Ever get that feeling like you're up against
something impossible? Oh yeah, definitely. Like,
you know, one of those situations where you just
can't see a way out. Right. And we try to come
up with these elaborate plans, these huge, complex
solutions. And sometimes it feels like you're
just spinning your wheels. Exactly. But what
if the answer, the real solution, was something
totally unexpected? Something completely out
of left field. Yeah. Like something you'd never
even think of. Now that's an intriguing idea.
And that's exactly what we're diving into today.
Oh, this is gonna be good. It is! We're taking
a deep dive into this fascinating ancient text
excerpts from Tobit. The Demon's Flight and a
Blessed Marriage. Tobit. Okay, I'm intrigued.
I've heard of it. but haven't really explored
it in depth. We'll get ready to be surprised.
It's packed with these incredible stories of
overcoming obstacles in the most unexpected ways.
So what's the set of what kind of challenges
are we talking about here? All right, so imagine
this, a young man to Baia, he's about to get
married to Sarah. Okay, sounds like a happy occasion.
It should be right, but here's the twist. Sarah
has a tragic past. I don't know what happened.
Well, every single one of her previous seven
husbands died on their wedding night. Seven?
Wow, that's a lot of tragedy for one person.
It is, and the culprit is a demon, a seriously
nasty one. A demon. Okay, now this is getting
interesting. So our mission today is to understand
how this marriage not only survives, but is actually
blessed in the midst of all this. Sounds like
a tall order, especially with a demon lurking
around. It is, but the methods involved are,
let's just say, pretty unconventional. Unconventional
how? Well, we're talking about using parts of
a fish. and some serious divine intervention.
Parts of a fish. I'm really curious now. You
should be. This is not your typical love story.
Let's dive in. I want to hear how this all unfolds.
OK, so picture this. It's the wedding night.
And Tobiah, thankfully, has gotten some very
specific instructions from the angel Rafael.
Rafael the Archangel. So very same. And he tells
Tobiah to take the liver and heart of a fish.
Wait, hold on a fish. What does a fish have to
do with any of this? I know, right? It's totally
unexpected. But he's told to take these fish
organs and put them on burning embers. Like the
kind used for incense. Exactly. So they're creating
the strong smell. Okay, and what happens next?
Well, the text says that the odor of the fish,
it drives the demon away. Seriously. just the
smell. It repulsed the demon, and it fled to
Egypt. Wow, that's a pretty potent fish. It is,
right? It makes you think about how different
cultures and times viewed the power of smells.
And the power of the unseen world, right? Right,
absolutely. And think about it for a second.
What might be the fish liver in our own lives?
You mean those things that seem insignificant
but could actually hold immense power? Exactly.
Sometimes the most unexpected solutions are right
in front of us. I like that. So the demon is
scared off by a fishy smell, but It doesn't end
there, does it? Nope, not at all. Yeah. Raphael,
being the awesome angel he is, doesn't just shoe
the demon away. He pursues it. He chases after
it. All the way to Egypt, and he binds it there
to make sure it can't cause any more trouble.
Wow. Talk about going above and beyond. Right.
And then the text says Raphael returned immediately,
like it was no big deal. So not only powerful,
but efficient, too. Exactly. What does that tell
us about divine help? When we need it, it can
be swift and decisive. No messing around. So
with the demon problem taken care of in a rather
unique way, Tobiah and Sarah do something just
as crucial. Let me guess they start praying.
You got it! Even before they think about anything
else, their first instinct is to pray together.
That's beautiful. It shows where their priorities
lie. It really does. They recognize that protection
and blessing come from a deeper source. So what
do they pray for? Well, Tobias starts by praising
God, acknowledging him as the creator of everything,
the God of their ancestors. Setting the stage,
acknowledging the bigger picture. And then he
mentions Adam and Eve specifically how God created
them as the foundation for marriage. Bringing
it back to the very beginning, the original blueprint.
Exactly. They're grounding their marriage in
something much bigger than themselves. So it's
not just a social contract for them. It's a sacred
union. And then he says this really powerful
line, no, not with lust, but with fidelity, I
take this kinswoman as my wife. Wow, that's a
powerful statement. He's making a conscious choice,
not just driven by desire. And it shows the depth
of their commitment to each other, right? Absolutely.
