The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1906-08-04

rock at the base to make wide detour
fresh complaint burst forth.
Was 1t not enough that they had no
water to drink? Why should such OBJ
structions come across their pathway?
OF what use was that great pile of
jagged stone. anyway?
Such were some of the ill-natured
questions which broke forth, and as
is always the case where one is In the
fault-fnding mood, they had no eyes
to see anything but the disagreeable
and discouraging features. So 1t was
that they had found In the rock only
another opportunity for complaining.
And when Moses had striven to pacify
them. recalling past blessings and the
deliverances God had wrought, they
cried out In the bitterness and hard
ness of their hearts that God had for
gotten them. and that II he Moses
would prove his right to leadership he
must then and there satisfy their
thirst.
"Didst thou not sweeten the waters
at Marah?" they cried. why then
canst thou not give US water here?
Where is thy rod with which thou
didst divide the waters of the Red sea?
Show what thou canst do with that
same rod here in the wilderness?"
And when he rebuked them sharply.
reminding them that 1t was God and
not he who had done these wonders,
they cried out the more vehemently,
declaring that 1t was for this purpose
| ~ hn had hratt thann tnfn tho
wilderness that they might perish Of
thirst with their little ones and their
cattle. 1t was useless for him to point
to the Cloud and to remind them that
God was in their midst. They would
not listen and at last in despair he
had gone apart by himself and cried
unto God, saying:
20 Lord, what shall do unto this
people? They be almost ready to
my voice. They will not remember
all that thou hast done for them"
And then out of the stiffness which
had followed when Moses had ceased
speaking came the voice Of God, say
ing:
go out before the people, and take
with thee Of the elders Of Israel; and
thy rod wherewith thou smotest the
river, take in thine hand and go. Be-
hold! l will stand before thee upon
the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt
smite the rock, and there shall come
water out of 1t, that the people may
drink"
And in the face of the derision and
the angry complaining of the people,
Moses had gathered the elders together
and went forth with them to the rock.
There 1t had stood rugged and forbid
ding. How was 1t that the hard, dry,
cold rock could pour forth its flood Of
waters? But in the face of the OPP
position and the doubt of those with
him, Moses had gone bravely and bold
ly forward and when they had come to
the rock he had bowed his head rever-
emily. Then was 1t that q strange
thing happened, for the Cloud, which
up to this time had rested over the
camp. came and stood upon the brow of
the great rock, and as he lifted his
eyes Moses knew that the Lord was
there to show forth his marvellous
Il grace ana power.
Behind him was people perishing
for water. Shut in the wilderness
there was no escape. No human hand
could succor. They could not go back.
To go forward meant death on the
burning sands. But before him there
on the rock was the glory of Gods
presence.
I'm that moment new thrill Of
gladness had stirred his heart. and
while the elders gathered about him
had watched expectantly, he had
reached forth his hand and with the rod
struck the rock, at the same time call
ing upon God and reminding him of
his promise to send forth a stream of
refreshing water from the hard, finty
rock.
Down from the overshadowing Cloud
had flashed the flaming finger Of God
cleaving the mighty rock in twain,
and forth had gushed the life-giving
waters.
Overcome by the majesty and glory
Of the scene, the elders had fallen on
their faces to the ground, but as the
springing waters surged about their
feet they had suddenly realized what
God had wrought for them, and leap
ing to their feet had bounded back to-
wards the camp, shouting as they ran:
Water at the rock! Water at the
rock! Water at the rock!"
And Moses as he stood there now re-
called the eager Joy with which the
people had streamed forth to that
fountain which God had opened up for
them. They had drank deep and long
and then, rushing back to the camp,
had returned with all the skin bottles
and Jars they could find to fiji them,
Test" they said, 1.-THE water should
fail"
But there was the water now gush-
ing forth with undiminished flow.
Never before had he seen so abundant
a fountain. Out of the rift in the rock
it poured as though the source of sup
ply behind was inexhaustible. AL
ready the waters had cut for them
selves a channel in the yielding sands
and were flowing on and on towards
tho camn His ewes followed fhe