Daily Thoughts from Deuteronomy 19:8-10: Innocent Blood (Dahm Naqi)

21. Innocent Blood (Dahm Naqi)

If Yahweh your God expands your territory, as he swore to your ancestors that he would, and gives you all the land he promised to give to your ancestors — provided you keep and observe all these mitzvot I am giving you today, loving Yahweh your God and always following his ways — then you are to add three more cities for yourselves, besides these three; so that innocent blood will not be shed in the land Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance, and thus blood guilt be on you.

(D’varim 19:8-10)

It was such a blessing from his Father that he had only traveled a short distance before he found another water-filled flower on his path.  He decided to stop here and open the scroll again to read.  His companion was following behind him silently and squatted a short way from him.  He decided to read the words of Moshe aloud.

Cities of refuge once Israel reached Canaan, maintaining the boundary markers for where land was allotted the tribes after they defeated the Canaanites, and the punishment of evil witnesses who gave false testimony, that was what Moshe addressed.

The satan finally spoke:  “There is no innocent blood in Israel.”

He said it with such malevolence it was startling, though it shouldn’t have been.  He had been at enmity with the seed of the woman from the beginning.  He hated the holy crèche Yahweh had created this nation to be for the Messiach.

He made a quick look to heaven and felt encouraged to respond.

“You are right.”

“Then why would you come to rescue them or even think such a rescue is possible?  You are a fool.”

“Nothing I do, if Yahweh bids me do it, is foolish.  I do not challenge your assertion that Israel is undeserving of God’s rescue but will challenge your perception of His mercy and ability to redeem His people.  And I will not disobey my Father and abandon them to your foolishness.  You would make them servants with promises of glory only to devour them before they really tasted it.”

“Fool.  They will see you as their enemy and in their bloodthirst for vengeance will prevent you from fleeing to any city of refuge.  They will waylay you and sacrifice your life to get you to stop berating them to repent.  They will bear false witness against you in a heartbeat.  You do not even know your own people.”

“On the contrary, I know what you say is true.  But after they have killed the son there will be light and hope for the cure of their dark hearts.  Yahweh will not abandon His people.  And that is what you fear, is it not?  It would prove that you, too, could have been redeemed and enjoyed the Father’s love and mercy.”

“I care nothing for his mercy or his love.  And I fear nothing.  I only warn you that you are deceiving yourself with this impossible mission.  I could actually help you, if you let me.  There is another way.”

“I will answer you the way Abram answered the king of Sodom:  I will not take so much as a thread or sandal thong of anything that is yours lest any think you made me rich.”

“You may think differently when it comes down to it, son of God.  You may think differently.”

Conversation over.  It was time to march on, tired as he was, so that God might show him what he needed to see.

Tired though he was, he knew he was only a short distance away from the sea.  Before long it was visible in front of him, beautiful and blue, dead of any life but lovely just the same.  He could smell it and it reminded him of home and Lake Gennesaret.  He would not call it Tiberius, though the Romans wanted it that way.  The Yardin connected the two and that reminded him of John and his ministry.  He longed to see him again, but would he.

When he reached the shore it was getting dark but you could still hear the birds flying about and the insects along the shore where vegetation was more plentiful than the yeshimon.  He camped for the night.  His companion was silent and removed.