Something I've enjoyed doing for a bit now was writing short stories to teach about different Biblical character traits that I see are missing from our world today. Since this is my sounding board and I enjoy sharing things with the world, I'm going to start posting them here.
Please feel free to read, enjoy, share, and use them.
Please feel free to read, enjoy, share, and use them.
Rebekah and The Prince
Mommy scooted closer to me on my bed. It was time for one of her stories. I’m ten-years-old, but my mother has been telling me her stories since I first started sleeping in my big-boy-bed years ago. I know that most kids my age start thinking things like this are pretty lame, but I still enjoyed the time with my mother each night.
This night was no different than all of the others. She tucked the blanket up to my chin, cleared her throat and started her stories the same way all of the great stories began:
Long ago, in a faraway land, there was a prince. This prince had a mother and father that ruled over a large and rich area. Because his mother and father were so rich, the prince was a spoiled child. If he asked for it, his mother and father granted his wish. As a young child his requests were for toys and trinkets that caught his eye. When he became a young adult he started to request fine horses and sporting partners. All he ever could see in his life was privilege and more riches than he could desire.
Right before the prince’s birthday the king and queen requested to see him. “My child,” said the king, “you have been privileged all your life. We have never asked anything of you as you were growing-up. Now, as you become a man, your mother and I have one request of you.”
“Son,” the queen continued. “Before we are granted leave of this world, we ask that you find yourself a wife.” The prince thought of what his parents were asking. He didn’t see a problem with this request and was starting to imagine his future bride. A beautiful woman of vast wealth fit his fancy.
“I will gladly find myself a wife,” the prince spoke to his parents, “but she must be the most beautiful woman in our land. I will settle for no less than a woman who is the envy of all around her. Send your men to bring me all of the beauties in the land so that I might choose whom will be my wife.” As they have always done in the past, the king and queen did as their child said.
Young woman after young woman was introduced to the prince for all over the land. One by one he had some snide claim about each woman. One was too short, another too tall, and yet another had one eye a slight bit higher than the other. All the women brought before the prince were brought before him as if he were picking a fine piece of horse flesh.
After several months of searching the prince was about to tell his parents that he changed his mind and refused to marry when she was brought before him. She was a beautiful young woman named Rebekah. She had red hair and striking blue eyes that pierced to the soul of each person she gazed upon. Her skin was the color of milk and looked as soft as silk. The prince was smitten with her from the moment her toe passed over the threshold of his throne room.
“Beautiful woman, what is your name?” the prince inquired.
“Rebekah,” she answered with her eyes downcast and her head bowed.
“Rebekah, today is the day that you meet your future. Be my wife and you will have everything you could ever imagine.” The prince looked to the other men in his thorn room and smiled expecting Rebekah to say yes. After all, who would turn down the prince?
“No, Sir. I will not be your wife.” The prince’s face fell. All who were in the room became silent. Rebekah glanced up at the prince to see if he was still there, for she feared that her answer was made to an empty room.
“Dear woman, what did you say?”
“No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” At this, the prince ordered Rebekah to be taken to the lowest level of the dungeon. He thought that she will surly say yes after she’s had to spend time in the most deplorable conditions for even the most evil of criminals. Rebekah was taken to the lowest level of the dungeon and there she stayed until the prince beckoned her a week later.
As Rebekah entered the prince noticed that she had not been able to bathe before she was brought before him. He saw her clothes torn and dirt smeared across her cheek. Surly she will say yes this time, if not to just get out of the dungeon the prince thought to himself.
“Dear woman, have you had time to rethink your decision?”
“Yes.”
“And what answer have you this time.”
“No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” Flabbergasted, and frustrated, the prince sent Rebekah back into the dungeon.
“If a week did not change her mind,” the prince said to the guards, “then a month will have her begging to be my queen.”
After a month of being in the dungeon, Rebekah was brought before the prince again. Again she was seen filthy. However, the prince still had set his mind on having her for his wife. Again he asked Rebekah to be his wife. Again, Rebekah denied him the same way as she had before, “No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” Again, the prince had her placed in the dungeon.
