•uihrM'niiiKiitin! ■tl'U' »1 f|«l ' mu louT f&m- Education Second ,¥;6ar ■By E;OTEi. The We; Junior frcwks inter partffiiteat J - BV 1583 . T7 9 1923 Trout, Ethel Wendell, 1878- 1935 . Stories of the beginnings - — - - i - ] - 7 - i — ■ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https://archive.org/details/storiesofbeginniOOtrou_O Stories of the Be Junior Department, Second Year By ETHEL WENDELL ^ROUT The Westminster Textbooks of Religious Education For Church Schools Having Sunday, Week Day, and Expressional Sessions Edited by JOHN T. FARIS, D.D. Philadelphia The Westminster Press 1925 Copyright, 1923, by F. M. BRASELMAN Preface The Westminster Textbooks of Religious Education are planned to meet the needs of churches seeking to unify their educational program. The informational, devotional, and expressional phases of religious education have been, hereto¬ fore, to a large extent, independent of one another. This lack of correlation has been detrimental to educational effi¬ ciency. Time and effort have been lost through duplication. Valuable information has failed to register itself in conduct because of the lack of suitable opportunities for expression. Many of our churches have been feeling their way toward better educational standards. It is in response to the re¬ quests and needs of these churches that the series of lessons has been undertaken. These textbooks are planned for church schools having a Week Day Session, a Sunday Session, and an Expressional Session meeting either on Sunday or on a week day. An absolute differentiation of the three phases of the educative process is neither possible nor desirable. The lessons are so arranged, however, that the Week Day Session is mainly informational, the Sunday Session more largely devotional, and the third session of the week largely expressional. Since the course is a unity, it is not necessarily confined to the plan suggested. It would be equally suited to a week¬ day church-school system having three sessions a week and unrelated to the Sunday-school program of the community. The course could be adjusted to any local condition, pro¬ vided the sequence of the lessons were maintained. Forty-two lessons of three sections each are provided for each grade, or year. It is thought that this will furnish ma¬ terial for a church-school program with three sessions per week throughout the public-school year. It is also believed that many schools will find the material sufficient for the use of the Sunday Session during that part of the year when Week Day Sessions are discontinued. Much of this sum- 111 IV PREFACE mer season might be spent in a rapid review of the work covered during the other part of the year. No exact adjust¬ ment to any particular circumstances is attempted because of the fact that church schools differ widely in the matter of their summer sessions. Some are practically closed all summer ; some continue on as extensive a basis as during other parts of the year. The whole matter of adjustment is best left to the local church-school administration. If a church school practically closes at the beginning of summer, it would be well for the authorities of that school to plan for a completion of each year’s course at that time. If the school runs on through the summer with undiminished at¬ tendance, more time may be taken for the lessons, a part of each book being left for completion in the summer ses¬ sions. Where this is done, the section intended for the week-day lesson may be taken on one Sunday of the summer period, the Sunday lesson related to this week-day lesson for next Sunday, and the expressional lesson on a third Sunday. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Preface . hi Suggestions to the Teacher . vii God Caring for His PeoplF in the Beginning of the World Chapter I. “ In the Beginning ■” . 3 The Creation of Life . 7 Thanking God for His Good¬ ness . 11 Chapter II. The Garden of Eden . 14 Adam and Eve in the Garden. 17 How God Wants Us to Live. 20 Chapter III. The Story of the Temptation. 23 Hiding from God . 28 Pleasing and Displeasing God. 32 Chapter IV. Cain and Abel . 34 The Sin at the Door . 36 Our Responsibility for Others. 39 Chapter V. The Family of Adam and Eve. 42 The Building of the Ark. ... 46 Doing Right in Spite of Ridi¬ cule . 51 Chapter VI. The Story of the Flood . 54 The Rainbow Covenant . 57 Following a Good Example. . 59 Stories of Three Patriarchs Chapter VII. The Early History of Abra¬ ham . 65 The Call of Abraham . 68 Plow God Kept the Promise. 72 v VI TABLE OF CONTENTS pagh Chapter VIII. The Land of Promise . 75 Giving Lot First Choice . 79 Settling a Ouarrel . 83 Chapter IX. The Battle of Four Kings Against Five . 86 Abraham’s Rescue of Lot. . . . 89 Being Fair to Others . 95 Chapter X. Hospitality in Bible Lands. . . 98 Abraham Entertaining Angels Flow Juniors Can Be Hos- 101 pitable . 106 Chapter XI. The Doom of Sodom and Gomorrah . 109 The Birth of Isaac . Praying for Ourselves and 113 for Others . 115 Chapter XII. Abraham Willing to Offer Isaac . 118 God’s Promise to Abraham . . 121 God’s Promises to Us . 123 Chapter XIII. Rebekah at the Well . 126 The Storv of Rebekah . 131 How Juniors May Be Kind. . 133 Chapter XIV. The Story of Jacob and Esau. 136 Jacob Receives the Birthright. 140 Our Birthrights . 143 Chapter XV. The First Result of Jacob’s Sin . Jacob’s Vision of a Ladder to 149 Heaven . 152 Our Way to Heaven . 156 Chapter XVI. Jacob in Haran . The Meeting of Jacob and 159 Esau . How Juniors May Settle 162 Quarrels . 165 TABLE OF CONTENTS vii Stories of Joseph PAGE Chapter XVII. The Land of the Pharaohs. . . 171 Joseph Sold Into Egypt . 174 Doing a Hard Task . 178 Chapter XVIII. The Journey to Egypt . 181 Joseph and the Butler and the Baker . 184 Faithfulness in Everyday Thing's . 187 Chapter XIX. From Prison to Palace . 189 Joseph the Ruler of Egypt. . . 192 Making Ready for Opportu- nitv . 197 Chapter XX. Joseph's Brothers Visit Egypt 199 Joseph Forgives His Brothers 203 Returning Good for Evil . 207 Chapter XXI. The Family of Israel Moves Into Egypt . 210 The Children of Israel in * Egypt . 213 Ways in Which Juniors Mav Imitate Joseph . 216 Chapter XXII. The Children of Israel in Egypt . 219 The Early Life of Moses. . . . 222 Some Bible Juniors Whom God Used as His Helpers. . 226 Chapter XXIII. Moses Fleeing from Egypt. . . 229 The Burning Bush at Horeb. . 231 God Calling Juniors To-Day. • 234 Chapter XXIV. Moses Obevs God’s Call to Service . 238 Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh . 240 Courage to Do God’s Will.. . . 244 Chapter XXV. The Final Punishment of the Egyptians . . . 247 The Passover . 250 Our Passover . 252 vin TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Chapter XXVI. Starting for the Promised Land . 255 The Crossing of the Red Sea. 260 God Guiding Our Nation. . . . 263 Chapter XXVII. The Wilderness of Sinai . 267 Manna in the Wilderness. . . . 271 God’s Gifts of Food to Our Nation . 274 Chapter XXVIII. How God Provided Water for the Israelites in the Wilder¬ ness . 277 The Giving of the Law . 280 The Two Great Command¬ ments . 283 Stories of Moses and His Times Chapter XXIX. The Tabernacle in the Wilder¬ ness . 289 The Furnishings of the Taber¬ nacle . 292 Gift’s for God’s Use . 296 Chapter XXX. The Report of the Spies . 299 The Punishment of the Israel¬ ites . 302 Trusting in God’s Promises. . 305 Chapter XXXI. Troubles in the Wilderness... 308 How God Honored Moses. . . 310 Learning the Lesson of Trust. 313 Stories oe the Conquest of Canaan Chapter XXXII. The Places of the Lesson. ... 319 Joshua Appointed Leader of Israel . 322 Strong in the Lord . 325 Chapter XXXIII. Rahab and the Spies . . . 329 The Israelites Crossing the Jordan . 332 How Our Nation Shows Its Trust in God . 335 TABLE. OF CONTENTS ix page: Chapter XXXIV. In the Promised Land . 339 The Siege of Jericho . 342 God Given Victory . 347 Chapter XXXV. Defeat and Victory at Ai. . . . 350 The Punishment of the Gib- eonites . 355 The Foolishness of Deceit.. . . 357 Chapter XXXVI. Joshua’s Battle Against Five Kings . 360 Joshua’s Last Address . 364 Choosing to Serve the Lord. . 368 Stories oe the Judges Chapter XXXVII. When There Was No King in Israel . 373 Deborah and Barak Defeat Sisera . 376 Leadership for the Right. . . . 380 Chapter XXXVIII. The Call of Gideon . 383 Gideon’s Answer to the Call. . 387 Taking Responsibility . 388 Chapter XXXIX. Gideon’s Victory . 393 The Bramble Bush King . 396 The Qualities of a True Leader . 400 Chapter XL. A Strong Man with a Weak Will . 403 A Leader Who Failed . 406 A Second Chance . 409 Chapter XLI. The Story of Ruth’s Choice. . 413 The Results of Ruth’s Choice. 417 Showing Respect to Our Elders . 420 Chapter XLII. The Vow of Hannah . 422 The Boy Samuel . 425 Following Samuel’s Example. 429 % SUGGESTIONS TO THE TEACHER In preparing to teach the lessons in this book, the teacher should, in the first place, read the selections from the Bible given at the beginning of each lesson. You should then read through the lesson, noting points which will be of interest to your particular class, and hunting up all information pos¬ sible in your available reference books. Naturally the limits of space make it impossible to give everything that is given in larger books, which perhaps devote an entire volume to a subject here treated in only a few words. With each lesson you should try to find a point of con¬ tact for your own class. The lessons are prepared with the thought of children nine, ten, and eleven years old, in mind, but if your class consists of nine-year-olds, or eleven-year- olds only, you will of course need slightly different treat¬ ment. Stories are suggested which the teacher may find of use in teaching the lesson. Oftentimes a modern missionary story will bring the lesson home to the class. The Week Day Session of the school is to be largely de¬ voted to informational material. The Junior is at an age when his memory is keenly alert, and facts mastered now will become lifelong possessions. So, during this period, the geography and history of the Holy Land are given in brief form. Handwork, too, is useful for this session. Map¬ drawing is suggested ; a map of plasticine may be completed during the sessions. A large blackboard map of Palestine may be started, and filled in as the lessons progress. It will be well to have, also, a large wall map of Palestine to use in connection with the lessons. As the Week Day Session of the school is intended to appeal to the intellect, the Sunday Session is intended to ap¬ peal to the heart. The week-day lesson is a background of fact, on which the Sunday lesson is to be built. The Ex- pressional Session is intended to give the pupils themselves an opportunity to put into words what they have gotten out XI SUGGESTIONS TO THE TEACHER • • xn of the other two sessions of the school. In the Junior De¬ partment this session must, of course, be under the guidance of an older person, but the pupils should be encouraged to express themselves and what they feel, in their own words. Various topics are given which may be assigned beforehand to the pupils — perhaps at the previous Week Day Session — ■ so that the children may have an opportunity to think about them and to say a few words on the subject, or, in excep¬ tional cases or with older pupils, to write a report or “ com¬ position,” as they do in day school. Verses are also sug¬ gested in connection with this session which may be assigned in advance to individual pupils, who may either learn them, or copy them and read them when called upon. This method may be found available for use in classes of younger pupils. Hymns correlating with the lesson and various questions are also given which the teacher will use as seems wise in the individual class. Notebook Work is suggested, and can be carried out at any of three meetings of the class. In connection with the Notebook Work you will find useful the small Biblical pic¬ tures which you can obtain from the Wilde Picture Com¬ pany, or the depositories of the Board of Christian Educa¬ tion of the Presbyterian Church, at one cent apiece. Reference Books Which Wile Prove Useful Kent — “ Biblical Geography and History.” Davis — “ A Dictionary of the Bible.” Grant — “ The Orient in Bible Times.” Schofield — “ Where He Dwelt.” SPECIAL SUGGESTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH EACH CHAPTER Chapter I Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the knowledge of what God created on the first four days. There are very many accounts of the Creation given in the various stories of the early races of mankind. Part of the Babylonian story is given in the pupil’s book, page 10. The Chinese story is as follows : Pwan-ku, the first-born of creation, found himself upon a rock with a tortoise and a phoenix, a dragon-like creature with a hu¬ man face and the claws of a bird. There were rocks floating in the space round about, and Pwan-ku split these into pieces. He worked for eighteen thousand years, and made the earth, the heavens, the stars, and the moon. “ Each day he increased six feet in stature, and when he died his head became mountains, his breath, wind and clouds, and his voice, thunder ; his limbs were changed into the four poles, his veins, into rivers, his sinews, into the undulations of the earth’s surface, and his flesh, into fields ; his beard was turned into stars, his skin and his hair, into herbs and trees, and his teeth, bones, and mar¬ row, into metals, rocks, and precious stones ; his drop¬ ping sweat increased to rain.” You can see at once how childish this story is in com¬ parison with the Bible story, or even with the Babylonian story. Have the pupils do the Notebook Work assigned. You may wish to have a large drawing put upon the b lack- board for them to copy. In doing this, use chalk of dif¬ ferent colors — green or blue to indicate the sea, blue for the sky, yellow for the sun, moon, and stars, brown for the land, green for the vegetation, and so on. Leave the Xlll XIV TO THE TEACHER drawings on the board, so that later you may add the circles representing the fifth and sixth days. During this series of lessons much of the Memory Work consists of famous hymns of the Church. If pos¬ sible, give to your pupils facts about the history of these hymns which will add to their interest. In preparation for the Sunday Session, take your pupils to visit an academy of natural sciences, or museum, if there is such a place in the^ vicinity in which you live. Show them the skeletons of the huge animals which ex¬ isted in the early days of the earth, such as the mastodon and the pterodactyl. At least prepare to show them pic¬ tures of these or other creatures. Books Which Tell of the First Days of the World's History Barton, “ Archaeology and the Bible.” Clay, “ Light on the Old Testament from Babel.” Some Pictures to Use with the Lesson Michelangelo, Creation of the World. Michelangelo, Creation of Light, of Sun and Moon. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the pupils how grateful we should lie that God created man in his own image, and made us like himself. Begin the lesson by rapidly reviewing the work of God on the first four days of Creation. Then ask what God created on the fifth day. Make as vivid as possible the account of the creation of the creatures of the sea — first the smaller fish, and then, later, the great monsters of the deep. Read Job 12:7-10. Ask the pupils to find the names of some of the fish in the Bible, as the “ leviathan,” Job 3:8; Psalm 104:26 (explain that the leviathan was jone of the monsters of the sea) ; Jonah’s fish, which is called in Matthew 12:40 a “whale”; usually, however, the term used is simply “ fish.” Then tell of the birds that were created. Have some references to some of these found, and write the names on the board : Eagle, Deuteronomy 32 :11 ; Proverbs 23 :5 ; eagle and raven, Proverbs 30:17; I Kings 17:6; quails, TO THE TEACHER xv Exodus 16:13; Numbers 11:31, 32; stork, turtledove, swallow, and crane, Jeremiah 8:7. At last the sixth day came. There were birds and fish now, but no animals. These were created first on the sixth day. Have references to some Bible animals found, and show pictures if these are available. Perhaps you have a “ Child's Book of Knowledge," for instance, which gives interesting plates of early animals. Finally ask what was God’s last creation. What did he make last? Bring out the fact that man was made last, created in God’s own image, and so the master of all things and all living creatures. Make the children realize how thank¬ ful they should be to God for creating us in his own like¬ ness, and giving to us the beautiful world with all its wonderful gifts, as our dwelling place. Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim: To lead the pupils to express their thankfulness to God. In the Expressional Sessions provided for this course it is hoped that the pupils will express in their own words the feelings aroused by the two preceding sessions of the class. Certain suggestions for prayers and readings are given, questions to be answered, and topics for dis¬ cussion are provided. Some of these are planned with the thought of the younger pupils in mind ; others are planned for older pupils. It may be wise to ask for vol¬ unteers to answer the questions and take up the topics, during the preceding session. Let the pupils themselves take charge of the meeting, though you will find that you have to guide them in many ways. One of the pupils should be the leader in the meeting. The only way in which leadership qualities can be properly developed is by experience, and leadership is needed in all sorts of work. Certain hymns are suggested with each lesson, but by all means let the pupils themselves suggest others. Short sentence prayers instead of the Class Prayer may be asked for : in this lesson, for instance, expression for thankfulness for God's good gifts. Lead to the thought that we can best express our thanksgiving by trying to live in God's likeness, and showing that we are created in his image. XVI TO THE TEACHER Chapter II Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the pupils the account of the Garden of Eden given in Genesis 2 :4-17. The second account of the Creation, given in Genesis, chapter 2, should be passed over rapidly, reviewing the story given in Genesis, chapter 1. Then emphasize the account of Adam's activities. Show that his life was not all play. Though he had a beautiful world in which to live, there was hard work and study for him to do. He had to “ dress ” the trees of the Garden. The animals were brought to him to name. Teach the geography of the region surrounding the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, and show that men who have studied the history of the human race outside the Bible think, also, that the first home of mankind was in this part of the world, so that science and the Bible agree here as they always do when science carries its examina¬ tions far enough. Have the pupils put on the board or make on the sand table imaginary plans of the Garden. The small Jap¬ anese gardens which can sometimes be obtained at the ten-cent stores will be found adaptable to this purpose. A book which may be read in connection with this les¬ son is Kermit Roosevelt’s “ War in the Garden of Eden,” and a picture that will be worthy of study is Michel¬ angelo’s Creation of Adam. With younger pupils perhaps you can play a game of naming the animals. Eet one child be Adam, let the lest choose what creatures they will be, and try to act the part of the bird or the animal selected. “ Adam,” aided by the birds and animals as they are guessed, may guess which creature is represented. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To sIioav the pupils that life in the Garden of Eden was a model life for them, which they should try to imitate. Begin the lesson by reviewing the account of Adam, the only human being in the Garden. Then tell of the creation of Eve, reading the account in the Bible words. Ask the pupils to tell you how they thought Adam and TO THE TEACHER XVII Eve passed their days. Show that they were busy from morning to night, but care free. Emphasize their com¬ munion with God. Though the Bible does not tell us that God talked with them in the “ cool ” of every day, it is judged so from Genesis 3 :8, and the point that Adam and Eve talked with him, hearing and obeying his direc¬ tion, is to be brought out. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to live as God wants them to live, trusting him absolutely for all good gifts, and knowing that what he does is best. It would be well to make this a service of song and praise and prayer. Choose songs of thanksgiving, and then ask the pupils to speak to God in a sentence prayer. One of the ends sought in the Expressional Session is to help the pupils to develop a power of expression, and they should frequently be asked for sentence prayers, and to select songs for themselves, in addition to those sug¬ gested to them. Make this session as truly expressional as your pupils can manage. Chapter III Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the story of the temptation of Adam and Eve. Tell this story as far as possible in Bible words. If the pupils speak of the serpent’s talking and of God’s command that he creep henceforth as punishment, tell them that old Hebrew legends say that before this time all the beasts talked, and that the serpent walked upright. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When the ser¬ pent came to Eve with a lie, and persuaded her to eat, disobedience entered the world and punishment followed. Do not give to the children an impression that God was unkind, but show that he was just, and that punishment by the laws which God has made, must follow sinW Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show the justice of man’s punishment for sin. The people whom God had made had disobeyed. Con¬ sequently they were afraid when they knew of God’s xviii TO THE TEACHER approach. Show that this is the natural result of sin, and that conscience makes cowards of us all. Have one of the pupils read the story that goes with this session’s work. Ask the pupils if they themselves remember a time when they were sorry to see mother or father come home, because they had been disobedient. Perhaps you can lead them to talk about the way they have felt. Pictures to use with this story may be found among the Dore pictures or in the collection of Mastroianni pictures. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to be obedient to God and to those whom he has given to them as instructors and guides. Ask the pupils to tell you the story of Adam and Eve, having a brisk review. Then take up the topic, “ The Example of Perfect Obedience. ” Let the pupils them¬ selves show differences between Adam and Eve, and Jesus. Show that their disobedience brought sin into the world, and that his obedience brought to man salva¬ tion from sin. Let the main thought of the hour be posi¬ tive obedience and pleasing God, rather than dis¬ obedience. Chapter IV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the story of Cain and Abel — the account of the first death that came into the world, as far as the Bible record shows. Begin the lesson by reviewing rapidly the material of Chapter III. Picture as vividly as possible the wander¬ ings of Adam and Eve through the prehistoric forests and along the great rivers, seeking a home for themselves. Tell of the birth of the oldest son, Cain, and speak of Eve’s rejoicing. Then Abel was born. Picture the lives of the two boys as they grew up. What was the differ¬ ence between them? Cain became a farmer; Abel be¬ came a shepherd. It is an instinct of all peoples to make offerings to the god whom they worship, and in Cain and Abel this ap¬ pears in their worship of the true God. Each prepared TO THE TEACHER xix to make an offering to God. Cain gave of the fruit of the ground : Abel, “ of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof.” Lead the children to see that it was not the difference in the offering which pleased and displeased God. It was the difference in the attitude of the two brothers. Remind the pupils of the story of the widow’s mites, Luke 21 :1-1, and show that it is the heart which God looks on, rather than the kind or the amount of the offering. Have the pupils tell simply the remainder of the story, leaving the lesson of Cain’s wickedness and disobedience clearly outlined in their minds. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To impress upon the pupils the necessity of choking back even the least tendency to evil thinking and wrongdoing. To show them how evil grows from a very small seed. In this connection you might use the familiar story of the hole in the dike, which the small hero of Holland knew would increase if he did not close it, until the entire country was inundated. You may use the story of the jinn in the bottle, given in the pupil’s lesson, or the illus¬ tration from the Epistle of James, given in the Memory Verse, or only the comparison given in the lesson itself of the lion cub couching at the door, ready to spring. Bring out clearly the lesson that one sin leads to another until the entire life becomes sinful. In speaking of the punishment of Cain and the “ sign ” which God gave, say that we do not know at all what this was, though there have been many guesses. Bat Cain was punished by being sent still farther out into the world than his father and mother had been sent. After he had gone, God sent to Adam and Eve other chil¬ dren, of whom Seth was the ancestor of Noah, of whom we study in our next lesson. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the children the lesson that in some ways they are responsible for others, even though they are only Juniors. In connection with the questions and topics assigned with the pupil s lesson, bring out especially the question of responsibility for others in government. Show that we should never be indifferent to things which do not XX TO THE TEACHER seem to affect us personally, because they do affect others. Bring out the teaching of Jesus as Paul gives it to us, “ Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” Make a vivid picture of Paul’s description of the inter¬ dependence of the parts of the body. Show how we are all dependent on one another. An interesting way to show this is to ask the pupils to trace back something which they have had to eat — perhaps an orange which they ate at breakfast time. Show how many people helped in bringing this to the breakfast table — mother, the grocery boy, the grocer, the express man, the packer, the man who picked the fruit, the man who planted the tree, and so on. If any of these people had failed in do¬ ing their duty, you would not have had the orange to eat. We are all responsible for our acts, and especially in so far as they affect others. Chapter V Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils information about the period between the time of Cain and Abel, and that of Noah. You may find it interesting to connect this lesson with the old Greek legends where we have given the stories of Apollo and the lyre and of Vulcan the blacksmith god. Apollo’s lyre was, you remember, a tortoise shell. The children have probably had these stories in day school, and are familiar with them. Be sure to familiarize the pupils with the important names of this chapter. Em¬ phasize the fact that with few exceptions, the people of the world were becoming more and more wicked, so that God was grieved and displeased. If you will put upon the blackboard the family trees of Cain and of Seth, the pupils will be interested. Also have them try to make pipes and harps, the earliest musi¬ cal instruments. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the pupils that God’s punishment for sin is given in love, and that he wants to reward and to spare all those who de¬ serve these blessings. In this lesson, which treats only of the building of the TO THE TEACHER xxi ark, emphasize the fact that Noah was a righteous man, and that he “ walked with God.’’ He obeyed God in every way, and did exactly as he was commanded to do. And so God spared him and his family, to establish a new line of men on the face of the earth. The pupils will be interested in the accounts of the Deluge given in the literature of other nations. A part of the Babylonian story is given in the pupil’s lesson. The story of Deucalion is found in the “Metamorphoses” of Ovid. An interesting account of this is found in “ Light on the Old Testament from Babel,” by Albert T. Clay. Pictures to use with the lesson are Raphael’s Building of the Ark and Michelangelo’s Deluge. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To im¬ press upon the pupils their duty to do right in the face of ridicule; and also the converse — their duty not to join with those who are ridiculing others. The second idea is not brought out in the pupil’s les¬ son. The teacher may introduce it as a new thought. Perhaps you may allow the children to imagine that they are Shem, Ham, and Japheth. How did they act when unbelieving people taunted them? Did they call them names? Were they ashamed of what Noah was doing? The fear of ridicule is very strong in all children. It causes deep unhappiness to be “ different,” or to live differently from playmates. And often children are cruel in the way in which they treat those who are different, criticizing them and making fun of them in many wavs. A sensitive child endures such ridicule with great suffer- ing, and you will have taught a needed lesson if you can make the pupils see on the one hand that to endure ridi¬ cule when we know that we are right is brave, and, on the other hand, that to ridicule others is a sin disap¬ proved by God. Chapter VI Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the story of the Flood. That childish toy, the Noah’s ark, will be found very useful in connection with this lesson, though you will find that not many of these representations carry out the XXII TO THE TEACHER description of the ark given in the Bible. However, you may use such a toy, if the members of your class do not make satisfactory “ arks,’’ to work out the story on the sand table. If you have a number of old magazines and papers at hand the younger children will enjoy finding pictures of animals and birds. If you can get a roll of rather heavy white wrapping paper, such as druggists use, about six or eight inches wide, you can have the children color the animals which they find, and paste them on the paper to make a “ frieze,” for the top of the blackboard, or for all around the room. For a more elaborate session of the class, you mav use one of the many dramatizations of this story which have been written. The story of Noah has been a favorite sub¬ ject of dramatization ever since medieval times, when we find it given in the old “ morality ” plays. In form suited for Sunday schools it may be found in “ Shorter Bible Plays,” by Reta Benton. The Babylonian Deluge story given in connection with the pupil’s material will prove interesting to the older children in the class. They will enjoy pointing out the similarities. Some Pictures to Use with the Lesson The Deluge, as depicted by Michelangelo, Raphael, or Dore. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To inspire the pupils with a desire to obey God, and to show them that God is always kind. Begin the lesson by reviewing the story of the building of the ark. Have the pupils rapidly go over the facts about it, and then tell the story of the Flood. Introduce the lesson proper with the picture of the opening of the door of the ark. Show how glad both people and animals were to go out from the building in which they had been shut up for so long. Then speak of Noah’s thanksgiving, and compare the way he felt toward God with the way in which Cain and Abel felt. Ask if God Avas pleased with Noah. How did he sIioav this? Let the pupils themseUes tell the story of the rainboAv covenant, and emphasize the fact of God’s goodness and TO THE TEACHER xxm kindness to all the people of the world. Show that this kindness reached its height in the sending of Jesus the Saviour to the world. If you wish to go into the subject of the length of time for which Noah was in the ark, the following summary based on Davis’ Bible Dictionary will be useful : 1. God commanded Noah to take the animals into the ark, month 2, day 10. 2. The beginning of the Flood, month 2, day 17. 3. Rain continued for forty days and forty nights, end¬ ing on month 3, day 27. 4. For one hundred and fifty days waters covered the earth. The ark rested on Mount Ararat, month 7, day 17. 5. Mountain tops uncovered, month 10, day 1. 6. Raven sent out, month 11, day 11 or 12. 7. Dove sent out and returned, month 11, day 18 or 19. 8. Dove brought back olive leaf, month 11, day 25 or 26. 9. Dove flew away, month 12, day 2 or 3. 10. Noah removed the covering of the ark, month 1, day 1. 11. God commanded Noah to leave the ark, month 2, day 27. A Book to Read in Connection with the Lesson “ Light on the Old Testament from Babel,'’ by Albert T. Claw Pictures which will prove of interest are : The Ark on Mount Ararat, by Dore ; The Return of the Dove to the Ark, by Oppenheim ; Noah Leaving the Ark, by Raphael. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to follow the good example set before them in the life of Christ. For this session you can have written on the board the two names, “ Christ ” and “ Noah.” Ask the pupils to put in parallel columns points in which they have set us examples, something as follows : CHRIST NOAH Obedience . John 5:30; 6:38; 8:29 . Genesis 6:22. Patience . Hebrews 12:1, 2 . Genesis 8:12. Righteousness. .. I John 2:1 . Genesis 6:9. Pleasing God. . .Matthew 3:17 . Genesis 9:1. XXIV TO THE TEACHER With the older pupils you may enjoy finding the various references to Noah in the New Testament. You will find these given in the pupil’s material, under the heading, Verses for Use in the Meeting. Chapter VII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the geographical and historical background of Abraham’s homeland. Begin the lesson by a quick summary of the descend¬ ants of Noah. Ask the pupils to name his three sons. The oldest of these sons was Shem. The eighth descend¬ ant of Shem was Terah, who lived in Ur of the Chaldees. Tell about the city, its greatness and civilization. You will find much material in Clay’s “ Light on the Old Tes¬ tament from Babel ” and in other accounts of Babylonian exploration which may be obtained from the public libraries. In Abraham’s day Ur was on the seacoast, a rich maritime city, though now it is identified as Mugav- yar, or Mughur, a village of mud huts. It is now one hundred and twenty miles north from the sea, for to such an extent has the Persian Gulf “ made land.” Speak of the new subtitle of our lessons, “ Stories of Three Patriarchs.” Ask what a “ patriarch ” is, and ex¬ plain the meaning of the word. There are many legends connected with Abraham which show that the family was rich and well thought of. Terah had three sons. Ask the pupils for their names. Show that Abram and Abraham, as we have uniformly called him in these lessons, were the same. The name Sarai, the first name of Abraham’s wife, means “ princess.” Ask why the family started on a long journey whose end they did not know. Show that it was in obedience to God’s command, and trace the route north and west along the Euphrates to Haran. Make this lesson geographical, and do a generous amount of map work. “ Even the departure of Abraham with his father and his nephew and his wife Sarah from the great capital, Ur of the Chaldees, will start the little child’s imagination to work when he learns — as the enormous mass of legend TO THE TEACHER XXV teaches — that this was an influential family in that coun¬ try ; that they might have lived there as princes, if they had been willing to worship idols as the other people of the city did ; and that they gave up all their property and their pleasant home to go away where they might be good and worship the true God. The long night jour- neyings under the starry sky, the days being too hot for traveling, strike the idyllic keynote at once ; the building of altars and calling upon God at every halting place strikes the religious note in such wise as will awaken re¬ sponse in even the youngest child, and the death of the old father in Haran, while yet they were far away from the Promised Land, will give the touch of personal sympathy.” Sunday Session. The Teacher's Aim: To point out to the pupils the reward which God promised to Abraham for his obedience. As in the case of Noah, the lesson of obedience is here brought out. Show how much it meant for Abraham to obey God’s command to go out from Haran, where they had been settled for many prosperous years. The people who made up the caravan had increased. The flocks and herds had increased. Southward Abraham moved, into the land which God said should belong to him. He paused at various points, where he built an altar and wor¬ shiped God. Make as vivid as possible your word picture of this journeying, letting the younger children work out a representation of the camp on the sand table. Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim: To show that through Christ, the descendant of Abraham, all the nations of the earth have been blessed. From their day-school history the children are familiar with the reasons which brought most of the original col¬ onists to America. After the leader's opening address bring the matter close to the children’s own lives by bringing out how we are blessed to-day because we live- in a Christian land under Christian government. Show how Christian truth and doctrine are spreading until, when Christ’s followers have carried out his command to preach the gospel to every nation, all the nations of the world shall be blessed through Abraham, and God’s XXVI TO THE TEACHER promise to this patriarch will be fulfilled. Urge them to express a desire to help in completing the fulfillment of the promise. Chapter VIII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils a background of geography for Bible history. The lesson may be taught very effectively by means of map work. The children will be very much interested in a large relief map, if you can obtain one of these. They will be interested, too, in making such a map for themselves, according to the directions given on page 78. A good relief map will be found in the stereographs by Underwood and Underwood, New York, or in Kent’s “ Biblical Geography and History.” These maps, being larger than that in the lesson will be easier to follow. A paper relief map is published by Poates, New York, and can be obtained from the Presbyterian Board of Publi¬ cation and Sabbath School Work. If it is not possible to have the relief map, have a large outline map of Palestine put on the blackboard. Supply the pupils with outline maps such as may be obtained from various 'denominational publishing houses, or have them make the outlines themselves. Obtain from a sta¬ tioner small gummed pictures showing features of the various sections of Canaan, and let the pupils paste these on their maps. One school, for instance, used an eagle seal for the mountainous regions where these birds were found ; a fish seal for the Sea of Galilee ; a lily seal for the fertile regions of Galilee, and so on. You may adapt the idea in your class to the life of Abraham by using plain brown gum tape paper, such as is used in wrapping packages, and letting the pupils themselves make the seals with colored crayons. Let them draw on the tape small tents, sheep, goats, camels, oak trees, altars, as the lessons suggest, and put them in the proper places on the map. This will give them geographical and historical knowledge, at the same time. