelled with them
through hostile lands and fought off hostile people. Those were
the good days, I was young then. But now, as I face the end, I'm
glad that I've been able to have helped to bring in the new generation,
no? - Genesis 24.
Kwa Kiem Kiok, a member of Trinity Methodist Church, is on
sabbatical at Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, the United
States.
QUOTE:
PRAY FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC
'Then I prayed to Yahweh of my Master, and said, "God of my Master Abraham, give me success," then I spelled out very specifically what I felt was needed. That's what I learned from my master, when you pray, you ask for something specific; so it makes you think. Not just the way we used to pray to our gods, give me this or that …'