This ceremony went on for a full year. Finally, the prince was becoming frustrated, and tired of Rebekah continuing to tell him no. He had made the decision that if she said no this time he would let her go free. The prince ordered Rebekah to be brought up from the dungeon. This time he ordered that she be allowed to bathe and be given new clothes, as hers were too tattered for her to wear any further.
“Rebekah, each month I have my guards bring you before me. Each month I as if you have reconsidered being my wife. Each month you have said no. Today is the last time that I will ask this of you. Rebekah, will you be my wife?” The prince waited, holding his breath and knowing that he will be disappointed at her response.
“Dear prince, until this time you have never asked me to be you wife. You stood on your stage in front of me like a petulant child demanding that I marry you. When you heard what you did not want to hear you locked me in a cold and damp cellar to suffer while you threw your tantrum for a month. Month after month this continued. At no point did you ever ask me to be your wife.” The prince looked at Rebekah in the eye and realized she was correct. He never asked. He assumed that she would be his wife because he wanted her to be.
“Humility is a hard lesson to learn as a child and almost an impossible one as an adult. I could never marry a man who was not humble, for he would never be a man. He would always be a small child.” Rebekah took a deep breath as she watched the prince’s reaction. He stood stock still. The anger that was always evident in his eyes seem to wash away in an instant and was replaced with a look of shame.
“Beautiful Rebekah, I am so very sorry. You are right. I have been acting like a small child. I have never learned how to not get what I’ve wanted. Now I see that I cannot treat a person as an object, but as an equal. Will you ever forgive me for the way I have treated you?”
Rebekah knew what she had to do at this point.
“Prince, I will forgive you, for you were still a child when you sinned against me. You have learned what humility is. It is not when a person feels as if they are less than another, but when a person learns that he cannot always receive what he wishes and become better for that loss.”
“I understand if you wish to leave. I will make sure that you have all that you need for your journey and bid you farewell.”
“My prince, I do not wish to leave. I do wish to marry you.” The prince’s eyes widened. Disbelief washed over his features.
“But, how? I have wronged you so?” the prince said as he walked toward her in wonderment at this woman. How could someone who was treated so heinously be willing to give her life over to her tormentor? It made no sense to the prince.
She took his hands and for once looked up at the prince as he stood directly in front of her. She spoke in what was barely a whisper, “Because, Prince, you have learned that before you can be first you must be last.” At this the prince leaned down and kissed her hand. He knew that he wanted Rebekah because she was beautiful, but now he wanted her because she was wise too.
Mark 9:33 - 35
This night was no different than all of the others. She tucked the blanket up to my chin, cleared her throat and started her stories the same way all of the great stories began:
Long ago, in a faraway land, there was a prince. This prince had a mother and father that ruled over a large and rich area. Because his mother and father were so rich, the prince was a spoiled child. If he asked for it, his mother and father granted his wish. As a young child his requests were for toys and trinkets that caught his eye. When he became a young adult he started to request fine horses and sporting partners. All he ever could see in his life was privilege and more riches than he could desire.
Right before the prince’s birthday the king and queen requested to see him. “My child,” said the king, “you have been privileged all your life. We have never asked anything of you as you were growing-up. Now, as you become a man, your mother and I have one request of you.”
“Son,” the queen continued. “Before we are granted leave of this world, we ask that you find yourself a wife.” The prince thought of what his parents were asking. He didn’t see a problem with this request and was starting to imagine his future bride. A beautiful woman of vast wealth fit his fancy.
“I will gladly find myself a wife,” the prince spoke to his parents, “but she must be the most beautiful woman in our land. I will settle for no less than a woman who is the envy of all around her. Send your men to bring me all of the beauties in the land so that I might choose whom will be my wife.” As they have always done in the past, the king and queen did as their child said.
Young woman after young woman was introduced to the prince for all over the land. One by one he had some snide claim about each woman. One was too short, another too tall, and yet another had one eye a slight bit higher than the other. All the women brought before the prince were brought before him as if he were picking a fine piece of horse flesh.
After several months of searching the prince was about to tell his parents that he changed his mind and refused to marry when she was brought before him. She was a beautiful young woman named Rebekah. She had red hair and striking blue eyes that pierced to the soul of each person she gazed upon. Her skin was the color of milk and looked as soft as silk. The prince was smitten with her from the moment her toe passed over the threshold of his throne room.
