Isaiah's Daughter by Mesu Andrews

Author:Mesu Andrews
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Crown Publishing Group
Published: 2018-01-16T00:00:00+00:00

29

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada…went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon [spring].

—1 Kings 1:38

Isaiah watched the reunion of Hezekiah and Hephzibah with more than a prophet’s satisfaction. These were the children of his heart. But when the scene grew uncomfortably intimate, he and Eliakim shared an uneasy glance. Hephzibah should never have loosened her hair—but the moment felt almost holy, too precious to interrupt. Isaiah swallowed his reprimand and averted his eyes.

He and Eliakim stood by the doors to give the young couple a modicum of privacy. Isaiah heard Hezekiah say something about “…love you…forever…marry you today,” and the panicked abba nearly ran across the room. Then he heard Zibah’s cool-headed logic, exactly what he’d expect of his prize student. Tension stretched between them when Hezekiah revealed their correspondence had been intercepted by someone at the palace. The king assumed it was his abba. Isaiah wasn’t so sure, but it didn’t matter now.

The next thing Isaiah heard sent him charging across the king’s tiled chamber. “Zibah, wait!” he shouted. “You cannot propose marriage to the king of Judah!”

Hezekiah stopped twirling Hephzibah and set her feet on the floor. “Technically, I asked her first. And I believe we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”

Hephzibah nodded, the look of dreams in her eyes.

Isaiah pressed his palms against his head, forestalling an impending headache. Every decision this boy made was crucial if he was meant to successfully usher in Yahweh’s new Jerusalem. “Hezekiah, please consider what impact a hurried wedding might have on your long-term reign. The customary mourning period for a king is thirty days. The nation must mourn King Ahaz.”

Hezi’s anger flared. “It’s also customary to bury the king of Judah in the Tombs of the Kings, but Abba was dishonored by his wives and my brothers when they instead buried him in the family tomb in the southern city.” He walked to his chamber window and pointed to the street below. “Do you see those people down there, Isaiah? Not one is wearing sackcloth. Their robes aren’t torn. The mourning customs you’re so worried about observing are not a priority for my family or the people of Judah, who obviously held no fondness for King Ahaz. I seem to be the only one who desired to show respect by moving his body to the Tombs of the Kings. However, after further consideration, I’ve decided against it.” He dragged his hand through his hair and spoke quietly, perhaps to himself. “Moving Abba’s body would bring more dishonor than leaving it at rest.”

Isaiah bowed, relieved the boy wasn’t going to cause a scene by moving Ahaz’s body. “You’re wise to leave your abba at rest, my king.” Hesitantly, he straightened but kept his head lowered. “There is still the issue of your coronation. If you marry Zibah before you are crowned king, she will not be considered your queen. Only a woman taken to wife while the regent is actively reigning will be deemed queen.

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