The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 58 -
THE STRANGER ASMAHAEL
And behold, after all this Enos, bid by Adam, bent down and raised the black-haired man. Then he asked Adam and Seth for permission to say a few words prior to departing from this spot.
2
There was agreement from all sides for him to say whatever he wished.
3
And Enos bowed, thanked for the permission and began to address the following memorable speech to all:
4
"Fathers and children! Just now a great thought came into my mind where it is now fixed in my agitated soul like a remnant of an intense flash of lightning. I once dreamt - it was at the time I overslept at sunrise, which earned me a small reproach - which we were, as is the case now, at this place. We were looking at the wonderful scene and had much joy at our many children whom we were also inviting to the coming Sabbath-offering. And behold, while we were thus rejoicing an intensely shining figure came into our midst startling all of us with its strong light. But the figure did not leave us for long in this frightened state, but revealed itself before our dazzled eyes.
5
"O fathers and children, this now revealed figure was Abel and he led a similar man to the arch father and spoke very gently:
6
"'Listen father! Except for me Cain has not hurt anyone, only that my body was lost to you. Look, I have forgiven Cain with all my heart and it was all the easier for me since I had never any resentment against him. And when later on he fled from his son Enoch and arrived at the shore of one of the greatest waters of the earth where he languished suffering from heat, hunger, thirst and fear with the very few of his own that were saved, I voluntarily came to him with the permission of the eternal, holy Father, revealed myself to him and saw his tears of great remorse. I felt very deep compassion for him and taught him to weave a watertight basket and then guided him and his own across the waves to a distant, fertile and secure land.
7
"The same I did for several of his descendants from the city of Enoch who were of a better nature.
8
'However, I never dared to lead anyone from Cain's great city of Enoch to you, O father, for I knew only too well your just anger at Cain. But I also knew what the Lord had said to Cain when in bitter remorse he fled across the vast earth, as He reassured Him, saying: 'Whoever slays Cain shall have to face a sevenfold revenge!'
9
"'Now I am bringing you, also at the will of Jehovah, a God-seeking fugitive from the lowland. Therefore, give him what he seeks and receive him with all Your fatherly love, for your blood Haws also in his veins.
10
"'Awaken him with your blessing, and the Lord will awaken your children that they may preach His name effectively to the children in the lowland for a possible salvation of the earth!'
11
"O fathers and children! Now I see the same man among us as I then saw him and just now I saw the shining Abel leave this place and Enoch truly saw this, too, and, therefore, was silent. This is what I had to say, think it over and act at your pleasure! Amen."
12
Enoch promptly confirmed the statement of Enos, saying: "Yes, thus it was and is!"
13
When Adam had heard this, he was amazed and asked eagerly: "Where did Abel stand?"
14
Enos and Enoch then simultaneously pointed to one and the same spot and Adam firmly believed them as they had not been wrong in simultaneously showing the spot where Abel had affirmed his faith and love before Adam.
15
Afterwards he still had each of them secretly describe the appearance of Abel, and as their descriptions conformed also in this point, Adam could not doubt the genuineness of this vision and accepted it immediately.
16
In this way fully convinced, Adam exclaimed joyfully: "O Abel, what you bring me I accept and if it were Cain himself!
17
"So bring him to me, the weak ward of Abel that I may bless and receive him in our midst and show him in me the first man of this earth who was not born but went forth directly from the almighty hand of eternal Love and the mother of all men who went forth from me and, finally, Him of Whose greatness, might, holiness and love all eternities and infinities filled with beings give faithful witness as do all of us who were given an eternal spirit out of and by God Himself!"
18
Thereupon they brought the black-haired to him and Adam touched him and blessed him three times and then asked his name. But he said: "O great, sublime first-created of God, the great King of the earth, you wise father of all the earth's fathers, forgive me, a poor fugitive from the lowland who, by the hand of a being of light, was saved from the deadly hands of Lamech and brought here. Look, I have no name, for I was a working slave, and they have no names, but are like animals called by empty, inarticulate shouts. They are only allowed to understand speech, but not to talk. Whoever might dare to let his tongue utter a sensible sound would have to pay for this with the cruelest death.
19
Therefore, do not be annoyed that I poor slave am unable to give what you demand, for things are most cruel in the lowland and there is no one whose life would not be in danger. Wherever a person may flee, Lamech's persecutors and mercenaries catch up with him and on the spot kill him without mercy in the cruelest manner.
20
"O you great father of the earth's fathers! The atrocities taking place clown there are such that no human tongue would he able to describe them. The cruel killing of the dumb working slaves is probably the least of them, for it can still be given a name. But also nameless atrocities are being committed there, and I would never dare tell you of them so as not to desecrate the heights. Amen."
21
When Adam with his children had heard this account by the nameless, he was mightily shocked and was going to curse the lowland, but the nameless one interrupted the heavy word of anger, saying:
22
"Oh do hold back this disastrous word, you good father of the earth's fathers, for listen. They clown there do not need your curse, as they have curses in abundance. Lamech suffices for the entire earth and if the great King above the stars should wish to thunder his most bitter curse over the earth he would only have to send the earth another Lamech and you, O father of the earth, may be assured that before the sun had risen and set a hundred times, except for Lamech, no living being would burden the earth.
