St. Tammany farmer., 1905-12-30

| aWe-inSpirlng courts, its impressive
ceremonies and it's learned, persuasive
priests, the boys and their father
bowed before the couch of the patri-
arch of God, the man who had talked
and walked with God. the man who
had seen visions and dreamed dreams
and who in faith hal obeyed God and
claimed for himself and his seed the
promise given unto Abraham ane
Isaac.
And well was it SO, for had tbs
priest of On, instead of Israel tha
prince of God, spoken to the sons Of
Joseph that day it might have changed
their whole course in life, winning
them for the gods of Egypt instead OF
the true God, and shutting them out Of
the place and blessing with Gods peo-
pie. But God shapes the course OF
events and often as the untoward ele-
menls Of the world are drawing close
about one He suddenly opens the gate
way CT opportunity through which one
may pass If he will to life and des-
tiny with Him. And SO it was to be
| with Manasseh and Ephraim that day.
Before Jacob instead of the priest OF
On, before their Grandfather Jacob,
who knew and served the true God, in
stead of their Grandfather Potipherah,
who was versed in all the learning OF
the Egyptians and knew many gods
that were no gods at all, these two
young men stood, and instead of their
names being lost and forgotten amidst
the ruins of the tombs and monuments
of Egypt, they were to come down
through the centuries laden with the
promises and blessings Of God.
The old man rouses himself as they
enter A new, and celestial light plays
over his wrinkled features. The en-
feebled mind again feels the thrill Of
Gods presence. His voice drops from
| the thin, piping, qIerulous tones to the
| fuller, stronger voice of one with
message. He stretches forth his trem-
bling hands and exclaims with q note
of triumph in his voice:
"God Almighty appeared unto me at
Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed
me. and said unto me: Behold, will
| make thee fruitful and multiply thee,
and will make of thee multitude
of people; and will give this land to
thy seed after thee for an everlasting
| possession.
The old man paused. It almost
seemed to the boys that they were in
the presence of the God Almighty,
about whom their grandfather ha4 just
been speaking, and the words sank
deep into their hearts. as they again
heard what had been told tuem so oft
en- by their father that the Hebrew peo-
pie were to become great nation and
Canaan was to be their possession.
Into the heart Of each there stole a
yearning to share in this promised
blessing. But now the old man begins
again and they are aroused from their
inward musings by hearing their own
names spoken.
"Thy two sons, Ephraim and Manas-
sch, which were born unto thee in the
land of Egypt before l came unto thee
into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and
Simeon, they shall be mine.''
leaped within them at the words, but
they did, even as the soul sometimes
responds to the inner voice of God
while yet the mind does not grasp OF
understand the full meaning of the
message. And In that moment they
knew that it was not to be the priest
hood of Egypt, but Identification with
the Hebrew people and part in the
promised blessing.
And Israel said unto Joseph:
81 had not thought to see thy face;
and 10! God hath showed me also thy
seed"
And he took the two boys and en-
braced them and kissed them, and
stretching forth his right hand he
placed it upon Ephraim's head, who
was the younger, and his left hand
upon Manasseh's head, guiding his
hands Willingly, and said:
God, before whom my fathers Abra-
ham and Isaac did walk, the God which
fed me all my life long unto this day,
the angel which redeemed me from all
evil, bless the lads; and let my name
be named on them, and the name of
my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and
let them grow into multitude in the
midst Of the EARTH
And when Joseph saw that his father
laid his right hand upon the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him; and he
held up his fathers hand to remove 1t
from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's
head, saying at the same time:
mot SO, my father; for this is the
first born; put thy right hand upon
his head
But his father refused, saying:
Il know it, my son, / know it. He
also shall become people, and he also
shall be great But, truly, his younger
brother shall be greater than he, and
his seed shall become a multitude of
nations"
During the days which followed
Ephraim pondered deeply over the
words Of blessing spoken over him
and his brother, but after the days of
mourning and Jacob had been carried
back and placed In the cave Of Mach
pelah, as he had requested, the boy
found opportunity to question his fa-
ther, who responded as follows:
my son, God has promised thee
blessing according as He has seen the
possibilities in thee. See that thou
fall not short Of His requirements"
Il will not, father" spoke up the
boy, earnestly. The God Of Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob, and thy God.
shall be my God, and His people shall