St. Tammany farmer., 1905-11-04

fully view the surrounding country and
contemplate their future course
"And while there the Lord met me,
and said unto me: Arise, go up to
Bethel, and dwell there; and make
there an altar unto God, that appeared
unto thee when thou feddest from the
face of Esau, thy brother
LET us go at once, them" exclaimed
the brothers, to whom any move now
seemed better than staying In that
place.
NAY, but we cannot go until we
have prepared ourselves to- meet our
God" Jacob declared, solemnly. "The
place to which we have been told to
go is Beth-El-the house Of God-it is
the place where God met me nearly 80
years ago, when fled from home; it
is where God gave me His promises
of blessing. And He hath kept me and
blessed me and returned me to this
land; but before we go up to Bethel
we must needs purge ourselves. We
must put Away the strange gods that
are among us, and put oil from us the
garments which were seized with the
spoil Of Shechem.''
The sons moved uneasily and looked
guiltily down upon their fine raiment.
They remembered how zealously and
with superstitious awe they had gath
cred the idols Of the people of Shechem
and had set them up in their tents.
Their prolonged stay near Shechem
and their presence at many of the
heather feasts had familiarized them
with the worship Of these idols, and,
they had thought to preserve them and
worship them. They had seen in
Rachel's tent the gods which she had
brought with her from Syria, and, anx-
ious for images in their own tents, they
had eagerly possessed themselves Of
those which they found in Shechem.
But Jacobs words-his positive COM
mand-that they must be cast aside
aroused them.
Bring them all here to me-" he
concluded, "Both the images and the
garments and the ornaments which
are the symbols of thy idolatry.''
The command Of Jacob created no
small stir among the people OF his
household and among the servants,
but there were none who dared to dis
obey, and one after another they came
bearing the idols big and little, the
garments, and the earrings and orna-
ments. Even the women and chill
dren of the Shechemites caught the
spirit Of the movement and brought
the images and ornaments which they
had concealed about them. The heap
grew until 1t stood level with Jacobs
head, and the people all stood about
observing him and wondering what he
would do. Mounting the pile and
stamping the idols under his heels, he
cried:
'sThese gods are no gods at all. for
there is but one God, the God of
Heaven, the God Of Abraham. and of
Isaac and Of Jacob. See that We utter
~ put these things away from you,
and turn to the true God, for 1t is only
as you seek and follow Him that He
will be near you to deliver you.'
Rachel standing with the rest heard
the words. She remembered the
images of her father which still rested
within her tent. During all these
years she had kept her secret from.
Jacob, not daring to let him know
that she had been guilty Of taking
them. But must she-could she, give
them up? AS she stood there the con-
viction was strong upon her that the
welfare Of all depended on the action
she took. She had kept them hid from
Jacob, but could she keep them hid
from God? But how could she bring
them out? How could she let Jacob
know? What would be say? What
would he think of her?
"Is there one who Is Withholding
aught Of that which is displeasing to
God" she heard Jacob say.
She felt that the words were meant
for her. She dare not look up, but
she was certain his eyes were search
ing her out. and would learn her Sc
cret. With a nervous, frightened cry
she fed to her tent and soon ap-
peared with the images in her hands,
and while the eyes Of all were fastened
upon her she brought them and threw
them upon the pile. Then her confu-
sion and shame overcame her and she
fell in a helpless heap to the ground,
Jacob was first at her side, and as he
bent over her he whispered:
my love, even the gods Of Laban
could not save us. Come, let us bury
these abominations at the foot OF the
scored tree Of the Shechemites where
God appeared unto me last night,
and lifting her to her feet he led her
towards the distant spot, first placing
In her hands the images she had just
brought, and he himself selling 9th
ers. And the sons and the women and
the children and all the rest, inspired
BY their example, also filled their hands
from the pile until not an, image. or
ornament or garment was left. Thus
laden, the long procession led by ia
cob and Rachel wended It's way
towards the terebinth tree, where
with solemn ceremony and fresh
pledges to the God Of Abraham and
of Isaac and Of Jacob they cast them
into the pit which eager hands soon
dug: and the amazed Canaanites, be
holding the strange proceedings from
afar, became panicstricken with su-
perstitious fear, and fed to their vart-
GUS cities, spreading the report that
| the God of Jacob had seized and de.
stroyed all the other gods Of the land,
and that any who molested Jacob Or
his people would fall under the de-