The Grenada sentinel., 1907-01-19

fright before our eyes. Surely their
God Is a mighty God that he scould
make a pathway through the Jordan
and lead his people dry shod right in
our very midst We have seen the
smoke of Jericho and All ascending
into heaven, and we know that the
strong armies of those cities could not
stand before Joshua and his men.
Then why should we hope to be
more successful than they? And even
though the armies of the allies should
be victorious, our country wou.1 be
devastated, for 1t is here that the bat
tie would be waged. Let us make
league with Israel and thus save our
lives and our city.
But" quickly interposeu several
voices, have you not heard that Is
rael will make no league with any OF
the inhabitants of the land, saying
that their God has forbidden it?"
'True," assented the old sage, un-
perturbed by the seemingly insur-
mountable difficulty, 'but let us dis
guise ourselves and come to them as
from a far country: We shall put
old sacks upon our asses, and old
shoes and old garments upon us, and
we shall take old and rent wine bot
ties and dry and moldy bread, and
! we will come to them, and tell them
that we have heard in the far cOun-
try the fame of their God and how
nightly he has wrought and we have
come to pay homage to him and to
worship him. Peradventure they will
hear us and will make league with
u.s."
This plan at once met the approval
of the chief men of Gibeon, and the
next morning when they had sent the
messengers of the kings away they at
once began preparations to carry out
the plan.
And they went to Joshua unto the
camp at Gilgal. Their arrival created
NO little stir, and quickly Joshua and
the chief men assembled, and the
strangers were admitted to their pres
ence, and to the statement that they
had come from a far country, Joshua
made answer:
Our God has commanded us saying
that we should not make league with
any of the inhabitants of the land.
Peradventure We dwell among u.s."
Nay, but from a far country are
thy servants come" they replied. BE
cause of the name Of the Lord thy
God are We come. We have heard the
fame of him and all that he did in
Egypt, and all that he did to the
two kings of the Amorites that were |
beyond Jordan, to Sihon king of
Hesbon, and Og king Of Bashan, |
which was at Ashtaroth. Wherefore |
our elders and all the inhabitants |
spake to us, saying: Take victuals
with you for the journey, and go to
meet them, and say unto them: We
are your servants. Therefore now
make a league with us
Nay" interrupted Joshua, "but
how do we know that ye have come
from far country"
Dramatically they turned, and lift
ing the covers from their provision
baskets, they saH.f
Behold the evidence of our long
journey. See this our bread we took
hot out of the ovens on the day we
came forth to come hither, and behold
now it is dry and moldy. See these
bottles Of wine. When they were
filled as we started they were new,
and behold, now they be rent And
behold our garments and our shoes,
for they have become old and ragged
by reason of the very long Journey"
Such seemingly indisputable evil
dence quickly swept away all doubt
from the minds of the men who stood
with Joshua, and they persuaded him
league with these people.
Joshua therefore made peace with
them, and made league with them to
let them live. And the men gathered
with him, the princes of the congrega-
ton, ratified the league
During all this time the people of
israel were talking one with another
strangers, and as they saw them depart
and learned that league had been
made with them, they selected some
If their number to follow these men,
thing which had not occurred to
Joshua or to the princes with him
o do.
AS a result on the third day when !
hese men returned they reported that
he strangers had dealt with them de- c
eitfully and had not come from
ar country, but were really their S
Ieighbors living only short distance II
rom Gilgal. And they were wroth Y
With Joshua and the princes for max
ng the league and were for going at t
nee against the Gibeonites, for, said a
hey: There is rich spoil in their "
tiles which should be ours" But
oshua and the princes because of u
heir. oath which had been given,
would not permit them so to do, but
made the Gibeonites servants, that c
hey would work for them continually.
ALL