A Voice Heard in Ramah

By Alberta Richardson

In a Palestinian town called Ramah, during the reign of King Herod, Amahl decided to leave home in search of power. Unlike the prodigal son, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory when it comes to worshipping Greek gods to quench his thirst for riches and power. His excessive thirst for power manifested itself into greed, selfishness, and tragedy! Amahl's parents were massacred. He and his siblings were being raised by their grandfather, Father Asa. Father Asa was a worshipper of the true God Jehovah, and he believed God would send the Messiah soon. Father Asa was getting older in age, and he wanted Amahl to settle down and take on this heritage. However, Amahl, being the oldest, had his own agenda and was instead becoming restless, angry, and disrespectful""hungry for power! Amahl became intrigued by Odessa, who introduced him to Greek gods that promise, not only gold, but wealth, success, and opportunities. Even though Amahl's heart belonged to another woman, he married Odessa in search for the gods of wealth. His long love for power became a reality when he became an innkeeper, and he fathered a son with Odessa. As greed began to overtake Amahl, he praised the gods because they had given him his heart's desire. While waiting for more wealth and full favor from the gods, tragedy struck!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644924686

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A Voice Heard in Ramah

Alberta L. Richardson

Copyright © 2019 by Alberta L. Richardson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Foreword

Alberta Richardson, Mother Richardson, as she is affectionately known to her church family, has done it again. A Voice Heard in Ramah is a fascinating fusion of fiction and the sacred text of the Bible. She weaves the biblical narrative with intriguing family dynamics that form a tapestry that keeps you captivated from beginning to end. The Bible narrative regarding the infanticide of Jewish children by Herod in an effort to kill the Christ child is intriguing on its own merit. However, it leaves space for the sanctified imagination to be creative while remaining faithful to the biblical text. Alberta has done just that with this wonderful story. Although it is a fictional story, it is grounded in the biblical narrative and is replete with Scripture to keep that connection relevant to the reader. The fictional characters of Father Asa, Amahl, and the other characters in the story are intermixed with real characters such as the Christ child, Mary, Joseph, and the Magi from the east. I highly recommend this book to Bible readers and non-Bible readers alike. Anyone who treasures a good story line that deals with matters of faith, tragedy, and destiny will be blessed by this book.

Congratulations to Mother Richardson.

Bishop Carswell Leonard, Senior Pastor

State Street Community Church

Raleigh, North Carolina

Introduction

Thus saith the Lord; a voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. (Jeremiah 31:15, KJV)

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (Matthew. 2:16–18, KJV)

Most Bible students know the story of the Jews and their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, their forty years of wandering in the wilderness, and their destination to the Land of Promise—Canaan. They perhaps know the story of their Babylonian captivity and the Persian bondage. The first scripture quoted above was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah many years before it happened, and the second scripture tells of its fulfillment.

There are several towns named Ramah, but the town of Ramah in this story is an ancient town situated in the Judean foothills. It was once the home of the Prophet Samuel. Biblical history claims it to be the town where the Babylonians gathered all the Jewish captives together before their deportation to Babylon. According to Bible scripture (Jeremiah 40:1–6), even the prophet Jeremiah was one of the captives in chains but found favor with Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, for he was released and given permission to go into Babylon or to stay. He chose to stay. Perhaps some Bible scholars might believe this incident was the fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy, but part of the second scripture that reads: in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof includes land inherited by Rachel’s children—Joseph and Benjamin. Therefore, the inhabitants were Rachel’s descendants. Also note that it was after Herod had those children slain that Matthew’s scripture clearly states: Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet. The scripture was written many, many years after Jeremiah the prophet had prophesied it, and it is a fact.

This story, A Voice Heard In Ramah, begins around the year 4 BC—many years after the Jews’ release from Persian bondage—and it involves three Palestinian towns: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Ramah. The voice heard is the cry of the innocent who suffer loss at the hands of the wicked King Herod. Most Bible scholars are familiar with the story of how Herod the Great who, at that time, was King of the Jews, and how he had all those children slain in his effort to find the Christ Child. That was not fiction. That, too, was a fact. Part of the story you are about to read however, is fiction, but it could have happened—and that is also a fact. It tells of the life and trials of Father Asa and his inherited family.

Whether in fact or fiction, a desire for wealth and power can often cause greed to rear its ugly head. Perhaps all of us desire good health and wealth, but obtaining these things by defying God’s word and the laws of the land can create disaster. Father knows best is a saying, but it is also a fact that is often very true. If only their children would believe, listen, and learn from that fact, it would spare their parents many sleepless nights, much-too-early gray hairs, and even spare themselves an early grave. Often, parents can give their children the same spiritual training, care, and advice and give them the same equal share of financial welfare, but too often (like the Prodigal Son mentioned in Scripture) one—sometimes more than one—will revolt, only to discover that revolting can sometimes cause backfire. If only young people would realize that the choices they make now—good or bad—will determine their outcome; yea, and sometimes, even their destiny in later years. Sure the word of God declares that Jesus saves, and that is a very true fact, but His word also declares that one shall reap what one sows, and that also is a very true fact. When just one peach seed is planted, one tree comes up, but just think about how many peaches are on that tree. Therefore, when the young people begin to age and many unpleasant things begin to befall them, they cannot help wondering why these things are happening to them, but it could be because of the bad choices they made (seeds they sowed) when they were young. Like Jesus warned Saul (Paul), It is hard to kick against the pricks. Young and older youths alike should read this story and learn a lesson from Amahl—the oldest child of Father Asa’s inherited family in A Voice Heard in Ramah.