It elevates their marriage to something much
deeper than just a physical union. And then they
continue praying together, asking for mercy protection,
the chance to grow old together. Really putting
their hopes and fears out there. And there's
this beautiful moment where they both say, amen,
amen. It's like this shared affirmation, a unity
of spirit. Exactly. They're starting their journey
together with this shared reliance on God. So
while all this is happening upstairs with Tabaya
and Sarah, where's Sarah's dad Regal in all of
this? Well, Regal is downstairs and he's having
a completely different experience. Oh no, what's
going on with him? He's terrified. Absolutely
consumed with fear. He's probably worried about
Sarah again, right? Given her history. Exactly.
He's convinced that Tabaya has met the same fate
as her previous husbands. Oh man, that's heartbreaking.
So he does something drastic. He starts digging
a grave. A grave. Well, they're upstairs. He's
preparing for the worst. He's so overcome with
anxiety. It's a stark contrast to the faith that
Tobiah and Sarah are expressing, isn't it? It
really is. He's relying on his own very human
and rather morbid preparations. It makes you
wonder, does his fear take away from the miracle
or does it somehow highlight it even more? That's
a great question to ponder, but... back to the
story, Raigel finishes the grave and then he
sends a maid up to check on them. He wants to
know if Tobias is really dead, doesn't he? He
does. He wants to bury him quietly before anyone
finds out to avoid shame. Wow, the social pressure
must have been immense back then. It was, especially
with Sarah's history, but here comes the turning
point that made Gozen and finds them sound asleep
and unharmed. Oh, thank goodness. That's a huge
relief. It is, right. It's the aha moment for
Regal. His fears were totally unfounded. His
anxiety was completely crushed by the reality
of the situation. And his reaction, he immediately
starts praising God with his wife, Edna. I bet
they were overjoyed. They say, blessed are you,
God, with every pure blessing. Let all your chosen
ones bless you forever. That's powerful. You
can really hear the genuine relief and gratitude
in their words. They even specifically say, Lord,
you are merciful to our two only children. Shows
how precious Tobiah and Sarah are to them. And
they keep... praying, asking for continued mercy,
protection and happiness for the couple. They're
like, this huge weight has been lifted off their
shoulders. It really is. And then Raghul does
something very symbolic. He tells the servants
to fill in the grave before dawn. Like they're
burying the fear itself, closing that chapter.
Exactly. It's a new beginning for everyone involved.
So what happens next? Do they just go back to
bed like nothing happened? Not a chance. Riddell
tells Edna to bake tons of bread, and he slaughters
two steers and four rams. Well, hold on a minute.
They're throwing a feast. A massive one they're
going all out to celebrate. That's a pretty understandable
reaction after all that stress. It is they're
overflowing with joy and gratitude. And I'm sure
the whole town was invited. I wouldn't be surprised.
But then Raghul turns to Tobaya and says he can't
leave for 14 days. A two -week party. That's
quite the honeymoon. It is. He tells Tobiah to
eat, drink, and bring joy to Sarah's afflicted
spirit. It's like a time of healing and strengthening
their bond after everything they've been through.
And Rockwell's generosity doesn't stop there.
He tells Tobiah, now take half of what I own
here. Go back in good health to your father.
The other half will be yours when I and my wife
die. Wow, he's basically adopting Tobiah into
the family. He is giving him a future security
in that undeniable sense of belonging. Talk about
a welcoming father -in -law. And then he says
these beautiful words, I am your father and Edna
is your mother. We belong to you and to your
sister, both now and forever. That's so heartwarming.
It brings tears to my eyes. It really does. It's
this beautiful declaration of family, a new foundation.
built on love and trust. So let's recap. What
do we learn from this incredible story? Well,
we've seen an impossible situation overcome through
the most unexpected means. Fish organs, angelic
intervention. It doesn't get much more unexpected
than that. And we've witnessed the power of prayer
and shared faith in building a strong marriage.
The way Tobiah and Sarah turn to God together
is truly inspiring. We thought fear transformed
into joy and celebrations symbolized by that
filled engrave and the extravagant feast. And
ultimately, we saw the formation of deep family
bonds built on generosity and acceptance. It's
a reminder that even in the darkest moments,
unexpected solutions and blessings can emerge.
And that those moments of surprise, the unexpected
twists and turns, those are what make life and
these stories so captivating. Exactly. So...
Listener's name implied as you go about your
day, think about this. What are the fish livers
in your own life? Those seemingly insignificant
things that might hold unexpected power. And
how can shared values and faith, whatever that
looks like for you, strengthen your relationships?
This story reminds us that unity and belief can
truly overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Thanks for joining us on this deep dive into
Tobit, the demon's flight and a blessed marriage.
It's been a truly insightful journey. Until next
time. Keep exploring those ancient texts. There's
always something new to discover. And who knows,
you might even find your own fish liver solution
along the way.