The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-08-03

fresh complaint burst forth
| was 1t not enough that they had n
water to drink? Why should such OF
Structions come across their pathway
| VI what use was that great pile c
| jagged stone, anyway?
| Such were some of the Miniature
] questions which broke forth, and a
Is always the case where one is in tn
!. iault-hnding mood, they had no eye
10 see anything but the dSagreeabl
1 ana dlScOuraging features. So it Wa
, that they had found in the rock onl,
another opportunity for complaining
; And when Moses had striven to pacif,
them, recalling past blessings and thu
dellveranCeS God had wrought, they
cried out in the bitterness and hard
ness OF their hearts that God had for
gotten them. and that if he Moses
, would prove his right to leadership he
must then and there satisfy their
. thirst.
"Cidst 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
dldst 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 it was God and
not he who had done these wonders.
they cried out the more vehemently,
declaring that it was for this purpose
that he had brought them into the
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
stone me. They will not listen unto
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! | will stand before thee upon
the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt
smlte the rock, and there shall come
water out of it, 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 it that the hard, dry.
cold rock could pour forth its flood Of
waters? But in the face of the op-
position and the doubt of those with
him, Moses had gone bravely and bold
~ forward and when they had come to
The rock he had bowed his head reyer-
emily. Then was it that a strange
hing happened, for the Cloud. which
up to this time had rested over the
camp, came and stood upon the brow of
he great rock, and as he lifted his
Eyes Moses knew that the Lord was
here to show forth his marvellous
grace and power.
Behind him was people periShirs
or water, Shut in the wilderne IS
here was no escape. No human hand
Gould succor. They could not go b,.ck. /
10 go forward meant death on the
turning sands. But before him here
N the rock was the glory of Gods
presence.
In that moment a new thrill Of
badness had stirred his heart, and
While the elders gathered about him
ad watched expectantly. he had
cached forth his hand and with the rod
truck the rock, at the same time call
ng upon God and reminding him of
is promise to send forth a stream of r
water from the haru, flinty f
ock. p. - a
Down from the overshadowing Cloud f
ad flashed the flaming finger of God L
leaving the mighty rock In twain. g
nd forth had gushed the life-giyine c
IaterS.
Overcome by the majesty and glory C
the scene, the elders had fallen on h
heir faces to the ground, but as the a
waters surged about their t
eet they had suddenly realized what fl
Iod had wrought for them, and lean n
lg to their feet had bounded back TO- II
'ards the camp, shouting as they ran. p
Water at the rock. Water at the u
Ick' Water at the rock."
And Moses as he stood there now re-
allied the eager JOY with which the
eople had streamed forth to that
'untain which God had opened I'D for
lem. They had drank deep and lone
nd then, rushing back to the CANT
al returned with all the skin bottles
nd jars they could find to fill them.
lest" they said, 1.-The water should
ill.,"
But there was the water now gusb-