The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-01-25
ton ror the final flight when darkness

ton Tor the final flight when darkness
has come" were the instructions.
In the meantime Joshua was watch.
ing the progress of the battle from
high point overlooking the bat
tlefield. He saw the struggling lines
of men, and that slowly but surely
his forces were advancing, but as he
lifted his eyes to the sun and meas
ured it's distance from the horizon, he
muttered;
Darkness will be upon us before
our victory is complete, and then our
enemies will escape u.s."
"Oh, God" he continued, after a
pause, "didst not thou tell us that thou
hadst delivered them into our hands,
and that there should not man OF
them stand before us? And here they
are about to escape, for the night
soon cometh." And almost a sob es'
capped from the great, strong man, as
he lifted his eyes to heaven.
Were they to fall short Of a COM
plete victory? Had they not been told
to destroy utterly those who bid def
ance to God and Gods people, and
were they now to be hindered by the
shortness of the day?
Yea, will they not say that it was
their god the sun god, which has
helped them?" he cried. will they
not claim that he has fastened his
journey across the heavens so as to
, quickly bring the darkness to their
relief"
But does not the sun move at the
dictates of Gods will? the thought
suddenly came to him, and aloud he
asked Cannot the God who rolled
aside the waters of the Red sea and
then the Jordan, also make the sun,
moon and stars to obey him."
With the expression of the thought
came the inner peace and assurance
that he could, and he would, and de-
scending quickly into the midst Of
the hosts of Israel, he shouted:
! Slack not thy hands. The Lord
will give thee complete victory over
! these thy enemies"
| But the night cometh," was shout
I ed back. And in the darkness we
dare not fight, lest we smite friend for
foe"
Yea, but God will lengthen his
day, Joshua shouted back And then,
lifting his hands toward the heavens,
he cried: Sun, stand thou still upon
Gideon; and thou, moon, in the valley
of Ajalon!'
That was all that was said. Joshua
returned to his observation point and
the soldiers who had been about him
turned and carried the news every
/ where through the ranks OF Israel
that daylight would not fail them, for
Joshua had commanded the sun to
stand still. With new vigor and earn
estness they fought One hour-two
hours went by, and still the hosts Of
the enemy stubbornly strove to hold
| Israel in check
Hopefully at first did they turn their
| eyes towards the sun. Then as the
moments grew into the first hour and
then the second, and still the sun
| held it's place in the heavens, they
looked in anxiety and growing terror
at the sight. Adoni-zedec and the
kings with him paced to and fro.
What strange thing was this? Was
| the sun in league with their enemies,
that he should tarry thus in the heav-
ems? In the agony of desperation
they cried to their gods to hear them
and send the darkness, but their cries
were only drowned in the din of bat
tie, which thickened about them.
Faster and faster now become the re-
treat, until it was clear that it would
| soon develop into panic-stricken
flight. The five kings as they watch.
ed the progress of the battle real.
lied that all was lost, and while yet
they had the opportunity and their
men were bravely striving to hold in
check the onward rush of the Is.
raelites, they sought safety in flight,
and came at last to the cave at Max.
! kedah.
But Of what avail their flight? The
sun still shone in the heavens, and fol-
lowed them as though to reveal their
fight, as indeed it did, for some of the
men Of Israel fighting on the outer
edges of the battle line, observed this
movement, and FASTENED to follow,
and came up with them just as they
disappeared into the dark depths of
the great cave. And when one of
their number had returned and told
Joshua that the five kings were hid
den in the cave at Mikkedah, he sent
word that they should seal the mouth
of the cave and set. at watch there,
while the forces of Israel continued
the pursuit of the now scattered and
fleeing enemy. .r-,.ga.3r.5t -r
And there was no day like that be.