It was 3:00 AM.
It was cold, dark and drizzling.
The little boy Akiva tucked himself deep into the many woollen blankets and curled up in his bed.
“Wake up Akiva… The Lord has commanded me to go to Bet-Lehem to offer a sacrifice”, said Prophet Shemu’el standing beside the little boy’s bed.
The young Akiva was Prophet’s assistant and attended to his needs ever since he withdrew from an active political life and settled down in the nondescript rural hinterland just outside the town of Ramah.
Akiva woke up startled. No, it was neither the prophet’s deep baritone voice nor the pre-dawn darkness that startled him. It was more the remoteness of the possibility of the Prophet being in his room, that too at such an untimely hour.
At first, he wasn’t quite sure if it was indeed the Seer himself.
“This can’t be the prophet…but who could this be...”
The Prophet had not spoken to any one for last few weeks, not even to him since he returned from Gilgal. The Seer had confined himself to his private room and even shut the windows. But, little by little he began to have the awareness of his master’s presence despite the pre-dawn darkness.
Akiva rubbed his eye-lids in disbelief.
“Akiva, Let’s get going… we need to leave immediately if we have to reach Bet’Lehem before sunset”, the Seer said with firmness but sounding nervous, as he left the room.
Prophet Shemu’el was fond of Akiva. The little boy was smart, dependable and quick to learn. Moreover, Akiva reminded the grand old Seer a little bit of his own childhood spent at the temple in Shiloh with Eli, the priest.
The young Akiva crawled out of the bed and quickly sprung into action.
The Seer was the most revered of all in Yishra’el and he considered serving the prophet as his special privilege.
Akiva knew there was not enough time to pack carefully for this journey but he needed to pack what was basic and necessary for the long journey by foot. He quickly grabbed shew bread, water in the leather bag, change clothes and some medicinal herbs for the Seer. He shoved them into his jute rug sack and promptly reported to his Master
“Sir, I am ready to leave”
“Good”
By now, Prophet Shemu’el was all ready and waiting for him near the back door.
“And then, Get the special ceremonial horn and the bottle of olive oil with you…will you?” he instructed his assistant just before he shut the creaky door.
“But…Why do we need the horn and the olive oil for the sacrifice?”, asked Akiva.
The Seer was stumped by this flash of brilliance.
It was a good question but he didn’t bother to answer. He chose to remain silent. However, the silence was accompanied by a tiny smile, perhaps a recognition of intelligence.
“Hurry up! We must leave now “, the Seer rushed Akiva in a bid to divert attention away from him.
Thankfully, Akiva did not persist with his logical reasoning. He knew where to fetch the horn and he ran straight to the closet hidden inside the prayer room.
As Akiva left, the Seer drew in a deep breath and sighed in relief.
This visit to the house of Jesse in Bet’Lehem was a secret Mission and he did not want to divulge any details of the plan of action, not even to the ever loyal Akiva.
The Seer knew fully well that he was under the direct surveillance of the King’s men ever since the unfortunate incident in Gilgal. In fact, there was always been the possibility of a serious threat to his life ever since.
Yahweh has given him a special task and he had to get it done. It was a dangerous mission, one in which he could be charged for sedition and sentenced to a painful death.
“Would the King’s men find us out before we reach the House of Jesse?” he posed the question to himself. As he considered the question thoughtfully, fear gradually replaced his deep silence.
However, he silenced the voice of self-doubt inside his head with the harshest rebuke and quickly freed himself from the brief stranglehold of doubt.
“I will go… and do what the Lord has commanded me”, he told himself.
It was this heightened sense of calling that has been driving force behind his missional life.
And, by the time Akiva returned, faith gradually displaced his momentary fears.
“Come, let’s go Akiva“, prophet Shemu’el told Akiva as he tagged along. The two left in a hurry on the narrow pathway that breaks into the dirt-road that leads to Bet’Lehem under the cover of darkness.
King David 