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To teach the pupils the importance of unselfishness. Perhaps you will find it difficult to make your pupils TO THE TEACHER XXVll see that Abraham was right in giving Lot the first choice. Abraham was the older man. God had given him the land. He had the right to take the first choice himself, and to give to Lot what he did not himself want. To pupils of Junior age, this will be very clear. When John is older than Robert, John is entitled to the first choice. Again and again you will find this rule in fam¬ ilies. Perhaps, however, you can make Abraham’s atti¬ tude clear by using their mothers as examples. Give an example of this kind : Did you ever notice that when mother is serving the dessert at the table, she always serves herself last? Does she keep the best and largest helping for herself? Or does she give the very nicest part of the pudding to some one else? Why does mother give to others the choice pieces of pie or the largest peach, or the piece of cake that has the most raisins? It is because she loves others better than she loves herself, and wants them to have the best. That was the way it was with Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Though he knew that he was entitled to the first choice, he allowed Lot to say what he wanted because he was generous and unselfish. He could have made Lot very angry, I think, by saying to Lot: “I like the looks of this stretch of country over here. I will keep my flocks and herds here. You can take the land in the other direction." But he loved Lot, just as your mothers love you, and so he wanted to give Lot the very best. He was generous and kind, and so avoided even the chance of a quarrel. So can you to-day avoid quarrels, and settle the quarrels of others, if you love them better than you love yourself, and give them the first choice. If others feel the same way as you do, then there will come a time when there will be no more quarreling in the world, for everyone will think of others first, and all will be generous and unselfish. - _____ Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim: To obtain from the pupils an expression of a desire to avoid and settle quarrels as Abraham did, and to try to reach the ideal which- Jesus set before us. Make the lesson very practical for the pupils. Impress upon them Jesus’ rule, and show them that if they may XXV111 TO THE TEACHER love even those whom they do not like, and try to be even more than fair and square to them, so they will avoid quarrels, and make friends rather than enemies. Let them see that they should treat others as they them¬ selves would want to be treated, giving others first place, preferring others to themselves. Close the lesson by having one of the pupils who reads well, read the thir¬ teenth chapter of First Corinthians, which shows so well the value that the Bible puts upon love. Chapter IX Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils something of the geography of Genesis. The fourteenth chapter of Genesis has long been a battle ground between scholars, who for many years thought that the facts as given in this chapter were un¬ confirmed by the history of Babylon and Assyria, and who said that there were no such kings and no such places as those mentioned in this chapter. However, as scholars have made more complete investigations, they have found more and more material which confirms the historical accuracy of this chapter. An interesting ac¬ count of this may be found in Clay’s book already re¬ ferred to, “ Light on the Old Testament from Babel.” Very interesting pictures of the time of Hammurabi may be found to use in connection with this lesson. The monument discovered in Susa, in 1902 gives a picture of the king himself standing before the sun god. For the younger pupils, the names in this chapter will prove too difficult and so have not been mentioned in telling the story. The older pupils who have been trained in such work in day school will enjoy an exercise in pro¬ nunciation. Have them put the names on the board and drill on them. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To appeal to the pupils through their sense of the heroic in Abraham, who was true to his nephew and who trusted God be¬ cause he knew that he was in the right. Trace Abraham’s journey north almost to Damascus. TO THE TEACHER XXIX Emphasize his bravery in setting out to the rescue of the nephew whom he still loved, though he had failed him. Describe a battle of ancient times, comparing it to modern warfare. There were no gunpowder, no guns, no cannon. The warriors used bows and arrows, helmets and breastplates, in battle. How Abraham rescued Lot we are not told, but we can imagine a sudden night raid, perhaps with some stratagem such as Gideon used, against a small division of the enemy who were guard¬ ing the prisoners and the booty. Tell the story vividly, making it clear that we do not really know any details, except that Abraham “ divided himself against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, and pur¬ sued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus." Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : Through the teacher and the exercises to rouse in the pupils a de¬ sire to follow the example of Abraham, the fair-minded and generous. There are many points in the lesson which may be emphasized, in showing the example that Abraham set for us to follow. 1. Abraham was true-hearted. He did not allow Lot’s treatment to affect his love for his nephew. He set out to rescue him as soon as he heard that he was in danger. 2. Abraham was brave. Like Jonathan afterwards, he knew that God would send the victory where he willed, not giving the battle to many or to few. With only three hundred and eighteen men he set out in pursuit of those who had captured his nephew. 3. Abraham acknowledged that the victory belonged to God, and in acknowledgment of this, he gave one tenth of the spoils as an offering. 4. Abraham was fair. He would take none of the cap¬ tured booty for himself, though he insisted that his allies should have their share. Emphasize the point which seems most needed among your pupils and obtain from them an expression of a de¬ sire to follow the example of Abraham. Among younger pupils do not say much about Mel- chizedek. With older pupils say that he is mentioned in XXX TO THE TEACHER the New Testament, but that we know little or nothing about him. Chapter X Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To give to the pupils a familiarity with Eastern hospitality and methods of entertaining guests. The customs and manners of the East are so unchang¬ ing that it is possible to obtain a picture of life at the time of Abraham by studying the account of life in the land of Abraham to-day. Such descriptions may be found in the following books: “Bible Lands, Their Manners and Customs,” by Van Lennep ; “Out of Doors in the Holy Land,’’ by Van Dyke ; “ Oriental Social Life,” by Trumbull. From this last book an extract is given in the pupil's lesson. Most interesting pictures of Bedouin life may be obtained from Underwood and Underwood, New York, and by consulting old files of the National Geographic Magazine in your public library, you can ob¬ tain much information. Many of the pictures in these magazines are beautifully colored, and will be found ex¬ ceedingly interesting. Make a good deal of the handwork and the map work in this lesson. The material will be most valuable in giv¬ ing a background for Sunday’s lesson, “ Abraham En¬ tertaining Angels.” Sunday Session. The Teacher's Aim: To show the pupils that true followers of God are always kind and hospitable in their relations to one another. The Memory Verse in this lesson would seem to em¬ phasize the thought that in entertaining strangers, we seem to entertain angels unawares, and so obtain an un¬ expected reward. Do not let the reward as the motive for hospitality be emphasized ; instead emphasize the thought of Matthew 25 :40, “ Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.” In this connection you may tell the story of Tol¬ stoi’s “ Where Love Is, There God Is,” or the legend of Saint Christopher and how he obtained his name, or the poem of Edwin Markham, “ How the Great Guest Came,” found in the volume “ Shoes of Happiness,” and quoted TO THE TEACHER XXXI in part in the pupil's lesson. Hawthorne’s story, “ The Miraculous Pitcher,'’ may also be used. In illustration of this lesson, show Dore's picture of Abraham Receiving the Angels. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to be kind and hospitable to others, and especially to strangers in their day school and in their church school. If there is in the school at this session a strange child, or strange children, or even children who do not attend the sessions of the class regularly, see that they are greeted cordially and made to feel at home. Put them under the care of some of the less shy children in the school. There are always some children who delight in introducing a new pupil to the ways and customs of the school. However, do not select those children who will be too superior to the stranger. The difference between the foreign child and the native American child, or even the foreign child who has mingled with American children for several years, is very marked. Lead your pupils to see that foreign children are not necessarily inferior because they do not under¬ stand. Show them that they are being true to God and to the nation when they welcome the foreign child into their midst. True Americanization will spread rapidly from the child to his parents, and they will feel, if their child is hospitably received, that the land is truly a hos¬ pitable land. Chapter XI Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim : To give to the pupils information concerning the region about Sodom and Gomorrah and the Dead Sea ; to impress the fact that the prayers of a righteous man are of great value in God’s eyes. God would have spared the wicked city of Sodom if there had been ten righteous men and women found there. He did spare Lot and his daughters. As was the case with X”oah, God's mercy in doing this is the lesson to be emphasized with Juniors, rather than the punishment for XXX11 TO THE TEACHER wickedness given to the sinful men of Sodom and Gomorrah. If you are familiar with Bulwer Lvtton's “ Last Days of Pompeii,’’ you may find it of interest to read to your pupils part of the story of the eruption of Mount Ve¬ suvius, and to show how there, too, the preservation of those who were Christians and who trusted God is emphasized. References to Sodom and Gomorrah in other parts of the Bible may be looked up. Some of these references are as follows : Deuteronomy 29:23; Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 49:18; Amos 4:11; Matthew 10:15; 11:24; Luke 10:12; II Peter 2 :6, 7. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils an impression of the joy caused by the birth of Isaac, and to compare this with the joy at the birth of Samuel in the Old Testament, and at the birth of Jesus and of John the Baptist in the New Testament. If possible read the description of the rejoicing at such a time as this as given in some book on modern Oriental life, such as Elilni Grant’s “ The People of Palestine.” Read selections of this sort to the pupils. Then ask them to look up and compare the words in which God’s mes¬ sages were spoken to Abraham, Genesis 17:19; to Joseph, Matthew 1 :21 ; to Zacharias, Luke 1 :13. In each of these passages, the name of the child to be born, was given. God had special duties in the world for each of these children. In Isaac the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham was made. In Jesus, the culmination was reached. Point out, however, that we who are followers of Christ must continue to spread the tidings of his coming, and so continue the fulfillment of the promise made hundreds of years ago. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to approach God in prayer for themselves and for others. Since this session of the school is to be an expression of the pupils’ own thought, it is very frequently wise to have them pray to our heavenly Father. Try to make them understand what true prayer is ; that it is not merely TO THE TEACHER XXXlll asking God for something for ourselves, or even for others, but also praise and thanksgiving for the good things that he has already given us. With younger or more immature pupils, teach simple prayers and graces to use at table, in addition to The Lord’s Prayer, which, by the time they are Juniors, they should certainly know. Here are a number of simple prayers and graces which you may teach. Lord Jesus, be our holy Guest, Our morning Joy, our evening Rest; And with our daily bread impart Thy love and peace to every heart. — “ Common Worship/' Blessed Lord, we thank thee For thy care to-day; Alake us good and noble, Take our sins away. Bless the friends who love us; From all evil keep : May thy holy angels Guard us while we sleep. — Thomas Simmons (with alterations). “ Give us this day our daily bread ” Our table is so amply spread, Show us how best to save and spare, Until our every loaf we share With hungry children everywhere. Father, that all be fed. “ Give us our daily bread.’1 — Alice E. Allen. “For these and all thy gifts of love We give thee thanks and praise ; Look down. O Father, from above And bless us all our days.” “ We thank thee, God, for this good food That thou hast given to-day; And help us all grow strong and good, To live for thee, we pray.” A number of prayer hymns are mentioned in the pupil’s lesson. Have some of these sung. Make the service a XXXIV TO THE TEACHER service of prayer and praise, as has been suggested occa¬ sionally before in this series of lessons. Chapter XII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the story of the test of Abraham’s faith, and how it was proved well founded. The story of the test of Abraham will prove very inter¬ esting to your pupils. Be sure to let them feel how deeply Abraham loved Isaac. Abraham did not under¬ stand what God intended, as he set out in obedience to God’s commands, and evidently Isaac did not know that he was to be sacrificed. This part of the story — the obedience and yielding of Isaac, when he did realize, when he allowed himself to be bound and placed upon the altar — is rarely emphasized in telling the story, but it gives us a good insight into the character of Isaac. Stories of the sacrifice of children at the command of higher powers are frequently found in secular literature. The story of King Agammemnon of Greece and the com¬ mand of the gods to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia at the time of the siege of Troy, in order to save the Greek army, is familiar in Greek literature. There is a similar story in the literature of Scandinavia, given in poetic form in Tennyson’s poem, “The Victim.” Some Pictures to Use with the Lesson Dore, Slade, Rembrandt, Allori, and others have de¬ picted this story. Copies of some of these prints may be obtained from the Wilde Picture Company. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To review with the pupils the record of God’s promises to Abraham. This is practically the last lesson of the series on Abra¬ ham, as in the next lesson we turn to Isaac. It will be well to review the lessons on this patriarch during the session. It is suggested that this be done by means of the promises made to Abraham at different times during his life, as they are given in the Bible. Let the pupils themselves look up the promises given TO THE TEACHER XXXV in their Bibles, and hunt out the various comparisons used. Ask them if it is possible to count the stars. It is said that the number of the stars seen by the ordinary eye is between five and six thousand, and that with the Yerkes telescope probably one hundred million are reached. Of course, there are even more stars than that. 'The sands of the sea, the particles of dust, too, are too many to be numbered. Such was God’s promise to Abraham. Show how it is being carried out. Not only the Jews are meant in the promise to Abraham’s descend¬ ants, but in the spiritual sense all Christians are the fol¬ lowers of Abraham — his spiritual children for whom the promises were intended. Galatians 3 :29. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show to the pupils some of God’s promises to them, and how they are carried out. In the Bible there are very many promises of God to the people of the world, which may be used in connection with this lesson. Let the pupils look, for instance, over the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew, chapters 5 to 7, and see the number of promises found there. Ask each pupil to look over a certain number of verses, and see how many promises he can find. All the Beatitudes are of course promises of blessing. Chapter XIII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To teach the pupils the story of Isaac and Rebekah. A little dramatization is suggested for this lesson. It may be used either at the W eek Day Session or at the Expressional Session of the school. If it is used at the Expressional Session, the preparation will fill the line of the Week Day Session. It may be carried out very simply as to scenery, the tents being simply made with old couch covers, or sheets, or rugs. It is not necessary to enter the tents, so a foundation of chairs can be used and covered with the rugs. Place two chairs side by side. At a distance of several feet place another pair of chairs with their backs to the first pair. Cover the tops and sides with rugs. Let a curtain dropped at the front and at the sides, hide the chairs. XXXVI TO THE TEACHER For the well in the second scene, chairs placed on their sides may represent the curb. This may be covered or not as vou wish. You must have as properties a pitcher for Rebekah, a nose ring (a curtain ring will do), bracelets, and “gar¬ ments ’’ to use as gifts. Costumes For the men a close fitting tunic may be used as an un¬ dergarment, or you may have the outer garment worn over the children’s own clothes. This outer garment is blanket shaped, of a bright color, striped with white. It is draped by “ throwing one end over the left shoulder, then passing it across the front of the body and under the right arm, then across the back, and to the left shoulder again. ’’ It should be long enough to reach the ground. The headdress is a piece of square cloth, folded diagonally and placed on the head with the long point at the back; the two ends are crossed under the chin and thrown back over the shoulder. A cord may be tied around the head. Rebekah’s costume is much the same as those of the men. A veil may be draped over the head instead of the turban. Pictures. There are various pictures of Rebekah at the well, which you may obtain from the various picture companies. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the pupils the story of Rebekah’s kindness to a stranger. The pupils have given the dramatization of the story of Rebekah, at the Week Day Session of the school, or are preparing to give it at the Expressional Session. The Sunday Session should be devoted to having them tell the story and themselves drawing practical lessons from it. They will probably be anxious to tell you the story. Correct any mistaken ideas that they may have about the customs and manners of the times. For instance, be sure that they understand that the well of the Orient is not like the well with which perhaps they may be familiar. Draw a rough sketch on the blackboard, using as a model the picture given with the pupil's lesson. TO THE TEACHER XXXVll If you expect to present the dramatization at the Ex- pressional Session, combine some of the material given there with that for this session, giving the lesson a de¬ cidedly practical turn. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to be kind, and to find for themselves ways of being kind. There are many stories of kindness given in the col¬ lections of stories for special purposes which you can use in connection with this subject. Sly’s book, “ World Stories Retold ’’ gives stories under classification as to ethical teachings, and you will find it a very useful book for your library. Under the subject “ Kindness ’’ there are many stories listed, which you may find available. It has been suggested that this session be used to pre¬ sent “ The Story of Isaac and Rebekah.” If this is done, combine the material for this session with that for the Sunday Session. Chapter XIV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show the pupils the importance of desiring the better gifts in the best way. Try to make as vivid as possible before the pupils the picture of the encampment of Isaac and Rebekah, with the two boys growing up. Picture the twins as clearly as possible, showing that Esau was an out-of-door man, who loved the hunt. Isaac was at this time getting old and childish — he was probably over a hundred years old — and Esau appealed to his physical appetite — his desire for food. Rebekah, the beautiful maiden of Haran, shows the development of the characteristics depicted in the first stories about her. She is capable of making her own decisions, and decisions for her son ; as she decided for herself to go at once with Eliezer, Genesis 24 :58 ; so here she plans and decides for herself and for Jacob, too, who is willing to give in to his mother’s decisions, and so is her favorite. The picture of the family is hardly pleasant, with the mother and the father showing decided preferences be¬ tween the two sons, and neither of the two sons being xxxvm TO THE TEACHER altogether admirable. Try to make the pupils see that Jacob really wanted the birthright. He appreciated what it meant, and God intended it for him, Genesis 25 :23. Only, because he tried to get it in his own way, without waiting for God, he had to be punished and to wait for many years before he obtained the rights and privileges for which he so greatly longed. Show the pupils that his desire was good — he did desire the best thing, and in this he was far better than Esau, who desired only momentary gratification. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show to the pupils how wrongly Jacob set about to gain the birth¬ right, and to show them that it would have been far bet¬ ter for him to wait for God to carry out his plans. This lesson again shows the characters of the Bible record in a most unpleasant light. Rebekah is no longer the charming heroine of romance, but a mother who shows favoritism between her children, and who deceives her husband for the sake of the son whom she loves the most. There is small choice between Jacob and Esau, though in this story our sympathies are with Esau. As you paint the picture of Jacob, show that God did not approve his action. Tell the pupils that they will see the results of the lie in their next lesson, and that Jacob suf¬ fered long years of punishment for his sin. Bring the story to a practical application with a mod¬ ern story showing the virtue of truth-telling. There are many such stories to be found in “ The King’s Highway Series,” by Sneath, Hodges, and Tweedy, and in the Sly book already mentioned, “ World Stories Retold.” Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to be worthy of their birth¬ right as Christian American Juniors. Base this lesson on the old evangelistic hymn “ My Father Is Rich in Houses and Lands,” and lead them to understand that they have a birthright even better than that of Jacob and Esau, for they are the inheritors of the promises of Christ. They have, too, the inheritance which has come to them from the Christian founders of our nation. They have the birthright to so many good things that they cannot appreciate them all. If you can TO THE TEACHER XXXIX lead them to see that they are exchanging this birthright for something of no value when they waste their time in school, when they neglect their duties as good citizens, when they neglect their privileges as Church members, the session will have accomplished its object. Make it as practical as possible. Chapter XV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the pupils the unhappy results of quarreling in the home. Begin the lesson by asking the pupils whether they have ever quarreled with their brothers and sisters. What was it like? How did they feel? Then ask, “ Were you ever to blame for the quarrel? How did you feel?” If the pupils are honest in their expression, they will probably say that they were unhappy and uncom¬ fortable. Then picture vividly the life in the house of Isaac and Rebekah. Esau and Jacob were not friends, of course, after Jacob had obtained the birthright by fraud. Esau threatened to kill Jacob, though he did not intend to do this until after Isaac’s death. Rebekah, with her usual cunning, planned to get Jacob out of the way. Then show Jacob setting out from the home, supposedly to find a wife among the relatives of Rebekah in Paddan- aram. In bringing the lesson to a conclusion, ask some of the pupils to read from their notebooks the stories that they have written, and yourself read some modern story of the result of quarreling in the home, such as the story of Jo and Amy, in “ Little Women.” Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the pupils that God cares for them even when they have done wrong, and is willing to forgive them when they are sorry for their wrongdoing. There are many pictures 1w famous artists which may be used in connection with this lesson, and many poems that refer to the story. You may find a study of pictures interesting, if these are available. In old Primary and Beginners Picture Rolls, you may be able to find pictures of Jacob and Esau, and of Jacob’s night under the stars. xl TO THE TEACHER Other pictures may be found in the Wilde and Perry col¬ lections, for the story of Jacob has appealed to many famous artists. Those of Rubens, Murillo, and Dore are very famous. That of Rubens is described as follows : “ Those who have seen Rubens’ great picture of Jacob’s ladder vision in Antwerp Cathedral will never forget the ideal beauty of the young patriarch’s face. The painting is a blaze of glorious light. The stone pillow shines like a lamp of gold in the radiance. The ladder and the angels are marvels in design and execution. But in the rapture of the sleeper’s face the genius of the painter had its chief expression. Think, then, of the look on Jacob’s face when he awoke.” Poems and hymns which refer to the lesson passage are many. Some of them are as follows: “ Ladder of Saint Augustine,” by Longfellow. “ Sandalphon,” by Longfellow. “ Bethel Dreamland," by Bonar. “ The Ladder of Angels,” by Lucy Larcom. “ Jacob’s Pillow and Pillar,’’ by Conder. “ My Thanks,” by Whittier. “ The Vision of Eckard," by Whittier. “ The Ploly Land,” by Whittier. “ Early Spring,” by Tennyson. A study of the hymn, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee,” is however, the best plan of introducing the lesson by means of hymn study. Another plan is to have drawn on the blackboard a simple outline ladder. Tell the pupils that this ladder is a picture of the way in which we must try to reach heaven. We must climb ; that is, we must do our very best in the world. But God will help us as we climb. He is watching over us and sending us his messages which will help us. As we learn to be loving and un¬ selfish and kind ; as we learn to love Jesus Christ better, we climb higher and higher on the ladder. And God watches us and helps us with every step that we rise. He cares for us. He is with us, and watches over us everywhere. (Memory Verse.) Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To help TO THE TEACHER xli the pupils in their expression of their knowledge that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. With this lesson the point of view is somewhat changed from that in the Sunday Session. Here we must en¬ deavor to lead the pupils to see and to express the fact that since the birth and life and resurrection of Jesus, we have a Way to heaven that is far better than the way which Jacob had known, even as that was far better than the way of his heathen neighbors. Some of the hymns and poems suggested in connection with the Sunday Ses¬ sion may well be used here, particularly the verses, “ Jesus That Ladder Is,” which are printed in the pupil’s lesson. Chapter XVI Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the main facts of the life of Jacob between his arrival at Haran and his departure. To show that he was really punished for his sin, and that during the years of training he won the privilege of carrying out God’s promise to Abraham. This lesson will give you an opportunity to explain several Oriental manners and customs to your pupils. For instance, in talking of Jacob’s arrival at Haran, you may speak of the value of a well of water in the East ; tell that it is often private property, belonging, perhaps, in this case to Laban. Speak of the story of Isaac and the wells, Genesis 26 :12-33, and remind the class that Abraham's servant met Rebekah, Jacob’s mother, at a well in or near Haran. Rachel had charge of her father's flocks, and this indi¬ cates another curious fact — that in the East women fre¬ quently ha\Te charge of great herds of sheep and cattle. Read the selection given in the pupil’s lesson regarding this custom. Oriental marriage customs, too, may be discussed. In many parts of the East it is still common to find that the oldest daughter must be married before the vounger are alloAved to do so. The custom of serving for a wife, too, is common in the East, when no money is paid to the father. The marriage money, or service, is supposed to xlii TO THE TEACHER be given in return for the daughter’s service to her father. Touch briefly upon the custom of having several wives at the same time, which was usual in Old Testa¬ ment times. It is important for your pupils to learn the names of Jacob’s twelve sons, whose names will occur frequently in the Joseph lessons, and later as the ancestors of the people of Israel, who gave their names to the twelve tribes. Time spent in this memorization will not be wasted. In the Tissot Bible there will be found several pictures to use with this lesson. — ■ Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To help the pupils to see how Jacob conquered himself, and how they may conquer themselves. Begin your lesson with Dore’s picture of Jacob wrest¬ ling with the angel. Show how he fought a hard fight with himself before he won the victory, and that on his meeting with Esau he showed that he had won out, that he was now no longer Jacob, “ the supplanter,” but Israel, “ a prince with God.” Your pupils will have many battles to fight with them¬ selves, as Jacob had ; they must conquer themselves as he did, before they win God’s best blessing. This is the lesson that we want the pupils to carry home with them from the Sunday Session, as well as the story of the meeting of Jacob and Esau, after their long separation. Have some of the pupils read their notebook stories. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to see their part in settling any quarrels which may come between themselves and their companions. In this lesson the pupils should be ready to express themselves in regard to quarrels with their companions. They should be brought to see that even if they are sure they are in the right of the case, there is something for them to do — they have a part in settling the quarrel. If they are in the wrong, they have so much the more to be responsible for. Lead them to see that even though they may think they are in the right, they will please God by taking the first step toward reconciliation. Some of the Topics for Discussion given with this les¬ son are rather in the nature of a review of the work of TO THE TEACHER xliii the entire week. Give the pupils a chance to discuss these topics if time permits, but try to lead them to ex¬ press their own thoughts in regard to the subjects assigned. Chapter XVII Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To give to the pupils a geographical and historical background for the stories of Joseph and of Moses. There is so much material for reference in connection with any lesson dealing with Egypt that you will have no difficulty in obtaining more information than you can possibly use. If you live in a large city where there is a museum containing a collection of Egyptian antiquities, you can give your pupils a wonderful background by taking them to visit this place. Then you can look over the books about Egypt to be found in your public library and add to your store of information about the country. Use the sand table and the blackboard for map work, copying the map given on page 182. Pictures of Egypt may be obtained in many of the current National Geographic magazines, or old numbers may be obtained in the libraries. Ask the pupils to bring to class any objects of interest from the country which is the background for our next lessons on Joseph and on Moses. There are many books which deal particularly with the relations of Egypt and Palestine. Some of these are : “ Archaeology and the Bible,” by Barton. “ From the Nile to Nebo,” by Hoskins. “ Egypt and Israel,” by Petrie. “ Explorations in Bible Lands During the Nineteenth Century,” by Hilprecht. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the pupils the trustworthiness of Joseph the boy and to inspire in them the desire to show themselves trustworthy. Begin the lesson with an account of the life of Jacob between the time of his arrival in Palestine and the time of the lesson. Ten years had passed. He had settled in xliv TO THE TEACHER Hebron. The old father, Isaac, had died at the age of a hundred and eighty years, and had been buried by the two sons. Rachel, too, was dead. Benjamin, the young¬ est son in the family, must have been about ten years old, and Joseph was seventeen. Have the pupils review briefly the names of Jacob’s sons. Then ask which they like best. Ask them to think about this question during the lesson period. Try to impress the value of trustworthiness in carry¬ ing out not only the letter but the spirit of any errand which they are asked to do. Ask for examples of such trustworthiness. Ask them what they think of the boy who stood on the burning deck. He obeyed the letter of his father’s command, but not the spirit. Would he have been a trustworthy messenger as Joseph was, or would he have gone to Shechem and then turned back? Bring out the lesson that to be really trustworthy as Joseph was, it is necessary to do our very best to carry out the wishes of those to whom our obedience is due. Particu¬ larly we should carry out God's wishes to the best of our ability, trying to find out by prayer and by reading his Word, what those commands for us are. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the necessity of courage in doing right. The Sunday Session has tried to impress the lesson of the value of trustworthiness. During this session, lead the pupils to see that though such trustworthiness is often hard to attain, God will help those who really try to be trustworthy, and will give them aid in doing what they ought to do, in spite of danger or ridicule or diffi¬ culty of any kind. Many good missionary stories dealing with this theme may be found. Look over the missionary lessons given in the first year of this series, and find there some avail¬ able stories. Chapter XVIII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To make vivid in the minds of the pupils the story of the life of Joseph in Egypt. Try to make clear in the minds of your pupils the close- TO THE TEACHER xlv ness of the connection between Israel and Egypt at this time. In our next lesson we have the trips of Joseph’s brothers back and forth, and the expedition of the old father, Jacob. After you have made this connection you will find that you have prepared a good background for the lesson on Moses and the wilderness wanderings. Pictures of modern caravans may be found to use with this lesson. In Petrie’s “ Egypt and Israel ” (frontis¬ piece) is seen a picture of an ancient party of travelers. In Barton’s “ Archaeology and the Bible,” too, you will find pictures of Semitic travelers arriving in Egypt, which will be most interesting to your class. Perhaps you can find in a National Geographic Magazine the account of a modern caravan trip across the desert. The children will always delight in this. Have as many Egyptian pictures and curios on hand as you can obtain. You might ask the pupils to bring samples of Egyptian products, such as dates, cotton, wheat. The wonderful small models, showing Egyptian life, which were recently discovered by archaeologists and which are exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, are exceedingly interesting. Pictures of them have been given in various papers or magazines, for instance in Forward, November 23, 1921. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show how Joseph’s helpfulness and faithfulness brought him favor with God and men, and how the same good characteristics will help them in their own lives. Tell of Joseph's coming into Potiphar’s home, and of his life there. Mayer says of this : He would no doubt live in a splendid palace, covered with hieroglyphs and filled with slaves. The young captive, accustomed to the tendernesses of his simple and well-beloved home, must have trembled as he passed up the pillared avenue, through the sphinx-guarded gates. Here, of course, temptations to fall into the luxurious ways of his masters were great. He was alone in a strange land, and there would naturally be temptation to forget the true God, and to fall into the worship of the Egyptian gods. But he resisted all temptation and God saw his faithfulness, Genesis 39 :23b, and blessed him so xlvi TO THE TEACHER that he soon rose in power and authority. Geikie tells us that every great Egyptian family had a slave thus placed over all the rest, and indeed, Joseph, after his ele¬ vation, had such a major-domo. Wherever grain is be¬ ing measured, or metal weighed, or building or agricul¬ tural work is going forward, the paintings show us the head overseer of the household with a short rod in his hand, or with a writing tablet in his hand and a pen be¬ hind his ear, to take down the number of sheaves, or of carts, or of the cattle or flocks. Touch lightly upon the false accusation of Joseph, and then tell fully of his rise in position in prison, as he had risen in Potiphar’s house. Emphasize over and over again the faithfulness of Joseph, and bring out the ne¬ cessity of faithfulness and helpfulness in their own lives. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express their own ideas on the importance of faithfulness and helpfulness in their own lives. Pictures to Use with the Lesson Joseph in Prison, by Schadow. Joseph Sold Into Egypt, by Dore. Joseph in Prison (Artist unknown, Wilde Collection of Bible Pictures, Number 171?). In Sly’s “ World Stories Retold ” you will find classi¬ fied stories of wisdom and faithfulness to be used with this lesson. Chapter XIX Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the story of Joseph before Pharaoh, and to im¬ press the fact that God was watching over him in all his difficulties. There are many pictures which may be used in connec¬ tion with this lesson to be found in the collections of Primary pictures. Among these are Joseph Before Pharaoh, by Dore; Fffiaraoh’s Dream, by Raphael ; Joseph Interpreting Pharaoh's Dream, several paint¬ ings by La Tometo, Raphael, and Romano. TO THE TEACHER xlvii The story itself is so interesting to your pupils that little extra material is necessary. You will find that they will enjoy acting it out. Have one pupil read the part of Pharaoh ; another that of the chief butler ; another that of Joseph, with as many wise men and courtiers as you please. Supply a few simple properties. Tell the pupils that the Egyptians were most particular about purifica¬ tions and that shaving, Genesis 41 : IT, was an important rite. The queer-looking beards shown in many of the pictures of Egyptians were artificial. Have a gold chain and a signet ring, (perhaps made of gilt paper) which Pharaoh may present to Joseph. A chair will serve as a throne. Many dramatizations of the story of Joseph will be found in the books of dramatization mentioned earlier in these lessons, but if you do not care to use them, the pupils will enjoy working out their own action. Sunday Session. The Teacher's Aim: To show how God’s blessing rested on Joseph and will rest on your pupils if they try to do his will. In teaching this lesson emphasize first the success that came to Joseph, and his power in Egypt. What gave him that success? It was God’s blessing, the blessing which had been the secret of Abraham’s success, Genesis 24:35; of Isaac's success, Genesis 26:28, 29; of Jacob’s success, Genesis 33 :11. Joseph was loyal to God, and God blessed him. Genesis 39 :2, 3, 21-23 ; 41 :38. He did not hide the fact that he was the follower of God. He attributed all his success to that fact. The pupils should be led to see that true success will come to them, too, through loyalty to God and trust in him. Joseph was a statesman. Ask for the name of some great modern statesmen who have been true fol¬ lowers of God, and not afraid to say so. Mention Lincoln, for instance, and Gladstone, and McKinley. All knew that God was with them and helping them in their work for the world. