Rising Darkness (16 page)
Authors: D. Brian Shafer
Pellecus stood to speak. He pointed to an Asherah pole nearby, where a recent celebration to one of the Baals had taken place.
“This sort of nonsense represents the future of the Lord’s Presence on earth,” Pellecus remarked. “I believe that with the capture of the Ark, the people of God will disintegrate into the same nonsense that the worshipers of Baal have become accustomed to. Men always tend to idolatry—it is fixed in them as the sun is in the heavens. Mark me, my brothers, the Ark will become a lost memory to Israel, and soon they too shall be dancing around poles and attributing to the Most High the trappings of Canaanite gods!”
“I view things a bit differently,” offered Lucifer. “True, having the Ark is a great victory for us. And it represents a repudiation of God’s people by the Lord Himself. But ultimately the Ark will be a liability. I suggest that we make use of it as a point of pride for the time being—a trophy of sorts with which to humiliate Israel—and then destroy it and the Testimony within it. Then perhaps, Pellecus, these people will lapse into idolatry and disappear as a threat altogether.”
“Yes, my prince,” said Pellecus. “And with their idolatrous demise they will take with them the possibility of the Seed ever emerging!”
Lucifer seemed encouraged for the first time in a while. He looked at his Council with a proud countenance.
“Not since the days that we mapped out the beginning of this war in Heaven have I felt more sure that we are going to win,” he said confidently. “We must win! The alternative is unbearable.”
“So what do you suggest is our next action?” asked Kara, who had recovered from what he considered to be a rebuff of his request to be custodian of the Ark.
“The people themselves are dictating the next move,” said Lucifer. “They are now clamoring for a king. Idiots! They would throw off the rule of the Lord for a king who would come from among their own petty ranks.”
“A king in Israel?” surmised Pellecus. “Men leading men. It would be the beginning of the end for the covenant people of God!”
“All kings are prideful and corruptible,” agreed Kara.
“Their hearts can be turned in an instant,” said Rugio.
“Let Israel find her king,” said Lucifer. “And in proclaiming a royal leader, they shall become like the nations around them—proud, corrupt, idolatrous—and ultimately separated from the Lord.”
“And the Seed?” asked Kara. “What becomes of the prophecy?”
“Lost to history,” said Lucifer calmly. “After all, Kara, how could the Lord possibly bring forth Israel’s salvation from so common a nation?”
Chronicles of the Host
Israel’s Progress
How indeed? And yet as was often the case, the Lord confounded the wise with the simple, the lofty with the profane. As for the Ark, just as Lucifer suspected, it became a liability causing all manner of disease to break out among the Philistines. Even the great image of Dagon collapsed and broke into two pieces in its presence. So it was that the Philistines sent the Ark back to Israel, glad to be rid of it.
The Kingdom Begins
And so it was that the people asked for a king—a king who would lead them into battle; a king who would see the yoke of the Philistines overthrown; a king who would bring glory to Israel. Thus the Lord, ever gracious, had the prophet Samuel anoint Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, king over Israel. And Saul led Israel on a path of glory…for awhile. But, as the enemy knew would happen among humans, Saul became plagued by his own prideful heart, and the Lord soon rejected him as king.
Lucifer thought the idea of a king a colossal mistake on the part of the Lord, knowing that human kings tend toward corruption, and was delighted with Saul’s erratic behavior. He sent Rugio and all his warriors to plague Israel with all manner of death and disease and filthy corruption as a result of the king’s perverse rule. In the end, they knew that Saul would only help in ferreting out and destroying the line of the Seed once and for all. Corrupt kings could bring a nation down, and Lucifer would bide his time until Israel was destroyed and the prophecy with it….
As it turned out, the Most High had already considered a new king, from the line of Judah. He was neither a great hero, nor warrior, nor man of experience. This again was a great surprise to the Host, as we sought out in our own minds a champion of the people; but the Lord had already seen a champion else-where…a most unlikely champion…and a most unlikely king….
Near Bethlehem, 1030 B.C.
Michael and Bakka watched as the last of Jesse’s sons came before Samuel at Bethlehem. None of these men was to become king. And yet the Lord had instructed the prophet to anoint one of Jesse’s sons. Samuel seemed a bit flustered, and the six boys who had been rejected were each disappointed.
“Have you no other child?” asked Samuel.
Jesse looked at his sons standing in the room of their house. They looked back at him, as if hoping he might not mention their little brother.
