Tobit 9-14

The heartwarming story of Tobit and his family continues. Tobiah sends his travel companion ahead to recover the money his father had left for safekeeping with his kinsman, Gabael. Raphael returns with Gabael in tow, eager to join the joyful wedding celebration. Knowing his parents must be anxious for his return, Tobias and his new wife depart her parents' home after the two week celebration to head off for Nineveh. They are given a very warm and loving send off. It's a small thing, but to me it reinforces how marriage is (or can be, or should be) a joining in love of two families, not just two individuals.

Meanwhile, Tobit and Anna are very worried about their son, with Anna sure something terrible has happened. When Tobiah nears Nineveh, he and Raphael actually run ahead of the rest of their party, in order to get to Tobiah's parents sooner. His mother, keeping watch of the road (like the Prodigal Son's father, right?), sees him first. Tobiah greets his joyous parents, and then, at Raphael's direction, rubs the fish gall into his father's eyes. Tobit's sight is restored. "I can see you, son, the light of my eyes!" Tobit exclaims. Beautiful.

Raphael finally reveals himself, and urges Tobit and his family to "continue to thank God every day; praise him with song." He goes on to say: 

Behold, I am about to ascend to him who sent me; write down all these things that have happened to you.

Reminds me of Jesus' own Ascension.

Tobit sings a wonderful song of praise. He instructs his son and family about the future:

Now, children, I give you this command: serve God faithfully and do what is right before him; you must tell your children to do what is upright and to give alms, to be mindful of God and at all times to bless his name sincerely and with all their strength.

Tobit dies. Tobiah and his family leave Nineveh, as Tobit had instructed them, and a short time later Nineveh is destroyed.

I love this book. Tobit is a simple man, a family man. Loving and hopeful. He endures patiently and with equanimity, never losing confidence in God and never ceasing to try to do what is right. Unlike the heroes of the Old Testament stories before this, he doesn't do great or miraculous things. Rather, he is a simple man who is faithful of heart. 

Exodus 21:22-25:9

God continues to provide Moses with instructions and commands for how the Israelites should live. Criminal law, tort law, property law, personal injury law, and rules of social behavior. We find here the "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" language that is ingrained in our cultural lexicon, in the context of the punishment for fighting with a pregnant woman and causing her to be injured and to miscarry. But if she miscarried and is not otherwise injured, the punishment is only a fine in an amount to be determined by the injured woman's husband. Curious. Also in this passage we find the special admonition to treat widows and orphans well--another reference that is or at least was commonplace in our Anglo-American culture at one point. The Lord tells the Israelites that he will surely hear the cry of the widows and orphans. Going on, He instructs them to "keep away from anything dishonest." Surely outstanding advice, and I know I try in my life to keep a distance from people I feel or fear are not honest. As the passage ends, the Lord has called Moses to ascend Mt. Sinai where He is to give him the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and to instruct him to build the Ark. More on that in the next passage. But just before that, the Lord describes the rewards to come for the Israelites if they are faithful to Him. He says, "I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared." These words call to my mind the words Jesus speaks just before his Ascension, as He explains to His disciples that he is going ahead of them to prepare room for them in His Father's house. It also reminds me of Jesus' words in promising to send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to help His disciples in the future.