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Ensign: "Four more days, Aaron."


All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isaiah 18:3

AN ENSIGN ON THE MOUNTAINS 9 November 2012

WORD COUNT: 12,585

I think of all the novels I've written using National Novel Writing Month's impetus (the goal, see www.nanowrimo.org for more details, is to write a 50,000 word plus story in the thirty days of November or less) and I think I am proudest of The Book of Numbers, my 2009 entry. And today's title is the opening line I chose for the action of the book, named for the Biblical book and beginning with the twelfth chapter, three days after Miriam was afflicted with leprosy for speaking out against Moses (and the LORD).

Twenty-seven days, thirteen hours, and fifty-four minutes. Or 27:13:54 minutes in shorthand. That's the amount of time it took to write and post the manuscript of a story that takes the reader from chapters twelve to thirty-six of Numbers. And make no mistake – which so many people do – besides a lot of religious law there is a good deal of action. You just have to flesh it out, and I'm sure I've missed something because I was writing about events that happened thirty-five centuries ago.


One important point I made in the book, particularly with the character of Moses, is one I feel a lot of Bible readers fail to get. And that's probably a sad commentary on our culture (and even sadder on me, for there are days I'm sure I don't remember – or at least act like I don't – what the purpose is behind the veil). Once you get to see God, your life is never the same. Now wait a minute, I'm hearing the eagle-eyed among you ask, how do any of us see God?

We don't, not in the sense of Him being flesh and blood walking among us now. But when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (check out Exodus 34) he's giving the children of Israel the instructions God gave him and then putting a veil over his face because he shone so brightly as a result of speaking with God. The Israelites asked him to cover his face because seeing it made them afraid.

And MY interpretation was (and it's just that, an interpretation in a work of fiction that is based on fact) that Moses had to wear the veil outside of the LORD's presence for the rest of his life. If I had to cover my face for the rest of my life and couldn't show it to anybody lest I freak them out, I might be a little snappish and seem a little uncaring too. And this isn't unheard of in literature – The Man in the Iron Mask, The Pin (in my currently-being-written novel “Rivalry”) have their reasons for hiding their faces.

Seeing God as He is right now would overwhelm us. Seeing each other with the Holy Spirit inside us, the transforming power of God inside us, is hardly fatal but can be life-changing. See Paul after his Damascus road experience. See the apostles after Jesus called them – not right away, but sometimes long after Jesus called them and still calls each of us today. So when you're asking God to prove He exists by doing something … well, worldly wise impossible. I would just be very careful what I'm asking for.

Happy Birthday tomorrow, Sesame Street!

David

P.S. I write this weekly devotional to keep in touch with all of you in my address book, and I hope to be an encourager to action too! If you find that I'm not or you want me to get lost, just let me know -- thank you!

Thank You, Lord, that we can come to you in prayer and that You provide for all our needs, even when we don't know what they are. We pray for the peace of Jerusalem on both sides of the fence there and around the world.

Thank You, Lord, for everyone in leadership and service, both here and abroad. Thank You for the opportunities we have and the promise of new life through You. I pray that we all seek and have a blessed week! Amen.
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