A Faithful Man Who Can Find?

—taken from 1 Kings

It was early morning, but the village of Bethel was already full of activity. Two boys and a donkey wound their way through a busy market street. “Excuse me, Eliab, sir,” said the taller boy, as they passed a fat merchant and his string of mules. “Is the king expected today?”

“Why else would I be hauling so much flour and oil?” the big man growled, and took out a whip. “These stupid beasts are holding me up!”

The boys pulled into an alley as the mule train passed. “Is the king going to sacrifice to that golden calf again, Nathan?” the younger boy asked. “He isn’t serving God, is he?”

Nathan patted the gray donkey’s neck. “No, Joshua, Father says the king is serving the people. That old idol won’t help anyone, and the king knows it. He’s just trying to keep us from going to the temple in Jerusalem.”

“I guess we’d better get home,” Joshua said, stepping back into the street. “Father wanted us to take a load of sticks down to the blacksmith’s shop before noon.”

“There are plenty of sticks by Joab’s house,” said Nathan, turning the donkey off down the alley.

“Will Father mind?” asked Joshua, hurrying after him.

“Not if we hurry,” his brother replied. “Besides, I think Joab might help us.”

Sure enough, the weaver’s son was glad to help his friends. “Tell your father thanks so much for that pot of broth,” Joab said. “Mother is feeling much better today.”

“That’s good,” said Joshua, as he added an armful of sticks to the donkey’s pack. He grinned. “Are you still stuck hauling water?”

“No, my sister is doing that. But I do have to deliver a load of cloth. You wouldn’t loan me your donkey this afternoon, would you?”

“Father doesn’t let us loan our donkeys out,” Nathan said slowly. “But I’m sure he would be glad to help your family. Maybe I could let you borrow her after we drop off this load.”

“Shouldn’t we ask Father first?” said Joshua, as they started up the street together.

“He won’t mind,” Nathan said quickly. “After all, Joab is our friend.”

But the boys’ father didn’t look pleased when they returned without the donkey. “What have you done with her, Nathan?” he asked sharply. “I was expecting you to take wood to the blacksmith so that we could get that donkey shod.”

“But we took the load of wood already,” said Nathan. “Joab helped us, and then I loaned the donkey to him for the evening.”

“After I said not to?” the father shook his gray head. “You must learn to be faithful, my son. If I cannot trust you in the little things, will I be able to trust you with more?”

“I will take the donkey first thing in the morning,” Nathan said quickly. “We heard that the king is offering sacrifices at the high place, and perhaps the blacksmith won’t be so busy then. I think most people will go to watch.”

“What a shame,” the old man said, shaking his head. “I wish to God that more people could see how deadly this idolatry is! It will be the ruin of all Israel. Will no one speak against it?”

The boys looked at each other and sighed in relief. At least today they would not be in trouble.

The next morning the streets were even busier. “I guess everyone is going to the sacrifice,” said Joshua, as the boys squeezed through the crowd toward the blacksmith’s shop.

“After we leave off the donkey, maybe we can go up the street and see the king’s procession go by,” said Nathan, excitedly.

“Let’s do!” agreed Joshua.

An hour later the boys returned to the blacksmith shop, breathless and excited. “Don’t we have news to tell Father!” exclaimed Nathan as he led the donkey off down the street. Joshua only nodded his head. It was all he could do to keep up with the trotting donkey and his big brother.

The old man looked up in surprise as the boys burst into the house. “There was a prophet from Judah,” Nathan said, breathlessly. “He was at the sacrifice, Father!”

“And the altar split open and the king’s hand shriveled up!” added Joshua.

“Slow down, my sons,” said the old man, holding up his hands. “Tell me all about it from the beginning.”

“Well, while the donkey was being shod, we went up the hill to see if we could see the king’s procession,” began Joshua.

“But we were too late,” continued Nathan, “because the king was already at the high place making the sacrifices. We were just about to come back when a man began to cry out against the altar in the name of the Lord.”

“In the name of the Lord?” The father nodded and smiled. “Good. But tell me, what did he say, my sons?”

Nathan repeated the man’s prophecy, how that one day a man named Josiah would come to that altar and burn up the wicked priests on it. “And he said that the Lord would give the king a sign that his words were true,” continued Nathan. “That the altar would be rent and the ashes poured out.”

“And that’s just what happened!” said Joshua. “But the next part was even more amazing. The king tried to grab him, and his hand just shriveled right up!”

“And what did the king do then?”

Nathan grinned. “He got really scared and started to plead with the man to pray for him, so that his hand would be restored.”

“And he did, Father,” said Joshua. “He was really a kind man, after all. And as soon as the king was healed, the king wanted him to come to a feast and have a reward!”

