Hadassah's Sacrifice

CHAPTER 22

Amongst the young women taken away from their families was Hadassah with her hair looking unkempt after her shawl had removed in the process of struggling with the soldiers. There she was among many other young women of both Judah and Babylon, marching along in a single line like prisoners with soldiers leading them. Gad couldn’t bear seeing her taken away that he tried to fight. He fought so hard, but was eventually overpowered. She could still remember the pain she saw in his eyes — it was heartbreaking. After all his years of parenting her, he wasn’t going to see her become a full grown woman.

                                     
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Benjamin heard the steps of the soldiers marching and he ran faster. “Not Hadassah. Oh no, please Lord, not my Hadassah,” he muttered under his breath. But that was when his heart shattered — for there in the multitude of young women who were being led away by the Babylon soldiers was Hadassah. Her expression fallen, and her head down.

“Hadassah!” He screamed.

Looking up to see who had yelled her name, she saw him; Benjamin — her friend, the one who showed her love even when she didn’t deserve it, the one who made her heart leap, whose love she may never know again. There he stood far away from where she was, she couldn’t make out his form from the distance, but that voice was one she could never forget. And in that moment, fresh tears cascaded down her face, tears that bore the pain and hurt she felt deep within her soul.

Benjamin was uncertain of what he was seeing, he didn’t know if she was crying as the men kept marching forward taking her farther away from him, snatching away the woman he loved.

                                       
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Emmanuel knew Benjamin would be a broken man because of Hadassah. The younger man had loved her more than he showed. “Help his heart, Lord,” Emmanuel prayed, for even him as a spiritual leader didn’t have the strength to heal a broken man.

                                       
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King Ardates Villa.
The ladies were handed over to Memukan, a eunuch in charge of the King’s concubines. He was to teach them on the ethics of royalty, feed them and supervise the maids assigned to each of them. In all his years as eunuch of the King’s concubines, never has he seen so many beautiful women as these ones. The King was going to have a hard time choosing a bride.

                                   
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Her joy knew no bound, this was a dream come true for her. Mylitta has never been inside the King’s villa and she was marveled. The villa was the biggest she was laying her eyes on; her father’s villa was nothing to compare with this. Without a doubt, she knew she was going to be the next Queen. There was no other woman more beautiful than her.

As a child, Mylitta’s obsession about beauty has been subtle, but with age she became more aware of her alluring look. There was something about her that drew men to her, it seemed like every young man wanted her, and she didn’t even have to try to seduce them. Mylitta’s vain perhaps was from her mother who also considers herself like her daughter — one of matchless beauty. Now here she was in the villa of the most powerful man in the world and her charm was going to work its magic like it always did.

                                   
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Hadassah looked at the magnificent villa with all its beauty. This wasn’t where she wanted to be, all she wanted was to be among her people. How will her life be without Adah, Bible Study and Benjamin? Thinking about him brought memories of the times they spent together; he was the friend she cherished, though she was careful not to let him know of how much she deeply cared about him and just before she was taken, he has become the man she was getting to love. He broke her walls, and gently he also stole her heart. Fear gripped her heart as her gaze swept the surrounding of the villa again. Papa Emmanuel’s teachings made meaning to her now, trust was what he would advice her to do, not like she had any other choice anymore.

“Watch over me, Lord. I’m surrounded by people who do not fear you, people who will do anything to defile you, and whose hearts derive comfort in wickedness. Let your light shine through me, Yahweh.” Though her heart was afraid, Hadassah chose to anchor her faith in Him who watches over Israel.

                                   
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A woman’s wail brought Emmanuel to his front door, where he found a woman he recognised from Bible study crying helplessly. “They’ve done it again, Papa Emmanuel,” she cried. “They have taken my two daughters away,” her cry got louder. Unsure of how to console her, Emmanuel stood staring at her speechless — this was going to be difficult for him, he couldn’t believe this was just one of more women who would come with cries to his front door. He felt drained.

“Be calm woman, everything will be fine.” He knew her, he saw her at Bible Studies sometimes, though he couldn’t remember her daughters, he thought he might know them. “They are in the Lord’s hand now,” he sounded so quiet that one would wonder if he was the one whose daughter was taken.  But what Emmanuel had to go through as a spiritual leader was burdening, he didn’t know for how long he was going to keep having to console angry mothers. His heart was getting weary. He didn’t know if his words made sense to the woman, but he hoped they did. There wasn’t anything any of them could do now.

“The Lord!” the woman yelled, “where was the Lord when my daughters were taken? Where did He keep His eyes when they were dragged away like prisoners in their….,” she sniffed and gave out a humourless laugh, “in their own land? Where was this God you talk about, Papa Emmanuel?” she looked at him, with tears streaming down her face as her eyes mocked him. Emmanuel saw the pain in them, it stung him, and every of her questions felt like an attack.

“Do not speak rash words, woman!” Her pain might be real, but the accusations she laid on the Lord weren’t. He wasn’t going to let her speak rash words because she was hurt. He was hurt too, and so was all their people, but it didn’t change the sovereignty of Yahweh. “The Lord is wise, trust Him,” he added simply.

He didn’t mean to be harsh, he understood the reason for her pain, but she shouldn’t blame God that way. Though he was pained too, he was going to trust God. He hoped his people will do the same.

                                   

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A/N: this is a late and an early update. I've been quite inconsistent with updating (sorry), but I hope this makes up for it.
You might have already guessed what this story reminds you of in the Bible, but keep reading, it gets more interesting.