St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-04-06

the ordered place and take the sec.
! ond bullock, and offer a burnt sacri.
flee with the wood of the grove which
thou shalt cut down.
AS Gideon listened he became con.
scious that it was the voice of God
| speaking to him But what bold
thing was this which he was COM
handing him to do Not only would
it arouse hostility among the men,
bers of his own household and those
of his own people, but it would warn
the enemy and put them on their
guard, if it did not lead to an imme-
date attack.
And how could he expect to win
| the support of his people in the face
of such difficulties and dangers? How
much better it seemed, he reasoned
to himself, to secretly raise an army
and fall upon the enemy unawares
and overcome them. Then, would
be time enough, he thought. to throw
down the altar of Baal and to build
an altar to the God of Israel.
But, came back the answer to his
conscience, can God give you the vic
tory while yet the high places Of
Baal remain in the midst of Israel?
Where should reform begin if not in
your own household? How could you
go out and claim that the God of Is
rael was with you while yet your
fathers household is under the shad-
ow Of the altar Of Baal and the
grove? Thus his heart reasoned and
soon he saw that Gods plan, and not
his, must be followed.
When he yielded to this conviction
he arose and hurried to the place
where it had been agreed he should
meet his servants. 1t was with some
misgivings that he came before them.
How would they receive this new
plan? Would they stand with him?
These questions troubled him as he
faced them, but as he began faithfully
and courageously to relate all that
the Lord had said that he should do,
he gained confidence and when he had
finished speaking without waiting for
reply, he turned to go, saying, simply:
Come, let us do our work quickly,
lest the mornings light find our
courage fail us, and the friends of
Baal prove too strong for u.s."
And his servants, ten In number,
rose to man and went forth with
him, and ere the first rays of light
were gliding the eastern sky, the
trees of the grove lay PROSTATE on
the ground, the altar of Baal was in
ruins, and the flesh of the bullock
lay smoking upon the altar which had
been erected to the God of Israel.
Silently and quickly the little band
dispersed, each man in the direction
agreed upon.
No small stir was made when the
people of Ophrah discovered upon the
morrow what had been done, and
. when it was rumored that Gideon had
wrought the rash deed, they demand
: ed that he be brought forth and
killed
. Then it was that Joash, the father
of Gideon, awakened to the sin which
. he had committed against God in per
hitting the altar and grove to Baa
! to be erected upon his land, stood
boldly forth and declared:
IF Baal be god, let him plead fol
!. HIMSELF"
!. At these words the people gave {
+ shout of approval, and the spirit O
{ God coming upon Gideon he blew
7 his trumpet and the people were
: gathered after him. Meanwhile hi!
+ messengers had gone unto the tribe!
8 of Asher and Zebulun and Naphtali
+ and in response to their call a grea
I. company of fighting men were brough
+ together, fully $4,000 men.
E When word of these things reach
+ ed the Midianites they were wroth
& and swore that Baal their god shoult
! be avenged with mighty slaughter
+ and they sent word to the Amalakite
: and to all the neighboring peoples OF
the east of the rebellion which ha
broken out among the Israelites. Il
l. response thereto great army wa
4 gathered together, and it came an
IL encamped in the valley of Jezree
= which when the men of the army O
!" Israel saw many of them began to b
y afraid, which thing troubled GideoI
u greatly. Surely" he said to himself
Il "if God would give Israel the victor
there must be other spirits in tn
70 hearts of our people"
y And that night Gideon sought tn
- Lord and said:
II eff thou wilt save Israel by min
u hand, as thou hast said, behold, wi
IL put a fleece of wool in the floor; an
&c if the dew be upon the fleece only
and if it be dry upon all the earth bt
u side, then shall l know that thou vii
9 save Israel by mine hand as thou has
u said"
'e And it was so; for he arose u
g early on the morrow, and thrust tn
~ fleece together, and wringing the de-
:, out of the fleece, bowlfull of watel
u And Gideon said unto God: LET nc
v thine anger be hot against me, and
will speak but this once: let m
IL prove, pray thee, but this once wit
= the fleece; let it be dry only upo
y the fleece, and upon all the ground le
IL there be dew" And God did so ths
night, so that Gideon knew the Lor
" was surely with him in the great col
"a flict which lay before him.
I'd LEARNED CAUSE OF WARS.
Of Harry Asks Papa and Soon Find
Out.
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w apopo how do nafionC get int