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to know and to express the knowledge that God wants them to do well their duties as Juniors, so that they may learn in this way to be ready for the opportunities of the future. xlviii TO THE TEACHER If you look over any of the collections of stories, such as Sly’s, or Egglestone’s, you will find stories that may be used in connection with this lesson. There are many stories in current magazines, too, which will bring before your pupils present-day examples of being ready, when the chance comes. Perhaps you may prefer to use part of the period in re¬ viewing the story of Joseph so far as we have gone. This will serve the purpose of the lesson well, for it will bring out the fact that Joseph was always ready; that he was ready to listen to God and ready also to do ; that he was a doer as well as a hearer of God’s Word. Chapter XX Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To prepare the way for the lesson of the Sunday Session on for¬ giveness. Picture as vividly as possible the scene of Joseph in the palace. The town house of the wealthy Egyptian was really very large. There would be a great vestibule, with an anteroom where a porter sat. Then came a huge din¬ ing hall, the most important room in the house. This is described by Erman in “ Life in Ancient Egypt ” as follows : “ The large dining table stands in the middle, covered with dishes, bowls of fruit, and loaves of bread ; roast meat and other articles of food are placed upon smaller tables ; there are also flowers and gay necklets. ... In the back of the hall a row of immense wine jars is built into the wall. On either side of the table stand one or two arm-chairs, and close to one of them is a basin with a jug of water; evidently the present Oriental custom of pouring water over the hands is no modern innovation. ” Back of the dining room was a small court with the sleeping room of the master on one side and the kitchens and storerooms on the other. Still farther back were the rooms of the women of the household and the gardens. All the house would be richly furnished and there were numerous attendants. Picture the ten brothers as they were shown before TO THE TEACHER xlix Joseph, the ruler, in such a home as this. Make as vivid as possible Joseph's feeling toward them. The pupils will enjoy the story just as it is given in the Bible. Pictures to Use with the Lesson The Cup in Benjamin’s Sack, by Guerchino. Joseph Selling Corn, by Barth. Joseph Making Himself Known to His Brethren, by Ghiberti, Memling, Dore. Work on a class poster such as that suggested in the pupil’s lesson will prove interesting. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To teach a les¬ son on forgiveness. Begin the lesson with a modern story of forgiveness, such as that of a girl who borrows her sister's bracelet without asking for it, and loses it. Do the pupils think that the girl who borrowed the bracelet would be sorry? M ould she feel worse than if she had asked for the brace¬ let and then lost it? Discuss her attitude and then ask, What should the second sister do? Of course she should forgive her sister, who was really sorry. Then show that this was Joseph's attitude. He wanted to see if his brothers were really sorry for what they had done to him. When he found that they were repentant, he forgave them. Show how Joseph, though he lived more than fifteen hundred years before Christ, acted in a Christlike way. Show that we who live nearly two thousand years later, and who know much better what Jesus would have us do, should act in the way that Jesus would approve, lovingly and forgivingly when the opportunity comes. Close with hymns about forgiveness, such as some of those mentioned in the Expressional Session. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to do good to those who have harmed them. Make this lesson a review lesson, as well as a practical lesson on the subject. Put on the blackboard the word “ Joseph.” Ask the pupils to supply words that will characterize Joseph's attitude which begin with the let¬ ters of his name, 1 TO THE TEACHER J ust in his treatment of his brothers. O bedient to his father. S ensible in his plans for the famine. E arnest in doing his best for everyone. P atient in waiting for God's will to be carried out. H onest in his business relations. The pupils may supply other adjectives and you may develop several acrostics. Use only the best, and have the pupils put them in their notebooks. Chapter XXI Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To help the children to visualize the story of Joseph and his brothers so that they may dramatize this final lesson on his life. A suggestion for dramatization is given, but it will perhaps be better if you do not follow this too closely. Let the pupils add to the story as they will. Costumes may be made very simply by following the directions given for the costumes of the patriarchs in Part I of this year’s work, page 32. For Pharaoh add a royal headdress, and a silk girdle. For the headdress copy the picture given in connection with the pupil’s lesson. It may be made of heavy paper. An Egyptian touch may be added to the scene by having the attend¬ ants carry fans, decorated with the lotus design, given on page 191. These should have handles perhaps five feet long. The children will enjoy preparing these and dec¬ orating them with gaudy reds, yellows, and blues such as are found in Egyptian decorations. Several descriptions of Pharaoh’s palace and of Joseph’s home are given in connection with the pupils’ lessons, and these will supply hints which may be carried out as far as your resources make it possible. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils a description of the last days of Jacob's and Joseph’s lives and to inspire in them a desire to follow the good example set by these old patriarchs. In this session and the Expressional Session, you will have an opportunity to review the lessons on Joseph, and incidentally to tell something of Jacob. Review the TO THE TEACHER li names of Jacob’s sons, as given in Genesis, chapter 49. Show how he gave to Joseph’s sons a double portion of his estate, so that their names are found among the founders of the twelve tribes of Israel while the names of Simeon, whose sons were to be scattered, Genesis 49 :5-7, was omitted. Deuteronomy, chapter 33. So it was that the twelve tribes of Israel did not exactly cor¬ respond with the names of Jacob’s sons. Use all the pictures that you have collected in connec¬ tion with this lesson, and let your pupils choose stories to tell. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To review the stories about Joseph, and to impress upon the pupils the value of trust in God. Review the stories of Joseph, using the topics sug¬ gested in the pupil’s lesson. Make the lesson practical, pointing out where the pupils may follow Joseph’s ex¬ ample. Use modern incidents to show men who have done this. Stories to be used in connection with this lesson may be found in “ Men Who Made Good,” by John T. Paris. Chapter XXII Week Day Session. The Teacher’ s Aim: To show the pupils how and why there was a change in the treatment of the Children of Israel in Egypt between the days of Joseph and of Moses. The period of the sojourn of the Children of Israel in Egypt was approximately four hundred years. They were well treated during the lifetime of Joseph, and as long as the memory of what he had done for Egypt re¬ mained in mind. Joseph lived to be one hundred and ten years old. As he must have been about forty when Jacob and his family came to Egypt, this leaves at least a period of seventy years before the Egyptians “ forgot him.” But a new dynasty came into power. About two hun¬ dred and sixty years passed, and the Children of Israel were oppressed and mistreated. It was four hundred years, however, before they were really led out of Egypt. Ramses II, the Pharaoh of the Oppression, was a well- lii TO THE TEACHER known figure in secular history. His mummy has been preserved, and is in the museum at Cairo. You can find much information about him in almost any book about Egypt. A book which will help you much in your study of the time is Rawlinson’s “ Moses, His Life and Times,” in the “ Men of the Bible ” series. If this volume is available it would be well for you to read it. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show how God cares through human agents for those who do his work in the world. Make as vivid as possible the picture of the home life of Moses’ family — the father, Amram ; the mother Joche- bed, Exodus 6:20; the sister and brother, Miriam and Aaron. Though we do not know Miriam’s age from the Bible, it is judged that she was eight or nine years older than Moses. Aaron was three years older, Exodus 7 :7, born before the decree for the destruction of the Hebrew boy babies. Show that the God of Israel was truly wor¬ shiped in this household. Then picture the princess and the royal palace. Show what a change the adoption of the baby brought in his life, and how God provided in this way for his training and education. God was pro¬ viding for his people in providing a leader who was in¬ structed in all the wisdom and learning of the Egyptians. There are many pictures of the baby Moses which you can use with this lesson. The following may be found in the Wilde collection : Moses Saved from the Waters of the Nile, by Paul Veronese. Moses and the Daughter of Pharaoh, by Dore. Finding of Moses, by Paul Delaroche. Moses Exposed on the Nile, by Dore. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to feel and to express the feeling that they can be God’s helpers. Several examples of Bible Juniors who were God’s helpers are given in the lesson material. Others might be mentioned — Paul’s nephew, Acts 23 :16-21, for in¬ stance ; the little King Joash, II Kings 11:5-7; the boy with the loaves and the fishes, John 6 :8-12. Show that often God uses children to help on in his work. Try to TO THE TEACHER liii make the main discussion practical — how Juniors to-day can be God's helpers, and emphasize particularly Mat¬ thew 25 :18-40. Chapter XXIII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show how Moses made the choice to help his own people rather than to enjoy all the pleasures and the luxuries of Egyptian court life. Read carefully the three accounts of Moses, given in Exodus, chapters 2, 3; Acts 7:20-36; Hebrews 11:23-28, to make clear in your own mind the choice of the young man. Begin the lesson by impressing again upon the minds of your pupils the position of Moses in the court of Pharaoh. Show how luxurious his life would be. Then tell simply how his conscience was stirred, how he went out into the part of the country where the people of his own race were employed, working in the clay pits, or on the great build¬ ings which Ramses II was constructing. Then tell how he made the great decision to take the part of his own people. He was not wise in his first steps. He won the dislike of both sides, and had to escape from the land to a place where he might receive still further training for his life work. Speak of modern men and women who have made simi¬ lar choices. Florence Nightingale is a good example. She was the daughter of a rich man ; she might have spent her life in luxury ; but she gave up her home, her wealth, her health, to become the “ angel of the lamp ” to the soldiers in the Crimean War. Tell of Henry Martyn, too, who was considered one of the most bril¬ liant men who ever graduated from Cambridge. He re¬ fused to become a minister because he could not “ con¬ sent to be poor for Christ's sake,’' but at last he felt the call to become a missionary too deeply to resist it, and he went to India, and later to Persia where he spent the re¬ mainder of his short but brilliant life. The brother of Horace Underwood, the missionary to Korea, was the manufacturer of the Underwood typewriter. In speaking of his brilliant brother he said that he could afiford to pay liv TO THE TEACHER the missionary board salary enough to support six mis¬ sionaries in Korea, if he would have stayed in America and entered his business. He would have been a leader wherever he spent his life. So modern men and women make a choice as Moses made it, to serve God rather than their own comfort. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show that God was preparing Moses in the wilderness for his work in the world. To help the pupils to see, also, that God calls his people to his service. Introduce the lesson with a modern story of some one who has thought himself unfit for the service to which he has been called, but later found that he was fit — for instance, it is said that when George Washington was given command of the armies of the Colonies by the Continental Congress, he rushed from the hall because he feared that he was not capable to assume the respon¬ sibility. To many men, both great and small, the call to service comes as a surprise. They have been preparing in their ordinary, everyday lives without a realizing sense of what is in store for them. God’s call comes unexpect¬ edly, as it came to Moses. Make vivid the scene of the burning bush. Show that it was, and still is, a custom of Orientals to remove their shoes when they approach a holy place. The Moslems still do this on entering a mosque. Speak of God’s call to Moses, and his call to all his people of the world, making a strong Decision Day ap¬ peal, that if the pupils have not yet decided to follow Jesus, they will do so. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express a desire to follow Christ. Make this service a Decision Day Service if possible. Show your pupils that God is calling each one of them to service as he called Moses and Jeremiah and Samuel and Isaiah and many others who may be named. God wants them to decide to serve him now, when they are Juniors. Statistics tell us that it is at this age that a great number of decisions for Christ are made. Help the chil¬ dren to express themselves, and to formulate their desire to follow Christ. Show them how, though Moses hesi- TO THE TEACHER Iv tated, he answered God’s call, and tell of modern choices such as those made by Florence Nightingale and Henry Martyn who gave up lives of ease for the service of God. Chapter XXIV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the historic background of the lessons. Begin the lesson with a modern story of some one who at first hesitated to assume responsibilities, but who made a success of what he did finally take upon himself. Lin¬ coln, for instance, hesitated to run for the office of Presi¬ dent ; Queen Victoria was very doubtful about her ability, when, while still a young girl, she became queen. Many a Junior has hesitated about accepting an office which was offered to him — the leadership of the Expressional Session, perhaps, or even the captaincy of his school ball team. Show that modesty such as this is often character¬ istic of those who later become leaders. Leadership is much needed in the world nowadays, and it will be a very good lesson for some of your pupils if you can show them how many really great men have been diffident about their own powers, and hesitant about accepting office. Of course there are many of your Juniors who are already too conceited about their own abilities, for this is an age when many children like to “show off.” It is to the modest children, however, that you want to make your appeal, for many of these need to be drawn out in order to de¬ velop their real qualities of leadership. Perhaps this les¬ son may be a lesson for yourself in your treatment of the pupils in your class, as well as for the pupils themselves. God encouraged Moses over and over again ; he encour¬ aged Gideon over and over again. So you should try to draw out those of your pupils who hesitate to take part in the work of the class. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To impress upon your pupils the fact that in the conflict between right and wrong, sin must always be punished, and to rouse in them a stronger desire to be God’s faithful servants. Ask the pupils to open their Bibles and find for you the nine plagues given in Exodus, chapters 7 to 11. lvi TO THE TEACHER 1. The River Water Turned to Blood. Exodus 7:19, 20. 2. Frogs. Exodus 8:1-6. 3. Lice. Exodus 8:16, 17. 4. Flies. Exodus 8 :20-22. 5. Disease of Cattle. Exodus 9 :l-4, 6, 6. Boils. Exodus 9 :8-10. 7. Hail. Exodus 9 :22-24. 8. Locusts. Exodus 10 :12-14. 9. Darkness. Exodus 10 :21-23. Then compare this list with Psalm 105 :26-37, reading the verses slowly and impressively. Be sure that the pupils do not look upon these plagues merely as a series of fairy tales. Show that through them God was work¬ ing out his purpose for his people, whom he was training to give his message to the world. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To impress upon the pupils, and to lead them to express the truth that real courage comes from God. So many stories of modern heroes and heroines who have been brave for God’s sake can be found that you will have no trouble in finding examples to use in con¬ nection with this lesson. A brief glance over the third part of the first year of these lessons will refresh your memory of the martyr heroes of the early Christian Church, and on some modern missionary heroes. Stories of other missionaries will be found in “ Modern Heroes of the Mission Field,” by Walsh. It might be a good idea to ask each of your pupils a week in advance to pre¬ pare an item about some one who has been a hero or heroine for Christ’s sake, or, if this does not seem wise, perhaps you yourself can prepare items for the pupils about those who you think would be particularly inter¬ esting to them. Be sure to lead them to see that heroism for God is possible in the present day, as well as in the days of Moses, so long ago. Chapter XXV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To review the facts about the establishment of the passover. Another account of the passover was given in the TO THE TEACHER lvii Junior Week Day Book, for last year, “ Jesus, the Light of the World.’’ There an account was given of the later customs connected with the passover celebration. Here more emphasis is placed on the beginnings. If the first year books are available, have the pupils review this chapter, Chapter XV. Make the pupils see vividly the preparations of the Jews for departure. Show how Moses warned Pharaoh once more ; how even at the last moment he might have escaped, had he listened to God’s message. Show pictures of the modern passover celebration among the Samaritans, if possible. These will be found in The National Geographic Magazines, which you can probably consult in your public library. Read the ac¬ count of the passover as given in your Bible distionary. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To emphasize the fact that the Children of Israel were ready to do God's will, and immediately obeyed his command. Begin the lesson by showing the picture of the flight from Egypt, by Roberts, given in connection with this lesson. Point out the great buildings and statues, the pyramids in the distance, and the Children of Israel with their sheep and camels in the foreground. Impress upon the pupils the fact of God’s omnipotence, and that he uses his power to help those who believe in him and trust him. Emphasize the fact that the Egyptians were eager to get rid of the people who, they thought, had brought so many misfortunes upon them. Close with a word picture of the start of the Israelites, who have eaten the pass- over, staff in hand, and had left their homes without even waiting for the dough in their kneading troughs to rise. If possible have on hand specimens of the unleavened bread — the matzoth of the Jews. (This can usually be obtained at passover time in large grocery stores, and can be kept for this lesson.) Emphasize God’s deliverance of his people, and that the punishment of Pharaoh and the people of Egypt was due to their own disobedience. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to see and to express the parallelism between the passover of the Jews and the Lord’s Supper in the Chris¬ tian Church. lviii TO THE TEACHER In making this parallel you may find the following points helpful. 1. The passover was the memorial of the birth of the Jewish nation. Its celebration was never to be omitted. The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ as a me¬ morial, to be repeated “ till he come.” 2. The passover recalled to the Jews their marvelous deliverance from oppression, and the beginning of a new life. The Lord’s Supper recalls our deliverance from sin, by the death and resurrection of Jesus. 3. The passover meal was a renewal of God’s cov¬ enant with his people. So is the Lord's Supper. 4. At the passover meal, the Children of Israel par¬ took of a lamb without blemish, eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. In the Lord’s Supper we eat the bread and drink the wine, thinking of Christ, “ the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world,” and re¬ membering how he said of the bread and the wine that they were his body and blood, shed for the remission of our sins. This parallelism has been carried a little further by scholars, the unleavened bread symbolizing freedom from corruption, the bitter herbs standing for the bitterness of our repentance for sin, but these parallelisms are not suitable for use with Juniors. Try in the meeting to bring your pupils to a decision for Christ, or, if they have already made such a decision, to an open expression of this. Chapter XXVI Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give the pupils information about the geography of the early part of the journey of the Israelites toward the Promised Land. At attempt has been made in the lessons which the pupils have studied about Joseph to show that the jour¬ ney between Israel and Egypt was not particularly diffi¬ cult, and that it was accomplished with comparative frequency. Connect this fact with the present lesson. Review the information given about the two routes over which it is supposed that Joseph and Jacob traveled. TO THE TEACHER lix Then ask why the Children of Israel did not go by one of these ways. Why did they make the quick turn south from Succoth, instead of going directly along the way of the Philistines? (Bible students think that the warlike Philistines would have been too powerful for this undis¬ ciplined body of slaves, and that God planned to train them in the wilderness school.) God was guiding them. He sent the pillar of cloud and fire to lead them. Trace the route to Etliam, making on the blackboard a chart such as that which is suggested in the pupil’s Notebook Work. This should be left on the board, to be completed as the lessons progress. Bring the story to- a climax with a picture of the Israelites — probably two million men, women, and children, with animals and possessions, en¬ camped in Pi-hahiroth, at the end of the arm of the Red Sea — water in front of them ; mountains and walls on either side of them ; no way out of the trap except the way by which they had come. If you have time, depict the scene on the sand table, letting the pupils realize how the Children of Israel felt when they saw the chariots of Pharaoh approaching. Sunday Session. The Teacher's Aim: To lead the pupils to realize how God delivered from difficulty and danger those who trusted in him. In the Week Day Session we left the Children of Israel in a difficult situation. Begin the lesson with a quick review of the geography. Then ask: “What did the Children of Israel do? Did you ever do anything like that? When you have started out for a picnic, perhaps a thunderstorm has come up suddenly. Your lunch has been spoiled. Your trip was a failure. What did you do? " Show the pupils how unkind and unjust the people were in blaming Moses, their leader. They lost their temper because things did not go exactly as they wanted them to go. But Moses was patient with them. He depended on God. He encouraged the people with wise words. And God did help them out of their trouble. How did he do it? (This story is so familiar that the pupils will be able to tell it without any assistance. Do not let them dwell too long on the destruction of the Egyptians but let them lx TO THE TEACHER feel that the people of Pharaoh had deserved God’s pun¬ ishment. Let the lesson end with the joy of the Israelites for their preservation — not upon any feeling of elation at the destruction of their enemy.) Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to express the feeling that you wish them to have that God has sent to our nation guides who will show us the way, as the pillar of cloud and fire showed the way to the Children of Israel. Pictures to Use with the Lesson The Israelites Passing Through the Red Sea, by Raphael. The Destruction of Pharaoh’s Hosts, by Dore. Pharaoh's Horses, by Pierring. The subject of the Expressional Session is “ God Guid¬ ing Our Nation.” As you help the pupils to develop this topic point out instances in the history of our nation where God’s leadership has been clearly shown. Show the pupils a coin on which are the words “ In God We Trust.” Ask for the first words of the Declaration of Independence. What do these things show about our nation? Are we like the Children of Israel in any way? Does our nation claim to follow God's leadership ? When the founders of our nation planned our government, they trusted God and followed his leadership. We have an expression of that trust in the words on our coins. Has God ever delivered our nation from difficulties? He has raised up leaders in times of trouble, has he not? Then speak of ways in which God has helped our country. What is our duty to God who has done so much for our nation? Make the session patriotic. Conclude by im¬ pressing the lesson that the nation cannot follow God un¬ less the individual citizens follow him. Each one of us must follow his guidance, and so the nation as a whole will follow it. Chapter XXVII Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To instruct the pupils in the geography of the Sinaitic Peninsula. TO THE TEACHER lxi Dr. Franklin E. Hoskins’ book, “ From the Nile to Nebo,” will give yon a great deal of information in regard to this subject. A more condensed article by Dr. Hoskins will be found in the National Geographic Magazine for December, 1909, which you may be able to obtain from your public library. In connection with this lesson you might like to use the following plan. On as large a sheet of paper as you can obtain, block out a map of the Sinaitic Peninsula. Stretch this out on the sand table, or even on the floor. Have the pupils mark the points at which the Children of Israel stopped. Then have some of them who letter well prepare flags made of colored paper and lettered with the name of the place — red for the Red Sea, perhaps ; green for the oasis of Elim ; yellow for the wilderness, to represent sand ; gray for the mountains with their rocks. Have these flags mounted on black-headed hatpins, and stuck into your map at the proper places. Then take a ball of twine. Tie it to the first hatpin, which you have placed at Rameses ; extend the twine to Succoth, and wind around the banner pin there ; carry to Pi-hahiroth, and across the Red Sea to Marah and Elim. This will make a straight path between one place and the next. Of course the Children of Israel did not take a straight course, but the plan will help your pupils to visualize the geographical setting. You may adapt the same plan to use on your sand-table map. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To bring the pupils to see that God’s love and care were not only for the Children of Israel, but for all the people of the world. Bring out the lesson of God’s goodness even when the Children of Israel were rebellious and ungrateful for all that had been done to them. Appeal to the pupils’ sense of justice. The people were unfair to God, who had shown so great kindness to them by the miracles which he had done for them. It was only a short time since he had delivered them from Pharaoh at the Red Sea. Now they were longing to be back amid the fleshpots of Egypt. They remembered the fish which they ate in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, Numbers 11:5, but they forgot lxii TO THE TEACHER their hard work, and how they had longed for freedom. Ask the pupils if they ever do anything similar to this. Are they always grateful to God for what he does for them? Make the end of the lesson an appeal to them for appreciation of their blessings. Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim: To lead the pupils to express their gratitude to God for his goodness to our nation and to themselves in particular. Make this a patriotic service. Use the songs of thanks¬ giving and gratitude found in your hymnal. Be sure to teach the children a grace to use at table, and urge them to use it. It will be well to ask the parents to cooperate with you in this. j Chapter XXYIII Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To continue the instruction of the pupils in regard to the geography of the Sinaitic Peninsula. Continue the map drills which you have begun in the last lesson. Picture as vividly as possible the desert scenes. Tell the story of Moses smiting the rock at Rephidim, but do not confuse this with the similar event described in Xumbers 20:8-11. Keep clearly before the pupils the goodness of God in all that he did for the Chil¬ dren of Israel in spite of their disobedience and ingrati¬ tude. Leave them with a sense that God is leading them as he was leading the Children of Israel. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To bring to a focus the children’s knowledge of the Ten Command¬ ments which they have been learning for seven weeks. Place on the blackboard a drawing representing the tables of the law, and drill on the Ten Commandments, pointing to the numerals, and calling on the pupils for the various Commandments. Have them sing' the re¬ sponses given in “ The Hymnal,” ATumber 151. At this time the pupils should become so letter perfect in their knowledge of the Commandments that they will never forget them. Use the following pictures if they are available : Giving the Law on Mount Sinai, by Dore. TO THE TEACHER lxiii Moses and the Tablets of the Law. (This subject has been treated by various artists, among whom are Cham- paigne, Ghiberti, and Raphael.) Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim : To show the pupils that all the Ten Commandments are covered in the Two Great Commandments of Jesus, and to lead them to wish to obey these Commandments. Ask the boys and girls what they know about the pledge of the Boy Scouts. They promise to do their duty to God and country. They promise to help other people. Are these things in any way connected with the two Com¬ mandments of Jesus? Do not scouts promise to be loyal to officers, parents, country, and employers? They are to be useful to others, to be friendly to all, to be courteous, to obev orders. These things are all covered in the broad interpretation of Jesus' Two Great Commandments, and also in the Ten Commandments. Show the pupils how far-reaching the rules given so many hundreds of years ago are. They will help the children of to-day in their everyday lives as well as they helped the Children of Israel in the desert. Lead your pupils to express a desire to do those things which God wants them to do, as told in the Ten Commandments. The Scout Oath On my honor I will do mv best — 1. To do my duty to God and my country, and to obey the scout law. 2. To help other people at all times. 3. To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. The Scout Laws 1. A scout is trustworthy. 2. A scout is loyal. 3. A scout is helpful. 4. A scout is friendly. 5. A scout is courteous. 6. A scout is kind. ?. A scout is obedient. lxiv TO THE TEACHER 8. A scout is cheerful. 9. A scout is thrifty. 10. A scout is brave. 11. A scout is clean. 12. A scout is reverent. Chapter XXIX Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To give to the pupils information about the tabernacle, the sacred tent in which the Jews worshiped God from the days of Moses to the days of Solomon. In connection with this lesson you can use the Saxe model of the tabernacle, which may be obtained from the publishers of these lessons. Price, $3.00. This “ includes the court, tabernacle, curtains, four coverings, Ark of the Covenant, table of shewbread, golden altar, golden can¬ dlestick, laver, and brazen altar. It contains in all one hundred and ten pieces, instructions for erecting, eight- page explanation of its spiritual teachings, and a specially written booklet for Junior Department teachers.” If you cannot get this, you can plan to make a simple model, yourself. Have the pupils work out the plans, according to the dimensions given in the Bible, using inches instead of cubits. The article on “ tabernacle,” given in Davis’ “ Dictionary of the Bible,” is clear, and you will find other interesting information in Ridout’s “ Lectures on the Tabernacle.” At least have the pupils lay out the ground plan of the tabernacle, copying the outline given with the lesson. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To continue the lesson on the tabernacle and its furnishings, begun in the week-day session. Have the pupils work out for themselves some of the furnishings of the tabernacle. An Ark may be made from a small pasteboard jewelry box, gilded or covered with gilt paper. Small round brass paper fasteners may be sewed to the sides, to represent the rings through which the poles were passed, and sticks may be smoothed and gilded to represent the poles. Double and paste together TO THE TEACHER lxv a piece of gilt paper. From this cut figures of cherubim, copying the figures on the cover of the Ark, as shown on page 292, and set them up on the lid of the box. Have the pupils cut out small tablets on which they put the Roman numerals I to X to represent the tables of the Law. Put these into the Ark. In a similar way von can make from boxes a laver and an altar, and can cut a can¬ dlestick from gold paper. The copy of such a candlestick can be found, however, in many homes, and perhaps your pupils may be able to bring one of them to the school, which you may show. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show the pupils how willingly the Children of Israel gave their gifts for God’s house, and to help them, too, to learn the lesson of generosity. The Children of Israel gave willingly to the Lord. Though our pupils are only Juniors they are not too young to learn the lesson of stewardship. Let them see through this lesson how they can share, and should share, in giving money and time for God’s work. Show how the Children of Israel gave the treasured possessions which they had brought with them from Egypt. Emphasize the fact that the most skillful workmen gave their time, in making the workmanship of the tabernacle as perfect as possible. Everything that is done for God should be done well and gladly. We owe to him our best. There are many hymns of giving which may be found in the various hymnals. Have the pupils sing several of these. Then, if there is any gift that is needed for your church, which it is within the power of your school to make, urge that the pupils try in every way possible to accomplish this. Their church should be as dear to them as the tabernacle was to the Israelites. They will enjoy doing or giving some definite gift, which they know is needed, and will work hard if you can inspire their enthusiasm. Chapter XXX Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To make the children familiar with the story of the reports of the twelve spies, lxvi TO THE TEACHER In preparing for this story, have a map of the Sinaitic Peninsula and of Palestine put upon the blackboard. In¬ dicate Mount Sinai. Make as vivid as possible the ac¬ count of the way in which the Israelites left the sacred spot. Begin by reviewing the story of the tabernacle — its beautiful furnishings and so on. Then continue some¬ what as follows. “ One morning when the Children of Israel wakened they found that something strange had happened. The pillar of cloud and fire had moved ! It was a sign from God that they were to break camp, and go forward. Quickly they took down the hangings of the tabernacle. Quickly they folded them and packed up the furnishings. The Levites took up the Ark; they moved forward as the pillar of cloud and fire led them. “ They were getting nearer and nearer to Canaan, the Promised Land. They were almost at the border! Then God commanded Moses to send out twelve men, one from each tribe, to look over the land. We call these men ‘ spies/ but the word does not mean what we mean when we use the word nowadays. They were just to explore the land, and make a report about it.’’ Continue with the familiar story, as it is given in the pupil’s lesson. Show pictures of Palestine, and tell of the beauties of the land, as it was in those days. Then show how ungrateful the people were in distrusting God and his promises. Leave the lesson at this point: What would God do? M ould he let the Children of Israel have his promised good gifts? Were they ready to receive them ? Let the pupils decide for themselves, and be pre¬ pared to tell you on Sunday. Pictures to use with this lesson are as follows : The Return of the Spies from the Land of Promise, by Dore. The Return of the Spies, from the Nelson Bible Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show the pupils why it was necessary for the Children of Israel to spend forty years in the wilderness. Because the Children of Israel did not trust God, who had done such wonderful things for them, they had to spend thirty-eight years in addition to the two years before this time in the wilderness, before they were fitted TO THE TEACHER lxvii to enter the Promised Land. They had proved that they were not yet ready to ride themselves. For hundreds of years they had been slaves in Egypt. They still showed traces of this, in their lack of faith. God knew that a new generation would be better prepared for independence, so the forty years in the wilderness had to be decreed. Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim: To teach the pupils the lesson that they, too, should learn to trust in God’s promises. There are many hymns that may be used in connection with this lesson, and if the pupils have not had a service of song too recently, they will enjoy this. Before the session, look through your hymnal, and select suitable hymns. Xo doubt you will find many others in addition to those suggested in the pupil's lesson. You can also have the pupils find verses which tell of God’s promises to those who trust in him, and how they have been fulfilled. Have a contest to see who can find and read first the verses which you, or the pupil leader, announces. Chapter XXXI Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To show the pupils how failure to trust God brought trouble to the Is¬ raelites in the wilderness. To show, also, how wrong it is to grumble and complain. Have put on the blackboard a map of the region in which the Israelites spent thirty-eight years, particularly indicating Kadesh-barnea, and showing how this was the center of their life during the long period between the return of the twelve spies, from their expedition into Canaan, and the time when the last man and woman wdio had seen the miracles which God had done in Egypt, had died. Then ask the pupils to make a list of the troubles which came to the people of Israel in the wilderness, in as far as they are given in the lesson passage: 1. The Death of Miriam. 