Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1907-02-21

now he had ceased TO require the de-
tailed report from the elders Thus
the weeks and months slipped by, and
more and more Joshua and those
about him realized that the infirmi-
ties of age were telling upon him.
mo, 1t will not be long before the
Lord will come for me-" he said one
day. But l am ready to go, for
peace has come to the land and the
people are wholly given to the serv-
ing of the Lord"
But that night his sleep was trou-
bled, and he beheld strange things in
his dreams. He thought Moses stood
by his side and was pointing towards
the people gathered before the taber-
nacle, and saying:
How soon they will forget! How
soon they will forget AS In former
time so will they again turn from the
Lord"
And as he turned to protest, Moses
vanished from his sight and he awoke
with a start.
The dream troubled him and for
days he studied over 1t, until It seemed
not dream, and that Moses had
really spoken to him. Would the peo-
pie turn from the Lord after he had
gone? Would they forget his mercies
and blessings and go after the gods
of the people about them? he asked
himself, over and over again
Before l go l must warn them. My
last message shall be an appeal to
them to be faithful to the God who
has been so faithful to them"
And so Joshua sent his messengers
through all the land whittier the
children OF Israel had settled, asking
that they all come to Shechem. Now
Shechem was the place where SOL
emn convocation had been held when
they had first come into the land
years before, and the blessings and
the cursings of God had been read In
their ears by the Levites. And 1t was
here that Joshua gathered the people
together with their elders and their
officers and judges, and said unto
them:
THUS saith the Lord God of Israeli
Your fathers dwelt on the other side
of the flood in old time, even Terah,
the father of Abraham. and the father
Of Nachor; and they served other
gods. And I took your father Abra-
ham from the other side Of the flood,
and led him throughout all the land
of Canaan, and multiplied his seed
and gave him Isaac. And I gave unto
Isaac Jacob and Esau; and / gave
unto Esau Mount SER, to possess 1t;
but Jacob and his children went down
into Egypt"
Joshua paused in his hasty review
Of the early history of the nation, and
II there had been any inattention at
the beginning, at the mention OF
Egypt all eyes and ears were turned
towards him. He then went on to
rapidly cover Gods wonderful deal
ings with them in Egypt, Of his lead
ing them out under the hand Of
Moses; of his miraculous deliverances
and care all through the wilderness
journey, and Of his bringing them at
last into the promised land and CIV
ing them the victory over all their
enemies.
} Now, therefore," he concluded.
fear the Lord and serve him in sim
} certify and truth; and put away the
gods which your fathers served on the
other side Of the flood and in Egypt,
and serve we the Lord. And IL 1t seem
evil unto you to serve the Lord,
choose you this day whom we will
serve; whether the gods which your
fathers served that were on the other
side Of the flood. or the gods OF the
Amorites, in whose land we dwell;
but as for me and my house we will
serve the Lord"
The voice of the aged Joshua was
almost a sob as he concluded his APP
peal, and with difficulty he controlled
his feelings, for, as he was speaking,
there was but one vision before him.
that of Moses standing at his side
pointing at the people and saying:
"As in former time so will they
again turn from the Lord"
But all this faded before the shout
which went up from the people as
they answered and said:
God forbid that we should forsake
the Lord, to serve other gods; for the
Lord our God, he 1t is that brought us
up and our fathers out Of the land of
Egypt, from the house of bondage.
and which did those great signs in
our sight, and preserved us in all the
way wherein we went, and among all
the people through whom we passed.
And the Lord drove out from before
us all the people, even the Amorites
which dwelt in the land; therefore
will we serve the Lord; for he Is our
God"
And Joshua said unto the people:
"Ye are witnesses against your
selves that we have chosen the Lord,
to serve him."
And they said:
I'VE are witnesses"