Songs for Tamar

Chapter Three

Tamar was overjoyed about the coming spring sheep-shearing festivities. Jesse would direct Absalom's servants at Tekoa in the shearing of the wool coats the sheep had grown over a time. Tamar was in charge of the preparation of the food and strong drink for all of the families who attended.  There was wine, Egyptian beer to be had for those who loved foreign brew, and plenty of meat from occasional sheep slaughtered for the occasion.

Each day shepherds drove their sheep to Jesse, who directed his crew to shear both Absalom's sheep and those whose flocks were too small to hire their own shearers. Instead of paying Absalom in gold or silver shekels, they offered a portion of their wool instead. This pleased Absalom and increased his wealth so much that he considered taking a wife.

Absalom had long cherished the thought of taking a young widow in Tekoa by the name of Ruth. She had lost her husband to the same bandits that had raided Emmaus. When she had come before the elders to charge the Bandits with blood-guilt, Absalom had been smitten by her. He had spoken kindly to her following the raids and had provided her with financial support, knowing that widowhood would reduce her to gleaning the local fields as did David's great grandmother when she took care of Naomi. There was so much more between them than her unusual beauty. They were made for each other. Like Tamar, she could read, and Absalom's servants delivered their letters of growing love for each other. They wanted each other so much, but there was a redeeming ceremony coming up in Tekoa, and like the Ruth of old, she was about be redeemed by the wrong man.

Absalom was beside himself with love for Ruth and with fear that one of the brothers of Ruth's dead husband might redeem her first. For support he took Jesse and Tamar along to the very gate of Tekoa where tradition dictated such transactions would take place. As Ruth stood by, no kinsman step forward to redeem her so that her husband's name would not be lost in history. After having given the brothers sufficient time, Absalom himself stepped forward and offered to redeem her as his wife. He whispered in her ear, and she lit up with such happiness at having the young man Absalom to take her. She was further filled with pride and gratitude for her dead husband when Absalom said to the crowd, "Would that I myself had been her husband's nearest kinsman. But I will name of Ruth's first-born male child after her first husband. Further, I will buy not land and deprive Ruth's inlaws. But give me only half of what Ruth's family would have paid for her support for a year."

Tamar's heart was so warmed by such a kind act that Absalom showed toward Ruth. She took Jesse by the hand and asked, "Would you have redeemed me today if I were Ruth?"

Jesse squeezed her hand. "I would never allow you to live in devastation without a warm husband's love. My loins would happily provide you children in your first husband's place."

"What about your place, Jesse?"

"Let God bring you to me in His own good time--if it is to be."

They returned to the hills while Absalom entered a marriage booth with his new bride for a number of days.

The night before the end of the festivities, Tamar came to Jesse as he sat overlooking the last of the servants and local people packing for their travels for home. They had their wagons loaded with sheep skins, and they had started to put out their cooking fires and retreating for the evening into their tents.

Tamar sat next to Jesse. She then leaned on his shoulder. She put her arm around him and kissed him on the mouth. She said, "Jesse, I love you and want you for my husband."

Jesse turned to her. "Oh, that I felt worthy of you. But you are bound for greater things as the king's daughter and maybe the sister of another king some day. Would it do any good to swear my love for you? How can a shepherd ask the king for his beautiful daughter's hand?"