2. The Lack of Water. 3. The Refusal of the King of Edom to Allow Them to Pass Through His Land. lxviii TO THE TEACHER 4. The Death of Aaron. 5. The Defeat of King Arad of Canaan. 6. The Fiery Serpents. Show to the pupils how these troubles were all due to the people’s lack of trust in God, and to their complaints against him. Show how faith in God’s miracles and promises would have prevented many of these things — that is, they would not have suffered the troubles num¬ bered 2, 3, 5, 6, above, if they had accepted the report of Caleb and Joshua, and gone into Canaan, trusting in God. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To review the story of the life of Moses. Have ready before the session all the pictures of Moses which you have used in the lessons about him. Ask the pupils to arrange these in the order of the events of his life. What were the principal events of the first forty years? Of the second forty years? Of the third forty years? Show which pictures belong to each period. Then ask how many times Moses had failed in doing as God wanted him to do. How was he punished the first time he was impatient? (By having to leave his palace home in Egypt, and becoming a shepherd in the land of Midian.) How did God treat him when he objected to doing his will? (Exodus 3:10-14). God was patient with him, and allowed him to have Aaron with him. What was the final example of Moses’ impatience which is given to us? What was his punishment this time? But, al¬ though God punished Moses he honored him highly. Trace on the map the journey of the people until the time when Moses left them, climbing alone the heights of Nebo, and dwell upon the honor which God did him. Show how he has always been considered one of the greatest men in the world. Three religions — the Chris¬ tian, the Jewish, and the Mohammedan — honor him, and he is an example of as great faith in God and in his power as the world has ever seen. “ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11 :27. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express their own trust in God and his promises. TO THE TEACHER lxix In answering the Questions and discussing the Topics for the lesson, the pupils will review the last lessons. This brings to a conclusion the series on the wilderness wanderings, and next week we begin the Stories of the Conquest of Canaan. Have the lesson center on the way in which the Israelites in the wilderness had succeeded when they trusted in God, and had failed when they failed to believe in him. Make the lesson practical for the pupils by pointing out the necessity for trust in their own personal lives. Helps for Teaching the Review AN ITINERARY OF THE WILDERNESS JOURNEY (Condensed and Reworded from Davis’ Bible Dictionary) STAGE 1. FROM RAMESES TO MOUNT SINAI RamesES, left in first month, fifteenth day. Succoth. Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. Phhahiroth. Crossing the Red Sea. Marah, reached after three days in the wilderness. The bitter water made sweet. Elim. Rest in a welbwatered oasis. By the Red Sea. Wilderness of Sin. Dophkah and Alush, told of in Numbers 33 :12, 13. Rephidim, where the people were given water, and where the battle with Amalek was fought. Wilderness of Sinai, where the people camped before the mount in the third month, remained there eleven months, received the Ten Commandments, and raised the tabernacle. STAGE 2. FROM MOUNT SINAI TO KADESH- BARNEA Left Mount Sinai second year, second month, twentieth day. Kibroth-Hattaavah. Taberah. lxx TO THE TEACHER Hazeroth. Rithmah. Kadesh, reached when grapes were ripe, the latter part of the fifth month. Spies sent out and discouraging reports caused the people to revolt. Their punishment being the forty years of wandering (thirty-eight years longer plus two years already spent). Kadesh was the central station for the thirty-eight years, during which the men of that genera¬ tion died. The names of the various camps are given. Numbers 33 : 1 9-35. STAGE 3. FROM KADESH TO THE JORDAN Left Kadesh, first month of the fortieth year; the sin of Meribah. Mount Hor, edge of Edom, fifth month. Aaron’s death occurred here. The king of Edom’s refusal of a right of way led to the circuitous journey told of in Numbers, chap¬ ter 21. Zalmonah, the people troubled by fiery serpents, and healed by the serpent of brass. Tourneying in the Wilderness East of Moab. The Plains of Moab, opposite Jericho, reached in the fortieth year before the eleventh month. Moses’ death on Mount Nebo in Moab. Chapter XXXII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To help the pupils with the geography of this lesson and those which follow. If you have available the First Year Course of the Junior Church School Lessons, “ Jesus, the Light of the World,’’ make use of Lesson I and the relief map given on page 25. Refer back, also, to Part I of the second year, pages 82 and 83, and to the map facing page 78. Read about the geography of the lesson in Smith’s “ Historical Geography of the Holy Land ” or in Kent's book on the same subject. Find in old National Geographic Magazines or in other magazines at your local library pictures of Jericho and TO THE TEACHER lxxi the Jordan River. If you can obtain magazines which you can cut up, have the pupils cut and mount the pictures to use with the lesson. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show how God gave courage to Joshua to do his work, and to im¬ press the fact that God will give us courage, too, if we are ready and willing to give ourselves to his service. Make the lesson a “ courage ’’ lesson, helping the pupils to see how God will give them strength and courage to do what is right, if they will ask for his help. Speak of the splendid examples of courage in Bible times, and since those times of which we have studied. Recall to them the lessons of the first year's work on Polycarp, Bernard, Luther, Carey, and the other modern missionaries of whom they have learned. Then ask if they know of any present-day examples of courage for the right. Ask if they themselves have ever felt the need of asking God’s help to make them brave. Once there was a little girl of Junior age who was alone in the house with her little brother and sister, who were asleep. Their father and mother were away, and the cook had gone out on an errand. The little girl heard the window in the kitchen open, and though she was very much frightened, she went to see what was happening. It was just the cook, who had forgotten her key, and had climbed in the window quietly, so that she would not dis¬ turb the children, she said. Was the little girl brave? She was frightened, but she did what she thought was right. She was braver than if she had not been fright¬ ened, it seems to me. With incidents similar to this story, show the pupils that they, too, can be strong and of a good courage. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To con¬ tinue the teaching of the Sunday Session, and to lead the pupils to express their belief that God will give them strength and courage when they need it, as he gave these same qualities to Joshua and Moses. In the Questions and Topics for to-day the pupils have been asked for subjects which will review the other ses¬ sions of the week. Ask particularly about these points. Then ask them to tell you of other Bible stories where the lxxii TO THE TEACHER characters were strong and courageous, as God wanted them to be. Perhaps you can have drawn upon the blackboard the various pieces of armor mentioned in the lesson passage. If any of your pupils can draw or trace well, have them draw the outline of a soldier. Then sketch in the various pieces of armor mentioned. The same plan can be used with paper dolls, if any of your pupils can make them. Chapter XXXIII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show that courage to do brave deeds comes to those who trust in God. Make as dramatic as possible the expedition of the two spies whom Joshua sent out to Jericho. Tell how they swam across the Jordan. Ask the pupils to find what season of the year it was. (The third day of the month Nisan, or Ahib, corresponding to our April, has been esti¬ mated as the date of the expedition of the spies. This calculation is based on Joshua 4:19, and the fact that the people encamped at the Jordan three days, chapter 3:2, before they were told that on the morrow they should see the wonders of the Lord, and that the spies spent three days in the mountains, chapter 2 :22.) Ask the pupils what season of the year it was when the Children of Israel left Egypt. (Let the pupils find the reference. Exodus 13:3, 4.) Forty years had passed. Now it was spring again, the time of the flax and barley harvests. The spies slipped through the city gates. They examined the plan of the city. They went for the night to the house of a woman named Rahab, situated on the city wall. In the meantime the king had heard something about them. He sent in search of them, but Rahab hid them under the piles of flax stalks which she had drying on the flat roof of her house. (Have the pupils continue the story as vividly as possible. If they bring up the point that Rahab told a lie to the king’s men, say that we must remember that she was still a heathen. She did not know the standards of right and wrong set by the true God. She was just be- TO THE TEACHER lxxiii ginning to know about him. If the pupils themselves do not bring up this point, do not mention it.) Using the model of the flat-roofed house which you have made so often before, picture the hiding place of the spies, and their escape. Compare with Paul's escape from Damascus. Acts 9:23-25. Tell of the report which these two spies brought to Joshua. They both proved brave. Note the difference between this party — 100% courag¬ eous — and that sent out by Moses, in which only two out of twelve were strong and brave. Drill on the first five books of the Bible, asking the pupils to place events of their lessons in the books where they belong. Sunday Session. The Teacher's Aim: To deepen the pupils’ trust in God. Make as vivid as possible the description of the Jordan at flood tide in the spring. You will be helped in your picture by reading the description given in Deane’s “ Joshua, His Life and Times," in the “ Men of the Bible ” series. If there is in the vicinity a stream with which the children are familiar speak of this, and the way in which it is different in a time of storm or of flood from what it is in ordinary weather. Tell of the floods of our own great Mississippi and its branches. You can find many stories of this in your library, or even in the newspapers. It was at such a time that the Israelites were to cross the Jordan. They did not know how they were to cross, but they trusted God and were readv to do exactly as Joshua commanded. The lesson of absolute faith had been learned, and they were ready to do as God wanted them to do. Pictures to be used with the lesson will be found in the Nelson illustrated Bible. You may also use Dore's pic¬ ture of The Hebrews Passing Over the Jordan. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to feel and express the value of national faith in God, and to show that it depends on the faith, of indi¬ vidual citizens. In this connection use a storv which a father is said to have told a family of quarreling sons. Pie called them to him. “ He showed them a bundle of sticks tied together. lxxiv TO THE TEACHER He said to them, ‘ Break this bundle.’ Each of the sons tried to break it but could not. The father untied the bundle and told each son to break one stick. They could do this easily. Then the father said, ‘ If all of you could stand together, no one could do you any harm, but each one separate is as weak as one of these little sticks.’ ” (From “ English for Foreigners, Book I,” Houghton Mifflin Company.) Show the application of this story to the pupils’ loyalty and trust in God. The nation is loyal and trusting only as its citizens, banding together, are loyal and trusting. Perhaps you will prefer to use this illustration by actually preparing a bundle of sticks before the period, and telling the members of the class to try the experiment. Chapter XXXIV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the result of the trust in God of the people of Israel, and to urge the pupils also to trust him. The story of the stones taken out of the Jordan and set up as a memorial of the passing over of the river may be worked out by the pupils on the sand table. Ask them to think of any permanent memorials in our own country, such as the Washington Monument, the many statues of Lincoln, or others raised in honor of special events or of special heroes. Then speak of what these mean to us and what the stones set up by Joshua meant to the Israel¬ ites. For centuries they were known. It is thought that even in New Testament times John the Baptist, baptizing in the Jordan River, pointed them out to his hearers say¬ ing, “ God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” So, all through the ages the people of Israel remembered God’s goodness to them. So should we; as a nation, remember God’s goodness to us. Ask the pupils to speak of times when God showed our nation the way — opening up a path across the trackless Atlantic for our fathers, giving our country the victory in time of war, and so on. Make the lesson patriotic and national. Perhaps you will prefer to shorten the regular lesson, and take the time to prepare for the little dramatization TO THE TEACHER lxxv to be given on Sunday. This will be necessary if you wish to make it at all elaborate. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : The little drama¬ tization will fix the lesson on the capture of Jericho in the minds of the pupils. Show the picture given in the Nel¬ son Bible if you have this, or other available pictures. The most simple setting may be used for this dramatiza¬ tion. Be sure to have the seven leaders carry trumpets. Costumes can be exceedingly simple, such as have been used before in this course. Have the pupils make swords, helmets, and other pieces of armor from pasteboard at a week-day session, if you wish, but these are not necessary. Label these pieces of armor with the names given in Ephesians, Chapter 6. The exercise may be given with¬ out any costuming at all, if you prefer. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: Make this a thanksgiving service for any victories over difficulties or over self that the pupils may have fought and won. If they are shy about mentioning these, tell of Helen Keller, who won such a great victory over physical handicaps ; of Mary Slessor, the missionary to Calabar, who won a victory over adverse circumstances : of a boy who won a victory over a terrible temper : of a girl who overcame a temptation to lie. All these victories, as well as na¬ tional victories, are God given. Chapter XXXV Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To give to the pupils the history of the early steps in the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites. Have put on the blackboard a large outline map of Palestine. Have the four zones, of which the class has studied in former lessons in the course, colored solidly but lightly with colored crayons, perhaps using brown, green, red, and yellow to indicate the various heights. Make the seas and waterways blue. This map should be drawn carefully for you may want to keep it on the board for several weeks. Put in the places in Canaan which the Israelites have captured so far. Mark the Jordan River, Jericho, Gilgal. Then insert Bethel, which has not been lxxvi TO THE TEACHER mentioned since the Genesis lessons. Ask the pupils to tell of events that occurred there, and the promises which were made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob about this very territory. Not very far from Bethel, though the site is as yet un¬ identified, was Ai, a small place, but important. It was the next place in the line of march. The Israelites at¬ tacked it with the utmost courage, but they failed. Why? Let the pupils themselves bring out the point that the act of one man can sometimes injure many people. The boy on the football team, who won’t obey training rules; the girl who talks in school and gets her neighbor into trouble ; the man who is careless with his cigarette, and sets fire to a building; such examples can be used to show how the carelessness or selfishness of one individual can affect many people. In the same way .the good deed spreads — “ a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To continue the lesson teaching begun in the Week Day Session, and to show that had the Israelites consulted God they would not have been deceived. In this lesson emphasize the need of prayer to God, night and morning. Had the Israelites asked God’s coun¬ sel they would not have been deceived by the Gibeonites. Make the lesson a strong appeal to the pupils for de¬ pendence on God and his leadership. This lesson passage lends itself well to reading aloud. Have one pupil read the general descriptive passage. Have others read the words of the Gibeonites, of the people of Israel, of Joshua, of the princes, and so on. Even without rehearsal on the part of the children, this can be made a lively and interesting little exercise. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to feel and express the folly of trying to lie and cheat. Aside from any religious motive the lesson of the folly of trying to deceive is most useful. Let the class discuss such questions as these: If John breaks a window, with his ball, does it pay for him to lie about it? If Mary breaks a cup when she is washing the dishes, does it pay for her to deny it? Does it pay to cheat in a test in TO THE TEACHER lxxvii school ? Does it pay to pretend that you have something that you would like to have, but really haven't? Does it pay to get any advantage unfairly? There are many times in the children's lives when questions of this kind will come to them. They should be led to express a strong opinion against lying and cheating of any kind. Chapter XXXVI Week D ay Session. The Teacher's Aim : To continue the pupils’ instruction in regard to the conquest of Canaan, and to show them that God will help them, too, in fighting their own battles with temptation, if thev rely on him for strength. Have put on the blackboard the outline map of Pales¬ tine suggested in the pupils' lesson. Have a brisk review of the geography of Palestine — its length, breadth, cli¬ mate. the five zones, and so on — facts which have been given at various times during the course. Then ask the pupils to locate Jericho. Gilgal, Ai (approximately), the two Beth-horons, and Jerusalem. This battle of Beth- horon. or Gibeon, is considered by some authorities as one of the decisive battles of the world. Deane, in “ Joshua, His Life and Times." says: “ Coming suddenly from the defile into the more open ground in front of Gibeon, the Israelites struck the Amorites with dismay. Such prompt action was quite unexpected : the remembrance of the ter¬ rible massacres of Jericho and Ai was present to their minds : the bearing of these strangers was bold, as if as¬ sured of victory ; and as they shouted their confident war cry, ‘ God is mighty in battle : God is his name,’ the Amorites were stricken with panic, and offered but slight resistance to the furious attack of the Hebrews. They were completely discomfited, and fled in confusion through the defiles trending westward, on the hilly road broken by many a steep ascent and descent that led to Beth-horon. some five or six miles distant. . . . There were two places so called, an Upper and a Lower Beth- horon. the latter lying seven hundred feet lower than the former, some five or six miles distant." Do not take up the question of Joshua’s command that lxxviii TO THE TEACHER the sun stand still unless the pupils speak of it. The ques¬ tion has puzzled many people for many ages, and was the center of the fight with the astronomer Galileo, in the six¬ teenth century, when he first discovered that the sun was fixed, and that the earth moved round it. The probable explanation is that it is a poetic expression for what seemed to take place. God, in some way, prolonged the day. The way that this was done, as explained by these verses, is the human explanation, put in poetic form, but not necessarily the true explanation. Do not dwell upon the destruction of the five kings. Many times in the Bible such destruction was necessary, though it is foreign to us with our Christian ideals of the value of life. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to make a decision for God and the right. Before the session, prepare the outline of a large stone, such as that shown in the picture, and large enough to be cut conveniently from plain tablet or typewriting paper. Have sufficient paper and patterns to supply all the pupils with “ stones. ” Then ask why we have memorials of great events. Speak of the Bunker Hill Monument and the address made there by Webster. (See Sunday Ses¬ sion.) 'Then ask the pupils to write on their stones a de¬ cision for the right which they will make to-day. . Tell them to take this pledge home, and to put it where they will see it, so that it will remind them of the decision which they have made. This day was a Decision Dav for the Israelites. Make it a Decision Day for your pupils also. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To lead the pupils to express their decision for God and the right. You may perhaps have a prayer meeting for this ses¬ sion, letting the class leader suggest that the pupils ask in sentence prayers for help in deciding for God and the right. Make the session practical, showing how impor¬ tant seemingly small decisions for the right may turn out to be. Review the choices of some of the characters about whom we have studied in the past, both Biblical and non-Biblical, such as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Polycarp, TO THE TEACHER lxxix Luther, Carey. Show how these men all decided for God and the right. Chapter XXXVII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To give to the pupils a general idea of the history of the Israelites at the time of the Judges. The period of the history of Israel is frequently passed over in Sunday-school lessons, but it is interesting and important in showing the settlement of the people in the land of Canaan. The pupils have been given the names of the first two judges, as they are given in Judges, chap¬ ters 1 to 3, and a bit about each of them. In connection with this, you might point out on the map the sections of the land in which the most important tribes of the Israel¬ ites were settled. It will not be necessary to go into detail about all the tribes, but point out that Simeon was in the far south; Judah just north of Simeon; Gad and Reuben across the Jordan ; Asher, Zebulun, and NTaphtali in the extreme north, where they were most open to at¬ tacks of enemies. Each tribe was a separate little state, and there was little unity in this period of history. So, in Judges 1 :3, we read that Judah and Simeon fought against the Canaanites, and in chapter T :10, it is men of Zebulun and Xaphtali who bear the brunt of the battle. It is as if Maine and Xew York fought against Canada, and Texas against Mexico, without the intervention of people of other states of the Union. God’s people had not yet be¬ come a united nation. To show how this unity came about is the aim of these lessons on the period of the Judges. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To show God’s mercy to the people even though they sinned so many times against him. In the story of Deborah and Barak bring out the miraculous way in which God helped the Israelites once more. Compare Deborah's song with the song of Moses and Miriam at the crossing of the Red Sea, Exodus, chap¬ ter 15. Ask the pupils whether they find anything simi¬ lar between Miriam and Deborah. (Both are called lx XX TO THE TEACHER “ prophetess,” but Deborah alone actually foresaw the future. There are two other prophetesses in the Old Testament, Huldah, II Kings 22:14, and Noadiah, Nehe- miah 6 :14.) Ask the pupils to find the name of another Deborah in the Old Testament. This second Deborah “ dwelt under the palm tree,” which probably grew over the grave of the first Deborah, the nurse of Rebekah, Genesis 35 :8, who had been buried “ there under an oak,” many centu¬ ries before. “ A wide-spreading terebinth overshadowed the burial place of Deborah the nurse; the branches of a graceful palm waved over the oracle of Deborah the prophetess.” Do not dwell upon the killing of Sisera by Jael. This was a breach of hospitality which it would have been hard to forgive in those days, though it was not consid¬ ered a crime, as we would consider it. “To her Sisera was a ruthless tyrant, the violator of Hebrew homes, the man who had lifted himself proudly against Jehovah. And swiftly, sternly, she executed what she believed to be a righteous vengeance. We can appreciate her cour¬ age, her intrepidity, and the faith which was its main¬ spring, even though we reprobate the means which she took to accomplish her end. And whilst we censure her, let us take heed that a like courage, a like intrepidity, and a still higher faith, are the characteristics of our warfare as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.” Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to feel and to express the feeling that God helps those who go in the right way, and try to lead others, too, in the paths of righteousness. The pupils should be impressed during the session with the lesson that the leader for the right is the man who in the first place has learned the right for himself, and can obey. He can command others who first commands him¬ self. In order to lead others in the right path, one must himself know the right path. Perhaps you are familiar with the magic-maze puzzles which are frequently given in children’s magazines, where the problem is to find the shortest path to the center of a circle or a square which is filled with numerous “ paths,” TO THE TEACHER lxxxi having numerous entrances. If you can find one of these puzzles in a St. Nicholas, for instance, make a copy of it on the blackboard. Ask the pupils to trace their way to the center. Probably they will not be able to do so at the first attempt. After they have tried several times, take a blue crayon and mark the shortest way to the center. This shows how much easier it is to go straight if we know the way. If we wander around without any guid¬ ance, we often make mistakes. But if we learn the right way, and follow the right leader, we can go straight to our goal. And when we ourselves know the right path, we can show others, leading them also to the right, as God would have us do. Chapter XXXVIII Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To show the historical background of the story of Gideon, and to teach that God calls every one of us to work for him. Ophrah, where Gideon lived at the time of the lesson, was a village west of the Jordan River, held by a family of Manasseh. Its site is uncertain. Make as vivid as possible the picture of Gideon thresh¬ ing grain in secret, while the enemy, as numerous as the sands of the sea, overran the land. The Israelites had lost all faith in the true God, it seems ; but God saw some good in Gideon, the son of Joash. Joash was an idol wor¬ shiper, just as Terah, the father of Abraham, had been. Yet the sons of both these idol worshipers became leaders for the true God. As so often since those days, he chose men from unlikely places to serve him, and to lead others to him. Ask the pupils to find and compare the visit of the three angels to Abraham, Genesis 18:1-8, with the visit of the angel to Gideon. Ask them to try to remem¬ ber any other angel messengers about whom they have studied. (Jacob, Genesis 28:11-17; Joshua, Joshua 5:13- 15, for instance, in the Old Testament; Alary and Zaeh- arias in the New Testament stories of the first year.) As handwork the pupils may enjoy making a poster of agricultural scenes in Palestine, to go with this lesson, and those about Ruth. Use the picture of threshing given on page 384, as a basis for one part of the poster. lxxxii TO THE TEACHER Make three separate divisions, one division showing the methods of sowing; one showing reaping; the third show¬ ing threshing. Pictures which will help with the first two sections will be found in Chapter XEI, but you may begin with the last, as it fits best with this lesson. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim ; To show how God helps his followers to be brave in doing his work. Explain something about Baal and Ashtoreth, the heathen gods whom the Israelites at this time were wor¬ shiping instead of the true God. Davis’ “ Dictionary of the Bible ” gives the following account of them : “ Ash era ri. A word uniformly translated grove in the Authorized Version. ... It was something upright made of wood, Exodus 34:13, originally, perhaps, the trunk of a tree with the branches chopped off, and was regarded as the wooden symbol of a goddess Asherah, who like Ashtoreth, was the type of abounding fertility: It was erected beside the altar of Baal.” “Baal [master lord, possessor! . A sun god, exhibiting different aspects of the solar energy, the center of whose worship was Phoenicia, whence it spread to the neighbor¬ ing countries. Baal was adored on high places in Moab as early as the days of Balaam and Balak (Numbers 22:41). In the time of the Judges he had altars within the country of the Israelites (Judges 2:13; 6:28-32).” Gideon showed his bravery in destroying the represen¬ tations of these heathen gods. He received a new name becaue he did this. What was his new name? (Have some one read Judges 6:31, 32.) What new name did Abram receive? (Genesis 17:5.) Jacob? (Genesis 32:28.) Many times people receive new names when they turn to the worship of the true God. Many times they suffer persecution and hatred, just as Gideon risked doing, just as the young Hindu told about on page 391 did. Bring the lesson down to the pupils’ own lives, show¬ ing that if they stand up for the right, they will some¬ times find themselves opposed and standing alone, but that in the end, ai?d with God’s help, they will win out as Gideon did. “ One with God is a majority.” Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the TO THE TEACHER lxxxiii pupils to feel and to express the feeling that it is neces¬ sary for them to take responsibilities, even when they hesitate, in order to prepare them for the future. Boys and girls of Junior age differ very greatly in the matter of assuming responsibilities. Some of them are only too eager to accept them, though they are not always reliable in carrying out the duty which they have taken upon themselves. Others, like Gideon and Moses, hesi¬ tate. It is for this latter class that this lesson is particu¬ larly intended. They should be made to feel that God wants every man and woman to do his share in the world's work. He can do his best by preparing for re¬ sponsibility when a child. He can never be a leader, or make a success in life, in any sense, if he avoids responsi¬ bility. If you can make the pupils see their duty in assuming responsibility and then in being conscientious in the performance of the duty which they have assumed, the aim of the lesson is accomplished. Chapter XXXIX Week Day Session. The Teacher's Aim: To give to the pupils the remainder of the story of Gideon. Have put on the blackboard the sketch map of the scene of the battle between Gideon’s forces and the forces of the Midianites. Have the story told as vividly as pos¬ sible. Let the pupils read the description of the way in which the men of Gideon drank, and then let them show how they think the three hundred proved that they were alert and watchful. The careless men laid aside their weapons and knelt. The three hundred who lapped “ as a dog lappeth,” dipped their hands in the stream, and drank from them as from a cup. Point out, too, that it was usually only the leaders who carried trumpets. The Midianites, hearing the noise of three hundred trumpets, would think that there were three hundred leaders, and a correspondingly large force of men. But back of all, God’s hand was directing and guiding. The story is full of dramatic incidents, and you may prefer to have the pupils give an impromptu dramatization. lxxxiv TO THE TEACHER Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To give the pupils additional facts in connection with the period of the Judges, and to continue the teaching about true lead¬ ership, which is being emphasized in these lessons. The fable of Jotham concerning the bramble-bush king is one of the two fables given in the Old Testament, the other being II Kings 14:9. The fable and the parable are different in that the standpoint of the parable is “ heav¬ enly, not earthly ; it is so arranged that, through natural objects, it conveys spiritual instruction to the mind, it invites thought to the eternal side of things, to the deeper and higher verities of the moral universe. The fable is earthly in its point, in its aim. It is intended to teach lessons of prudence, of wise conduct, of foresight in action. The parable never reverses the order of nature; the fable does. Animals speak, laugh, reason, instruct. In the two Old Testament fables, it is not animals but trees : in the fable before us, trees discourse to excellent purpose.” The lesson for our pupils to gain through this fable is the importance of preparation, of being a worthy leader, instead of one who merely “ shows off.” A true leader is truly modest, not calling attention to himself and his own good qualities, but really deserving them when they come to him. The bramble-bush king did not deserve his hon¬ ors. He was unwilling to share, and assumed far more authority than was rightfully his due. The lesson that true leaders do not act in this way, but are those who serve rather than those who receive service, is to be em¬ phasized. Bring the conclusion by pointing out that the greatest Leader of all came “ not to be ministered unto, but to minister,” and has left for his true followers an ideal of service. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To help the pupils to feel and express a desire to be true leaders — that is, leaders for the right. Bring the pupils to a desire to lead others in the right way. Show that there can be leaders in wrong ways as well as in right ways, and point out the difference be¬ tween true leaders and those who are not true. Bring out the qualities asked for under Topics for Discussion or TO THE TEACHER lxxxv Reports, and ask whether a leader who is not a “ true ” leader would have these qualities. Make the examples very simple. (a) Knowledge. If John offers to show you the way through the woods by a short cut, and then becomes con¬ fused, so that you are lost, he is not a “ true ” leader. Tie does not have knowledge. (b) Will Power. If Mary has strength of will, so that she can give up the things which she knows are not good for her, even when she likes them, she has one of the qualities of a “ true ” leader. (c) Perseverance. If at first Walter does not succeed, but tries again, he has a chance to become a leader. (d) If Mabel boasts of how well she can spell, and then is beaten in the test by Jane, who has not said a word about her ability, which girl is fitted for leadership? (e) Cooperation. Helen is praised for the delicious cake that she has made. She fails to give credit to Paul¬ ine, who has beaten the eggs, and Pauline’s feelings are hurt. She was not given credit for Avhat she did, and so does not help another time. A “ true ” leader would have given her credit, and she would have been led in the way of helping. In this way emphasize as many of the qualities of a true leader as you have time to do, showing the pupils practical examples, and then asking that they themselves supply others. Chapter XL Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To continue the instruction of the pupils in the history of Israel during the time of the Judges, with particular reference to Samson. The names of the various judges of Israel have been given in the pupil's lesson. In the main very little infor¬ mation is given in regard to these men, though there is an extended account of Jephthah. Possibly you may want to compare the story of Jephthah’s daughter with the story of that in Iphegenia, in Greek legend. Have the pupils finish the “ scroll ” containing the names of the judges which they began with Lesson XXXVII. lxxxvi TO THE TEACHER Another comparison often made between Greek legend and the history of Israel in this period is found between the deeds of Hercules and those of Samson. If you care to look up the “ twelve labors of Hercules ” you can make the comparison for yourself. In the pupil’s lesson there has been made a brief com¬ parison between the birth of Samson and that of John the Baptist. In making this comparison you can review briefly some of the material which was given to the pupil in the first year’s work, “ Jesus, the Light of the World.” In connection with this lesson have for the pupils small copies of the Dore picture of Samson and the Lion, which may be obtained from the Wilde Picture Company, for a very small sum. If it is not possible to have these at least have a large copy of the picture. Point out to the pupils the indications of Samson’s strength — his long hair, and so on. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show that strength of body does not necessarily mean strength of will, and that a “ strong ” man or woman is not necessa¬ rily strong in body. In this connection use the life history of some of our great Americans who had strong wills even although their bodies were weak. Speak of Theodore Roosevelt’s strug¬ gle in his youth with ill health — how he determined to do everything in his power to be strong in body. His strong will made him work to obtain a strong body. In the case of Helen Keller, a strong will could not overcome the bodily weakness, but made the most of what she had. It was the same in the case of Paul, of whom we read in the Epistle to the Corinthians, II Corinthians 10:10, that they said, “ Plis letters . . . are weighty and strong; bi;t his bodily presence is weak.” Samson started in life with all sorts of advantages. He was to be a leader of the Israel¬ ites. But his will was weak. He was ready to yield to temptation, and so failed as a leader for God and the right. He redeemed himself by the end of his life, but he would have served Israel better had he learned to be strong in every way. With this lesson show Verdier’s picture of Samson car¬ rying away the gates of Gaza, and Dore’s picture of him TO THE TEACHER lxxxyii breaking down the pillars of the temple of Dagon. Both of these may be obtained from the Wilde Picture Company. Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To help the pupils to feel that they need not be discouraged if they make mistakes, but that they must ask God for help, and try to right the wrongs that they have done. In this connection you may have access to “ Men Who Made Good,’’ by John T. Faris, which will give you stories which will help you in teaching this lesson. The book contains many stories of those who had to struggle with adversity of various kinds, but who won success as leaders, in spite of handicaps. Bring out with the pupils the fact that everyone in all the world makes mistakes, and that even those whom God has used as his strongest leaders for the right have had to fight against some weak¬ ness of body or of will or of circumstance. A failure is not a disgrace, if one takes the failure in the right spirit. God gives a second chance to those Avho have learned the lesson which a first failure has taught them. The baby learns to walk by falling again and again, and then pick¬ ing himself up. So Christian men and women and boys and girls should do. Show the pupils that they should have confidence in themselves, and in God’s promises for them if they follow his commands. Be sure, how¬ ever, that they do not express themselves egotistically. “ There's a vast difference between egotism and self- confidence. Nothing wrong with a dollar claiming it’s worth a hundred cents, is there? The fault would be claiming anything less for itself. A child will grow and expand because of self-confidence. He will learn to de¬ velop qualities and a character that will have to live up to his self-esteem." Ch after XLI Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To give to the pupils the historic background of the Book of Ruth. Ruth probably lived in the latter part of the period of the Judges, sixty years or more before the birth of David. It is usually thought that she lived in the time of Eli, as lxxxviii TO THE TEACHER this fits in with the fact that she was the great-grand¬ mother of David. Use this lesson as an opportunity for a geographical review, telling how the family of Elimelech traveled from the hill town of Bethlehem, northeast to the level of the Jordan, which they probably crossed at the fords of the Jordan, thus passing into the territory of Moab. The Moabites were heathen descendants of Lot's son, Moab. During the time of the Judges there was almost constant war between them and the Israelites, but at this time, as later, in the days of David, I Samuel 22 :3, 4, there was a friendly relationship between them and the Jews. Pictures to use with the lesson may be obtained from the A ilde or the Perry Pictures Company. Calderon’s Ruth and Xaomi is beautiful, as is Ruth Gleaning, by Bruck-Lajos. Other pictures are by Bida, Hubner, and Cabanel. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To show the pupils the results of Ruth’s love for Naomi and kindness to her, and to lead them to try to follow her example in caring for their elders. Ruth’s kindness to Naomi is followed by Boaz’ kind¬ ness to Ruth; and Ruth’s reward was a place in Jesus’ ancestry. A reward so great as this does not always fol¬ low our acts of kindness. Ruth did not know that her great-grandson was to become king of Israel ; her later descendant the Saviour of the world. Yet we who live three thousand years later know it. Our little deeds of kindness often have unexpected results, which we never can trace. “ For the want of the nail the shoe was lost,” is an old saying which contains a principle that is true of kindness as well as of other things. Many customs of Israel in the time of the Judges are given in the Book of Ruth. The right of a nearest rela¬ tive of a dead man to his property ; the method of binding a bargain by removing the shoe ; the methods of agricul¬ ture, are points that show the life and manners of the time. You may want to use these points in connection with the lesson, and you may find information in Davis’ Bible Dictionary under the headings “ Ruth,” “ shoe,” and “ agriculture.” TO THE TEACHER lxxxix Expressional Session. The Teacher’s Aim : To lead the pupils to express a determination to be loving and re¬ spectful to their elders. Stories emphasizing this point may be found in Sly’s “ World Stories Retold,’’ under the heading “ Love— to Parents,’’ and in many other books of young people’s stories. Let the pupils name some Bible children who grew in favor both with God and man, such as Samuel, David, Naaman’s little maid, Jesus. Chapter XLII Week Day Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To introduce to the pupils the boy Samuel, and to show the back¬ ground in which he lived. The story of Samuel comes at the end of the period of the Judges, and forms a transition to the period of the Kings, which we begin with our next year’s work. His boyhood falls in the judgeship of Eli : his later manhood and old age when Saul and David were kings. Make tjie picture of the life of the time as vivid as possible. Show how the tabernacle had been placed at Shiloh in the time of Joshua, but that many of the people forgot the wor¬ ship of the true God, and failed to keep his commands. Speak of the passover feast, and remind the pupils of the events which it commemorated. Then tell about Eli, who was not only priest, but also judge : he was an old man at this time, when Samuel was brought to him, and was fail¬ ing in his powers, as shown by the way in which he al¬ lowed his sons to act. Do not bring out the fact that Elkanah had two wives, unless the pupils themselves mention it. Then say simply that this was the custom of the times, though not always general. Sunday Session. The Teacher’s Aim: To set before the pupils the example of Samuel which they may follow in their own lives. Have the pupils review the construction of the taber¬ nacle, and show a seven-branched candlestick, saying that lighting and extinguishing this was one of Samuel's du¬ ties as he grew older. Bring out the fact that he led about xc TO THE TEACHER the old priest, who was nearly blind. He slept close to the old man, so that he could answer his call at night Show that Samuel really worked very hard for a twelve- year-old. Ask if the pupils think that he had any play¬ time? Any playmates? Even although he did, he was not so care free as are our Juniors of to-day. Yet he per¬ formed his duties well and cheerfully. He won favor with God and man. Tell of his joy when the time came for one of the great feasts when his mother and father and younger brothers and sisters would be present, and the anticipation of his meeting with them. Picture him as a normal boy, with a keen intellect and a keen sense of responsibility, developed on account of his association with older people. Do not make him out a prig, but just a boy, whose example it is possible for boys and girls of to-day to follow. A picture that may be used with the lesson is Samuel, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. Expressional Session. The Teacher's Aim : To lead the pupils to express a desire to follow the example of Samuel. Let the pupils themselves select the characteristics in the boy Samuel which they should emulate. A number of these have been given in their lesson. Put these on the blackboard. Then add the following acrostic, asking in what ways Samuel showed himself to have the sug¬ gested qualities. Sanctified. (Before his birth.) Alert. (He was ready at the instant that he thought he was called by Eli.) Manageable. (He did as Eli told him to do, without objection.) Untiring. (He did his duty unfailingly.) Earnest. (In the way he received God's command.) Loving. (He “ increased in favor with . . . men,” and in every way showed his love for Eli.) Show the pupils that they themselves can have many of the qualities of the child Samuel, and tell some inci¬ dents of children of modern times who have shown simi¬ lar characteristics. GOD CARING FOR HIS PEOPLE IN THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD CHAPTER I WEEK DAY SESSION “ IN THE BEGINNING ” Genesis 1 : 1-19 The Memory Verse “ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” — Genesis 1:1. The Lesson Story The most wonderful book that has ever been known is the Bible — the Book in which God has given to his people in the world the record of what he has done for us. It is the source of our knowledge of what he wants us to believe and of how he wants us to live. The Bible has come down to us through many generations. Its writers were inspired by God. It has been preserved in miraculous ways from the hands of those who would have destroyed it forever. The Bible is one Book, but it is made up of sections, which we also call “ books.” The first of these sections, or books, which you will find in your copy of the Bible, is Genesis. If you will look in the dictionary, you will find that the word “ genesis ” means “ the origination or coming into being of anything,” which is, of course, the same as “ beginning,” and that is what the Bible book, Genesis, is — the storv of the beginnings of things, as men inspired by God have writ¬ ten them down for us. Many men have studied the book of Genesis ; many times they have said that the accounts of things given there could not be true. But as our knowledge increases, as men grow to know more and more of what hap¬ pened in the past, they come to see more and more clearlv that the Bible is true, and that those who thought it was wrong were themselves mistaken. Look at the first words of the first verse of Genesis — 3 4 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS “ In the beginning.” That is the way in which our Bible commences. “ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” What existed before that time, we do not know, except that there was God — the Creator of our world and of all that is in it ; the Creator not only of our world, but of all the universe. At first the earth was waste and without form. There was no light. A great expanse of water stretched every¬ where, and the Spirit of God moved over it. And then God spoke, “ Let there be light,” and there was light. Day and night were created, evening and morning, though as yet there were no sun, no moon, no stars — just light and dark¬ ness. And all this God did in one day. (But we must re¬ member that there was as yet no sun to rise and set — just light and darkness — and so “ the day ” was not measured as we measure our time.) God spoke again, “ Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters.” The firmament is the heaven above, into which we look at night. But not even on that second day were there sun or moon or stars, such as we see when we look up into the skies. On the third day God spoke again. He commanded that the waters be gathered together, and that dry land appear. God called the gathering together of the waters “ seas,” and the dry land he called “ earth.” You see God was planning to make a home for the people whom he was going to create. The next command that he gave was that there should be on the earth grass and herbs and fruit trees — food for the living things for whom he was preparing a home. And next he set the lights in the sky — the sun to rule by day, the moon by night, and all the stars — the lights which divide the day from the night, and regulate the seasons and the years. So the end of the fourth day came. The earth was pre¬ pared as a home for living creatures. Can you picture it as it was in those days ? There were the sun and the moon and the stars ; there were great stretches of sea and land cov¬ ered with grass and plants and trees of all kinds. There was everything beautiful to look at — but no one to see, no one to hear. There was not a fish in the sea, not an animal in the forest. NY sound was heard, for there was no living JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 5 ear to hear the lapping of the waves against the shore, or the whisper of the winds in the branches of the great forest trees. All God’s creation was ready and waiting, but as yet there was no living thing to enjoy the good gifts which God had made ready in his world. Handwork If you have a sand table in your classroom, make a sand picture of the drawing which you are asked to make for the fourth day in the Notebook Work. Make a Hat circle of sand as large as your table will allow. Divide this into sky, sea, and land. Make sun, moon, and stars from paper or tin foil to set in the sky ; use twigs for trees, and small stones for rocks. Make the scene as complete as possible. Leave it for your next session, as you may wish to add to it then. Notebook Work You are beginning a new book of lessons about the begin¬ nings of the history of the world. If you can, get a new, loose-leaf blank book. On the first page put your own name and address, and the name of your Sunday school and class. Leave the second page blank. On the third page write a title, “ GOD CARING FOR HIS PEOPLE.” Underneath this write in smaller letters, “ Stories of the Beginnings.”' On the next page write the title of this first chapter, “ In the Beginning.” On the line beneath this, write the words, “ God the Creator.” Then put the various “ days ” given in Gen¬ esis 1 : 1 - 1 9. Day 1. God created light and darkness. Day 2. God created - Day 3. God created - Day 4. God created - Perhaps you will like to represent these things by pictures. If you do, draw a series of five circles. Above them, write the words, “ In the Beginning,” “ First Day,” “ Second Day,” “ Third Day,” “ Fourth Day.” Leave the first circle blank. Divide the second circle, above which you have written “ First Day,” into halves by a vertical line. Make one side 6 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS dark, and leave the other side light. Divide the third circle by a horizontal line. This will indicate the making of the firmament. In the fourth circle draw a horizontal line as in the third circle. Then from this line down to the circum¬ ference draw a wavy line to show the separation of the waters from the land. Make your fifth circle like the fourth, but put in the part above the horizontal line sun and moon and stars, to show that on this day God created the lights of heaven. Expressionae Activity God prepared a beautiful world for his children. Can you not help this week to make the world more beautiful for some one else by doing a kind act, or by saying a pleasant word, or by helping in some way? At least you can keep from being cross or disagreeable. Memory Work Learn the words of the following hymn. It was written in 1712 by Joseph Addison, a great writer of English prose and poetry. The Spacious Firmament The spacious firmament on high, With all the blue, ethereal sky, And spangled heavens, a shining frame, Their great Original proclaim. The unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator’s power display, And publishes to every land The work of an almighty hand. Soon as the evening shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth ; Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings as they roll. And spread the truth from pole to pole. FROM THE SIX DAYS OF CREATION JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 7 What though in solemn silence all Move round this dark, terrestrial ball? What though nor real voice nor sound Amidst their radiant orbs be found? In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice; For ever singing, as they shine, “ The hand that made us is divine.” SUNDAY SESSION THE CREATION OF LIFE Genesis 1 :20 to 2 :3 The: Memory Verse “ And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.” — Genesis 1 :31a. The Lesson Story The world which God had created was ready. The time had come for the creation of living things, and so, on the fifth day, God created the fish — at first the smaller fish, and then the great sea monsters. All the birds were made, from the smallest to the largest, at his command. As God looked upon them he saw that all that he had done was good — earth and sky, sun and moon and stars, land and water, birds and fish. He blessed them all. On the sixth day, God commanded that the land bring forth living things — cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth. And again God saw that all was good. And then, last of all, on the sixth day, God created man — man, made in his own image, for whom he had planned all the other good gifts, the world and its blessings, the grass and the flowers and the trees ; the birds and the animals and the fish. To man he gave dominion over all the fish and the monsters in the sea ; over all the birds in the air ; over all the beasts of the field. He gave to him every herb, and all the fruit of the earth. He made him master of the world. Then, after the work of creation was finished, God saw that it was good. On the seventh day he rested from all his 8 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS work which he had made. And so “ God blessed the sev¬ enth day, and hallowed it.” And because God rested on the seventh day, he has given to his followers in the world the command for all time, “ Remember the Sabbath-day, to keep it holy ... for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day : wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hal¬ lowed it.” God made man in his own image. He made him master in a beautiful world, where every good gift belonged to him. The animals obeyed his word. The trees gave him fruit of all sorts for food. Everything belonged to him. Do you not think that that first man should have been completely happy in the beautiful world which God had given him? Do you not think that you would have been happy? But the great, wide, beautiful, wonderful world is as beautiful and won¬ derful now as it was in those first days. Man is the master now, as he was in those first days, for he is the only living being whom God has created in his own image. Do you not think that we and all the human beings in the world should be grateful to him for all the blessings that he has given to us — for all the marvelous gifts which he has provided for his children? Let us thank him for all the blessings which he has given to the world — to the first man and to all man¬ kind since those first days. The: World Great, wide, beautiful, wonderful world, With the wonderful water round you curled. And the wonderful grass upon your breast — World, you are beautifully dressed. The wonderful air is over me, And the wonderful wind is shaking the tree, It walks on the water and whirls the mills, And talks to itself on the top of the hills. You friendly earth! How far you go, With the wheat fields that nod and the rivers that flow, With cities and gardens, and cliffs and isles, And people upon you for thousands of miles 1 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 9 Ah! You are so great, and I am so small, I tremble to think of you, world, at all ; And yet when I said my prayers to-day, A whisper inside me seemed to say : “You are more than the earth, though you are such a dot; You can love and think, and the earth cannot! ” — William Brighty Rands. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class God made man in his own image. We must remember that we are created in his likeness, and try to make ourselves more and more like him. We can become more and more like God the Father by trying to live according to the rules which Jesus gave to the world in the New Testament. God has given to human beings very many wonderful gifts. We must show our thanksgiving to him by obeying him, by going to church, for instance, by praising him, by telling of all his wonderful works in all the world. The Lesson Truth in Your Life God created the world and all that is in it. He is our Father who loves those whom he has made, to whom he has given many good gifts. In return we should thank him for all the good things that he has provided for us, and praise him with all our hearts. Memory Work Learn part of the old chant, which has been sung for many centuries in many churches. It is called the “ Benedicte, Omnia Opera Domini,” the words with which it begins in Latin : “O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; Praise him and magnify him forever.” You will find it in the back of your hymn book, number 740. Count how many of God’s creations are named, and how many times the words “ Bless ye the Lord ” are used. 10 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS The Story of the; Creation as Told by Another Nation Many stories of the Creation have been told by the other nations of the world, but none of them is so beautiful as that given in Genesis, the story given to us in God’s Book. One of the old stories is that of the Babylonians, who lived at the same time as the Hebrews of the later part of the Old Testament. This story has some parts which are very much like the account of the Creation which is given in Genesis. It was not until 1875 that this story was deciphered by men working in the British Museum. It was written in queer, wedge-shaped letters on clay tablets discovered not very many years before in the library of the great Assyrian king named Ashurbanipal, who lived in Nippur, in Assyria, in 668-626 b. c. This story tells of a great god named Bel, or Marduk, who fought with a goddess named Tiamat, and killed her. From her body he made the heavens and the earth. Though this is foolish, there are other parts of the story much like Genesis, which show that the people of Babylonia and Assyria had passed down to them part of the story in the true form, though they did not know the true God. This is the account of the creation of the stars and the moon as it has been translated for us: “He made the stations for the great gods; The stars, their images, the constellations he fixed. He ordained the year, and into sections he divided it ; The twelve months he fixed by three stars. the Moon God he caused to shine forth ; the night he in¬ trusted to him. He appointed a luminary for the night, to determine the days ; Monthly, without ceasing, with the disc he fashioned it, saying: At the beginning of the month, as thou riseth upon the land, The horns are to announce the fixing of the six days.” The account of the creation of man, too, is interesting: JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 11 “ When Marduk heard the words of the gods, His heart prompted him, and he devised a cunning plan. He opened his mouth and . . . spoke, . . . ‘ My blood will I take and bone will I fashion ; I will make man . . . I will create man who shall inhabit the earth, That the service of the gods may be established and that their shrines may be built ! ’ ’’ You can see from these two fragments that the Babylonian story of the Creation is something like the account given in Genesis. And for that reason it is worth knowing and worth studying about. The foolish parts we know must have been added by ignorant people, but the true parts show how a memory of the true story was handed down even by those who had forgotten the true God. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION THANKING GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS Psalm 8 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address As we look about us on this beaut ful day, we see so many things for which we want to thank God. We want to thank him for all the beauty of the earth, for all the wonderful gifts of sun and rain, of winter and summer, and of food and drink. We want to thank him for our parents and our friends and teachers ; we want to thank him because we live in a civilized land. We want to thank him, too, that he made us in his own image. But especially we want to thank him for the greatest gift which he has given to mankind — the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we want to thank thee for our creation and preservation and for all the blessings of this life. But especially we want to thank thee for the greatest gift of all those that thou hast given us — the gift of thy Son. 12 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Bless us and help us to be his loyal followers to-day and every day. We ask in his name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Numbers 23:23d; Psalms 19:1-3; 36:6-9; 90:1, 2; 104:24-31 ; Isaiah 40:26; I Corinthians 8:6; John 1 :l-5. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ From All that Dwell Below the Skies.” “ Dear Ford and Father of Mankind.” “ The Spacious Firmament on High.” “ My God, I Thank Thee, Who Hast Made.” “ God Is Working His Purpose Out.” “ This Is My Father’s World.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What did God create on each of the six days? 2. Over what things is man to be the master? 3. Name some of the fish, birds, animals. 4. What are the first words of the Apostles’ Creed? 5. What is God’s command in regard to the seventh day, or the day on which he rested after creating the world? 6. How can Juniors thank God for his goodness to the people of the world? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. How Man Differs from God’s Other Creatures. 2. The Greatest Honor Which Man Has Ever Received. 3. The Babylonian Story of the Creation. 4. Why the Creation Stories of Other Nations Are Not so Wonderful as the Bible Story. 5. The First Day of Creation. 6. The Second Day of Creation. 7. The Third Day of Creation. 8. The Fourth Day of Creation. 9. The Fifth Day of Creation. 10. The Sixth Day of Creation. 11. The Seventh Day. 13 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Some Thoughts About the Topic Man’s chief glory is that he was made in the image of God. We should try to keep ourselves as much like our Father as it is possible for us to be. Man is greater than any other of God’s creatures because he was made in God’s image. God gave to man dominion over all his creatures. We should try in every way to use wisely and well the powers which God has given us. God’s good gifts are for all his people everywhere. We should share with others, and try to help them to enjoy all the blessings which are around us all. We must give praise to God for his goodness to us and to all men everywhere. Let us thank him by trying to obey him in every way. CHAPTER II WEEK DAY SESSION THE GARDEN OF EDEN Genesis 2 :4-20 The Memory Verse “And Jehovah God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” — Genesis 2:15. The Lesson Story The first chapter of Genesis, which was your last lesson, says that God created man in his own image. In the chap¬ ter which is our lesson for to-day there is given more about the creation of man, for verse 7 says, “ And Jehovah God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; and man became a living soul.” This is all that we know about the creation of man from the Bible. God does his miracles in wonderful wavs that are far beyond man's understanding, and though people have thought and written much about the Creation, we do not understand very much even now about it. We do not know how God made man from the dust of the earth, nor how he gave him life, and made him a “ living soul.” But we do know that we ought to give him thanks in that he has made human beings in his own image, with souls that make us different from the other creatures that he has made, and that he loves us more than all the other creatures in the world. One way in which God showed his love for the man whom he had created was by giving him a wonderful home. God “ planted a garden,” in which man was to live. This Garden is called “ Eden,” a name which means “ pleasantness.” Another name by which we call it is “ Paradise,” which means “ a park.” 14 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 15 We do not know exactly where the first home of man was, but the Bible tells us, Genesis 2 :8, that it was “ eastward ” ; that is. eastward of Palestine. We know, too, that a river flowed from the Garden, and divided into four branches — the Pishon, the Gihon, the Hiddekel, and the Euphrates. Though we do not know now what rivers were meant by the first two of these, we do know that the Hiddekel is the river which we now call “the Tigris,” and that the Euphrates is still called by that name. These rivers are in Asia. We know, too, where the land of Havilah, mentioned in verse 11 is, and the land of Cush, verse 13, for both places were familiar in Bible times. Havilah was a part of Arabia, and Cush was the land of the people called “ Cushites,” at this time the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. So, if you look at the map in your school geographies which shows Asia, and find the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, you will know something about where the first home of man was. You will not find the other places given on the nowa- days maps in your geographies, for they are called by other names. The home which God gave to man was very beautiful. There were all sorts of fruit and shade trees in it. Beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere, and there were pleasant streams along which the first man, Adam, could walk. There were all sorts of animals, too, and God brought them to the man one by one, large and small, and to each he gave a name. He named all the birds, too, and all the creatures everywhere. Adam’s life must have been very busy. There were so many things to learn, so many things to do. For we must not think that all Adam’s life was play. We must remember that God created man in his own image, and that almost the first words of the Bible show that God worked. He “ created the heavens and the earth.” So, when he made Adam he put him in a Garden which he was to tend and to keep in order. Genesis 2:15. He had to use his hands. When he named the animals he had to use the brain which God had given him. He was busy and happy. But he was lonely. The animals were friends to him, but there was no other human being in the world — no other creature made in God’s image. And so God planned to create a helpmeet for Adam, who would be his wife. 16 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS The Geography oe the Lesson Havilah. A district of Arabia, rich in gold, aromatic gums, and precious stones. Cush. A territory in the great basin drained by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Hiddekel, or Tigris. This river rises in central Armenia. Its whole course to its junction with the Euphrates is eleven hundred and forty-six miles. In ancient times it flowed into the Persian Gulf. Euphrates. This is one of the greatest rivers in the world. Its length is about eighteen hundred miles. The He¬ brews called it “ the great river,” or simply “ the river.” It was considered a boundary between east and west, between Egypt and Assyria-Babylonia, each power desiring to pos¬ sess the country between the Euphrates and the Nile. Handwork Make a garden as beautiful as possible on your sand table. Use bits of glass as lakes and ponds, and indicate rivers and streams. Use twigs as trees and bushes, and make flowers of bits of bright-colored paper. What should you put in the very center of the Garden? Genesis 2:9. You will learn more about the trees mentioned in this verse in Chapter III. Notebook Work At the top of the page of your notebook write the chapter number and the title of this lesson. Then write the Memory Verse. Try to find the picture of the most beautiful place that you can — a picture showing a river and trees and flowers. Paste this in your notebook, below the Memory Verse, to make you think of the Garden of Eden. Under it write the words of Genesis 2 :9, “ And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food.” Map Work Draw a map showing the position of the Tigris and Eu¬ phrates Rivers, and put in the Pishon and the Gihon as you imagine them to have been. Draw the rivers that you know JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 17 about with solid lines, and the rivers that you imagine with dotted lines. Expressional Activity Try this week to thank God in some way for his good gifts. Particularly you can thank him for his gifts of food and drink. At mealtime say the grace given below in the Memory Work. Memory Work A GRACE TO LEARN, TO SAY AT THE TABLE Lord Jesus, be our holy Guest, Our morning Joy, our evening Rest; And with our daily bread impart Thy love and peace to every heart. — The Book oe Common Worship. SUNDAY SESSION ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN Genesis 2:21-25 The Memory Verse “ Thus saith Jehovah ... I have made the earth, and created man upon it.” — Isaiah 45:11, 12. The Lesson Story God saw that Adam, the man whom he had created, was lonely without other human beings, even in the beautiful Garden of Eden, and so he made for him a helpmeet, a woman, who, because she was to be the mother of all living people, was called “ Eve.” Adam and Eve must have been very happy there in the Garden. Each morning when they awoke they had some¬ thing new to do. They had the beautiful garden with all its trees, to tend. The fruit for food must be selected. They must have enjoyed watching the animals, to which Adam had given names, learning about them and the way in which 18 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS they lived. All day long there was something new to do, something new to learn. And then, in the cool of the day, after their work and play were done, something wonderful would happen. God him¬ self would talk with them in the Garden. And God had been so kind to them ! He had given them so much freedom. They could go wherever they wanted to go in the Garden. They could do whatever they wanted to do. They could eat the fruit of every tree — except one tree. That tree was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which stood in the middle of the Garden, the fruit of that one tree they were not to touch. But they had so much else that was new around them, and so many other kinds of fruit for food that they did not mind this command. They did not touch the forbidden fruit. They lived happily and busily in the wonderful Garden which God had given them. Putting the: Lesson Into the Life of the Class We can speak to God in prayer and he will talk to us through our teachers and through his Word, the Bible. When we are busy with pleasant work we are usually happy. If we are busy doing the things that it is right for us to do, we will not have time to want to do the things that are wrong. Adam and Eve worked and played and talked to God each day. It would be well for us, too, to work and play and talk to God each day. The Lesson Truth in Your Life When we do God’s will and try to obey him, we shall find that we are happiest. A Story of a Day in the Garden Eve wakened quickly as the sun rose over the eastern horizon. Quickly she ran to the brook and bathed. She was so glad to be alive ! Adam, too, sprang up, and together they walked through the forest. “ There is fruit that looks good,” Eve would say. “ What shall we call it ? ” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 19 “ And there is a little animal that I do not remember to have seen before. What shall its name be?’’ Adam would say. Then he would pick the little creature up in his hand, and smooth its fur and pet it. Perhaps he would name it “ mouse,” or “ mole.” And so they would go through the Garden. Sometimes they would stop to tie up a grapevine whose fruit was weigh¬ ing it down, or to prop up the limb of an apple tree, or to plant the seed of the fruit they had eaten. They would watch a lion and her cubs, playing as gently as kittens ; or perhaps a friendly elephant would lift Adam in his trunk so that he could reach the highest branches of a tall tree. Everything was friendly. They were afraid of nothing in all God’s great, good world, though there were animals much larger than we know now, queer horses, and mastodons, and other creatures which fed on the tops of trees. So the days passed happily by. In the evening God came to the Garden and talked with his children, telling them what they should do. And at night when they went to sleep they were happy, because the day had been well spent in doing those things which God wanted them to do. So God wants his people to live — busy and happy and obedient to his teach¬ ing all day long. And we to-day can live in this way, just as Adam and Eve did. A Modern Account oe the Region Where the Garden of Eden Is Supposed to Have Been “ One unoccupied morning I went over to an island on the river. Its cool, restful look had attracted me on the day I arrived, and it quite fulfilled its promise. Indeed, it was the only place I came across in Mesopotamia that might have been a surviving fragment of the Garden of Eden. It was nearly a mile long, and scattered about on it were seven or eight thick-walled and well-fortihed houses. The entire island was one great palm grove, with pomegranates, apri¬ cots, figs, orange trees, and grapevines growing beneath the palms. The grass at the foot of the trees was dotted with blue and pink flowers. Here and there were fields of spring wheat. “ In the early morning hours the country was lovely — 20 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS rolling grass land ‘ with a hint of hills behind ’ — miles of daisies with clusters of blood-red poppies scattered through them — and occasional hollows carpeted with a brilliant blue flower. In the river courses there were numbers of bril¬ liantly hued birds — the gayest colors I saw in Mesopotamia, with the exception of the vivid arsenic-green birds around Ana on the Euphrates. In one place I thought that the ground was covered with red flowers, but a close inspection proved it to be myriads of tiny red insects swarming on the grass stems.” “ War in the Garden of Eden ” — Kermit Roosevelt. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION HOW GOD WANTS US TO LIVE I Thessalonians 5:15; John 5:17; Luke 11 :1, 2 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address God gave to Adam and Eve a home in the beautiful Gar¬ den of Eden. He gave to them every good and perfect gift. He made them in his own image. He knew that they would not be happy if their days were spent in idleness, and so he gave them work to do, as well as the pleasures that they found in their beautiful home. Then, after the day’s work and pleasure were done, when evening had come, he himself talked to them in the Garden. That is the way in which God wants us to live. We must work with our hands ; we must study ; we must play ; we must talk to him in prayer. In that way we shall grow mentally and physically and spiritually. We shall grow as Jesus grew, “ in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we want to do with our lives as you would have us do. Help us to pass our days in doing useful things and in helping others. Let us remember to talk to you in prayer. Let us listen to the messages given to us in the Bible, your Word to us, and those given through our parents JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 21 and teachers. Help us to live aright. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. V ERSES FOR USE IN THE MEETING I Samuel 2:26; Luke 1:80; 2:52; James 1:17; I Peter 5 :7 ; Luke 13:14; John 9 :4. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Come. My Soul, Thou Must Be Waking.” “ Father, Lead Me Day by Day.” “ Now to Heaven Our Prayer Ascending.” “ In the Child Garden.” (“ In the Garden, in the Gar¬ den of Jesus.”) “ When O’er Earth Is Breaking.” “To Thy Temple I Repair.” “ Heavenly Father, We Would Thank Thee.” “ Night and Day.” (“ Oh! How Lovely Is the Night! ”) Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Name three divisions which we may make in our wak¬ ing time. 2. Mention some ways in which you can serve God ac¬ ceptably. 3. When you are obedient to your parents and teach¬ ers, are you serving God acceptably? 4. When you do errands willingly are you doing them for God ? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Work Which Juniors Can Do. 2. Talking to God. 3. Working for God. 4. The Kind of Play God Wants. 