The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 47 -
THE HUMILIATION AND EMBARRASSMENT OF THE BOLD INQUIRING MESSENGERS
After these words the sun had already completely set behind the mountains and thus the Sabbath had passed. Since all the tribes knew from the morning's proclamation that this time, as also in all future, no longer any sacrifices by burning would be made in the evening and, therefore, did not know what to do now, whether to stay or return home, they sent from all directions messengers to inquire on the height what should be done now.
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When the said messengers had arrived on the height intending to approach Adam, who was still lying at Abedam's bosom, Abedam promptly asked them:
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"Children, what is the meaning of your intention? Why did you come here?"
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But the messengers did not know Abedam as yet. The great signs could not awaken them because in the very course of their own preparation they had already seen Enoch, Jared, Kenan, Enos and Seth perform similar miracles. Consequently, their answer was rather impudent and pointed and as follows:
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"Why do you ask us? You are neither Adam, nor Seth or Enos, nor one of the sacred lines of patriarchs, nor have we asked you first, since it is up to us messengers to do the asking!
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"Where were you born and where brought up that you are completely ignorant of the fact that it is wrong and utterly out of place in the sure presence of the exalted patriarch to anticipate him with a very rash tongue?
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"How dare you call us 'children', - for judging by your looks we could easily be your great-grandfathers?
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"Besides, what a silly question: What is the meaning of our intention, and why did we come here? - Should not the meaning of our intention be exactly the same as why we have come here? - Look, how silly!
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"But now it is already a fact with most young people that they are terribly forward and unaware that they say one silly thing after another; so you, too, be more sensible in the future and guard your tongue! - Keep this in mind for the future!"
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After these words they walked on in their search for Adam but did not find him.
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At the same time all who were on the height were in their heart instructed by Abedam not to reveal Him, yet to point out Adam's whereabouts to those searching for him.
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Soon they came to Seth asking him about the whereabouts of the chief patriarch. And Seth promptly pointed his finger at Adam.
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Hereupon they were greatly amazed at how they could have passed by without recognizing the really quite recognizable Adam.
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Thereupon Seth told them quite curtly: "Truly, children, one has to be horribly blind to overlook this, and horribly deaf to ignore this day's great, holy, all-awakening sound! So go there, and you will surely find there the arch patriarch of all patriarchs. Amen."
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This answer frightened the twelve messengers out of their wits, so much so that they stood there like petrified, not knowing what to make of all this.
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"Then Seth released another little thunder and said to them: "What are you still standing around for, you Sabbath good-for-nothings? Did I not show you where Adam is?
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"So do not wait here until maybe the ground will transport you automatically, and at least get out of my sight."
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When the messengers were thus prompted they rushed away like people on fire, not knowing where to fly now; for they had been seized by a great fear and an immense awe, so that they lost all courage to approach also the strict Adam, since the gentle father Seth had already received them so roughly.
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Neither did they dare to go back without the required information.
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What is now to be done? - But one of them said: "Well, what good is it for us to tarry here for no reason whatever hardly a hundred paces' distance from the fathers?
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"Either let us go completely out of the fathers' sight or let one of us go to where the man with the long, blond hair first addressed us and ask him, who anyway first wanted to know about our intention, what should be done and then inform us about it.
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"It would anyway be a good thing to make the closer acquaintance of this somewhat forward man; for there must surely be something special behind him since Adam, who is usually not easily approachable, is so taken with him as to hold him in his embrace!
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"Which of us then will take on this unpleasant task?"
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One of the group, agreeing with the former spokesman, said to those around: "Yes, truly an unpleasant task! I do not know what I would rather do than this!
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Truly, you can work me over with your fists until I shall be blue all over like the center of the firmament soon after sunset, - and I will like it better than having to go once more to the exalted fathers.
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"Brothers, it is strange how I am now feeling; truly, I am feeling exactly as if a most silly punishment for some foolish boyish prank had been meted out to me.
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"And in this frame of mind I am supposed to approach the fathers, who are always on a Sabbath dreadfully exalted.
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"No, this should be the last thought of my whole life, even if I had to live a whole eternity on the earth with the prospect of having nothing else to eat there but sour apples.
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"Hence I for one shall wait until it becomes darker and then, quietly shaking this troublesome dust off my feet, leave my homeland unobserved.
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"This is my very expedient plan; yet I will not influence anyone else, but let each one of you do as he thinks fit. For the time being, however, I will stick to my announced plan, - yes, indeed, I stick to it firmly!"
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Then a third man, also addressing the speaker, said: "Truly, friend and brother, your idea appeals to me, so that I should like to do the same thing; but one thought is holding me back, and this is the fathers, brothers and children who sent us here and are now in vain waiting for an answer.
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"Since it is unlikely that one of us will dare approach Adam in this respect, I think it will still be better to stick to the truth and to straightaway return to our loved ones, telling them without more ado how we have fared here. Since they are all familiar with the exceedingly strange exalted Sabbath-behavior of the patriarchs, I am sure that no one will take exception to our returning without having achieved our purpose.
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"But, just as you, brother, also I will thereby dictate to no one, but leave it to everyone to form his own better opinion."
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Hereupon also a fourth man began to speak, saying as if to himself: "The ideas are not bad; however, the first seems to me to be the better one, although it is the most unpleasant.
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"What on earth could happen to one if in all humility one went once more to Adam? Surely he will not take his life because of it!
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"If we have learnt something from him, well and good, - and if we have achieved nothing, we are at least completely without guilt in the sight of those who sent us here. For even a child of the age of seven must realize that one cannot wheedle a desired answer out of Adam, in a similar way as one peels a small piece of bark off a tree.
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"If he answers to a question, it is well and good; and if he does not answer, well, then the great Mother Earth will not get a crack from east to west!
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"In that case one bows most respectfully and continues on one's way.
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"Finally, as far as the unknown young man is concerned whom Adam was holding in an embrace, he does not seem to be exactly a tiger although he has a great likeness to the stranger whom, strange to say, I saw yesterday ride on a tiger.
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"In short, it will not cost me my life! That I shall be thundered at a little can be anticipated; and besides, - what worse consequences should - or could - arise for me?
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"Who has not known Adam all his life? He is a man who is always full of thundering earnest; and almost everyone of us knows what happens particularly on a Sabbath, when one comes to him with a request at an inopportune time.
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"Therefore - do you know what? - Brothers and sisters, I am completely ready to go up there and try our luck! Whoever wants to side with me, will certainly not be prevented by me from doing so!
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"However, I believe that two or three will be better able to withstand an attack such as the one by Seth, than will one on his own; and so let us try our luck once more! Who knows what good may still come of it all?
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"It has been an old saying with us that all good has its bad and all bad its good, just as the day would not be a day without the night and the night would not be night without the day.
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"Therefore, do not let us waver too long; and whoever has courage, let him set out with me!"
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Now almost all of them began to scratch themselves mightily behind their ears, and one after the other remarked: "You are surely quite right; but - if - let us suppose! - we, yes we all, in spite of all you have just said, should hear the old Adam utter a curse over us - and we know that Adam's voice is as good as the voice of Jehovah Himself! -, how then? What then?"
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And after a while the former speaker said in a very indecisive tone: "Yes, - yes, - that I have quite forgotten.
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"Yes, now the matter looks completely different. Truly, if this is not a difficult case, there will never be one!
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"But look, look, there are two men coming down the hill - and, it seems to me, straight in our direction.
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"Let us see whether we cannot do a little business with them. Just let me step forward in case you are afraid."