23
Therefore, O father of the earth's fathers, instead of cursing, rather bless the heavily curse-laden depths of horror, for if with a curse you increased the darkness of horror, then woe betide the poor dumb workers down there!
24
"Their abundantly shed blood anyway cries up to the stars for revenge like rushing storms. And if you added also your curse on the land down there, waves of blood might soon surge around the holy mountain peaks.
25
"O father of the earth's fathers, do bless, oh bless where you would be justified to curse! Amen."
26
And behold, when Adam had heard this request he was moved and praised the nameless young man and asked him: "Listen, you poor son from the blood of Cain. Since in the lowland you were not allowed to speak, where did your tongue receive almost Kenan's fluency?
27
"For you speak as if you had all along been an ordained speaker of God among us. Your words are precise and make always good sense. Tell me faithfully, how you have come by this."
28
And the nameless one took heart and answered: "O father of the earth's fathers! What you are asking me, surprised at my loosened tongue, makes my young heart rejoice at being praised by you, as the father of the wisest teacher.
29
"Oh behold and hear The teacher who wisely taught me to speak was the one who faithfully brought me here to you, O father of fathers! You know him and have known him already prior to the ones who are here surrounding you listening and waiting. It was Abel, your radiant son who, inspired by higher love, loosened my stammering tongue so that I might pleasantly utter before you, and all your descendants full of grace and blessing, the strange forms of truth.
30
"O father of the earth's fathers, now you know everything which might initially have sounded strange to you. Oh do allow me, the poor and alien refugee from the lowland, to seek here on the holy heights in your midst that mighty Ruler full of justice and kindness to Whom all the stars, the moon and the sun so wondrously bear witness.
31
"O father of the earth's fathers, do speak a loving Amen!"
32
Hearing this, Adam was so moved that he could not utter a single word and his eyes were swimming with tears of joy and compassion.
33
Finally, Adam pulled himself together and said deeply moved to the nameless one: "Listen, you dear stranger from the lowland of horror. Since things are as you have told me of which I am now convinced and because God has shown you immense grace, it is only right for us, His children, to do what our great, holy Father in His boundless mercy has done to you. Therefore, let happen for what your heart is thirsting.
34
"Behold here on my right the also very young Enoch, who is now God's blessed speaker. He shall become your future teacher in God, our most loving Father and Lord of Infinity.
35
"And since you have no name, I will give you the name 'Asmahael', that is, 'a faithful stranger seeking God'! For here everything must have its name and every action a word; and every condition and its indwelling characteristic must be well defined, and the how, when, where, why and whereby something is or happens must be exactly defined. Least of all can a man walk around without a name.
36
"However, every name must fully correspond to the one who received it, and he who has received a name shall faithfully live according to it. Otherwise he is a liar, as he does not act in accordance with his name. And since you now have a name, recognize it first and then act faithfully according to it, - or you will become a liar in the face of God and all His children and be confounded before every particle of dust which always corresponds to its name.
37
"And now I bless you once more and tell you: Asmahael! I, Adam, the first man who on this earth has come forth from the hand of God, the eternal, holy, most loving Father, am blessing you like my children and you shall be a faithful bearer of your name!
38
"And so I give you my hand and lift you up to the state of my children.
39
"Now, my children, follow my example and become his fathers and you, dear Enoch, become his brother and teacher.
40
"You, Jared, shall be in charge of him instead of Enoch who has now become a dweller in my hut
41
"May the Lord open your heart and all the senses of your soul towards the eternal life of your spirit in God! Amen."
42
Thereupon Asmahael fell down at the feet of Adam, kissed them and thanked aloud for the immense grace that had been bestowed upon him in the height among My children, for he promptly felt within him the effect of the blessing, and he began to shout with joy, saying:
43
"Asmahael, what a glorious name which I am still unworthy of carrying! But I am of the opinion that a name initially given places the faithful recipient legally under obligation to obey this holy judge (a great, living commandment) as far as cognition would open the path for him. And if someone, as the bearer of a binding name, had to follow the distant paths of the sun and the stars he would have to do it joyfully and faithfully because of the great grace bestowed upon him, also if the gracious claim of the holy name was set even higher O father and fathers of the earth's fathers, listen, it is truly not difficult to follow the road to eternal life for one who has often been in the throes of death. And if one had, constantly fighting, to miserably force one's way through the darkest slime of the horrors of sin towards a scanty light and an even poorer life, which was often already nipped in the bud by the darkest doubts, O hear, how easy it then is to follow actively the shining road to life.
44
"O glorious name 'Asmahael', you fairest star, guiding me upwards to the eternal, holy heights of light and life. O listen, the stranger is not going to carry such a holy gift of grace in vain. Amen, amen, amen, to this I say amen!"