5. How We Should Treat Others in Work and Play. To Read in the Meeting “ All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All play and no work make Jack a dull shirk.” Adam and Eve worked and played and talked to God. 22 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS They did as he told them to do. They depended upon him absolutely. We, too, can cast all our troubles and cares upon him, being sure that he will do those things that are best for us. Our lives should be lived as God wills, and we can find out what he wills by reading the Bible. “ Be with us, O Father dear, Every night and day; Let us walk as in thy fear, Hear us when we pray; Show us how to walk aright, Lift our thoughts above; Keep us ever in thy sight, Blessed Lord of love.” CHAPTER III WEEK DAY SESSION THE STORY OF THE TEMPTATION Genesis 3 :1 -7 The Memory Verse “The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom.” — Proverbs 1 :7. The Lesson Story Adam and Eve were busy and happy in their beautiful home in the Garden of Eden. And then one day, something happened which changed their happiness to sorrow. You remember, do you not, that God had told his children that they might eat the fruit of every tree in the Garden ex¬ cept one tree — the tree in the midst of the Garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. You would have thought that Adam and Eve could surely have obeyed this one com¬ mand — that they would have done as God wanted them to do. And yet when the very first temptation to disobedience came, they yielded. One day as Eve was alone in the Garden, the serpent came to her — the serpent which, the Bible tells us, was the most cunning of all the beasts which God had made. He came to Eve with a question, a question that seemed harmless enough, “ Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of any tree of the garden ? ” Eve answered that God had told them not to eat the fruit of the tree that was in the midst of the Garden. If they did eat, she said, God had told them that they would die. “ You shall not surely die,” the serpent told her. “ God knows that if you do eat the fruit of that tree you shall know good and evil as he does, so he does not want you to eat it.” The serpent, you see, began his words to Eve with a false- 23 24 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS hood. God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate the fruit j of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they should die. Now the serpent contradicted this. “ Ye shall not surely die,” he said. Eve should not have listened to the serpent. She should have remembered that God had been so good to her and Adam. She should have told the tempter to go away. But instead, she listened. She probably thought that she would just go look at the tree. So she went to the midst of the Garden. She looked at the tree. The fruit was wonderful. It seemed as if it should taste good. The serpent kept tell¬ ing her that she would become wise if she ate it. Probably she thought at first that she would just look at the fruit. Then she may have put out her hand and touched it. And at last — she picked it and ate it ! And to make matters worse, she took some of the fruit to Adam and persuaded him to eat it, also ! She not only sinned herself, but tempted her husband. And so Adam and Eve disobeyed God, who had been so good to them. The first sin, the sin of disobedience, entered the world, and God’s happy children, created in his own image, to whom he had given so many wonderful gifts, disobeyed his commands and forgot what he had told them to do. They knew that God had been very, very good to them. They should have known that he knew what it was best for them to do. And yet they yielded to the serpent’s urging, and did what God had for¬ bidden ! They were no longer happy, innocent human be¬ ings, but a man and a woman who had disobeyed. Handwork Work out more completely on the sand table your model of the Garden of Eden. Notebook Work On a new page of your notebook, write the title of this lesson and the Memory Verse. Then write the story in your own words. Exprbssionab Activity Try this week to be especially obedient to your parents and teachers. 25 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Memory Work Learn the words of the old hymn, “ Yield Not to Temp¬ tation.” A Story to Read Long, long ago, when this old world was in its tender in¬ fancy, there was a child named Epimetheus, who never had either father or mother ; and, that he might not be lonely, another child, fatherless and motherless like himself, was sent from a far country to live with him and be his play¬ fellow and helpmate. Her name was Pandora. The first thing that Pandora saw when she entered the cottage where Epimetheus dwelt was a great box, and almost the first question which she put to him after crossing the threshold was this : “ Epimetheus, what have you in that box? ” “ My dear little Pandora,” answered Epimetheus, “ that is a secret, and you must be kind enough not to ask any ques¬ tions about it. The box was left here to be kept safely, and I do not myself know what it contains.” “ But who gave it to you ? ” asked Pandora, “ and where did it come from ? ” “ That is a secret, too,” replied Epimetheus. “ How provoking ! ” exclaimed Pandora, pouting her lip. “ I wish the great, ugly box were out of the way ! ” “ Oh, come, don’t think of it any more,” cried Epimetheus. “ Let us run out of doors and have some nice play with the other children.” It is thousands of years since Epimetheus and Pandora were alive, and the world nowadays is a very different sort of thing from what it was in their time. Then everybody was a child. They needed no fathers and mothers to take care of the children, because there was no danger or trouble of any kind, and no clothes to be mended, and there was always plenty to eat and drink. Whenever a child wanted his dinner, he found it growing on a tree ; and if he looked at the tree in the morning, he could see the expanding blos¬ som of that night’s supper, or at eventide he saw the tender bud of to-morrow’s breakfast. It was a very pleasant life indeed. No labor to be done, no tasks to be studied — noth- 26 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS ing but sports and dances, and sweet voices of children talk¬ ing or caroling like birds or gushing out in merry laughter throughout the livelong day. What was most wonderful of all, the children never quar¬ reled among themselves, neither had they any crying fits, nor, since time first began, had a single one of these little mortals ever gone apart into a corner and sulked. Oh, what a good time was that to be alive in ! The truth is, those ugly little winged monsters called Troubles, which are now almost as numerous as mosquitoes, had never yet been seen on the earth. It is probable that the very greatest disquietude which a child had ever experienced was Pandora’s vexation at not being able to discover the secret of the mysterious box. . . . It was really an endless employment to guess what was in¬ side. What could it be, indeed? Just imagine how busy your wits would be if there were a great box in the house which, as you might have reason to suppose, contained some¬ thing new and pretty for your Christmas or New Year’s gifts. Do you think that you should be less curious than Pan¬ dora? If you were left alone with the box, might you not feel a little tempted to lift the lid? But you would not do it. Oh, fie ! No, no! Only, if you thought there were toys in it, it would be so very hard to let slip an opportunity of taking just one peep! I know not whether Pandora expected any toys, for none had yet begun to be made, probably, in those days, when the world itself was one great plaything for the children that dwelt upon it. But Pandora was convinced that there was something very beautiful and valuable in the box, and therefore she felt just as anxious to take a peep as any of these little girls here around me would have felt, and possibly a little more so ; but of that I am not quite so certain. On this particular day, however, her curiosity grew so" much greater than it usually was that at last she approached the box. She was more than half-determined to open it if she could. Ah, naughty Pandora ! Epimetheus himself, although he said very little about it, had his own share of curiosity to know what was inside. Perceiving that Pandora was resolved to find out the secret, he determined that his playfellow should not be the only wise person in the cottage. And if there were anything pretty or JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 27 valuable in the box, he meant to take half of it to himself. Thus, after all his sage speeches to Pandora about restrain¬ ing her curiosity, Epimetheus turned out to be quite as foolish, and nearly as much in fault, as she. So, whenever we blame Pandora for what happened, we must not forget to shake our heads at Epimetheus likewise. . . . As Pandora raised the lid the cottage grew very dark and dismal, for a black cloud had now swept quite over the sun and seemed to have buried it alive. There had, for a little while past, been a low growling and muttering, which all at once broke into a heavy peal of thunder. But Pandora, heeding nothing of all this, lifted the lid nearly upright and looked inside. It seems as if a sudden swarm of winged creatures brushed past her, taking flight out of the box, while at the same instant she heard the voice of Epimetheus with a lamentable tone, as if he were in pain. “Oh, I am stung!” cried he. “I am stung! Naughty Pandora, why have you opened this wicked box ? ” Pandora let fall the lid, and, starting up, looked about her to see what had befallen Epimetheus. The thunder¬ cloud had so darkened the room that she could not very clearly discern what was in it. But she heard a disagreeable buzzing, as if a great many huge flies or gigantic mosquitoes, or those insects which we call dor bugs and pinching dogs, were darting about. And as her eyes grew more accustomed to the imperfect light she saw a crowd of ugly little shapes with bats’ wings, looking abominally spiteful, and armed with terribly long stings in their tails. It was one of those that had stung Epimetheus. Nor was it a great while before Pandora herself began to scream in no less pain and affright than her playfellow, and making a vast deal more hubbub about it. An odious little monster had settled on her fore¬ head, and would have stung her I know not how deeply if Epimetheus had not run and brushed it away. Now, if you wish to know what these ugly things might be which had made their escape out of the box, I must tell you that they were the whole family of earthly Troubles. There were evil Passions ; there were a great many species of Cares; there were more than a hundred and fifty Sor¬ rows ; there were Diseases in a vast number of miserable and painful shapes; there were more kinds of Naughtiness 28 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS than it would be of any use to talk about. In short, every¬ thing that has since afflicted the souls and bodies of mankind had been shut up in the mysterious box and given to Epi- metheus and Pandora to be kept safely, in order that the happy children of the world might never be molested by them. Had they been faithful to their trust, all would have gone well. No grown person would ever have been sad, nor any child have had cause to shed a single tear from that hour until this moment. — From “ A Wonder Book,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. SUNDAY SESSION HIDING FROM GOD Genesis 3 :8-15 The Memory Verse “ Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah.” — Jeremiah 23:24a. The Lesson Story Have you ever been disobedient ? Have you ever done something during the day which you knew would make your father unhappy and worried? How did you feel when it was time for him to come home from business? Did you run to meet him, saying, “ O father, I’ve had such a good time to-day ” ? You remember how you felt, I know. Adam and Eve must have felt very much like that after they had eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree. In the evening God walked in the Garden. He had come to talk to the human beings whom he had made. But before he had spoken a word to them, they hid from him. The little voice in their hearts, which we call conscience, had spoken to them. They had eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They knew that they had sinned, and that they deserved punishment. “ Where art thou ? ” God called to Adam. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 29 “ I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, be¬ cause I was naked,” Adam answered. “ How did you know that you were naked ? ” God said. “ Have you eaten of the fruit of the forbidden tree? ” “ The woman whom you gave me gave of the fruit,” Adam excused himself. God turned to the woman. “ What is this that you have done? ” he asked of her. Then Eve told God how the serpent had tempted her, and how she had yielded to his temptations. God was sorry that his human children had disobeyed him. He had to punish them; he had to punish the serpent. You can find the punishment of the serpent if you read verses 14, 15 of the lesson. He was to be cursed above all the creatures in the world. He was to crawl in the dust. He was to be hated by human beings always. Adam and Eve were punished by being sent out from the Garden. They knew now the difference between good and evil. They had worked before this, but now there would be toil and suffering with their work. They had disobeyed God, and so they were punished. As God sent the first human beings out from their home in the beautiful Garden of Eden, he closed it to them by placing cherubim with flaming swords at the east of the Garden. He did not want human beings to eat the fruit of the tree of eternal life as they had eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And yet, even in those early days, just after man’s sin and Fall, God spoke a few words in which we see the promise of a Saviour, who should bring to the people of the world the hope of eternal life in the world to come. God said to the serpent, “ He shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” and these words are a prophecy of the coming of Christ the Messiah, thousands of years later. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class When we have disobeyed our parents or teachers, the little voice within speaks to us and makes us afraid to see them, as Adam and Eve were afraid to see God. It is wrong even to listen to those who want us to dis- 30 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS obey. If we do not listen to the first word of temptation, we shall not yield to it. It is wrong to listen to anyone who tempts us, but it is still more wicked to try to tempt others to disobedience. A person who has done wrong thinks of that wrongdoing con¬ stantly and it prevents his enjoyment of the good things that God has given us. When we sin, we deserve punishment. Even in the beginning, God planned to send a Saviour to help his children of the world. The Lesson Truth in Your Life When we have done wrong, a little voice within speaks to us ; we are ashamed and want to hide from the person whom we have wronged. We should try to do right always and then we shall be courageous, for right-doing gives courage. A Story to Read “ Now, boys, remember! I don’t want you to go in swim¬ ming in the pond this week while I am away. There is a re¬ port that the water is bad, and I don’t want either of you to be ill next week, so that we should have to give up our trip.” Jim and Ned nodded. All summer they had been looking forward to that trip with father, to the camp on the island where they were to have two weeks’ holiday before school began. What fishing and crabbing there would be, and swimming in the cold, clear waters of the bay, and ocean bathing besides ! Oh, it was going to be lots of fun ! And then, the next morning it was hot. “ Come on, fellows, we’re going in swimming ! ” shouted Tom Nelson. “ Can’t. Father doesn’t want us to go because the water in the pond is not pure,” said Jimmie. “Oh, it is!” said Tom. “My father says it’s all right. It won’t hurt us ! ” “ It is hot,” Jimmie thought. “ Perhaps father was mis¬ taken. Mr. Nelson ought to know. He’s a politician.” He wiped the perspiration from his forehead. It would be cool in the water. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 31 “ Come on, Ned. Let’s go with the fellows,” he suddenly decided. Ned was younger than Jim. He usually followed his lead¬ ership. And so, when Jim said, “ Come on,” Ned went with him. It was nice and cool in the water, but for some reason Jim and Ned didn’t enjoy their swim so much as usual. As they put on their clothes afterwards they were not very happy. And that night Neddie began to toss and talk in his sleep and mother had to stay up almost all night with him. Jimmie was wretched. When the doctor came in the morning he shook his head. “ It may be only a very bad cold,’’ he said, “ or it may be the fever. There are several cases in town due to the water up in the old swimming hole, which is bad.” Jimmie felt wretched. He had known about the water in the pond. He knew it was bad. Father had told him so. Yet he had been persuaded to go in to swim himself and to take his little brother! And now Neddie was sick. They couldn’t go on their trip and perhaps Neddie might die — people did die of fever. It was a very sober little boy who went out to meet father when he heard his whistle, as he came up the street that night. “What’s the matter, Jim? Where’s Ned?” was father’s cheery greeting. “ Ned’s sick, and it’s all my fault,” sobbed Jim. And then he told the whole story. Father looked very sober. He was worried about Neddie, and he, too, had counted on the trip. He hurried into the house to hear what mother had to say. That night, when the doctor came he said that Neddie did not have the fever, but only a very bad cold. Father called Jim to him. “ Jim,” he said, “ I wonder if you understand now how important it is to obey. You knew that I had forbidden you to go into the pond, and yet you yourself went, and you per¬ suaded Neddie to go, too. Perhaps he might have had the fever and died. As it is, we may have to give up our trip. Do you think, Jimmie, that you have learned a lesson ? Poor little Ned is the one who is most punished, but I hope that 32 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS both of you will understand better after this what obedience means and how disobedience brings its own punishment/’ And as Jimmie went to bed, he thought soberly that he did understand how much disobedience costs. EXPRESSION AL SESSION PLEASINCx AND DISPLEASING GOD Luke 2 : 40-52 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address We Juniors are just about the age of Jesus when he went to the passover feast at Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. We know that he had pleased God always, and from what we know of him we know one way in which we, too, may please God. When he returned home to Nazareth, he was “subject” to his parents; that is, he was obedient to them. So if we, too, learn the lesson of obedience to parents and teachers, we shall please God. Jesus obeyed : Adam and Eve disobeyed. Jesus did not yield when the Devil tempted him. Adam and Eve yielded when the serpent tempted them, and so brought suffering and sin into the world. Let us ask God for help in times of temptation. The Ceass Prayer The Lord’s Prayer repeated by all. Verses for Use in the Meeting Matthew 4:2-4; Hebrews 4:15; Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 64:2; James 1:12; I Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 26:41; James 1 :22a; I Thessalonians 4:1. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Yield Not to Temptation.” “ When We Walk with the Lord.” “ I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go. Dear Lord.” “ Now to Heaven Our Prayer Ascending.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What two trees in the Garden of Eden are especially mentioned ? JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 33 2. How can a Junior please God? 3. Name five ways ir which you can please God to-day. 4. Name five ways in which you will please God to-day. 5. Which of these opposite things are pleasing to God : obedience or disobedience; truth or falsehood; honesty or dishonesty ; unkind speech or kind words ? 6. Are you keeping God’s Commandments? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Why Is It Wicked to Tempt Others? 2. Why Is It Wrong to Listen to Those Who Want Us to Disobey? 3. The Example of Perfect Obedience. 4. Keeping God’s Commandments. 5. The Two Trees in the Garden of Eden. 6. How Jesus Met Temptation. 7. How Juniors Can Best Meet Temptation. To Rpad in the Meeting The perfect Example for all Juniors to follow is Jesus, the Saviour of the world. The disobedience of Adam and Eve brought suffering to many others besides themselves. Sometimes when we do something that we should not do, we say, “ Oh, it won’t harm anyone but myself.” But usually some one else is harmed, too, or given trouble. Suppose you eat too much ice cream, when you have been warned not to. You yourself are ill, it is true, but probably mother has a great deal of extra work, and father has to pay a doctor bill, and alto¬ gether you make a great deal of trouble because of yielding to temptation. The sins and disobedience of anyone in the world cause trouble to others. “ For none of us liveth to himself.” Both the Old Testament and the New Testament tell us that God wants obedience more than sacrifice. “ To obey is better than sacrifice.” Shakspere says, “ Conscience doth make cowards of us all.” This means that when we have done wrong, we are afraid because we know that we deserve punishment. CHAPTER IV WEEK DAY SESSION CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 4 :3-15 The Memory Verse “ Love suffereth long, and is kind.” — I Corinthians 13:4a. The Lesson Story Though Adam and Eve had been sent out from the beau¬ tiful Garden of Eden they had all the rest of the world from which to choose a place for their home. They must have found life very different from what it had been before, as they wandered through the forests of great trees and along the shores of rivers. No longer was everything friendly. They had anxiety and trouble. They had suffering, and the work they had to do was hard. By and by a son was born to them. They named him Cain, a word which means “ forged instruments,” or “ smith.” When a second son was born, he was called Abel, which means “ breath.” As the two boys grew to manhood, Cain became a farmer and Abel became a shepherd, a keeper of sheep. The two young men were quite different, as brothers often are. Cain was quick-tempered ; Abel probably liked to lead his sheep quietly to pasture and to spend the long days peacefully and undisturbed. Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, made up the first family. Perhaps it was not a happy family even from the first, for Cain and Abel were so different that they may not have agreed with each other even when they were boys. Though Adam and Eve had disobeyed God, they wor¬ shiped him, and they taught their children to make offer¬ ings to him. Once when Cain and Abel were grown up, Cain 34 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 35 brought to offer to God a gift of the fruit of the ground; Abel brought as a gift the best of his flock of sheep. For some reason Cain did not make his offering in the right spirit. Fie begrudged it. He did not want to give an offering to God. On the other hand, Abel was grateful to God. He made his gift with a thankful heart. And so God was pleased with Abel’s offering. He was displeased with that of Cain. At this Cain was angry. God spoke to him kindly, and told him why his offering was not acceptable. He told him that his heart was not right. Instead of being sorry for his feeling, and trying to become better-tempered, Cain became more and more angry. He became angry at Abel, his brother, for no reason whatever, except his own evil spirit. He thought so long about the matter that one day he deliberately plotted to harm Abel. He called him out into the field, and killed him. So far from God had jealousy led the child of the first human beings. Of course God knew what Cain had done, but he gave him a chance to confess his sin. “ Where is Abel thy brother ? ” he asked. Cain had already committed the sins of jealousy and mur¬ der. Now he added a lie to his other sins. “ I know not,” he said. “ Am I my brother’s keeper ? ” God must have been grieved at Cain’s reply, lie knew that Cain was sinning and must be punished. “ I know that you have killed your brother,” God told Cain. His voice must have been stern by this time. “ And you must be punished. You must go away from your home here. You must be a wanderer on the face of the earth. The earth shall not yield food to you easily as it has done up to this time. If you plant seed your crop will be uncertain. That shall be your punishment.” To Cain it seemed that his punishment was more than he could bear. He knew that he was a fugitive and a wanderer, and that he might be killed at any time. He was afraid. God promised him, however, that he should not be slain. “Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.” What that sign was we do not know, though people speak even to-day of the “ mark of Cain,” when they describe a person who bears the marks of evil. And so, Cain, marked by God’s displeasure, went out into 36 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS the world still farther than his parents, Adam and Eve, had gone. Because of their sins, human beings were getting farther and farther away from the beautiful first home of the human race, the Garden of Eden. Handwork Copy on the blackboard the words which the prophet Samuel spoke to the people of Israel: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” i Notebook Work Enter this story in your notebook. Then write down the names of the members of the family of Adam and Eve whom we know. The two oldest sons were Cain and Abel. Later there was another son whose name was Seth, and other children whose names we do not know. Adam lived to be nine hundred and thirty years old ; Seth lived to be nine hundred and twelve years old. Copy all these facts in your notebook, so that you will remember them. Expressionar Activity Do you ever quarrel with your own brothers and sisters ? Try to live peaceably with them this week, remembering the words of the Memory Verse, “ Love sufifereth long, and is kind.” Memory Work Learn the words of the Apostle Paul : “ Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.” SUNDAY SESSION THE SIN AT THE DOOR I Peter 5 :7, 8 The Memory Verse “ Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire ! ” — James 3 :5. The Lesson Story God was pleased with the gift that Abel brought him, JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 37 but he was not pleased with that of Cain. And the reason that he was not pleased with Cain’s offering was that Cain's heart was not right. Sin was there. God said to him, “ Sin coucheth at the door.” Can you see the picture which these words bring before our eyes ? The word “ coucheth ” is used about wild beasts, ready to spring. Think of sin as a wild beast, ready to spring upon us, waiting for a chance to attack when we are not watching. If we conquer that sin when it is little, as we might tame a lion’s cub, we shall have very little trouble. But if we let the cub grow, until it becomes a full-grown, man-eating lion, we are not able to conquer it. When it springs upon us, unless we have help from God, we are lost. So it was with Cain’s sin. At first it was ingratitude. For some reason he did not want to give his gift to the Lord. Then jealousy came into his heart because God was pleased more with Abel’s offering than with his. The lion’s cub was growing larger and larger. Then Cain killed his brother. The cub had become a man-eater. And finally Cain lied to God, and denied responsibility for what had happened to Abel. So his sin made him like a beast, hunted and hated by everyone, and dangerous to all.. That is what sin does. If we do not choke it when it is small; if we let it grow day after day, soon the time comes when we cannot help ourselves. Bad habits grow. They become our masters. If you say, “ Just this once I will break my resolution,” you will soon find that “ just this once ” becomes many, many times, and that your resolution is valueless. If you let bad temper get control of you, and yield to it once, you will find that you yield more easily a second time and a third time. The way to treat sin is to choke it when you first find that it is attacking you ; when you first see it couching at the door of your heart ; to kill it before it gets so strong that you cannot master it. So, in the very first pages of the Bible, we are taught this lesson : Learn to conquer yourself. Do not let sin be your master. Putting the Lesson Into the Liee oe the Class A sin that seems little in itself often leads to a greater sin. Did you ever know about a case where a boy or a girl 38 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS neglected to study a lesson, and then cheated to get a good mark? Forgetting to study a lesson was carelessness, but in that case the sin of cheating was far greater than the sin of carelessness. The smaller sin had led to the greater sin. There is a story of a small boy who went to his mother and asked if he might have a cooky. “ Just one,” she answered. But when she went to the cake box that night the cookies were all gone. “ Why, Bobbie,” she said, “ did you eat all the cookies ? I told you to take only one.” “ Well, mother,” he answered, “ I did take only one, but I took one a great many times.” That is the way it is with sins. We yield to temptation “ just once,” and “ just once,” and “ just once,” and sud¬ denly we find that we have yielded a great many times, and our good resolution is valueless. Punishment followed Cain’s sin. So punishment always follows sin, and often it seems to us as it seemed to Cain, greater than we can bear. The Lesson Truth in Your Lite If we always try to do that which is right, and never yield even once to the temptation to do wrong, we shall find it be¬ coming more and more easy to resist temptation. To Read with the Lesson There is an old legend which tells of a man who was fish¬ ing in the Arabian Sea. As he drew in his net one day he discovered that, instead of a fish, he had caught a bottle of wonderful glass, sealed with a wonderful seal. At first he was happy in just admiring his treasure. Then he bewail to wonder about its contents. o “ What can be inside ? ” he thought. At last he broke the seal and opened the bottle. And out poured a great mass of smoke which, as it rose in the air, took the form of a huge jinn, or evil spirit. “ Have mercy, have mercy, on me, O King Solomon,” called the jinn. “ I am not King Solomon,” answered the terrified man. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 39 “ I am only a poor fisherman, who just chanced to araw in the bottle in my net. King Solomon has been dead for many years/’ “ Then I will kill you,” said the jinn. “ I am afraid of no one in the world but King Solomon. You shall die! ” And he seemed so big and threatening that the poor fisherman trembled with fear. But still he was clever, and he thought of a plan which was worth trying. “A great jinn like you could never have been hidden in such a small bottle,” he managed to mutter. “ I was hidden there. I will show you,” said the jinn. And he went back into the bottle, just to “ show off ” to the fisherman, who sealed him up tightly in the bottle again, and then threw it back into the sea. This is only an old story, as you know, but it shows how people everywhere have recognized the truth that a little sin, if it is not choked back quickly, will grow so that it can be¬ come master of us. The fisherman conquered the jinn, and put him in the place where he could do the least harm. If we choke back our sins, they will have less and less power over us, and we shall be their masters, instead of letting them master us. We can’t do this alone. Who will help us ? EXPRESSIONAL SESSION OUR RESPONSIBILITY FOR OTHERS I Corinthians 12:12-21 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address When God asked Cain about his brother Abel, Cain an¬ swered with another question, “ Am I my brother’s keeper ?” That question we, who live since the days of Jesus, can an¬ swer better than he could do. Cain was his brother’s keeper. He was responsible for what he had done. So we, to-day, are responsible for what goes on in the world. “ For none of us liveth to himself.” We are all parts of one body, as the Apostle Paul said. We Juniors do not have the respon¬ sibility that we shall have when we grow up. but we can begin now, right away, to learn the lessons that we shall need 40 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS to know when we are grown up, and are the people who must do the work of the world. We are not to interfere with others who are doing their duty in the world. We are to see to it that nothing we do interferes with their rights. We are to look out for the “ little fellows ” — those who are younger and not so strong as we are ; and as we are com¬ manded to love everyone in the world, we shall see to it that those we love are treated fairly. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we know that you want us to love one another, and that if we do this, we shall be sure to look out for the rights of others and to help them when they need help. Make us thoughtful of others, we pray, and help us to help them. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Hebrews 11 :4 ; 12 :24 ; 1 Corinthians 8:13; I John 3 : 1 1-16 ; 4 :21 ; II Corinthians 5 : 14. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “If Your Heart Keeps Right.” “ What Are You Doing for Others? ” “ Children of the Lord. (“ Do No Sinful Action.”) “ In Our Work and in Our Play.” “ Little Children, Love Each Other.” “Guard, My Child, Thy Tongue.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What are some ways in which a Junior can make his home happy? 2. In what ways do you think that Cain was different from Abel? 3. In what ways was Cain’s sacrifice different from Abel’s ? 4. Why did Cain hate Abel ? 5. How can a Junior be responsible for others? 41 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Punishment of Cain. 2. My Responsibility for Others. 3. My Responsibility in Keeping School Rules. 4. My Responsibility in Keeping Home Rules. 5. How a Junior Can Be His Brother’s Keeper. 6. How the Way I Keep Rules Helps or Hinders Others. 7. How Cain’s Sin Grew. 8. The Second Sin Which Came Into the World. 9. The Sin to Which Jealousy Led. To Read in the Meeting Sometimes you take care of your little brother or sister, for mother. Then you are truly your brother’s keeper. Perhaps he runs away or hurts himself when you are not watching so carefully as you should do. What do you say to mother when she asks you how the trouble happened ? Envy Bed Cain to the sin of murder. If you are envious and jealous of some one else, master your jealousy when the sin is little. Don’t let the sin grow so strong that it masters you. When you are older you will take a share in making the laws of our country. Perhaps you may think that some of the laws do not affect you at all, but you must see to it that the laws are made so that everyone has justice, so you will vote for good laws, and see that there are good men to carry them out. It is not the value of the offering that the Lord judges, but the heart of the giver. It is said that the first hospital in the world was founded at the city of Ephesus, where the apostle John had preached that God is love. Not long afterwards, in the same city, the first orphanage was established. CHAPTER V WEEK DAY SESSION THE FAMILY OF ADAM AND EVE Genesis 4:16, 20-22; 5:22-24, 27 The: Memory Verse “ Enoch walked with God.” — Genesis 5 :24. The Lesson Story Cain was sent away from his home and from his mother and father. He wandered alone for a time. Finally he came to a land east of the Garden of Eden, which the Bible calls “ the land of Nod.” There he built a city — the first city of which the Bible tells — which he called “ Enoch.” Here he gathered together other people, for there were many more men and women in the world now, and there he lived for many years. Cain had a descendant named Lamech. Lamech had three sons, Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain. These three sons were inventors. They are all noted for having first made some¬ thing which has been of great value to human beings. Jabal, Genesis 4:20, is called “ the father of such as dwell in tents,” and this is supposed to mean that he was the first who made a tent from the skins of animals, tO' use as a pro¬ tection from the wind and the rain. Even to-day in the East, tents of skin are used by the bands of wandering Bedouins who have no settled homes, but who travel with their great herds of cattle and sheep wherever they can find good pasture land. Jubal, the second son of Lamech, who is mentioned in verse 21, is called “ the father of all such as handle the harp 42 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 43 and piped' He was the inventor of musical instruments — the harp which was played by shepherds in those early days, and also the pipe, which the shepherds used, too. The word “jubilee” comes from the name “Jubal.” Look up its meaning in the dictionary. But it is to Tubal-cain that the greatest honor is due. TubaLcain was the first man who learned the secret of forg¬ ing metal — of making cutting instruments of brass and iron. That was a great advance in man’s civilization, for before those days there had been no weapons with which to fight wild beasts, nothing but crude stone tools with which to cut down the trees of the forest or to build boats or shelters from the weather. The discovery of how to forge metals meant victory over wild animals. It meant victory over hu¬ man enemies, too, and so Lamech, the father of Tubal-cain, sanga song which is called “ The Song of the Sword,” in which he says that now he can slay anyone who has injured him. He boasts of what his son has done, and shows that he has forgotten completely how God had punished his an¬ cestor, Cain, for his murder of Abel. So the descendants of Cain made three sorts of discov¬ eries. They found a way of sheltering themselves from storms and from cold. They discovered new weapons with which to fight their enemies. They invented musical instru¬ ments, with which to amuse themselves. And all these things were good. They were gifts of God to human beings, for God gave to human beings the brains and the ability to invent and to discover. Adam’s third son, Seth, had descendants, too. One of these descendants was Enoch, who was a good man — a man who lived an honorable life, so that he is said to have “ walked with God.” Enoch lived for three hundred and sixty-five years, and then one day “ he was not ; for God took him.” Enoch’s son, Methuselah, is the oldest man who is named in the Bible. He lived to be nine hundred and sixty-nine years old. Methuselah left a son, Lamech, who must not be confused with Lamech the father of Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal- cain. Lamech had a son, Noah ; Noah had three sons, Shem, 44 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Ham, and Japheth, of whom we shall learn more in our next lesson. Handwork Have you ever macje a willow whistle? If you have, you know something about making a simple pipe. Take a piece of willow twig about as thick as a man’s thumb, and two or three inches long. Make a notch about halfway down. Loosen the thin bark so that you can pull out the inside wood. Shave off a small part of the wood from the notch up, and then slip the inside back into the bark covering. See if you can whistle on this pipe. If you cannot do so at first, experiment until you succeed. Look at the picture of the harp, given in connection with this lesson, and try to make something similar. Probably you will not be able to make any sound on the harp, but you can make the model. Notebook Work Make in your notebook a “ family tree ” that will tell you at a glance, something about the descendants of Adam and Eve. Make it something like this : JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 45 ADAM AND EVE had three children CAIN ABEL SETH CAIN had a descendant named Lamech LAMECH had three sons JABAL JUBAL TUBAL-CAIN ABEL had no children, so far as we know. SETH had a descendant named ENOCH, ENOCH METHUSALEH LAMECH NOAH Expressional Activity Try this week to cut out a wooden or pasteboard ark with your penknife or scissors. As you do this remember that Tubal-cain was the first man who worked with metal¬ cutting instruments. Take the ark to class for the Sunday Session. Memory Work Learn Psalm 150. 