the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day: and not to m only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing. (PAUL stands with uplifted hands and a far-away look in hi eyes as white spot light fades and hidden quartet sings "Hark Hark, My Soul," by F. W. Faber.) Hark, hark, my soul, angelic songs are swelling! O'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore; CHORUS Angels of Jesus, Angels of light, Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night. Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and sea, Onward we go, for still we hear them singing, 66 Come weary souls, for Jesus bids you come "; Angels, sing on, your faithful watches keeping; 5. THE HYMN OF THE HELPER A DRAMATIC SETTING FOR PSALMS 42 AND 43 Characters: Reader, with clear voice, placed behind scene; Shallum ben Ezra and Heman ben Joel, exiles. Setting: suggestion of dry brook bed. SCENE 1 READER (behind scene): Shallum ben Ezra was sad. And it was not to be wondered at that he sat on the rock beside the dry, stony brook bed, with his head resting on his hands, despondent and weary. For Shallum was an exile! Far away were homeland and loved ones-near at hand only rugged hills and rocky watercourses, now dry with summer drought. And he was surrounded by enemies who, not content with making life miserable for him physically, were constantly taunting him about his religion and asking him, "Where is now thy God? Why does he not deliver thee? If he is so strong and powerful and good as thou hast said, He must certainly have forgotten all about thee." So Shallum ben Ezra was sad. Sad because of the physical suffering of the unaccustomed life of exile, sad because of the separation from home and loved ones; but saddest of all because of the forced absence from the place where "Jehovah had caused his name to dwell." For Shallum was a Korahite, one of the family of Israel especially designated to the high honor of keeping the doors of the Temple, and of participation in the leadership of its music. Through many years now Shallum had dwelt in the courts of the Lord during the appointed time of his course each year, and had spent his days in peace and contentment in his village near Jerusalem, frequently going up to the house of the Lord. But now all was changed: the privilege of throwing open the great gates of the Temple to the throng of early morning worshipers was no longer his. How clearly he remembered how morning after morning he had watched and waited, his hand upon the bars of the gates, for the first note of the silver trumpet. High upon the pinnacle of the Temple had stood the appointed priest, watching for the first rays of the sun to appear over the Mount of Olives, and as the silvery note of this trumpet-call announced the dawn of the new day, Shallum ben Ezra would throw wide open the gates to the waiting congregation of worshipers who came for morning sacrifice. An exile now in the land of the Hermons, far from his loved Jerusalem, Shallum sat sad and despondent, weary at heart. A step on the rocks of the dry brook bed caused him to look up. His friend and fellow exile, Heman ben Joel, was approaching. Sad though he was, Shallum greeted his friend with an attempt at a smile, for Heman was one of those rare souls who seem alway and everywhere to carry sunshine about with them. HEMAN: The peace of Jehovah rest upon thee, Shallum. SHALLUM: And upon thee, Heman ben Joel. (In a bitter tone.) But why use the familiar salutation of the homeland far away in this rocky land of exile! How can the peace of Jehovah be upon us away from Jehovah's land? How can his blessing find us in the midst of our enemies? How can our voices reach him from these rocky fastnesses, away from the Temple courts with their songs and their sacrifices? How canst thou, Heman, sweet singer as thou art, continue to smile; how canst thou find any cause for gladness in this desolate region? Surely thou canst not forget the joys of the Temple worship! Surely thy heart, like mine, must mourn "because of the oppression of the enemy." HEMAN: Yea, my friend, my heart is, like thine, sad and lonely. I, too, yearn for the courts of the Lord and the house of our God. Even just now a group of these enemies of ours have been taunting me as I came along the way with their questions-" Where is now thy God?" I miss even as thou dost the voices of the multitude as they came up to the Temple, keeping holy day. But why do we despair as those who have no hope, friend Shallum? Even though we are here in this far land as exiles, our loved Temple still stands and we know that even this day some one is leading the throng to worship, that sacrifices are still being offered and that our God still lives. Can we not worship him even here? SHALLUM (in amazement): What, worship God here in this land of our enemies, away from the Temple? Worship God with out the burnt offering and the sacrifices of morning and evening! Nay, Heman, thou surely hast forgotten how God hath chosen Zion to put his name there-how he hath ordained that men should go up to Jerusalem year by year at the appointed time to present to him at his altar their gifts and their offerings. READER (behind scene): Just then, on a crag above them, stood for an instant outlined against the sky a noble hart, alert, graceful, strong. He had evidently come to the watercourse beside which the two friends were sitting, in search of water, for they could see him panting with thirst. SHALLUM: Seest thou yonder hart, Heman? Even as that hart panteth for the water which is not here, so my soul longeth and thirsteth for the courts of the Lord. Lo, now, in the summertime, this watercourse is dry and hot, but dost thou not remember how in the spring, so short a time ago, its banks were overflowing with a rushing, noisy torrent, even like unto a waterspout or a mighty cataract? So it seemeth unto me that God hath dealt with me and thee, we are engulfed in the billows of his displeasure. Nay, Heman, we cannot worship him in a strange land; we are cast away from his presence. But see, yonder are some of our enemies approaching. They come to taunt us even yet again. I cannot bear their words, they seem as heavy as lead, as though they would even crush my bones beneath the weight of their taunts. Let us hence and escape them if we may. (Exeunt SHALLUM and HEMAN.) READER (behind scene): The days went by, as days will, even in exile, and somehow Shallum ben Ezra lived, though each day seemed longer than the last, and the ending of his exile seemed constantly farther and farther away. SCENE 2 Characters: Same as preceding scene. (Enter SHALLUM.) READER (behind scene): A week passed before Shallum saw Heman again, but one night as he was standing on a little hill at the sunset-time, looking out over the Jordan Valley and northward to lordly Mount Hermon towering over all, Heman climbed to his side. (Enter HEMAN.) The friends greeted each other in their customary way, and then stood in silence for a time, watching the sunset. HEMAN: I have a new song, friend Shallum. SHALLUM (astonished): What! thou hast a new song, a song here, in this land of exile and sadness! I knew thou wert a sweet singer in the homeland, friend Heman, but how canst thou find a song here? How can thy heart find any word of praise in the midst of these bitter enemies of ours? HEMAN: I did not find it or make it, Shallum. The song came to me, as I believe every true song of praise has ever come to the singers of our people. I believe it was sent to me for cheer and hope in our sadness and sorrow, friend Shallum. And not for ours only, but I believe that somehow it will be for the helping and cheer of many others in the days that are to come. Perhaps, even(wistfully) perhaps we may be permitted some time to sing it in the very courts of the Temple itself. SHALLUM: Dost thou think it could help me, friend Heman? HEMAN (Softly): Yea, my friend, if it was indeed sent to me from above, as I believe, then it must have been sent for thee. Shall I sing it to thee? THE HYMN OF THE HELPER (Psalm 42, 43) As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? |