“Beautiful woman, what is your name?” the prince inquired.
“Rebekah,” she answered with her eyes downcast and her head bowed.
“Rebekah, today is the day that you meet your future. Be my wife and you will have everything you could ever imagine.” The prince looked to the other men in his thorn room and smiled expecting Rebekah to say yes. After all, who would turn down the prince?
“No, Sir. I will not be your wife.” The prince’s face fell. All who were in the room became silent. Rebekah glanced up at the prince to see if he was still there, for she feared that her answer was made to an empty room.
“Dear woman, what did you say?”
“No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” At this, the prince ordered Rebekah to be taken to the lowest level of the dungeon. He thought that she will surly say yes after she’s had to spend time in the most deplorable conditions for even the most evil of criminals. Rebekah was taken to the lowest level of the dungeon and there she stayed until the prince beckoned her a week later.
As Rebekah entered the prince noticed that she had not been able to bathe before she was brought before him. He saw her clothes torn and dirt smeared across her cheek. Surly she will say yes this time, if not to just get out of the dungeon the prince thought to himself.
“Dear woman, have you had time to rethink your decision?”
“Yes.”
“And what answer have you this time.”
“No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” Flabbergasted, and frustrated, the prince sent Rebekah back into the dungeon.
“If a week did not change her mind,” the prince said to the guards, “then a month will have her begging to be my queen.”
After a month of being in the dungeon, Rebekah was brought before the prince again. Again she was seen filthy. However, the prince still had set his mind on having her for his wife. Again he asked Rebekah to be his wife. Again, Rebekah denied him the same way as she had before, “No, Sir, I will not be your wife.” Again, the prince had her placed in the dungeon.
This ceremony went on for a full year. Finally, the prince was becoming frustrated, and tired of Rebekah continuing to tell him no. He had made the decision that if she said no this time he would let her go free. The prince ordered Rebekah to be brought up from the dungeon. This time he ordered that she be allowed to bathe and be given new clothes, as hers were too tattered for her to wear any further.
“Rebekah, each month I have my guards bring you before me. Each month I as if you have reconsidered being my wife. Each month you have said no. Today is the last time that I will ask this of you. Rebekah, will you be my wife?” The prince waited, holding his breath and knowing that he will be disappointed at her response.
“Dear prince, until this time you have never asked me to be you wife. You stood on your stage in front of me like a petulant child demanding that I marry you. When you heard what you did not want to hear you locked me in a cold and damp cellar to suffer while you threw your tantrum for a month. Month after month this continued. At no point did you ever ask me to be your wife.” The prince looked at Rebekah in the eye and realized she was correct. He never asked. He assumed that she would be his wife because he wanted her to be.
“Humility is a hard lesson to learn as a child and almost an impossible one as an adult. I could never marry a man who was not humble, for he would never be a man. He would always be a small child.” Rebekah took a deep breath as she watched the prince’s reaction. He stood stock still. The anger that was always evident in his eyes seem to wash away in an instant and was replaced with a look of shame.
“Beautiful Rebekah, I am so very sorry. You are right. I have been acting like a small child. I have never learned how to not get what I’ve wanted. Now I see that I cannot treat a person as an object, but as an equal. Will you ever forgive me for the way I have treated you?”
Rebekah knew what she had to do at this point.
“Prince, I will forgive you, for you were still a child when you sinned against me. You have learned what humility is. It is not when a person feels as if they are less than another, but when a person learns that he cannot always receive what he wishes and become better for that loss.”
“I understand if you wish to leave. I will make sure that you have all that you need for your journey and bid you farewell.”
“My prince, I do not wish to leave. I do wish to marry you.” The prince’s eyes widened. Disbelief washed over his features.
“But, how? I have wronged you so?” the prince said as he walked toward her in wonderment at this woman. How could someone who was treated so heinously be willing to give her life over to her tormentor? It made no sense to the prince.
She took his hands and for once looked up at the prince as he stood directly in front of her. She spoke in what was barely a whisper, “Because, Prince, you have learned that before you can be first you must be last.” At this the prince leaned down and kissed her hand. He knew that he wanted Rebekah because she was beautiful, but now he wanted her because she was wise too.
Mark 9:33 - 35
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