The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 202 -
THE MEAL IN THE DINING-HALL. THUBALKAIN CHOOSES A BRIDE AND IS MARRIED (1st December 1842)
And they all proceeded to the dining-hall. There they found everything festively adorned. Nine round tables, nicely decorated with wickerwork, were laden with graceful, well-filled food baskets.
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In the center of the nine round tables were set up two tables of a somewhat oblong shape; on these were laid out the well-prepared meat dishes in the usual, graceful manner.
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And the guests sat down at the tables, thanked and praised God and ate and drank cheerfully. When they had partaken of sufficient fruits, Kisehel stood up and, turning to Thubalkain, said:
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"Now, brother Thubalkain, it is your turn to choose from these fine, nicely adorned maids and women a bride and spouse to your satisfaction, provided you have not changed your mind.
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"For behold, the wedding feast is ready: a lamb for your father Lamech, and a calf for yourself and your bride."
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This speech pleased Thubalkain and he said: "Only now do I fully realize that the temptation was a completely empty deception; for Naeme, the true Naeme, surely lives a better life than one which would be in complete opposition to God, of Whom she had even here thought so much secretly.
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"Yes, - if she were in such opposition to God, her foot would certainly never have reached the height, the abode of God's children, and Hored would never have touched her! But all this did happen; how could our erstwhile phantom then possibly be the pious Naeme?
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"Thus I am now completely serene and joyful and will follow your advice without further qualms.
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"For now I realize that you are no traitors towards us, but true friends and mighty emissaries of God. I will for your sake glorify and praise God always because He is so gracious and merciful; thus your will out of God be done for my benefit."
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Here Thubalkain stood up and went over to the maids; looking at them, he found one, whom he well liked, chose her and led her before Kisehel. However, as they were approaching Kisehel, the chosen one suddenly stopped, unwilling to proceed.
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And Thubalkain asked her: "Having let yourself be chosen by me, why do you now refuse to go with me to the emissary of the almighty God so that he may bless us?"
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And the chosen one replied in a gruff voice: "Of what benefit should his blessing be to us? Have not many thousands of women at all times conceived and given birth without such a blessing? Why should we of all people be an exception?
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"If you want to be blessed to be a perpetual slave of Jehovah, do it alone; as for me, I shall remain free and show you that I can also bear children without such a silly blessing."
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Here Thubalkain was amazed at such impudence, left the chosen one and preceded alone to Kisehel. The latter, well knowing what Thubalkain would say to him, at once addressed him as follows:
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"Brother Thubalkain, behold, you made a bad choice - this I know perfectly well -; but I tell you: Choose with God, and you will not again come upon such a one who has long since been beyond the number of the righteous.
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"Look, with this your chosen one it is the same matter as with the erstwhile phantom-Naeme! So go, spit into her face and immediately choose!" And Thubalkain promptly did this.
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Thereupon the evil one disappeared, and a newly chosen one promptly followed Thubalkain to Kisehel, glorifying and praising God.
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Kisehel blessed them in the name of Jehovah, and Thubalkain was of a glad heart, glorified and praised God with his beautiful wife and, finally, invited them all to his wedding feast.
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And they all proceeded to the two bridal tables, blessed the same and ate and drank with the newly wed.
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Thus Thubalkain received the stipulated reward with a good blessing.