Day 29

Or Tobias. Another apocryphal book that is a short story. This time it involves blindness, demons, angels, giant fish (not as giant as in Jonah), a dog-masquerading-as-the-Lord, and avoiding the destruction of Nineveh. I really enjoy these Hebrew Bible short stories, including the apocryphal texts. Esther, Job, Judith…I would even argue Daniel counts. And now Tobit.

This book felt like a less severe Job. There was tragedy with Tobit losing his sight, with Sarah being haunted by a demon, and the fear of Tobias (Tobit’s son) being killed on his way to Media. There was plenty of lament and redemption. Unlike Job, God is with Tobias on his journey the entire way in the form of the archangel Raphael. There’s another character that is quite quiet — a dog that follows Tobias and Raphael on their journey. I have my suspicions that this is a representation or embodiment of God as well, but I’m going to need to do a little digging.

I was engaged the entire time. I wanted Sarah to be cleansed of this demon that kept killing her husbands. I wanted Tobit to be healed of his blindness…that he got from bird droppings, apparently. I wanted Tobias to collect the debt for his father in Media and survive the journey. I wanted a happily-ever-after. I got all of that. Huzzah! There are happy endings in the Bible.

More importantly, this book is about two things: First, almsgiving and caring for the poor is stressed as a higher good than any expression of piety. Second, sometimes it’s not about answers or a destination, but a journey. The second one sounds like a tired and worn platitude, but this story stressed faithfulness, discovery, integrity, duty, and responsibility. There’s no ‘manifesting’ hokum in this journey. There’s commitment and confronting life as it is.

While I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I was left wanting more. Just as I wanted to hear more about Daniel’s adventures as a prophet, I wanted to know more about Tobias after his journey. The ending was simple, though. Tobit died at a good old age. Same with Tobias. I guess that’s part of the journey, too.

One Word for Tobit: Wayfarer

Parts of the Text That Stayed With Me

1. Tob 2:6, Referential. The author of Tobit had access to the prophesies of Amos, which is interesting. We don’t see too many nods to texts other than the Torah in the Bible thus far.
2. Tob 2:9-10, Watch Out for Dem Birds! Tobit has a habit of tending to dead Israelis while in exile. The Babylonians don’t quite like this, so he’s often hunted down. One time, after burying someone, he falls asleep under a wall and some sparrows defecate on his face. And then he goes blind. Soak that in.
3. Tob 3:7, Demons?! A wicked demon named Asmodeus is cursing a woman named Sarah in the town of Media. How? Keeps killing her husbands. She’s lost seven so far.
4. Tob 4:10 Almsgiving. “For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness.”
5. Tob 5, Off to Media. Tobit’s son, Tobias, needs to go to Media to collect a debt for his father. He meets a young man to journey with him who ends up being the archangel Raphael. What unfolds is a “The Adventures of Tobias and Raphael” style narrative. For instance, Tobias is fishing and a giant fish tries to eat his leg. He kills it and harvests the organs that Raphael says will, surprise surprise, cure demonic possession and blindness!
6. Tob 6-10 Marriage, Demons, and Home! It turns out Tobias falls in love with Sarah (they’re also related.) and they get married. He uses the liver and heart from the giant fish and burns it on their wedding night and, poof, the demon flees to Egypt. (Raphael hunts him down.) Tobias’ father-in-law even dug a grave to bury husband #8, but is surprised to find him alive in the morning. That being dealt with, they return to Nineveh.
7. Tob 12:8-10, In Case You Didn’t Notice. Almsgiving is really important. Tend to the poor! “Prayer and fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies.”
8. Tob 14, Flee from Nineveh! After returning home, Tobias cures Tobit. He lives a good long life but just before his death, he tells his son to heed the prophesies of Nahum and flee to Media with his wife and seven sons. Tobit and his wife die. Tobias buries them and flees. When he’s old and near death himself, he hears of the destruction of Nineveh. He dies happy.

This post is part of a lager series where I read the entirety of Hebrew & Christian scriptures in 45 days. Take a look a the original post for more info, as well as links to other reflections on this journey.