“But he said he wouldn’t go with him, even if he gave him half of his house,” finished Nathan. “He said that the Lord had commanded him not to eat or drink in this place, and to go home on a different road.”

The old man looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled at his sons. “And you admire the courage and power of such a man? Do you think he is one to be faithful to the littlest detail, Nathan?”

Nathan looked ashamed, but Joshua nodded eagerly. “Father, he didn’t even stop a moment when the king offered him the reward.”

“That is good,” said the father. He rubbed his wrinkled hands together and looked at his sons. “But what do you think, Nathan? If Eliab the merchant wanted to borrow a donkey, would you agree?”

“Of course not, Father! Even if he did pay well, I don’t trust him. He beats his animals. But Joab is a good friend.”

“I see,” said the old man. “Faithful only as long as you think best? Last week you didn’t take the grain to the mill because you were too busy. The smallest disobedience makes you untrustworthy, my boy.”

“I’m sorry, Father,” said Nathan, hanging his head.

“Sorry is not enough. Will you dare to be true?” He laid his hand on Nathan’s shoulder and looked at him searchingly.

“That prophet from Judah was pretty daring today,” Joshua said quickly. “You should have heard him, Father! He wasn’t afraid one bit, even when the king got angry.”

“And what he said came true,” added Nathan. “I guess God must have sent him alright.”

“But a faithful man who can find?” murmured the old man, staring off down the street. “I wonder… which way did he take out of town?”

“I saw him go out the southeast gate, on the highway toward Jerusalem,” said Joshua.

“Saddle a donkey for me, sons!” the father said quickly. “I must ride after him. Prepare a meal for our return.”

“But he said he wouldn’t eat or drink in this place,” Nathan said.

“He said,” repeated the old man, as Joshua brought up the donkey. “But to say is a different matter than to do. I will see now if he is a faithful man.”

The two boys watched after their father until the donkey turned a corner and disappeared up the street. “I guess we’d best see about the meal,” Nathan muttered. “I wonder what Father is up to?”

It wasn’t much past noon when the boys heard the clatter of hooves outside. The boys stared out the door in surprise. The prophet from Judah had returned with their father! Nathan hurried to tie up the donkey and Joshua brought out water to wash their dusty feet.

“I see the food is ready,” the father said, but he did not sound pleased. As they sat down together, the boys could see a worried furrow in his brows. Nathan passed around the bread and raisins and Joshua brought another pitcher of water to drink.

“Take some food and water, my friend,” the old man murmured.

The prophet from Judah smiled. “I thank you very much for your hospitality,” he said, and began to eat. Nathan and Joshua began to eat as well, but the old man’s face had suddenly turned quite white. His sons watched him with concern.

The father lifted one finger and looked at their guest earnestly. “The Lord says, because you have not kept His command to you, but have come back to eat and drink in this place, that you will not be buried in your own city!”

Nathan and Joshua looked at each other nervously. But the prophet from Judah didn’t say a word. After the meal he got up to leave. Their father stood up as well. “I will saddle up a donkey for you,” he said. “You must not leave on foot.”

A few minutes later the boys watched the prophet from Judah ride off down the street. “Father, why did you…?” began Joshua.

But the old man only shook his head. “A faithful man, who can find?” he murmured.

“What made him come back?” asked Nathan.

“I told him that I am also a prophet and that an angel of God said for him to come and eat with us.”

“Did an angel tell you that?” Joshua asked.

“No, it was not true,” the old man moaned. “It wasn’t right of me. But if he were a faithful man, he would not have listened. Even to a friend. Do you not see, my sons?”

It was late in the day when the news came. Joab appeared at the door and told it to Nathan. “A strange sight is reported on the road to Jerusalem. A lion is standing by a dead man in the road.”

“A dead man in the road, you say?” asked the father. “Is there a donkey?” He came to the door with Joshua beside him.

“Oh, yes,” said Joab. “That is strangest part. They say the donkey is standing next to the dead man, too. Do you know anything about it?”

“It is the prophet from Judah,” said the old man. “He has been killed by the lion because he disobeyed the word of the Lord.”

“Killed by a lion!” exclaimed Joshua. The boys looked at each other soberly.

“Saddle up a donkey, Nathan,” said his father. “I must bring him back to bury him, for the word which he spoke will come true.”

As he mounted the little gray donkey, he looked at the boys earnestly. “God always keeps His word, my sons. If you will not be true to your trust, God will still be faithful. May you not have to learn this lesson at the mouth of a lion!”

Once again Nathan and Joshua watched their father disappear down the street. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget this day,” Joshua whispered.

“God will still be faithful,” Nathan repeated to himself. “No, my brother, I do not want to forget. May today’s lesson make me a faithful man!”