Chapter 1

Years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, there was unrest—political and social—in Palestine, especially in the Jewish kingdom. Many, many years earlier, according to the Holy Scriptures, God had sent Moses to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian bondage. Because of their disobedience and their lack of faith in God’s promise, for forty years, they wandered about in the wilderness, with Moses leading them until his death. There were no grocery or department stores in the wilderness, but according to Scripture, God miraculously fed them and even kept their shoes from wearing out. However, before their entry into the Land of Promise, Moses died, and God chose Joshua as their leader to lead them into Canaan. This was the land God had already promised to Abraham and to his seed. However, after their deliverance from Egypt, they had been in bondage under other kingdoms, including the kingdom of Assyria.

Most of them that had experienced the Babylonian and Persian captivity had been taken from their land and carried away as captives. After seventy years, and while under Persian bondage, the Persian king had allowed them to return home to their own land. After returning to their land, it would seem they would be free, but it would not be many years before they would find themselves, still on their land, but under bondage again—including the rule of the Roman Empire. They always desired their freedom, but being in bondage under the Roman Empire was only part of their troubles. Their failure to obey one of God’s instructions—to drive out all the previous inhabitants of the land—proved to be a thorn in their flesh which led to a critical fact. Some of them left off worshipping Jehovah God, who had delivered them from bondage, and began to worship the idol gods that the former inhabitants of the land worshipped and even began to intermarry with them. As a result, these acts subjected them to unfamiliar beliefs, practices, and cultures which were contrary to the customs and laws God had given them by Moses. More than that, however, was the fact that they were heavily taxed by the Romans. Some of the poor were forced from their land when they could not pay their taxes. Revolts had been planned and even attempted, but none had been successful. Herod the Great saw to that. He was, reportedly, non-Jewish, but he had been titled King of the Jews by the Roman Senate; and to show his loyalty to Augustus Caesar, who was the Roman Emperor, Herod would declare it to be treason for those who made any attempts or caused insurrection to revolt. The penalty would be death.

According to the holy prophets, God had promised—and the Jews looked for—the coming of the Messiah who would free them from bondage. Whether or not they looked for spiritual freedom or freedom from Roman bondage, perhaps there were some who were looking for the Messiah to come in royal splendor—not as a baby. Perhaps, only the devout Jewish population awaited and longed for him to come. There were some who had come and had claimed themselves to be the Messiah or some great one but had proved to be false. Perhaps, some even doubted his coming at all.

This was the atmosphere that existed during the late years of Father Asa’s life. He had heard of many, and he had seen many come and go. He was not a rich man. He was just an old devout Jew of ninety-one years—of the tribe of Benjamin—who had outlived many that had lived and died since he was born. He had heard of the Roman statesman, Pompey the Great, and his assassination in 48 BC. Asa had lived during the reign of Julius Caesar who made himself dictator of Rome and reigned from 46 to 44 BC when he was assassinated. Now Asa was living under the reign of Augustus Caesar, who was Rome’s first emperor. He was also Julius Caesar’s grandnephew and reigned from 31 BC to AD 14.

Father Asa had never met any of these, reportedly, great people. For the past ten years, he had gone about life attending to his own affairs and the happiness of his inherited family. A firm believer and worshipper of his God Jehovah, he believed in the words of the holy prophets that God would send the Messiah. He would often quote the words of the prophet Micah: But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel.

Having waited so long, and now that he was old but hoping to grow older, Asa also hoped and believed the Messiah’s coming was near and encouraged his inherited family to believe. He did not doubt God, but often wondered and had even prayed that God would allow him to one day behold the face of the Promised One—the Messiah.

Bitterness could have taken its toll on Asa, for there was plenty enough reason for him to be bitter. Twenty-five years ago, Asa had lost his three sons during a well-digging attempt. Something had gone wrong, and there had been a cave-in. His sons could not be rescued in time. It was only three years later that his dear wife, Julia, had passed away. It seemed she could never recover from the loss of her sons. Ten years ago, a band of marauders killed his only daughter, Martha, and her husband, Elam, as they were gleaning barley grains in the fields. Amahl, the oldest of Elam and Martha’s children, who was ten years and five at that time, and Julius, his younger brother, were also working with their parents in the field. The four younger children—Seth, Leah, Mark, and Ben—had been left at the stable nearby. Thinking she had heard one of them crying, Martha and Elam had just sent Amahl and Julius to the stable to see about them. While Amahl and Julius were gone, the pillagers came and carted off every sack of grain they could carry. What they could not carry off, they ripped the sacks and strewed the grains. Asa’s only daughter, Martha, and son-in-law, Elam, were killed.

This incident had taken a different emotional toll on Asa. He was almost torn apart by it. As a result, however, Asa had inherited his daughter and son-in-law’s six children. Later, he had settled it in his mind that it must have been the will of God, for had it not been for the children, he would have been facing life all alone. Now however, it seemed as if his inherited family that he cared for and loved so much was his very own. In fact, they lovingly called him Father Asa. As far as he knew, all of them had been good children—very mindful—and he had never had the need to punish either of them for anything. He felt he had truly become their Father Asa.

Asa knew of a