“Well, of course there is David,” said Jesse finally. “But he is just a lad. In fact, I didn’t call him in because he didn’t seem to be what you were searching for…” Jesse’s voice trailed off in unintelligible embarrassment.
“Go and fetch you brother!” he ordered Shammah.
Bakka looked at Michael with puzzlement. He indicated David’s brothers who stood as if in a stupor ever since being passed over by the prophet. All of them seemed fine candidates for king: They were tall, with strong features, and the look of royal confidence that can command armies.
When David walked in with Shammah, he saw his brothers standing on one side of the room, a stranger seated on the other side of the room, and his father in the middle—and all of them were looking at him. He started to ask his father what was going on when Samuel stood up and announced that this boy was to be anointed king.
As Samuel poured the anointing oil over David, Jesse wept with pride to see his youngest son so honored. The brothers were astonished, but sensed the reverence of the moment and bowed their heads solemnly. As Samuel laid his hands on David, the Spirit of the Lord came upon the boy like waves crashing on the shore. Michael and Bakka knelt in the Lord’s Presence, and when the ceremony was over, they were suddenly charged with a new mission that concerned this shepherd boy who would one day be king.
“Leave me alone!”
Saul’s soldiers ran into the room where the king lay on the floor, his hands covering his ears. He was beside himself, half weeping, half sputtering nonsense. Saul’s attendant helped him to a couch and gave him some wine. Saul grasped the goblet and drank deeply of it. He wiped his chin with his cloak and looked at the servant.
“The dream, Highness?” asked the servant.
“The nightmare,” said Saul, his cloak drenched in sweat. “Only this time I was not asleep. I was seated over there looking at a map when I felt something staring at me. I thought that perhaps a messenger had arrived, or a servant had come into the room. When I turned, I saw a hideous creature—black and ugly. It was jumping about the room shrieking at me in some accursed tongue. Just like the dream except this time I was awake. You believe me, don’t you?”
“Yes, Highness,” said the servant. “It is undoubtedly an evil spirit!”
Saul cradled his head in his hands. The attendant looked up at the other servant and shook his head in pity. The men helped Saul to his bed. He ordered them to stay in the room with him until he fell asleep. In a short time he was sleeping.
“Is he losing his mind?” whispered one of the servants, as they exited the room.
“No,” said the other. “This is the hand of God. The Lord is punishing Saul for his disobedience. We must find a way to help him.”
“But how?”
“We must find something that will take the king’s mind off this torment,” the other answered. “And I believe I know what that is!”
“Well?” asked the servant.
“Music,” said the attendant. “Played by the young man I saw the other day. I am convinced that this man is filled with the Spirit of God and that he will be able to bring peace to Saul’s mind.”
The other man thought about it for a bit. He then asked, “Who is he?”
“David,” said the attendant. “Son of Jesse of Bethlehem.”
“Saul
…
”
“Saul
…
”
Saul opened his eyes, awakening to the sound of his name being called. At first he was disoriented, having been sleeping soundly for the first time in many days. He answered, “Yes, who is it?”
Bizarre laughter began to fill the room. Saul bolted up in his bed, the fear rising inside of him. He tried to call out to his servants but began to choke, as if something had hold of his throat.
It was then that he saw two small black hands with long fingers and claw-like nails releasing him, and a grim visage with yellow teeth and red eyes looking straight at him. The horrible face began to grin and make ape-like noises, as if laughing. Saul jumped out of bed and ran out of the room, finally able to scream for his servants.
The demon laughed hysterically, enjoying Saul’s fright. It was a wisdom angel named Aziel who had been allowed by the Most High to gain entrance to Saul’s mind in order to torment him. Aziel watched as Saul came back in the room with his servants. The king broke down completely and began weeping aloud.
“Get David at once!” said the servant.
The spirit, which had attached itself to Saul’s head and was clawing away at his mind as if it was a potter working clay, lurched when the name
David
was spoken. He growled a low growl and watched as the servant disappeared to fetch David. Within a few minutes David came into the room and sat next to the king.
The king reclined on the couch and kept his eyes on David the whole time that David played. The evil spirit began screaming into Saul’s mind in a furious effort to resist David’s music. But the Spirit of God began to fill the room, and as the Lord’s Presence began to calm Saul’s fragile mind, the evil spirit could bear the music no longer. He vanished with a string of curses.
Saul finished off another cup of wine and then sat up, closing his eyes as he listened to the music. He was feeling better. When he seemed to drift off to sleep, David stopped playing and started to get up.
