Matthias

1. An Introduction Must be Good!

This is the story of Matthias, as I think it could have happened.

~

"The Lord brings the counsel of the heathen to naught; He makes the plans of the people of no effect." It was the Sabbath, and Matthias was doing the readings from the Psalms. He was standing at the pulpit. "The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations."

There's his father Jether, his brother-in-law Ethan, and some others he knows at the male seats; there's his mother, his sister Hannah, and other women on the female side. This was because of the rules the Jews had set forth about the separation between males and females. Right by Matthias, now a young man of 17, stood the synagogue hazzan (the synagogue official who blows the ram's horn on the synagogue ceiling to announce the coming and endings of holy days).

There were pillars around; around the center of the synagogue building was a raised platform and a pulpit. At the wall that's closest to Jerusalem was a chest, called an ark. Inside it was the sacred scrolls. And nearby this ark was an eight-branched lamp, which only got ignited on great festivals. But besides this was another lamp that burned continually.

And about here were seats of honor. Here sat the elders and leading rabbis. Matthias kind of liked the role of these important people, who said they were guardians of the Torah.

So it was that, because of the platform height, every eye was looking at Matthias.

He continued to read: "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He hath chosen for His own inheritance." Now he unrolled the scroll of the Psalms. He handed it over to Ezra bar-Johann, shooting a smile at him also. Now Matthias glanced at everyone. It was time for the lecturing. "So," Matthias began, "we read about... the Creation. And that includes everything and everyone was made by God, therefore the psalmist expressed, 'Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.' "

Some looked at Matthias amazed. Why?

Matthias proceeded on, trying to ignore the expression some made at him. "God has great power! So none should get in the way of Him! God commanded the light to shine, and the light did shine. And God made a separation between the light and the dark." Pause. "So, God has made a difference between those living in the light and those living in the darkness. God can overrule counsels from people, but His counsels stand forever, for all generations!"

Matthias heard some "Amen"s. Someone said, "God bless our nation, oppressed as it is."

Matthias simply answered, "The psalmist writes: 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.' Friends, we must ensure nothing gets in the way between us and the Lord. We must revere His commands, which goes over human commands."

"Whatever Rome commands," a woman said. And some others nodded. Rome ruled the people of God at this moment; since the first Roman soldiers took Jerusalem decades ago, the Jews resented Roman rule.

Matthias answered with a brief sigh, being tired of the anti-Roman comments, "Yes, Rome makes commands to us. They are human commands, I won't dispute that—even if the Romans see their emperor as divine. But don't all authorities make commands of their own? What if... not much emphasis is set on the divine commandments? So I beg you all to consider today, this Sabbath of the Lord; consider, please, what God hath said which is written in the Torah."

~

"We must wash whenever we return from the market," said rabbi Nathan bar-Uzi. He and Matthias returned from our shopping this day—the second day of the week. The full-member rabbi continued, "We cannot remain in contact... or possible contact with the Romans or sinners or any unclean thing, without washing up."