46 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS SUNDAY SESSION THE BUILDING OF THE ARK Genesis 6:5 to 7:5 The Memory Verse “ Thus did Noah ; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” — Genesis 6:22. The Lesson Story “ They tell me that old Noah is building a queer-looking boat,” said Enosh to Methujael one day. “ Yes, he is. He must be crazy, for there isn't any water for miles around. It is such a big boat, too, and so different from anything that I’ve ever seen before,” answered Methujael. “ Let’s go see it,” suggested Enosh. So the two boys joined the crowd surrounding the old, white-haired patriarch, or father of the family. Though everyone was making fun of them, he and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, went on with their work. Plank after plank they put in place; peg after peg they drove. The boat was a huge thing, over four hundred feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. It had three stories, which were divided into little rooms, and JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 47 close to the roof, a row of windows. There was one door in the side. “ He must be insane,’’ whispered one boy to another. “ He will never, never be able to get that boat anywhere near water. Why, the great rivers are miles away and I have never seen the sea, it is so far.” At last Noah paused in his work. It was almost sunset. His sons stopped their work, too. He turned to the crowd and spoke. “ You make sport of me for building this ark,” he said, “ but hear my words ! The true God whom I worship has commanded me to do this. He has told me just how to make the boat. I am obeying his commands. Believe my words, O people ! Repent your sins, or you will be punished.” But the people laughed still more at the preacher. They did not believe his words. Many years had passed since the days of Adam and Eve, and Cain and Abel. The men and women of the world were becoming more and more wicked. God saw that they must be punished. He wanted to give a fresh start to the human beings he had made. There was only one man whose life pleased God — Noah, the son of Lamech, the great-grandson of Enoch. “ Noah walked with God,” as his great-grandfather had done. He had trained his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth in the right way. They all were good men. Noah’s wife was a good woman, and so were the wives of his three sons. And because Noah was a good man, God planned to save his life. He spoke to Noah. “ I am going to destroy the people of the world,” he said. “ I am going to send a great flood. Now I command thee to build an ark. Make it of gopher wood. Cover it with pitch, so that it will not leak.” Then God told Noah how long he was to make the ark, and how wide, and how high. He gave exact directions about those who were to be taken into the ark, and about the animals, which Noah was to save. Noah did exactly as God commanded. He and his sons went to the forests. They cut great beams of wood. They hauled them to a place where they could build the ark. Everyone was curious about what they were doing. 48 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Noah told them that God was going to send a flood. He urged them to repent of their wickedness. At first, there must have been a few who listened, but the Flood did not come, so they soon forgot to be afraid. God did not intend to send the Flood until everything was ready. Noah and Shem and Ham and Japheth worked hard. It took weeks and months to build the great boat and make it water-tight. At last it was finished. Then God spoke again to Noah. “Come thou and all thy house into the ark,” he said; “ for thee have I seen righteous before me in this genera¬ tion. Take with you animals and birds of all kinds, so that they may be kept alive upon the face of the earth. After seven days the rain shall come, and it will rain for forty days and forty nights, so that every living thing on the face of the earth will be destroyed.” Noah believed God’s word. He knew that the message which came to him would be fulfilled. And so he did every¬ thing that God commanded him to do. What the Ark Looked Like You all know what the ark looked like, but perhaps you do not realize how big it was. It was made of gopher wood, which is something like cypress. It was three hundred cubits, or about four hundred and fifty feet long. (A cubit is the distance between the finger tips and elbow of a man, about eighteen inches.) It was seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high. There were three stories, each divided into little rooms, where the birds and animals were kept. Near the top was a window, which ran all along the four sides of the ark. There was one door in the side. The ark was not a ship, such as we know the meaning of the word. There was no means of making it sail, or of guiding its course. It simply floated with the tide. Noah could not guide its course at all. Putting the Lesson Into the Life oe the Class God punished the people of the world in the days of Noah because they were so wicked. He saved Noah be¬ cause he was obedient, and “ walked ” with him. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 49 God is pleased when his people of to-day obey him, just as he was pleased in the days of Noah. When people know the right and refuse to obey it, God punishes them. When you know the rules which your teacher has made for you in school, and absolutely disobey them, you expect to be punished if you are found out. God knows always when his rules are disobeyed. He knows when people must be punished and he punishes because he knows that in this way only can the world be made better. The Lesson Truth in Your Liee God has made certain laws and when we disobey those laws, disobedience is followed by punishment. The only way to be sure of happiness is to try in every way to follow the rules that God has given to his people. Handwork Try to make as complete as possible your model of the ark. Get a nasteboard box to use as a foundation — a candy box will do. Cut a piece of pasteboard, longer and wider than the box. Score it lengthwise through the center, and bend. Use this as a roof, but do not fasten it on. Mark a window near the top of the box, and one down in the side. Make three stories inside, and divide into rooms, or nests. Notebook Work Enter the story of the building of the ark in your note¬ book, under Chapter V. The Babylonian Story oe the Flood Many of the early people in the world had stories of the Flood, just as they had stories of the Creation. One of these stories that has many points like the Bible account of the Flood is the Babylonian story which was discovered written on a clay tablet in queer, wedge-shaped letters that had been found by the explorers who were investigating the ancient ruins found in Babylonia and Assyria. 50 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Parts of this story are as follows. Gilgamesh takes the place of Noah. Ut-napishtim spoke to him, to Gilgamesh I will reveal to thee, O Gilgamesh, the hidden word, And the decision of the gods will I announce to thee. Shurippak, a city which thou knowest, Which lies on the bank of the Euphrates, That city was very old, and the heart of the gods Within it drove them to send a flood, the great gods ; The lord of Wisdom, Ea, counseled with them And repeated their word. Leave thy possessions, take thought for thy life, Thy property abandon, save thy life, Bring living seed of every kind into the ship. The ship, that thou shalt build So shall be the measure of its dimensions. Thus shall correspond its breadth and height . . . the ocean, cover it with a roof. In its (plan) 120 cubits high on each of its side walls. By 120 cubits it corresponded on each edge of the roof. I laid down its hull, I enclosed it. I built it in six stories. I divided it outside (?) in seven parts. Its interior I divided into nine parts. Water plugs I fastened within it. I prepared a rudder, and laid down what was necessary. Three sars of bitumen I poured over the outside (?) Three sars of bitumen I poured over the inside. With all that I had, I filled it (the ship). With all that I had of silver, I filled it. With all that I had of living things I filled it. I brought up into the ship my family and household. The cattle of the field, the beasts of the field, craftsmen all of them I brought in. A fixed time had Shamash appointed (saying) “ When the sender of rain sends a heavy rain in the evening, Then enter into the ship and close thy door.” The appointed time came near. The senders of the rain in the evening sent heavy rain. The appearance of the weather I observed, I feared to behold the weather, I entered the ship and closed the door. To the ship’s master, to Puzur-Amurri the sailor, I intrusted the building with its goods. — From “ Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament,” by Rogers. 51 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS EXPRESSION AL SESSION DOING RIGHT IN SPITE OF RIDICULE Nehemiah 4:1-6 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address When God saw that the people of the world were be¬ coming more and more wicked, he knew that they must be punished. He found one righteous family in the world — the family of Noah, the great-grandson of Enoch. He told Noah that every living creature in the world except those whom he saved in the ark, must be destroyed. But first he gave them a chance to repent. For a hun¬ dred and twenty years more he allowed them to go on in their own way. In that time Noah built the ark. He must have preached to the people. He must have explained to them what he was doing. And they made fun of him ! They did not believe his words! But Noah knew that he was right. He did all that God commanded him to do. Just so Nehemiah, the leader of the Jews hundreds of years later, did what God commanded him to do in spite of the enemies who made fun of him. He was build¬ ing a walk They said that it was so weak that even a fox running against it could break it down. They tried in every way to make him give up his work. But he kept on be¬ cause he knew that he was obeying God's commands. Sometimes our friends and schoolmates make fun of us when we are trying to do right. They tell us that we are tied to “ mother’s apron strings,” or try to persuade us that we should enjoy disobeying. Let us be strong to with¬ stand those who make fun of us, for this is sometimes harder than doing right in big things. Let us ask God to help us. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we ask thee to help us when we are tempted to do wrong because others laugh at us for doing right. Make us eager to do as Noah did and as Nehe¬ miah did, and follow thy commands exactly. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen. 52 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Verses eor Use in the Meeting Hebrews 11:7; II Peter 2:5; II Kings 18:17, 19, 20; Matthew 26:69-75; Psalm 37:9; Daniel 1:11-20. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Dare to Be a Daniel.” “ Dare to Do Right.” “Courage, Brother! Do Not Stumble.” “ Where the Fight Is Hardest.” “ Be with Us, O Father Dear.” “Rise Up, O Men of God.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Tell the story of the descendants of Cain. 2. Tell what you know of the descendants of Seth. 3. What were the dimensions of the ark? 4. LIow can Juniors follow the example of Noah? 5. Is it easier to he a bad hoy among had boys, or a good boy among had boys ? 6. Mother has forbidden you to go coasting on the hill where there is a railroad crossing. Jim calls you a “ ’fraid cat.” What do you do? 7. Several of the girls of the class are copying their arithmetic examples from Emma, whose father has helped her. They make fun of you because you work so hard to get your problems, all by yourself. Who is right? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Descendants of Adam and Eve. 2. The Invention of Musical Instruments. (The Bible Account and the Account Given in Mythology.) 3. The First Maker of Cutting Instruments of Metal. 4. The Building of the Ark. 5. The Family of Noah. 6. How to Withstand Ridicule. 7. A Christian Junior and God’s Commands. 8. Obedience to the Laws of God. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 53 To Read in the Meeting Men to whom God gives visions of the future and who know more than other men know are often laughed at. Daniel was probably laughed at and made fun of because he insisted on keeping God’s laws about eating and drink¬ ing which he had learned in his homeland. Yet he proved that he was right, because he was better in health than those who had not kept those rules. Columbus tried for years to find some one who would believe in him and his theory that the world was round, and would give him money to try to make the trip to India by sailing west. He was laughed at and made fun of, but he proved to the world that he was right. People made fun of Benjamin Franklin because he flew a kite when he was trying to discover something about elec¬ tricity. But Franklin knew what he was about, and those of us who are alive to-day enjoy many of our everyday comforts because he persisted in spite of ridicule. Even Peter the apostle was afraid of ridicule. He de¬ nied Jesus three times because a maidservant made fun of him. We, too, must fight with the temptation to give up right-doing when some one makes fun of us. The fight against ridicule is hard, but let us make it. CHAPTER VI WEEK DAY SESSION THE STORY OF THE FLOOD Genesis 7:11, 12; 8:6-19 The Memory Verse “ By faith Noah, being warned of God . . . prepared an ark.” — Hebrews 1 1 :7. The Lesson Story Noah and his wife, and their three sons and their wives — eight people — were shut up in the ark. With them were animals and birds of every sort. The door was fastened so that no one could go in or out. And then it began to rain. At first the people thought only, “ This is an unusually heavy rain.” The second day it still continued to rain, and the third, and the fourth. The ocean tides rose very high. The waters crept over the land. Rapidly the rivers and the streams filled up. They began to overflow their banks. The valleys, the plains, were soon covered with water, so that the people fled to the hills. Higher and higher the waters rose, until they covered even high mountains. The ark floated, and Noah and his family must have known that it was no longer resting on the ground. Day after day it moved on the water until they were more than twenty-two feet above the tops of the highest hills. All men and women, all beasts and birds, all living creatures were drowned. For forty days and forty nights the rain continued. At last God “ made a wind to pass over the earth ” and calmed the waters. “ The fountains also of the deep . . . were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.” The ark still floated. But one day as the waters of the flood sank, it struck against something. Suddenly the 54 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 55 family in the ark knew that it was ground, though they did not know where. Really it was on the mountains of Ararat. “ Come,” said Noah to his sons. “ Let us see what has happened.” You remember that there was a window near the top of the ark. Noah went to the place where the birds had taken refuge. He took a raven, and he climbed to the upper story of the ark where the window was. He opened the window, and let the raven fly. The raven, you know, is a strong bird. It did not return to the ark. It flew back and forth, back and forth, over the flood until the waters had dried up. When Noah found that the raven did not return to the ark, he sent out a dove. The dove is not a strong-winged bird as the raven is. It could not fly so far. Soon it re¬ turned to the ark, and rested on the window frame. Noah put out his hand, and brought it into the ark again. For seven days more they remained quietly in the ark, and then Noah again loosed a dove. This time, too, the dove came back, but it brought in its mouth an olive leaf. From this Noah understood that the waters had gone down. For seven days more they waited. Again Noah sent out a dove. This time the bird did not return. There was land now, on which to rest between flights. The trees appeared on the earth, and there was food to be obtained. At last Noah knew that it would soon be safe for him to leave the ark. He removed the covering and looked out. The ground was dry, but for almost two months more they remained in the safe shelter where they had been so long. Then, at God’s command, Noah freed all the beasts and birds, and he and his family went out from the ark and once more walked on dry ground. God had saved them from danger. Because they were righteous people they had lived in safety through all the storm and flood. Handwork Complete your model of the ark. On the sand table make a sand picture of the Flood. Hake a range of mountains; let the highest peak represent the mountain on which the ark rested. What was the name of these mountains? You will find it in Genesis 8 ;4. 56 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Notebook Work Enter this lesson in your notebook. Tell the story in your own words. As decorations find the pictures of a raven and of a dove. Expressional Activity Try this week to obey God’s commandments and to live, as far as a Junior can do, as he would want you to do. More of the Babylonian Story of the Creation When the first flush of dawn appeared. There came up from the horizon a black cloud. Adad thundered within it. While Nebo and Sharru (Marduk) went before. They go as messengers over mountain and valley. Nergal tore away the foundations. Ninib advances, the storm he makes to descend. The Anunnaki lifted up their torches, With their brightness they light up the land. Adad’s storm reached unto heaven All light was turned into darkness It (flooded) the land . . . One day the deluge . . . Raged high, (the waters covered [?]) the mountains, Like a besom of destruction they brought it upon men, No man beheld his fellow, No more were men recognized in heaven. Six days and (six) nights Blew the wind, the deluge and the tempest overwhelmed the land. When the seventh day drew nigh, the tempest spent itself in the battle, Which it had fought like an army. Then rested the sea, the storm fell asleep, the flood ceased. I looked upon the sea, there was silence come, And all mankind was turned to clay. Like a roof the plain lay level, I opened the window and the light fell upon my face, I bowed, I sat down, I wept, And over my face ran my tears. I looked in all directions, terrible (?) was the sea. After twelve days, an island arose. To the land of Nisir the ship made its way, The mount of Nisir held it fast, that it moved not. One day, a second day did the mount of Nisir hold it, that it moved not. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 57 A third day, a fourth day did the mount of Nisir hold it, that it moved not. A fifth day, a sixth day did the mount of Nisir hold it, that it moved not. When the seventh day approached, I sent forth a dove and let her go. The dove flew away and came back, For there was no resting place and she returned. I sent forth a swallow and let her go, The swallow flew away and came back, For there was no resting place, and she returned. I sent forth a raven and let her go. The raven flew away, she saw the abatement of the waters, She drew near, she waded, she croaked (?) and came not back. Then I sent everything forth to the four quarters of heaven, I offered sacrifice, I made a libation upon the mountain’s peak. — From “ Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament,” by Rogers. SUNDAY SESSION THE RAINBOW COVENANT Genesis 8 :20-22 ; 9 :8-20 The Memory Verse “ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” — Genesis 9:13. The Lesson Story The ark of Noah rested on the mountains of Ararat after the Flood. Noah did not allow his family to leave at once. He kept them in the ark until God spoke to him and told him that the time had come for them to leave their refuge. How glad all the living creatures must have been to leave their cramped places in the ark, and to be free once more to go wherever they wished ! The birds flew to the trees ; they busied themselves in making nests. The animals hur¬ ried into the forests, seeking food and shelter. But as Noah and his family came out from the ark, they must have 58 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS been lonely. There was no one else with whom they could talk or plan about the work of the world which must be done. They were glad and thankful, too, that they had been saved when everything around them had been de¬ stroyed. And so Noah, in order to show his thanksgiving to God, built an altar. He made a burnt offering to God, sacrificing birds and animals. And because God knew that Noah’s heart was right, he was pleased with the sacrifice. He planned good things for the world, and in his heart made a wonderful promise to man : “ While the earth re- maineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and sum¬ mer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” In order to strengthen Noah’s courage, and to make him sure that God was planning good things for him, God spoke to him. He said that never again should such a great flood come to the earth. As a sign of this, he said that he set the rainbow in the sky, so that whenever human beings in the future saw the many-colored bow, they might re¬ member his promise of goodness and kindness to the people of the world. So when you see the rainbow after a summer rain, re¬ member what God said to Noah — “ I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.” Map Work Find on the map of Asia in your day-school geography the “ mountains of Ararat,” and make a small copy of the region in your notebook. Notebook Work Enter this lesson in your notebook. As a decoration draw a rainbow across the top of the page, putting in the colors, either with crayons or with paints. The colors in their order from the bottom to top are as follows : Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Continue the family tree of Adam which you started with Chapter V and put in the names of the three sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 59 Putting the: Lesson Into the Life oe the Class A “ covenant ” is a promise. God’s promise of blessing for Noah is intended for us also. We know that he will keep his covenant. What is our part of the covenant ? What are we to do ? God is pleased with our offerings to him if our hearts are right. God saves from danger those who trust him and try to do his will. The Lesson Truth in Your Life As you read the lesson to-day, and think of God’s promise of blessing to the people of the world, think of the greatest Blessing of all which he has given to us — his Son, Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Try each day to be more like him, and so more pleasing to God. We know more of what God wants us to be than Noah did, and so we can be more like Jesus, and more pleasing to the Father. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION FOLLOWING A GOOD EXAMPLE John 13:15; I Thessalonians 1:6, 7 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address There were many ways in which Noah set an example which it would be well for us to follow. He “ walked with God.” He “ was a righteous man, and perfect.” “ Accord¬ ing to all that God commanded him, so did he.” For these reasons, “ God blessed Noah.” But we who live since the days of Christ have a better Example before our eyes even than Noah, for we have Jesus, the Saviour, who is the perfect Example of how God wants his followers to live. Let us try to follow him, and to live as he has shown us how to live. 60 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS The Class Prayer O Jesus, we would live in the way that thou wouldest have us to live. Help us to follow thee as our Example. Help us each day to be more like thee. We ask in thy name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting John 13:15; I Thessalonians 1:6, 7; I Peter 2:21; I Timothy 4:12; 1:16. Hymn for Use in the Meeting “ Up to Thee Sweet Childhood Looketh.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. How many people were saved in the ark? 2. How long did the Flood last? 3. What was the first act of Noah after the Flood? 4. What was the meaning of the rainbow ? 5. In what ways did Noah set an example which Juniors may follow? 6. Who is the perfect Pattern for Juniors to follow? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. New Testament References to Noah. (Matthew 24:37, 38; Luke 17:26, 27; Hebrews 11:7; I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:5.) 2. The Story of the Flood. 3. Noah’s Act of Thanksgiving. 4. The Story of the Rainbow. 5. How God Kept His Promise. 6. The Perfect Pattern. 7. How Juniors Can Follow Jesus’ Example. 8. Following Jesus Day by Day. To Read in the Meeting “ Wherever the rainbow arches the sky it . . . declares the loving thought of God for all his creatures. It counsels us to be bountiful toward one another. Matthew 5 :45. It JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 61 teaches us to be kind to animals because they are included in the covenant. Genesis 9:12. As the rainbow spans the sky after a shower, so also it spans the ages with its lesson of trust.” All through the history of the world, good men have set an example for us to follow. Noah was one of the first of those who set such an example. Noah did what he knew it was right to do, though he stood alone against all the people of the world. So he saved his family from destruction. Jesus did what he knew it was right to do, and so saved all the people of the world. Noah worshiped God with all his heart, and God was pleased with his offering. God will be pleased with our offerings if we are obedient and loving and true to him. STORIES OF THREE PATRIARCHS CHAPTER VII WEEK DAY SESSION THE EARLY HISTORY OF ABRAHAM Genesis 11:27-32 The Memory Verse “ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed . . . and he went out, not knowing whither he went.” — Hebrews 1 1 :8a, c. The Lesson Story Many, many years had passed since the days of Noah. Again there were many people on the earth, and they had scattered from the mountains of Ararat to distant parts of the world. By this time there were separate tribes and na¬ tions who spoke different languages, and who had forgotten all about the one true God. Of these times, too. we have other records than those given in the Bible, so that we can tell more about the people than the Bible tells us. And though it is the people whose history is given in the Bible in whom we are most interested, we are always glad to find other records of these same times. Our lesson for to-day begins in a city named “ Ur of the Chaldees,” and scholars interested in ancient history have found out many things about this city. It was situated in the country which was later called “ Chaldea,” or “ Babv- Ionia,” which is now called “ Persia,” on a strip of land along the Euphrates River. LA was on the west shore of the river. It was a great city, teeming with life, and its people were rich and civilized. They no longer lived as Cain and Abel, or even as Noah had lived. They were ruled by a mighty king ; they had many laws which governed their 65 66 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS lives and acts. They could read and write, and knew the multiplication table. They understood medicine and surgery. They built huge temples to their gods, and they protected their city with mighty walls. The country was very rich, and was famous for its wheat and its dates. We know all these things because specimens of their bricks and of the queer clay writing tablets which they used, have been found by explorers in Babylonia and Assyria. Among all the people of Ur there were only a few who worshiped the true God. One of these was Abram, who was later called Abraham. Lie was a descendant of Shem, the son of Noah. Although Abraham’s father, Terah, was an idolater, or worshiper of idols, Abraham must have known in some way that this was wrong, for God appeared to him in his glory, and told him that he was to leave the city of Ur, and go to a land which should be shown to him. Acts 7 :2, 3. And Abraham prepared to obey God’s command ; he per¬ suaded his father, Terah, to go with him, and took also his orphan nephew Lot, the son of his dead brother, Haran. The family of Terah was well-to-do, and of prominence in Ur. Abraham, who was the oldest son, had himself mar¬ ried a beautiful young woman named “ Sarai,” a word which means “ princess,” and which shows that she was a member of a family of good standing in the city. She was later called “ Sarah.” It meant a great deal for a family such as that of Abraham to leave a homeland where they had lived long and were well-known. Perhaps you know what it means to move nowadays. But in the days of Abraham it meant something very differ¬ ent from what it means to-day, and more like what it meant when our ancestors in the days of early American history started across the plains and mountains in their covered wagons on the way to the unexplored West. Abraham was rich. He had many servants and herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. He gathered together all his possessions. Tents were prepared and all sorts of fittings were provided. Camels were obtained, and on these ani¬ mals the household goods were loaded. The sheep and the cattle were driven together, and at last all was ready. The caravan left Ur. At first they moved northwest, along the river. They traveled slowly for five hundred JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 67 miles. At last they came to Haran, a city of Mesopotamia. And here the journey ended for a time, for the old father Terah, who was two hundred and five years old, was too feeble to travel farther. He could not go on. And so the family settled in Haran and remained there as long as Terah lived. Handwork The family of Abraham probably traveled as the shep¬ herd people of the East travel nowadays. They travel from one place to another with all their herds of cattle and flocks of sheep. They live in tents and carry with them all their household goods. For the lessons on Abraham it will be interesting to rep¬ resent on the sand table an encampment such as that of Abraham’s family. The first object to make for this en¬ campment is the tent. These tents were really made of the skins of animals, but you can make them of paper. For each tent take a strip of heavy brown paper 8^2 inches long, by 2 inches wide. Crease in the middle and also Ijd inch from each end. Take nine toothpicks, match sticks, or other pieces of wood. Three of these should be a little longer than the others. Use these as the supports for the center of the tent, and three of the others at each end. You can see how the tent was made by looking at the picture. Some¬ times the skins of animals were hung as curtains back and front. 68 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Notebook Work Noah’s son, Shem, was the ancestor of Terah, Abraham’s father. Enter the names of Terah’s sons in your notebook. Abraham married Sarah. Haran, who died before the family left Ur, had one son, Lot. Remember his name, for we shall have more about him later. Map Work Draw in your notebook a map of the country of the Chaldees. Be prepared to put it on the blackboard. Trace the journey of the caravan to Haran. Expressional Activity Abraham obeyed God. though he did not know all of God’s plans for him. Let us this week try to obey our parents and our teachers, even though we do not always know why. Memory Work Learn by heart Acts 7 :2, 3. SUNDAY SESSION THE CALL OF ABRAHAM Genesis 12:1-9 The Memory Verse “ In thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” — Genesis 12 :3b. The Lesson Story The family of Abraham remained in Haran until the old father, Terah, died. Then again God’s command came to Abraham, this time with a wonderful promise, “ Get thee out of thy country . . . unto the land that I will show thee: and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 69 thee . . . and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Again Abraham listened to God’s voice and obeyed. Again he ordered his shepherds and his herdsmen to gather together the flocks of sheep and cattle. The household goods and the tents were placed once more on the backs of the tall camels. Abraham and Sarah, his wife, and Lot, his nephew, were ready. The caravan started. Where they were going they did not know, but Abraham trusted in God. He knew that whatever God did for him would be best. Slowly the caravan moved along. Nowadays a caravan of this sort will travel about twenty miles a day, and prob¬ ably the family of Abraham moved at about this same rate of speed. Sometimes they stopped to let the flocks of sheep and cattle feed during the day, traveling at night when it was cooler. Sometimes they staved for several days in one place, where there was good pasturage. But always they moved south, going in the direction that God told them to go. Perhaps they went through Carchemish, and through Hamath, and Damascus, said to be the oldest city in the world, for even in the long-ago days there were great trade roads through this city. At last they crossed the Jordan and came into the city of Shechem. And there, under a great oak tree, called the oak of Moreh, God came to Abraham and told him that this was the Promised Land — the land which should belong to him and to his children after him. In Shechem Abraham built an altar to God, who had ap- 70 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS peared to him there. But for some reason he moved again, taking his family and his herds of cattle and his flocks of sheep to Bethel. There, too, he built an altar to God, but from there, too, he moved south, journeying on and on as God showed him the way. For Abraham was obedient,1" 'so obedient that the Bible calls him “ the friend of God.” He became the ancestor of the Hebrew race, who were the people chosen of God to tell of him to all the world and to carry on his worship through hundreds and thousands of years. Noah set before us an example of obedience. Abra¬ ham sets before us such an example, too. He did those things that God commanded him to do. He was obedient in every way. And so God rewarded him as he will reward all those who truly try to obey him and to do his commands, as long as the world shall last. Putting the: Lesson Into the: Life: of Tin: ('lass God blessed Abraham because he was obedient to his commands, and did those things which God wanted him to do. We Juniors of to-day should try to be obedient as Abraham was. God tells us what he wants us to do through his words, the Bible, and through our teachers in school and in Sunday school ; through our parents and all others who wish for our good. We must try to do his will in every way. God has given to us the blessing which he promised to Abraham, for we of to-day in civilized America know the story of the life and death of Jesus, our Saviour. We have the blessing which God promised to Abraham. We should prove ourselves worthy of the blessing. The Lesson Truth in Your Life If you would follow the example of Abraham, be obedient to the command of God in whatever way it comes to you. Map Work See how many places mentioned in this lesson you can find on a Bible map and on a modern map of Bible lands. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 71 Traveling in the East To-Day Every English pilgrim to the Lloly Land, even the most reverential and the most fastidious, is delighted to trace and to record the likeness of patriarchal manners and costumes in the Arabian chiefs. . . . Such as we see them now, start¬ ing on a pilgrimage, or a journey, were Abraham and his brother’s son, when they “ went forth to go into the land of Canaan.” “ All their substance that they had gathered is heaped high on the backs of their kneeling camels. The slaves that they had bought in Haran run along by their sides. Round about them are their flocks of sheep and goats, and the asses moving underneath the towering forms of the camels. The chief is there, amidst the stir of move¬ ment, or resting at noon within his black tent, marked out from the rest by his cloak of brilliant scarlet, by the fillet of rope which binds the loose handkerchief round his head, by the spear which he holds in his hand to guide the march, and to fix the encampment. The chief’s wife, the princess of the tribe, is there in her own tent, to make the cakes and prepare the usual meal of milk and butter; the slave or the 72 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS child is ready to bring in the red lentile soup for the weary hunter, or to kill the calf for the unexpected guest. — Stanley, “ History of the Jewish Church.” EXPRESSION AL SESSION HOW GOD KEPT THE PROMISE Galatians 3:8, 9, 13, 14 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address God promised to Abraham that in him all the nations of the world should be blessed. It was hundreds and hundreds of years before this promise was fulfilled, but at last the time came when Jesus Christ, the Descendant of Abraham, was born as a little child. In him the promise was brought to fulfillment. Jesus lived, and died on the cross for our sakes, and through his birth and life and death, all the nations of the world have been blessed. He is the Fulfill¬ ment of prophecy. His coming was the greatest blessing that the world has ever known. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we thank thee that thy promise to Abraham has been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ to the world. He is the Fulfillment of all that blessing and in him all the world is blessed. We thank thee for the gift of thy only Son to the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen. V Ltx.'ji/S for usl in .j.i_ _\i tilting Matthew 1:1; Romans 4:9, 13; Galatians 3:6-9; James 2:21-24; Acts 7:2, 3; John 8:39, 58; Hebrews 6:13, 14; 11:9, 10; Psalm 105:42; Acts 2:38, 39. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ How Firm a Foundation.” “ Ancient of Days.’’ JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 73 “ The God of Abraham Praise.” “ Come, Sound His Praise Abroad.” “The Lord Is King! Lift Up Thy Voice.” Questions tor Use in the Meeting 1. What was God’s promise to Abraham? 2. Why did God make this promise to him? 3. How long was it before the promise was fulfilled? 4. How was the promise fulfilled? 5. How has the blessing promised to Abraham been a blessing to the world of to-day? 6. How has it been a blessing to you? Topics eor Discussion or Reports 1. The Promise to Abraham. 2. The Promise to Us. 3. Why God Chose Abraham Through Whom to Give the Blessing. 4. How Abraham Is an Example to Us. 5. Modern Pioneers for the Sake of Religion. 6. Why the Pilgrims Left Their Homeland. 7. Why the Puritans, the Quakers, and the Huguenots Came to America. 