90 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

journeyed they came to Micah’s house. Jonathan, the
priest, was an old acquaintance of theirs. Being a man
of a roaming turn, he had roamed into their country at
some time or other. They asked him what he was
doing there, so far from home. He told them that
Micah had hired him to be his priest. He was not
ashamed to tell this, and he was rather pleased with
the opportunity of displaying the chapel in which he
officiated, his graven and molten images, the ephod and
the teraphim. They did not think the worse of him for
what they saw; their respect for him was increased,
which shewed how ignorant and depraved they were.
They even requested this idolatrous priest to ask counsel
of God whether their way would be prosperous or not.
Jonathan, after consulting his teraphim, gave them a
favourable answer.

Marianne. Did the priest believe in the teraphim,
grandfather ?

Grandfather. We cannot be certain whether he did
or not, but if he did not believe in the images, he did
not believe in the true God, or he would not have
dared so to affront him. Now, in the conduct of these
Danites, though there is something to blame, there is
something that we may take as a pattern to ourselves.
They did wrong in deferring to consult God till part of
their journey was past; they did wrong in consulting
Him by images, yet they shewed a desire for guidance
from God, an example which we would do well to follow
and improve upon. The five men proceeded on their