The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 183 -
ABOUT THE POWER OF HEARTFELT PRAYER. THE GOOD EFFECT OF LAMECH'S ENFORCED FAST. LAMECH'S REMORSE AND THE LORD'S MERCY.
When the appointed third day had come Kisehel summoned the aforementioned maids and women and said to them: "Listen, you newly risen maids and women! The appointed third day has come; so let us go out to the place where Lamech is.
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Therefore, go to Lamech's castle and inform all his bailiffs about it, but tell them also to take shovels and staples instead of weapons; as for you, dress festively and take as much food as you can easily carryall of you! And so go and carry out faithfully this task imposed on you."
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And the women set to work rejoicing and glorifying and praising God; and they also entreated Him to be gracious to the obdurate Lamech and bend his heart to His holy will.
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After a little hour all the maids and wives returned and indicated to the seven that everything was in the desired order.
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And Kisehel thereupon said: "Yes, thus it is good, O maids and women! If you knew what joy you afforded us by praying to God for poor Lamech, truly, the joyful fire of our hearts would seize and for the second time dissolve you, and this even with more intensity than the fire of all the wood of the earth put together.
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"Therefore, all our love, honour and adoration to our holy Father in Heaven! Remain in this supplication, and we shall this very day see wondrous things with Lamech. Now let us go out to him. Amen."
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And they forthwith rose in their lofty shelter, which was a broad, shady fig-tree, and proceeded to the puddles, where Lamech like a worm was turning and twisting with hunger and thirst.
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When all those summoned, including the maids, women and bailiffs, had reached Lamech, he lifted up his hands and said in a trembling voice to Kisehel:
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"Mighty emissary of Him, Whose name to pronounce my tongue will never be worthy! Do no longer be afraid of my will; for you have already broken it forever. But hand me something to strengthen me; for behold, I am immensely hungry and thirsty!"
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And Kisehel said to the maids and women: "Bring food and drink and give Lamech as much as he demands!"
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And the women did this; but Lamech beat his breast and said:
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"O divine Mercy! Is the great sinner Lamech still worthy of taking food and drink from the hands of those whom You saved and cleansed?"
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And Kisehel said: "Yes, brother Lamech! For the Father's goodness is greater and reaches further than all the heavens; so eat and drink according to your needs."
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Here Lamech began to weep - for he realized the immensity of his crime - and then said: "O you great, mighty emissaries of eternal Mercy! I cannot ever be forgiven; for too horribly great is the number of my abominations!
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"I now see into my heart, which is filled with serpents and all sorts of the most noxious vermin, and am surrounded by incalculable crowds wringing their hands in despair, cursing me and crying with bleeding mouths to God for eternal revenge on me.
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"Yes, I am immensely hungry and thirsty, - but now I can no longer take anything; for this my sight is too hideous before you and infinitely more before Him, "Whose mighty messengers you are.
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"So let me die of hunger, for I have destroyed so many through the very hunger.
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"Let me die of hunger, let me perish of thirst and despair of pain; for I do not deserve anything better.
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"I have blasphemed both God and you and have tried to destroy you, if only it had been possible to do so.
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"Oh let me perish in the despair of the pain of my endless remorse; for I do not deserve anything better!"
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After a short pause he called loudly to the invisible crowds: "O you who were made miserable through me! Do call, do call mightily to the eternal Judge for revenge on me until it comes - the most terrible, most horrible revenge!
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"None will be too great for me; for I am worthy of the greatest, yes the endlessly greatest!"
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Here he collapsed crying mightily. Also all those standing around were moved by the great remorse of Lamech and cried with him.
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But Kisehel stepped up to Lamech, touched him and said: "Brother Lamech, now stand up and look here into our midst so that you may realize how God's eternal love takes its revenge on those sinners who in their hearts, as full of remorse as you are, have recognized the magnitude of their sin before God and men, wherefore they humbled themselves below all creatures!"
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And the weeping Lamech rose from the ground, trembling, and like all the others beheld in the midst of the seven messengers a luminous cloud.
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Almost petrified by this sight, he collected himself only after a short while and asked Kisehel, who regarded him with a most friendly mien in brotherly love: "O you mighty messenger of the Almighty! What is this? What shall become of it?"
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And a voice spoke out of the luminous cloud: "Lamech, for a long time you have trampled upon My order; however, since you have humbled yourself remorsefully before Me and your brothers, I have taken all your misdeeds from you and remitted all your sins!
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'Therefore, rise in perfection; and from now on atone through your love for Me and your brothers for the wrong committed during your apostasy!
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"Now eat and drink; for I, your God, Creator and Lord, have blessed the food and drink for you!
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"My messengers will tell you all you have to do in the future, and how!
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"I, Who tell you this, am the One Who spoke to you when you had slain your brothers!"
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Here the cloud disappeared and Lamech's fetters were loosed.
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When his feet were free, he immediately went over to Kisehel and said to him: "Mighty messenger of God, Who has now spoken so mildly from the cloud remitting my greatest sin, forgive also you my offence against you and your brothers and be assured that from now on I will no longer be a king, but merely your least servant; but you be king in the name of the Most Holy!"
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And Kisehel answered him: "Brother Lamech, behold, you are weak! Strengthen yourself with food and drink; only then will we discuss further things and do according to the divine will!"
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And Lamech promptly took food and drink.