The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-11-02

settled down in the valley and ihnn |
crept up the mountain towards where
they stood.
"See!" he cried, excitedly, "it CLOVIS
now as though the great sun has gone
to rest in its bosom. Surely we can
not hope to prevail against a peonle
! whose God visits them in such might
| and power What shall We do? What
shall We do?"
And the king in his distress and
lear Wrung his hands, and paced up
and down, the while keeping his ewes
upon the cleaning pillar in the dis,
ance. 1t was the only thing now Wis,
lble in the valley below save the faint
outlines of the tabernacle which stood
out under the light OF the pillar of
fire. The long lines of tents stretch
ing away in every direction from the
| tabernacle had faded from view, but
that steady, awful, mysterious glow
stood out sharply and filled his heart
with unSpeakable fear. 1t seemed to
him like a great winged monster that
was bearing down upon him to seize
him in its talOns and tea" his body in
| pieces and deyour' his flesh and he
Shrank back and stumbled and would
have fallen had not the attendant
caught him.
What strange, terrible God is this?
Who is there who knows of this God?
| Who is there who can help u.s." he
cried.
There is a man in Pethor Balaam,
the son of Beor, whom ! have heard
tell has been greatly gifted of the
gods and there is no gods with whom
he is not familiar, and | doubt not
that he would know of this God of the
Hebrews"
"Balaam of PethOr?" slowly repeat
ed the king, is not he the one to
whom the nations about go in time Of
trouble? Is he not the oracle who has
foretold the fall OF numerous cities of
the land?'
"The very one" replied the attend
ant.
Go and fetch him." commanded the
king as he FASTENED down the noun
tain path and returned to his palace.
Now Balaam, although a prophet
and priest among the Midianites, had
knowledge of the true God ana
feared Him. On more than one OCCa-
sion had the true God of Heaven given
him visions of the events which were
to come to pass, and his fame as
prophet had spread through all that
country.
When the messengers had come to
him from the king of the Moabites,
saying: Come, curse this people, for
they are too mighty for me: perad-
venture l shall prevail, that we may
smite them, and that | may drive
them out of the land. for | WGt that
he whom thou blessest is blessed, and
he whom thou curseSt is cursed" he
was filled with an eager desire to go
with them that he might receive their
rich gifts, but he dare not for of long
time he had heard that this people
which had come out of Egypt were
Gods chosen people and under His
special care. For this reason he asked
that the messengers tarry the night
while he should obtain word OF the
7 o,I tho ,,,aftnr
With heavy heart he saw the mes
sengers depart after he had told them
that he could not go. But when a few
DAYS later there came more noble
delegation from Balak beseeching him
to 90 with them, he Willfully sought
the face of the Lord again and OBJ
tanned from him the permission he
sought.
Two days later he stood upon the
high place where Baal, the god of the
Moabites, was worshiped. The seven
affairs have been built and Balak is
standing by the smoking sacrifices,
while Balaam has gone yonder to hear
what God might say to him.
Within his heart was the burning
desire to say all that the king desired
of him, for he bore no love for Israel,
} but he knew that mere words could
not accomplish IsraeIs ruin and that
if God had spoken blessing, 1t were
folly for him to speak curses.
Day after day the effort OF King
Balak to wiring from Balaam curse
upon Israel continued, and always 1all-
ure and disappointment, and at last
in disgust and anger, he sent Balaam
back to Pethor empty handed and IN
: disgrace.
Then it was that Balaam, troubled
: and dissatisfied, sought to counsel the
: kings to make friends with lsrael
! rather than to seek to fight them
t Let the most beautiful of our women
f be given unto them that they may IN
tice them and draw them away, he
said.
4 I cnpl and dupino