01/19/01
23. At School with My Cousins
By the time we returned to Israel, I was nearly five years of age. The next morning I was playing with two sticks, squatting low to the ground as if I was a little drummer boy. As My Mother passed by she proclaimed, “Beautiful music, Jesus,”; to which I responded, “Love it.”
I was having a wonderful time. My two imaginary friends were in a procession with me. Then I began to march and hit My sticks, sounding the ‘rat-tat-tat’ on each other. Then with a sudden stop, I looked to My mother and said, “Momma, the soldiers are all around, and we must hide to protect the treasure.”
My Mother said, “Where are we going to hide, Jesus?’
I said, “Over there so the soldiers won’t find us. We have to keep our treasure safe, and we can’t let them find it.”
“What is the treasure, Jesus?”
“The gold. Can’t you see all this gold, right here?”
“Oh, of course, yes, my Son; we will make sure all is protected.”
At that point my two cousins came over as there was a knock at the door. “Let’s play, Jesus!” screamed Judas and James.
Mary (My aunt) walked in and said to My mother, “Blessed morning to you, Mary.”
“Oh good morning. Please come in and rest a while as the boys get reacquainted and ready for school. I am in the process of making straw baskets today and thought I would show the boys how they are made, and then complete our lesson on Moses”
“Thank you, Mary, but I must return to Alphaeus who asked me to assist in some home affairs.”
“Well Peace be with you, my sister; and God go with you today.”
In the background you could hear the laughter of the three of us boys shouting “rat-tat-tat.”
My mother allowed us to play for a little while, and then she called us to come inside for our lesson on Moses. We responded quickly and gathered around her. It was clear that James needed some tempering as well as focusing skills, but My mother in her way was able to quickly gain his attention and listening heart.
Then mother began, “When Moses finished his song to the assembly of Israel, he told everyone to take to heart the warning which was given to them, and how all the people had the responsibility to pass on and enforce the law of God onto their children because it is a serious matter of life, both Life in God and a long life on the land they were about to gain as they crossed the Jordan.
“Afterwards, Moses went up to Mount Nebo which faced Jericho, as God had instructed him, and viewed the land of Canaan, which was going to be given to the Israelites as their possession; but he was not allowed to cross over and enter the land. He could only view it at a distance, because he had broken his covenant of faith with God at the waters of Meribath in the desert of Zin by not maintaining the sanctity among the Israelites. And there, children, Moses died in the land of Moab. He gave the tribes the blessing which I will teach you about later. Before Moses died he laid his hands on Joshua, who thus gained Wisdom; so that the Israelites would then be obedient to Joshua who would lead them across the Jordan and gain domain over all the land of the Hittites, from Lebanon to the River Euphrates and west to the Great Sea.”
“How old was Moses when he died?” asked James.
“He was 120 years old, son. Now do you want to help me with my baskets? I am weaving baskets, and I need some strong helpers who can help with such an important task. Do you know any boys who would like to assist me?”
And all of us screamed, “I will, I will!”