Troublesome Topic: THE ABBREVIATED STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND THE PLEASANT ONE

While in THE LAND OF INCEST, THE PLEASANT ONE’S husband died. She decided to stay there and find wives from the people in that area for her two sons, WEAKLING and DEPRESSED. One of them married HORSE’S MANE, and the other married FRIENDSHIP. But then both of her sons also died, leaving her no grandchildren, only her two daughters-in-law.

When she heard that THE HOUSE OF BREAD had a good growing season and there would be enough grain cut in the upcoming harvest to produce plenty of bread, THE PLEASANT ONE decided to move back there – alone. She would move back into the house they had abandoned; it would be dirty and musty, but was probably still unoccupied. She convinced one daughter-in-law to return to her parents and seek a fresh start, but FRIENDSHIP would not abandon her mother-in-law, for she was always a friend to someone in need.

They arrived in THE HOUSE OF BREAD at the beginning of the barley harvest which was a hint of the provision of THE NOURISHER, the true source of their bread.

In order to eat, FRIENDSHIP picked up grain that was dropped by the harvesters (this is called gleaning). Her mother-in-law was amazed to find out that the field that FRIENDSHIP gleaned in belonged to THE STRONG ONE. When she saw how kind he had been to FRIENDSHIP, the response of THE PLEASANT ONE, was to call for a blessing from THE EVER-LIVING ONE upon THE STRONG ONE for through him God showed that He, the Great Nourisher, had not stopped showing His kindness to these two widows. Maybe she had been too quick to change her name to BITTER.

Then THE PLEASANT ONE explained to FRIENDSHIP that THE STRONG ONE was one of their close relatives, one of whom was expected to rescue them from their lack of income and lack of heirs.

After the hectic time of harvesting barley and wheat, THE PLEASANT ONE advised FREINDSHIP on how to motivate THE STRONG ONE to take action and decide whether or not he would play the role of the close relative.

FRIENDSHIP did what her mother-in-law suggested. She went to THE STRONG ONE while he was sleeping outside, fully covered from any harshness of the elements. In a way that was culturally acceptable and showed humility and submission, she made him uncomfortable by exposing to the elements, the part of him that was always visible during the day, but covered at night because it was sensitive to the cold. This forced him to wake up and decide if he would make himself comfortable again while leaving FRIENDSHIP exposed to the elements, or if he would make himself comfortable in a way that would include protecting her from the elements. Whatever his decision was, it would indicate his intentions about the future, his willingness to protect her and make her comfortable in the future, or his desire to only care for his own comfort and protection.

His response showed that THE PLEASANT ONE and FRIENDSHIP had read the character of this man correctly – he covered her with protection from the elements and he promised with words that he would take action right away to do something about her situation. He told her that there was actually another relative who was technically closer to them than he was; he would give that man a chance to play the role of the rescuing relative if he wanted to. But if that man said no, he, THE STRONG ONE, would definitely fill that role to rescue, protect and provide for FRIENDSHIP and her mother-in-law. He even swore a binding oath, saying, “as surely as THE EVERLIVING ONE lives, I will do it.”

When daylight came, he blessed her with as much grain as she could carry in her shawl.

When THE PLEASANT ONE heard how things had gone and saw how much grain he had sent with FRIENDSHIP, she was sure that THE STRONG ONE would not rest until he had taken care of the matter.

That very day, THE STRONG ONE met with that other relative in the presence of 10 reliable witnesses. He presented to this other relative the situation that THE PLEASANT ONE found herself in – without an honorable way to earn an income, and without heirs.

The other man, whose name was not important enough to be included in the story, said he was willing to play the role that a close relative should play and help the old lady. Then THE STRONG ONE informed him that such a decision would also mean helping THE PLEASANT ONE’S daughter-in-law, FRIENDSHIP, who was young enough to have children and could produce heirs for her dead husband. At this the other relative changed his response because he did not want to put his own heirs at risk of any possible loss by taking on more heirs.

Then THE STRONG ONE announced to the witnesses that he was purchasing the property of GOD IS MY KING, the former husband of THE PLEASANT ONE, which should have gone to WEAKLING AND DEPRESSED, had they lived. By purchasing it, he was keeping it in the family. He also announced that he would receive FRIENDSHIP as a wife, but any children he bore with her would be considered the heirs of her former husband, not his own.

They got married with the blessing of the town leaders. THE PLEASANT ONE helped raise their first son. She relished every moment with him as a special provision from THE EVER-LIVING ONE. That helpless little baby was a constant reminder that her God, whom she thought had abandoned her, would never abandon anyone.

Maybe you have noticed that the story seems to have purposefully refrained from telling us a certain detail. It has to do with the questions, “Did THE STRONG ONE take the place of THE WEAK AND SICKLY ONE (for the name also means “sickly), or did he take the place of DEPRESSED? Which one of these brothers had been the husband of FRIENDSHIP? THE STRONG ONE took the place of – WEAKLING.

Earlier, FRIENDSHIP had been a good friend and helped THE ONE WHO WAS WEAK AND SICKLY. But later, when she needed help, it was THE STRONG ONE that proved a true friend to her. She had been a good wife to her first husband, but he could not provide for her needs, and he died young without producing an heir. In contrast, THE STRONG ONE was a provider on a large scale, and he gave her heirs to carry on the name of her first husband.

Little did anyone know how fruitful FRIENDSHIP would become. Her oldest son became the grandfather of THE ONE WHO IS LOVED (we call him King David), who became to most prominent ancestor of THE LORD SAVES, who was also called THE MESSIAH.