BAAL’S

and I am the least in my father’s
house.” But the Lord answered,
“T will be with thee; I will give
thee power to smite the Midian-
ites.” :

Gideon now began to think that
it was not a man, nor an angel, who
was talking to him; for neither a
man nor an angel could give him
power to conquer his enemies: and
he said, “ Wilt thou give me a sign,
that I may know who thou art?
Stay till I come again, and bring
my offering with me” Then Gid-
eon went into the house, and made
ready a kid, and cakes of flour; he
put the flesh into a basket, and the
broth into a pot, and brought all
out to the oak tree where the angel
was waiting. The holy angel did
not want food to strengthen him, as
weak, sinful men do: but he ac-
cepted Gideon’s offering, and told
him to lay the flesh and the cakes
upon the rock, and to pour out the
broth. Gideon knew not why, but
he obeyed; and then the angel of
the Lord touched, with his staff,
the flesh and the cakes, and fire

 

 

ALTAR, 119

came out of the rock, and consumed
them. The angel departed; Gideon
knew not how, nor where; but now
he knew who that angel was. Then
Gideon cried with holy fear, “ Alas,
O Lord, God, for I have seen an an-
gel of the Lord face to face.” But
God comforted him, and__ said,

“Peace be unto thee; fearnot,thou

shalt not die:” and Gideon named
the place “Jehovah-shalom,”’ or
“The Lord send peace,” and built
an altar there to the Lord.

Gideon was young and poor, but
God did not forget nor despise him.
Gideon wished to serve the Lord,
and prayed for health and strength,
and God heard his prayer. God
does the same now. He says, “I
love them that love me, and they
that seek me early shall find me.”
Proverbs xiii. 17. He wishes the
young to come to Him; to believe
in Jesus, to pray to Him, to love
Him, to give Him all their hearts,
all their affections. Then every
thing will be well with them, and
God will give them peace in all
their fears and sorrows.

rar

 

 

LXX VIII.

PAALS PLTAR.

HE night after Gideon
had seen the angel of the
Lord, God spoke to him
again. There was much
for Gideon to do, and he

must not be idle; he must show all

the idolatrous people around him,
that he loved and served the true

God. God said to him, “Take thy

 

father’s bullock, and throw down
the altar of Baal which thy father
has, and build an altar unto the
Lord, and offer the bullock in sacri-
fice upon it.” Gideon’s family all
worshipped Baal; they might be
very angry if the idol altar was
thrown down; perhaps they might

 

kill. Gideon. Was he not afraid to