“Ehud, my friend,” Shimshai spoke quietly, yet determinedly. “I have witnessed something very special. It is beyond full comprehension, yet if you can believe what I am about to tell you, it will liberate you to a life of joy.”
“Please continue, Shimshai. I have been wanting to hear some good news. I have become so weary with the way that life has been. We live in troublesome times and I don’t see anyone who can bring us any relief.”
“Then listen carefully, please. You remember that I joined the caravan two years ago. The Magi had been studying the appearance of that new star and…”
“Yes, I remember that star. Where has it gone?” Ehud broke in. “I haven’t seen it for about five months…”
“Please, good friend, do not interrupt me. I will explain it all.” Shimshai smiled at his friend, then continued. “The magi had determined that this star would bring them to a new born king. We followed it for nearly two years. It took us to Judea, near the Great Sea. We were four hundred strong. We looked like a small army. I tell you, Ehud, those Magi are something else! I didn’t realize how influential they really are until we began crossing over into different territories. Each kingdom brought us to their king and asked about our business. They all seemed a little nervous because of our presence. Then, when we told them about the star, they were somewhat relieved. They had seen the star as well and wondered what it meant. So, when we arrived in Judea, we traveled east to Jerusalem. When we were given audience to King Herod we asked him, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” He was very troubled and brought in some priests and teachers of their law. When they searched the writings of their prophets they had told us that he was to be born in Bethlehem. The prophecy went something like this: ‘but you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ Herod told us to go to Bethlehem and make a careful search for the child. Then he said that we should report back to him so that he could go and worship the child also. He seemed strangely alarmed and the news just spread like wildfire around Jerusalem. All of us in the caravan felt we were getting close. Everyone was excited for Bethlehem was only a few miles south of Jerusalem. The Magi spent the night in their tent before we set out the next day. As we were breaking camp they gathered us around for a meeting. If anyone wasn’t excited by now, they would be after the Magi spoke to us.”
“Really? What did they tell you?” Ehud asked sitting on the edge of his seat.
“They told us that by evening, we all would be some of the first to witness, to see with our very own eyes, the proof that the Hebrew God –was God!”
“What! What was it Shimshai; please do not hold me in suspense any longer.”
“Well, they said that last night they all received the same dream!
“What? All of them? The same dream?”
“Ehud, please. Let me continue.” Shimshai’s eyes began to well up with tears and Ehud knew to be silent. “They told us that in this dream…”
Just then the night wind had blown open Shimshai’s loosely latched door. It banged against the wall with a crash and the rain began to soak the threshold.