‘Valentine’s Day’ in my novel Destiny’s Hands comes on the day the Israelites celebrate their final defeat of the Egyptians after they cross the Red Sea.
In the story Moses leads in a celebration dance and main character Bezalel joins in. Then he looks on as Miriam leads the women in their part of the dance and catches a glimpse of…. Who is she?
Here is that bit from Destiny’s Hands (Chapter 14):
Moses led them back to his own camp spot. As they approached, his sister Miriam—a tall woman with snowy hair and a tanned, wrinkled face—came out of her tent. Though Bezalel hadn’t seen her for years, he recognized her regal air and remembered how,
as a little boy, he had been in awe of her. As far back as he could remember, she had been known as a prophetess with unusual talents and insights.
She listened to Moses and the crowd for a while, then disappeared into her tent coming back a few minutes later with a timbrel in her hand. In a voice that sounded
much younger than one would expect from such a wrinkled visage, Miriam took up Moses’ song. Moses stopped, smiled broadly at his sister, and motioned to her with his hand as if to say, “It’s your turn!”
“Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted,” she began, taking up his refrain. She wove
through the crowds as Moses had. This time the women followed her and soon Miriam led a throng of them. They danced through the camp as Moses and the men had, picking up followers as they went.
They made their way past Bezalel and he caught sight of his mother and Zamri in the
crowd of dancers. It was good to see his mother so light-hearted, and Zamri able to express her naturally bubbly nature.
Of course there were others too, no lack of lovely women on which to feast one’s eyes.
Bezalel watched one, and then another, until he saw a delightful creature such as he had never seen before. She was a few women away from Zamri and had thick, wavy hair the color of copper. Her eyes, when they were open, flashed green malachite. Her skin was tanned, her face and lips flushed with exertion. Damp tendrils of hair clung to her face and neck. She was beautiful!
But more than her physical beauty attracted Bezalel. Fascinated, he watched her dance with abandon and not a shred of self-consciousness, as if performing for Yahweh Himself. Her movements were the exact physical expression of lightness and joy Bezalel had felt after he had removed his charm during the plague of darkness.
He had to find out who she was.
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Want to read more? Destiny’s Hands is available from Amazon and other online booksellers (in paperback or e-book). You can also order it from me (author-signed if you like), details HERE.
Violet Nesdoly 