Afterward they traveled on together till they were near Media. The boy asked the angel this question: "Brother Azariah, what medicinal value is there in the fish's heart, liver, and gall?" He answered: "As regards the fish's heart and liver, if you burn them so that the smoke surrounds a man or a woman who is afflicted by a demon or evil spirit, the affliction will leave him completely, and no demons will ever return to him again. And as for the gall, if you rub it on the eyes of a man who has cataracts, blowing into his eyes right on the cataracts, his sight will be restored." (Tobit 6: 7-9)

Why did Raphael not bring the fish gall with him when he first arrived in Nineveh?

If God intends to cure Tobit's cataracts, why the delay and drama? Tobit is in anguish. What is the value in causing him to wait?

Tobit and Sarah prayed for death, sooner not later. Eventually they will receive what they have requested, but later not sooner.

The Author has a tale to weave, a purpose to achieve, and this is only the sixth of fourteen chapters.

Where are you in your story?

Above is Tobiah, Raphael, and the dog by Pieter Lastman. This is one of the few works of art that shows Tobiah as a middle aged man.