No Other Gods (3)

The parting

Naturally, a great deal of talking was done throughout the village about the departure of Anna Brongers. Everyone had his or her own thoughts about it. Also, the aged Rev. Lensveld visited her and asked if she were not going in her own chosen way. He seriously pointed out to her the prayer of Moses which was, “Lord, if Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.”

The impression affected her for a moment, but the cares and pleasures of this life choked the seed. With laughter she cast off all seriousness. The last Sunday before their departure came, Anna was also in church. She cast a glance toward her foster parents and saw their heads bowed with grief.

Rev. Lensveld preached from the catechism about the first commandment. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” He preached so seriously and put forth the question, “What is idolatry?” It is to have something else upon which man sets his expectation instead of the only true God who reveals Himself in His Word. To Anna it was as if the minister referred just to her, but surely, she was not an idolatress, was she? Yet, as the minister explained it, she was full of idolatry because she placed her expectation upon herself and man. That just this night he had to preach about this! Listen! “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.” Did Anna know this God? No, she felt this as she never felt it before. It was getting warm in the church; would the minister never say Amen?

Again and again, it resounds with power, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!” This was a personal message, either to advantage or disadvantage, well or woe, life or death. The people now leave the church, also Anna. Upon coming outside all impressions were swept away as with the wind. She must shake hands with many people as they part, and then she goes for the last night to the home of her foster parents.

The ship will leave from Rotterdam as early as four o’clock in the morning. Many will accompany Anna and Farmer Van Aalten to the ship because more families are making this voyage. They are going to prove how successful they will be—so they reason—in the new world. There stands a man on the wharf; he peers at the deck of the large ship. He is Mr. Brinkman who had made the journey to Rotterdam to bid the last farewell to Anna. There she goes in her own chosen way. In secret silence Mr. Brinkman sighs to the Lord: “Surely, Lord, she cannot run away from Thee! O Lord, follow her, protect her, and break her heart; cause her to be humbled before Thy countenance.” He felt he would never see her again.

Anna was filled with different thoughts. She was so glad she had definitely made up her mind to go; now she was going to a better future. Wasn’t she convinced of this? Yet, one more last parting wave to Mr. Brinkman and her sister, and then…then the ship sails through the New Waterway, toward the ocean and the new country. However, while there, Anna would learn what it means, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord.”

In the strange country

No, it was not as Farmer Van Aalten had expected. The disappointments joined themselves together as a chain. They were separated by many miles from everything, and as a natural consequence nothing came of going to church. Sundays were spent in the things pertaining to the world as Farmer Van Aalten wouldn’t even think of reading a sermon with his family. However, Farmer Van Aalten did not lose courage so easily; he would find a way out of his difficulty.

Then something happened which was not expected. Anna was going to leave them and marry a wealthy man.

Now she no longer needed to work so hard, and the vain thoughts which Anna Brongers cherished of herself as Mrs. Olthof rose to a great height. She thought of nothing except of her husband and money. Holland was forgotten; her foster parents were banished from her thoughts, and what was worse than all else…she had forgotten God! Even the message of Mr. Brinkman’s death made no impression upon her.

Man is wretched indeed when God leaves him to go forward in his own chosen way. There was no humble thankfulness in her heart with the birth of her daughter Elsie, only rising pride with what she now possessed. Putting her confidence in her own strength, in their money and goods, her life would go forward. What harm can befall them? She seldom if ever thought of the words of the last Sunday in Holland, “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Alas, there was no room for these words.

However, the Lord is God and He shall accomplish that which He pleases. In the end the fuming horse must fall. The Lord says in His Word, “I will visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes.” Misfortune, as Mrs. Olthof called it, (although there is no such thing) came into her home. Death soon came and cut off the life of her husband. There she was with her child and her money in a strange land…without God! Without a Refuge! Yet, no matter how great the loss was, she clung so much the more to her child and her money.

Her cares increased, and she finally decided to convert her possessions into money and go back to Holland. There, secluded by herself in a small village, she would live her life. Who could keep her, the wealthy Mrs. Olthof, from doing this? She had money, and this gave her respect. She could do as she pleased. She had no need for God; she didn’t even think of Him.

By calculating very closely she would be in Holland again exactly at Christmas. A letter had informed her sister of this, and she wrote, saying, “…then we can celebrate Christmas together in Holland.” Yes, without God! So a poor person presumes with his so-called religion. In this way the journey was planned…the months became weeks, and finally the day of departure came.

(To be continued)

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