“He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?” ~ Romans 8:32
“There once was a great lord who at the birth of a daughter named Talia summoned all the wise men and fortune-tellers of his kingdom to predict her future. After conferring a number of times, they concluded that she would find herself in great danger because of a little piece of flax. And so the king issued a prohibition aimed at avoiding that baleful encounter: in his house neither flax nor hemp nor anything of the sort was to enter.”[1]
Father is probably the first attribute we learn to associate with God, as it’s an easy concept for children to understand. Granted, even the best of fathers can’t give as much love as God; but it’s such a tender picture of His love for us.
Talia’s father adores her. A man doesn’t call fortune-tellers to his daughters crib otherwise. He longs to protect her and ensure her safety. When he discovers the danger, he immediately takes action. There isn’t even a question in his mind! Of course he will ban flax from his home. Of course he will protect his daughter.
This may not seem like a drastic decision, but as I pointed out previously, the weaving of flax was one of the main duties of women. Spinning and weaving formed a woman’s identity within her culture, and a princess was especially prone to be defined by her skills at the loom. But Talia’s father doesn’t care. He will risk nothing when it comes to his daughter.
A good father longs to protect his children, just as God longs to protect us. However, both our Heavenly Father and earthly fathers know we live in a sinful world. They know there is pain out there, pain that we will invariably experience. It’s a consequence of our choices in Eden.
But our Heavenly Father didn’t abandon us in our hour of need. No, His heart awoke to our need, and He risked all to secure and save us. Nothing was too high a price to pay. God made a drastic decision to send His Son to the cross, and although there is pain and terror in this world, we are secure and safe when our hope is in Christ. Our Father has made sure of it.
As for Talia, her father strove to keep her safe. However, unlike later versions, he does not ban flax from the entire realm. Thus, one day Talia looks out the window and sees an old woman spinning. “Curious” and “greatly pleased” by the activity, Talia takes the spindle in her own hands – only to get a splinter of flax caught under her nail. She dies on the spot. In anguish, the king leaves her in the palace, locks the door, and abandons his home.[2]
Talia’s father adored his daughter. Perhaps his reaction to her death was rather extreme, but we can safely make this claim: just as God’s love awoke to us in our need, so Talia’s father heeded love’s call. When called, will you rise to the occasion, and strive to protect those you love, too?
Sources
[1] Basile, The Tale of Tales, p. 413
[2] Basile, The Tale of Tales, p. 414
