The Tupelo journal., 1907-01-18

league with Israel and thus save our
lives and III city.
But quickly intefposed feveral
voices. have o 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 dls-
guise ourselves and come to them as
from a far country. We shall put
old sacks upon our asses, ana ola
shoes and old garments upon us, ana
we shall take old and rent wine Dot
ties and dry and moldy bread, and
we will come to them, and tell tnem
that we have heard in the far coun-
try the fame of their God and how
nightly he has wrought and we nave
come to a homage to him and to
worship him. Peradventure they VIII
hear us and will make league with
u.s.
This plan at once met the approval
Of the chief men of Gideon, n 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 us"
"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 tc
meet them, and say unto them: We
are your servants. Therefore now
make a league with US
May" interrupted Joshua, hui
how do we know that ye have come
from a far country"
Dramatically they turned, and lift
ing the covers from their provision
baskets, they said:
"Behold the evidence Of our Ions
Journey. See this u bread we tool
hot out of the ovens on the day WI
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 u shoes
for they have become old and ragged
by reason CT the very long journey
Such seemingly indisputable evi
dence quickly swept away all doubt
from the minds of the men who stood
with Joshua, and they persuaded hin
that it would be well at once to make
league with these people.
Joshua therefore made peace with
them, and made a league with them tc
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
Jcrael were talking one with another
concerning the coming of these
strangers, and as they saw them depart
and learned that a league had beer
made with them, they selected some
of their number to follow these men
a thing which had not occurred tc
Joshua or to the princes with him
to do.
AS a result on the third day wher
these men returned they reported thai
the strangers had dealt with them de
ceitfully and had not come from g
far country, but were really theil
neighbors living only a short distance
from Gilgal. And they were wrott
with Joshua and the princes for max
ing the league and were for going al
once against the G%ibeonites, for, SAID
they: There is rich spoil in theil
cities which should be ours" But
Joshua and the princes because oil
their oath which had been given
would not permit them so to do, but
made the G%ibeonites servants, that
they would work for them continually