8. Why America Is a Christian Nation. To Read in the Meeting Abraham was the first pioneer for the sake of his re¬ ligion. There have been many since his day who have left their homes and gone to a new land of which they knew nothing, for the sake of their religion. In the first century a. d. Paul and Silas left the home church in Antioch and Syria and went as the first mission¬ aries to strange lands. In the sixth century Gregory of Rome saw some blue¬ eyed slaves for sale in the market place. “Who are they?” he asked, and when he was told that they were Angles, he exclaimed, “Truly they are not Angles, but angels ! ” And so interested was he in their appearance that though he himself could not leave his home 74 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS in Rome, he sent a missionary to England to teach the Angles about the true God. The Pilgrims, the Puritans, the Quakers, the Huguenots, all left their homes in Europe to come to strange America, in order that they might worship freely. Governor Winthrop of New England left his home in England to come to America because he thought that the Puritans “ had no place to fly to but the wilderness,” where they might worship God. Like Abraham, Winthrop brought with him from his homeland large groups of people — over seven hundred people with their horses and cattle. The missionaries of to-day go out from their homes and teach the gospel in foreign lands. And so the blessing promised to Abraham is carried on, until to-day in the twentieth century truly, through Christ — that is, through Abraham’s Descendant — all the nations of the world are blessed. CHAPTER VIII WEEK DAY SESSION THE LAND OF PROMISE Genesis 13:1-5, 14-18 The Memory Verse “ All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it.” — Genesis 13:15. The Lesson Story On and on moved Abraham and his caravan, always south until he came to the Land of Promise— Canaan. And in those days Canaan was indeed a land of promise, a land of wonderful possibilities, where grains and fruits of all kinds grew, where there were rich pasture lands for the herds and flocks of cattle which Abraham brought with him, where there were beautiful streams and snow-covered mountains and lakes filled with fish of many kinds. Canaan, or, as it was later called, Palestine, is a little country. It is just about the size of our State of New Hampshire, for its great¬ est width is about a hundred miles, and its length from north to south about one hundred and fifty miles. At the north is a great, snow-clad mountain, called Mount Hermon, and south of this there are two other famous mountains, Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim. At the south, the land ends in the desert. In this little Land of Canaan, there are four distinct divisions, or zones, which extend in parallel lines from north to south. First there is the narrow coast plain along the Mediterranean Sea. Just east of this, as you can see on your map, is the central plateau. This sinks gradually into the Plain of Esdraelon which rises ever higher as we go south until we reach the fertile hills of Samaria ; as we go still farther south these merge into the hills of Judah. The third zone contains the Jordan River and the Dead Sea Val- 75 76 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Above G000 ft From 4000 to 6000 ft, “ 2000 to 4000 ft. “ 600 to 2000 ft “ Sea level to 500 ft. Below SeaJLevel Zidon Mt.Carn ! Joppa Ash dolly SCALE OP MILES JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 77 ley. The fourth zone includes the plateaus which extend east of the Dead Sea into the Arabian Desert. Look again on your map, on page 76. A little below the center you will find Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, and between them you will find Shechem, where Abraham first settled in the Promised Land. A little later he moved south to Bethel, which, you see, is in the zone marked “ Mountain Range.” This zone is between two thousand and four thou¬ sand feet high. The Land of Canaan does not touch the Mediterranean Sea, but it has two important inland seas — the Dead Sea, which has no outlet, and which is consequently salt, and the Sea of Galilee. These two seas are connected by the beau¬ tiful Jordan River. The two seas are only sixty-five miles apart, but because of its turnings, the river itself between the two seas measures nearly two hundred miles. The Dead Sea is the deepest depression in the earth’s surface, for its surface is 1292 feet below the level of the Mediterranean and its bottom is 1300 feet below that. To the east rises the long mountain range of Moab ; on the west there are also hills and cliffs, pierced every three or four miles by a nar¬ row gorge. “ These gorges are barren, except in their rocky beds, the only ways of passage up them, where a few trees live on the water that trickles out of sight beneath the gray shingle. The western range is bare, unbroken, menacing ; and there are few places in the world where the sun beats with so fierce a heat.” But in the days of Abraham, the region near the Dead Sea was probably different from what it is to-day, for near it were five great cities, called “ the cities of the plain.” Two of these cities, Sodom and Gomorrah, were rich and prosperous, but very wicked. To-day no one knows exactly where they were, for they were destroyed in the days of Abraham, but their names have come down to us as terms of wickedness and sin through all the hundreds of years since the time of the patriarch. It was this land which God promised to Abraham and to his descendants — Canaan, or Palestine, the Promised Land. Handwork and Map Work For the lessons of the next few weeks it will be interest- 78 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS ing to make a relief map of Palestine. Abraham and Lot are making a home in the Promised Land, and you will be interested in learning about some of the places where they lived. Probably you know something about making relief maps from your day-school work, but you will find direc¬ tions given below. To make a map of Canaan study the map on opposite page and practice on the sand table before you try to follow the directions. Your teacher will help you. How to Make a Relief Map of Palestine: Take a cup of flour, a cup of salt, and a little powdered alum ; mix into a stiff paste with warm water. Draw an outline map of Pal¬ estine on heavy cardboard. Most Bibles contain maps which show the elevations and depressions of the Holy Land. The hills and valleys of the land can be molded from these. When the maps are dry they can be colored with water colors, yellowish for the desert regions, green for fertile portions, blue for water areas. The cities can be indicated by white dots. Notebook Work On a new page of your notebook, draw an outline map of Canaan, putting in the places mentioned in last week’s les¬ sons and in this week’s lessons. Expressionae Activity Try this week particularly to be obedient and faithful in your work, remembering the example of the faithful Abraham. “ The God of Abraham Praise ” This hymn is a translation of the Hebrew Yigdal, which was written in the Middle Ages, but which is still contained in the Hebrew prayer books, and chanted in many syna¬ gogues in the world. Our translation was made about the year 1770 by Thomas Olivers, a friend of Wesley, who brought to him the hymn one day, saying, “ Look at this; I have rendered it from the Hebrew, giving it as far as I could, a Christian character, and I have called on Leoni the Jew, who has given me a Copyright , lbUo, by U nderwood The Memory Verse “ There is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.” — I Samuel 14:6. The Lesson Story “ The soldiers of the enemy are coming ! 'Hie army of the four kings is drawing near ! ” called one of Lot’s herdsmen as he rode up to the tent door one morning. “ Get ready to escape! Flee to the city for safety! ” What a hurried gathering together of household goods there was ! Quickly they packed up all their possessions, and loaded the tents on to the great camels. Quickly they rode into the city of Sodom, for Lot and his family and his herdsmen had moved their tents nearer and nearer to the great city until now they lived as close to it as they could, with their flocks and great herds of sheep and cattle. The city of Sodom and the city of Gomorrah near by were in a region which was under the rule of five kings. But these live kings themselves were only vassal kings ; that is, they ruled under direction from four great kings of Asia. For twelve years everything had gone quietly. Then the five kings rebelled against the four kings. Quickly the four kings had gathered their great armies. Across the country, over the desert, they marched, southwest, until they came to the place called “ the vale of Siddirn ” — a place which students of geography and history cannot find now, and which they think has been hidden under the waters of the Dead Sea. At that time it was a marshy place, low and full 86 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 87 of “ slime pits ” which proved death traps to any soldiers who were caught in them. Here, in the vale of Siddim, a great battle was fought — four kings against five. But the five kings were beaten. Their men were lost in the marshes. Those soldiers that were left fled to the mountains, and Sodom and Gomorrah were unprotected before the onrush of the enemy. Quickly the army of the four kings moved forward. Quickly the soldiers entered Sodom and Gomorrah. They carried away many of the inhabitants of the city, and their goods and possessions. Among those whom they took was Lot, the nephew of Abraham, together with all his family and his goods. How sorry Lot must have felt that he had gone to the wicked city of Sodom! How sorry he must have felt that he had left his uncle Abraham ! He had chosen to live near a wicked city, and he was suffering the result of his choice. Something About the Nine Kings 1. Am' ra-phel, King of Shi' nar. This name is another name for Hammurabi, one of the great kings of Babylonia, which was also called Shinar. Those men who have ex¬ plored the ruins found in Babylonia and Assyria tell us that Hammurabi was one of the greatest kings of Babylonia. Read in Chapter VII some things about his times. 2. Ar' i-och, King of El-la' sar. We do not know any¬ thing about this king. Ellaser was a place in or near Babylonia. 3. Ched-or-la-o' mer, King of E' lam, was head of the expedition. Elam was a country bordering on the Tigris River. This king has been identified as an overlord of Babylon. 4. Ti' dal, King of Goi' im. About this king we know nothing. These four kings formed an alliance. They were kings of great countries, and probably had great armies. The five kings were not so powerful as the four kings were. Their names were as follows : 5. Be ra, King of Sod' om. 6. Bir' sha, King of Go-mor'rah. 7. Shi' nab, King of Ad' mah. 88 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 8. Shem-e' ber, King of Ze-boi' im. 9. The king of Be' la (or Zoar) whose name is not given. Handwork In connection with this series of lessons, make a model of an Oriental city on the sand table. Each pupil in the Department may make a flat-roofed house, following the model given on page 85. Group these houses in the city, and make a wall around it. For this lesson put the tents of Lot's encampment just outside the city walls, and plan the attack on the city. Map Work The four kings moved from the Euphrates down the east side of the Jordan River, as far as the Gulf of Akaba. Trace their journey on the map. From there they marched back to the vale of Siddim, where the battle of the lesson took place. Notebook Work Enter the names of the nine kings in your notebooks. Memory Work Learn the last verses of the Memory Hymn: “ He by himself hath sworn, I on his oath depend ; I shall, on eagle’s wings upborne, To heaven ascend: I shall behold his face, I shall his power adore, And sing the wonders of his grace For evermore. “ The whole triumphant host Give thanks to God on high ; Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! They ever cry : Hail, Abraham’s God and mine! I join the heavenly lays; All might and majesty are thine, And endless praise.” 89 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Expressionae Activity If there is anyone in your class or in your school who has been unkind to you or who has hurt your feelings, try this week to be doubly kind to him. Sunday’s lesson will tell you how you will be following Abraham’s example, if you do this. SUNDAY SESSION ABRAHAM’S RESCUE OF EOT Genesis 14:13-16 The: Memory Verse “A friend loveth at all times; And a brother is born for adversity.” — Proverbs 17 :17. The Lesson Story Abraham was sitting comfortably in his tent door, in the shade of the great oak trees of Mamre. To the north of him a great battle had been raging, but Abraham and his family and his herdsmen knew nothing about what had happened. His flocks and herds were grazing in the flelds. There was plenty of pasture for all, and he and his neigh¬ bors lived in peace and plenty, far away from the battle in the north. But suddenly, as he looked across the peaceful hillside, there was a stir. There was something happening ! It seemed that his men were hurrying toward the great tent where he was. Yes, a stranger was coming. His men were bringing the stranger, and they all seemed very much excited. “News! News, master!” they cried. “Here is a stranger who tells us of a great battle ! ” “ Give him food, Elieazer, and let him tell his story in peace,” said the master. “ Let him eat and rest, first, and then we will hear his news.” (That is the law of hospitality in the East. Guests must be given food and made com¬ fortable first, before they are asked for information.) 90 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS But this man did not want to wait. “ I have escaped from a great battle,” he said, “ the battle of four great kings against five. And the four kings from the East were victors, O my master, and they have de¬ stroyed the armies of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah. They have taken captive your nephew Lot and his wife and his daughters and his herdsmen, and all his possessions.” You would have thought, perhaps, that Abraham would have said : “ Well, it serves Lot right. He should have stayed with me.” But he did not. Quickly he called to¬ gether his friends, and they gathered all their men trained for war. It was only a force of three hundred and eighteen men — a little force to go out against the warriors of Baby¬ lonia and Assyria, but God was with them. They followed the victorious army on and on until they came almost to Damascus. And there Abraham and his men, with God’s help, managed to rescue Lot and his family and to get back all the spoil which had been taken away. God helped Abra¬ ham, for he was his faithful friend. Quickly they turned south again, carrying back the res¬ cued people to their homes, and you can imagine what re¬ joicing there must have been everywhere along the way. And as for Lot, you would have thought that he must have been doubly grateful to his uncle Abraham and sorry for his sins. Perhaps he was a better man after that, but he con¬ tinued to live in the wicked city of Sodom, where he became one of the leading men. He did not learn thoroughly the lesson of avoiding bad company. He stayed in the city of the wicked. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class Lot’s association with the wicked people of Sodom led him into difficulties. That is always the way. “ Evil compan¬ ionships corrupt good morals,” the old proverb tells us. If you play with bad boys and girls, you yourself are apt to become a bad boy or a bad girl. Sometimes, even when you are not to blame for something unpleasant that happens, you are blamed because you usually are with the group who gets into mischief. If you never go with the group, no one blames you. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 91 Abraham was kind and generous. He forgot how selfish Lot had been. As soon as he heard that his nephew was in trouble, he hurried to help him. Do you ever say, “ Nellie was so mean yesterday that I won’t play with her to-day, or help her with her arithmetic problem?” If you are about to say something like that, just think of how Abraham treated Lot. The Bible tells us that it does not matter to God whether the battle is fought with few men or with many. “ There is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.” God gives the victory to those who are striving for the right. Don't be afraid to be right with the few. Remember the story of Noah and the ark. Abraham was brave. He knew that his force was little, but he started out boldly against the great armies of the kings of the north. He had courage for the right. The Lesson Truth in Your Liee Have you tried this week to be generous and kind to some one who you thought had been unkind to you, as you were asked in the last lesson? That is one way in which you can show the lesson truth in your life. “ Be ye kind one to another.” Guy the Crusader A long, long time ago, in one of the smiling valleys of France, there was an old castle. It was built all of stone, and its threatening appearance stood out in strong contrast to the sunny meadows and green hillsides which lay around it. In this castle, or chateau, as the French call it, there lived a knight, Sir Hugh Des Fontaines, with his wife and their little son Guy. Guy was a sturdy little fellow, and from his earliest years was fond of wandering about in search of adventures. When he was but ten years old, there was not a precipice, cave, or bowlder in all the country round that he did not know and had not visited. When Guy was twenty-five years old, he was the finest young man in all the countryside. He was tall and slender, and so graceful in all his movements that he never seemed to be obliged to make an effort. He had long yellow hair, 92 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS that flowed down over his shoulders. That seems strange nowadays ; but at that time all the young men wore their hair so, and if they had seen you and me they would have thought us perfect frights. Guy looked very grand, I can tell you, when he went about over the country dressed from head to foot in shining armor, and mounted upon a fine black war horse. Now, at this time there was a great excitement through¬ out France, and it was caused by the preaching of Peter the Hermit. He was small and insignificant-looking, but some¬ how his preaching set everyone crazy. Lie told of how the pilgrims who traveled to Jerusalem were plundered, beaten, yes, and sometimes killed outright, by the Saracens who had possession of Palestine. Then he told how it was the duty of every good Christian to save the Lloly City, the place where our Saviour had lived, out of the hand of the infidel. And his enthusiasm would take such hold of his audience that they would throw up their caps and shout, “ God wills it ! ” and many of them would go home and make their preparations to go on the long journey to Palestine — the crusade, as it was called — and leave their dear wives and children, so that they might redeem the Holy City. Now, Guy was a young man, and easily excited; so, when the others threw up their caps, Guy, who had come a long way to hear Peter, threw up his cap too, and cried, “ God wills it ! ” When he reached home he had a long talk with his father. Sir Hugh said that he himself was too old now to go off on such a wild expedition ; but it would please him very much if Guy would go, to keep up the honor of the family — ■ though he was loath tO' part with his son. So Guy went. He spent a week in preparations ; then he bade good-by to his father and mother, and started forth at the head of fif¬ teen men at arms, some of whom had been his playfellows in the days of the wooden shields. They rode eastward to join Godfrey of Bouillon, who was to lead the Christians against the unbelievers. It was a long time before the great army was ready to set out ; but at last they began their march, with trumpets sound¬ ing and standards flying. For the first few days it was a triumphal journey; then it began to grow tedious and finally JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 93 wearisome. Every morning Guy had to raise his aching limbs from his resting place — generally the ground — mount his great, black horse, which was as tired as he, and ride wearily on. There was a great deal of complaining ; the food was bad, the weather was bad, the roads were bad; but Guy would not find fault, for he felt that they were going on the Lord’s errand, and who was he. to complain of the weariness of the journey on which the fiord had sent him? And when he thought of these things, his heart grew lighter, and his tired limbs seemed more supple, and the sky brighter. Then the hearts of the weary crusaders who rode near him would be gladdened when they saw his cheerful bearing and pleasant smile. Finally they reached Jerusalem. As the great host came in sight of the Holy City, they bowed the knee in silent adoration of their Maker. The next day they began the attack. Fierce was the assault, but fiercer still the defense. The Saracens fought like madmen, and by night they re¬ paired the breaches made by day. So the hot summer days went by, until one evening Godfrey heard that the enemy were soon to receive reenforcements. That night he sent word all through the camp that a final attack was to be made the next morning, and that on the morrow they must conquer or die. All evening Guy’s squire sat polishing up the armor that was so bright when they left home and which had grown so tarnished and indented now ; and then he and Guy went to sleep. Next morning the sun rose bright and clear, and was re¬ flected in the shining armor of the crusaders. The whole force advanced on different sides to storm the city. Well might the Saracens tremble when they saw the Christians marching against them, for this time the watchword was, “ Conquer or die ! ” Guy rode in the van. He was a vet¬ eran warrior now ; but to-day he felt something of the awful excitement which possessed him before his first battle. This day was to decide the fate of the Christian army ; and Guy, with the rest, made up his mind that he would sleep in Jerusalem, or that the stars would shine down that night upon his dead body as it lay stretched upon the plain. At a point about a furlong from the city all the riders dis¬ mounted, and the serried mass of crusaders under Godfrey 94 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS marched steadily forward on foot toward a great breach in the wall. There was the main point of attack, and the Saracens were there in force to keep the Christians out. On rushed Godfrey against the living mass of the enemy ; on rushed Guy, whirling his great sword above his head. There was a shock, a pause, and the baffled Christians fell back, only to charge again and yet again. Higher and higher rose the sun. The heat was intolerable, but still the fighting kept on — the Christians now rushing fiercely upon the enemy, now pressed backwards in disorderly retreat. All at once there was silence in the Christian ranks. Everyone was quiet, for Godfrey was about to speak. “ Sol¬ diers of the cross ! ” he cried in a voice like a trumpet, “ shame on you ! Will you leave the Holy City in the hands of the unbelievers? No! One last charge, and Jerusalem, the city of our Lord, is in our power ! ” Then turning and brandishing his sword, “ God wills it! ” he cried, and rushed against the enemy. “ God wills it ! ” cried Guy, and, leap¬ ing up, he gripped his sword and started in pursuit. After them came the mighty Christian host with new vigor and re¬ newed strength. Godfrey was one of the first over the wall, and Guy was close upon him. Then another rushed over, and then another, and more and more. Look to yourselves, brave Saracens, or you have lost the day ! Ah ! they could not withstand that onset. Some fled, some stood for a moment, only to be cut down by their pursuers. The wretched crea¬ tures, huddled together in the midst of the city, were like lambs given up to the slaughter. Guy did not like such work ; he desisted. So at last the battle was won. Godfrey of Bouillon stood leaning on his sword with his chief men about him, taking counsel for what should happen next. “ It has been a hard-fought battle,” said old Raymond of Toulouse. “ That was no easy victory.” “No,” said Godfrey; “and had it not been for yonder young man,” pointing to Guy, who stood near, “ and a hand¬ ful of others like him, we should not be here now. What say you, Des Fontaines; is it not true?” “ It was not I, or the like of me, that decided the battle,” said Guy, gravely. “ It was the will of God.” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 95 And all the crusaders standing about, young and old, bowed their heads, and said, “ Amen ! ” — Selections from “ Guy the Crusader,” by Edward Everett Hale. EXPRESSION AL SESSION BEING FAIR TO OTHERS Genesis 14:17-24 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address Abraham was faithful to God, and he was faithful also to his friends. He was generous in his treatment of Lot. He was generous in his treatment of others. When he returned home after the rescue of Lot, he brought with him many people and much spoil from the enemy — the possessions which they first had carried away from the people of Canaan. The king of Sodom met Abra¬ ham and another king, Melchizedek, King of Salem. Mel- chizedek blessed Abraham in the name of the true God, and Abraham gave to him one tenth of all that had been won in battle. Then the king of Sodom came to Abraham. He sug¬ gested that he send the people back to their homes, but keep all the trophies of war. But Abraham had not fought for booty. He had fought to rescue his nephew. He would not accept for himself even a shoe latchet, except the food that they had eaten. He asked that a portion be given to his friends and neighbors from near Hebron, but he himself refused any share. Again he showed that he was fair and generous to others, you see. and unselfish himself. He set an example before us, for us ail to follow. He was obedient; he was faithful: he was kind; he was fair; he was generous. Let us pray that we may be like him. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we want to be like Abraham, obedient and kind and generous. Help us to follow the 96 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS example that he has set before us in all these ways. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Proverbs 4:18; 10:6, 7, 20; 20:7; Matthew 5:44; 7:12; Luke 6:27, 28, 31; Romans 8:31; Ephesians 4:32; Philip- pians 4:8; I Timothy 6:12. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Can I See Another’s Woe? ” “ Be with Us, O Father.” “ I Live for Those Who Love Me.” “ Love Thyself Last.” “ Rescue the Perishing.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. In what ways was Abraham fair to others? 2. In what ways was he more than fair? 3. Who was Melchizedek ? Find another place in the Bible where Melchizedek is mentioned. Hebrews 5:10; 6:20; 7:1-6. 4. How can you be fair and generous to others in your school life? 5. How can you be fair and generous to those at home? 6. Will you try to follow Abraham’s example this week? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Story of Abraham’s Rescue of Lot. 2. Melchizedek. 3. Sharing the Spoils. 4. Playing Fair in Our Lives. 5. How Juniors May Play Fair. 6. Fighting Others’ Battles. 7. How We Should Treat Those Who Have Been Un¬ kind. To Read in the Meeting Jesus said that we should forgive those who have offended us “ seventy times seven.” This does not mean just four JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 97 * hundred and ninety times, but more times than we can number. King Saul sought the life of David after David had tried to help him in every way. And yet when David had a chance to take Saul’s life, he spared him because he thought that God’s anointed king was sacred. David was forgiving and obedient. When Jesus was on the cross, he said of those who cruci¬ fied him, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” He was the greatest Example that the world has ever known of fairness and generosity to others. CHAPTER X WEEK DAY SESSION HOSPITALITY IN BIBLE LANDS Genesis 18:1-8 The Memory Verse “ Be tenderly affectioned one to another . . . given to hospitality.” — Romans 12:10, 13. The Lesson Story Even to-day in Eastern lands the manners and customs of the people are very much like those of hundreds and hun¬ dreds of years ago. So, if we can see how the Arab sheik of to-day lives, we can tell something of the way in which Abraham lived so many centuries ago. Imagine the group of great black tents of the rich chief¬ tain — the tents in which the master slept and ate, and those in which his servants and tribesmen — hundreds of them — lived. Read the lesson passage. Then read the description of a visit to a modern Bedouin chieftain, or sheik, and you can picture to yourself how Abraham lived. It is a life of peace and comfort, though it is a very different life from what we know in America to-day. The account is from “ Oriental Social Life,” by H. Clay Trumbull. “ As our party neared the tents, with the intention of passing to the north of them, I observed a Bedouin woman with a bulky cloth bag, or sack, upon her shoulders, the bag oozing moisture as if its contents were liquid. I reined up my horse, in order to see how it was that water was being carried in a cloth bag. In answer to my question I was told that the bag contained leben, or thickened milk [butter], which is a staple article of diet among the pastoral peoples of the East. But that question of mine had put me into a new relation with the Bedouin there. It had brought our 98 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 99 party within the scope of the tribe's hospitality, as I quickly had occasion to realize. “ The Bedouin sheik was sitting in the entrance way of his tent, as Abraham was accustomed to sit in his day. And the sheik’s tent was designedly nearest the traveled way, in order that he could be on the watch for stranger guests. Seeing a party of travelers stop in the vicinity of his tribe, he arose from his place and came forward, with all the dig¬ nity of bearing and courtliness of manner of the true Arab chieftain, to ask them to honor him by alighting and accept¬ ing the hospitality of his tent. To have declined this invita¬ tion without a good and sufficient reason would have been a positive rudeness on our part, as Orientals view it. There¬ fore we dismounted, and were conducted to Sheik Mossa’s tent.” Then, the traveler goes on to say, the best rugs were spread on the ground just inside the entrance of the tent, of which the rear curtain, or flap, was raised so that the visitors might have all the fresh air possible. The sheik called his wife who was just behind the tent flap which separated the woman’s part of the tent from the men’s part. Here she could hear what was said without herself being seen. The sheik told her to hasten and bake a cake of bread for the visitors, as Abraham, hundreds of years before, bade Sarah have bread prepared for the three guests who came to their tent. The sheik continued his hospitable preparations. He pre¬ pared coffee ; he gave the guests curdled milk, or “ butter,” as the Bible calls it. The first cup of coffee was poured reverently to the ground as an offering to God. Then, while the sheik stood by, watching to see that everything was done in order, each guest received two cups of coffee. Meanwhile the sheik had asked the permission of the guests to slay a lamb for them, to be eaten with the bread that his wife was getting ready, but this would have taken too much time, so they refused his invitation. As they de¬ parted, he thanked them as if he alone had been honored bv their visit. At last, kissing and pressing his forehead to the hands of his guests, he let the travelers go, giving them a profound salute as they rode away. So, in the East to-day there are many customs of hos- 100 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS pitality much like those of Bible times. As you read over your lesson passage, compare these modern customs with those given there, and see in what ways Abraham was like the old sheik described by the modern traveler in the same part of the world. Handwork Continue the work begun last week of making the city of Sodom on the sand table. \ Notebook Work For your notebook, trace or draw free-hand the tent given in Chapter VII. See if you can find in a magazine a picture of a tree whose size is in proper proportion to the tent. Across a new page of your notebook, draw a line to repre¬ sent the sky line. Color the lower part of the page to represent the ground, and make the upper part dark, like the night sky filled with stars. Paste on the page the tree, which will represent the oak tree under which Abraham had his tent, and put under the tree the tent which you have drawn. Make this poster page of your notebook as attractive and interesting as possible. Map Work Work on your relief map of Palestine. Expressionae Activity Try to show hospitality this week. If there is a visitor in your home, do something that will show you are glad to have him there. Memory Work “ GUIDE ME, O THOU GREAT JEHOVAH ” Here is another famous hymn to learn. It was written originally in Welsh by William Williams. In 1771 the first verse was translated into English by Rev. Peter Williams, and in 1772, the original author finished the translation and added a fourth verse. Few English hymns are so well known. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 101 “ Guide me, O thou great Jehovah, Pilgrim through this barren land ; I am weak, but thou art mighty, Hold me with thy powerful hand. Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more. “ Open now the crystal fountain, Whence the healing stream doth flow ; Let the fire and the cloudy pillar Lead me 11 my journey through: Strong Deliverer, Be thou still my Strength and Shield.” SUNDAY SESSION ABRAHAM ENTERTAINING ANGELS Genesis 15:1, 2, 5; 18:9, 10 The: Memory Verse “Forget not to show love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. ” — Hebrews 13:2. The Lesson Story The sun was blazing bright in the blue Eastern sky, for it was the hottest part of the day. Again Abraham sat in the door of his tent, which was pitched by the oaks of Mamre, near Hebron. As he sat there he must have been thinking of God’s words to him, for again God had come to him and again had repeated to him that wonderful promise which he had made when Abraham set out from Haran, Genesis 12:1-3, and when he had first settled in the Prom¬ ised Land, Genesis 13:14-16. This time God had said to him: “ Fear not. I am thy shield. Look now toward heaven and number the stars, if thou art able to number them. So shall thy children be.” Abraham was sure that God would fulfill his promise, though as yet he and Sarah had no child. He trusted in God’s plans for him and for his family. As he sat there at his tent door, something caused him to look up. And there, approaching him, were three men, 102 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS strangers to him. As was the custom in those days, he hur¬ ried to meet them. He bowed low to the earth, and invited them in to rest and enjoy his hospitality — water, to wash their feet, shade from the burning sun under the great oak tree, food to strengthen them. As the three men accepted the invitation Abraham hur¬ ried to Sarah. “ We have guests,” he said. “ Make ready three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes.” Then he quickly took one of the best calves from the herd and gave it to a servant to be killed and prepared. He pro¬ vided butter and milk, too. He was truly a generous host and was making generous preparations for his guests. Sarah and the women ground the grain between the round stone millstones ; mixed the bread in queer, wooden troughs and made thin cakes of it. The servants prepared the meat, which was a delicacy not eaten every day. In the meantime the visitors rested in the cool shade. When the food was ready, the guests sat in a circle on the ground under the tree. Abraham placed before them the food which he had provided — the flat cakes, the calf roasted and served whole, so that each guest could tear from it with his fingers the piece he desired, the butter, and the milk. Abraham him¬ self did not eat with the guests. He “ stood by ” to do them honor, and to see that each received what he wanted. Sarah remained in the tent, for no woman had a share in such a feast. At first Abraham thought that his guests were men, but JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 103 as they talked he found that God was talking to him through these messengers. “ Where is Sarah thy wife, ” one of them asked him, and Abraham answered, “ in the tent.” Sarah, listening, must have listened harder when she heard her own name. She did not know as yet that the men were speaking of God. When she heard them say, “ Sarah thy wife shall have a son,” at first she did not believe them, and laughed. But this was just one more way in which God repeated his promise to Abraham, his friend, who, in entertaining strangers, had entertained the messengers of the God whom he loved and served. The time was drawing closer when God was going to fulfill the first part of his promise that through the descendants of Abraham all the people of the world should be blessed. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class Abraham showed true hospitality in providing for his guests. The food that he prepared was plentiful and of the best quality. When we have opportunity to be hosts, we, too, should give our best to our guests. If a friend of your own age comes to play with you, give him the choice of what games are to be played. Give him the first choice of your playthings. If the friend who comes to visit you is older than you are, you should be still more careful to be generous and thought¬ ful. Go on errands for an older guest. Try always to be polite and obedient and to keep quiet if mother and father are having a good visit with company. Don’t interrupt a conversation of older people. Try in every way to make the guest have a good time, and then you will be following Abraham’s example. Is there a new boy in your class at school ? Of course he feels strange. Remember the Golden Rule and try to make him feel at home. Put yourself in his place. The Lesson Truth in Your Life God wants his followers always to be kind to others. One way of being kind is to be hospitable to guests, and to do 104 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS all that we can do for them. Perhaps we may not be enter¬ taining angels, as Abraham did, but we should remember the words of Jesus, “ Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these ... ye did it unto me.” How the Great Guest Came By Edwin Markham Before the cathedral in grandeur rose, At Ingelburg where the Danube goes ; Before its forest of silver spires Went airily up to the clouds and fires; Before the oak had ready a beam, While yet the arch was stone and dream — There where the altar was later laid, Conrad the cobbler plied his trade. Doubled all day on his busy bench, Hard at his cobbling for master and bench, He pounded away at a brisk rat-tat, Shearing and shaping with pull and pat, Hide well hammered and pegs sent home, Till the shoe was tit for the Prince of Rome. And he sang as the threads went to and fro: “ Whether ’tis hidden or whether it show, Let the work be sound, for the Lord will know.” Tall was the cobbler, and gray and thin, And a full moon shone where the hair had been. His eyes peered out, intent and afar, As looking beyond the things that are. He walked as one who is done with fear, Knowing at last that God is near. Only half of him cobbled the shoes: The rest was away for the heavenly news. Indeed, so thin was the mystic screen That parted the unseen from the seen, You could not tell from the cobbler’s theme If his dream were truth or his truth were dream. It happened one day at the year’s white end, Two neighbors called on their old-time friend; And they found the shop, so meager and mean, Made gay with a hundred boughs of green. Conrad was stitching with face ashine, But suddenly stopped as he twitched a twine : “ Old friends, good news ! At dawn to-day, As the cocks were scaring the night away, The Lord appeared in a dream to me, And said, ‘ I am coming your Guest to be ! ’ JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 105 So I’ve been busy with feet astir, Strewing the floor with branches of fir. The wall is washed and the shelf is shined, And over the rafter the holly is twined. He comes to-day, and the table is spread With milk and honey and wheaten bread.” His friends went home; and his face grew still As he watched for the shadow across the sill. He lived all the moments o'er and o’er, When the Lord should enter the lowly door — The knock, the call, the latch pulled up, The lighted face, the offered cup. He would wash the feet where the spikes had been; He would kiss the hands where the nails went in ; And then at last would sit with him And break the bread as the day grew dim. While the cobbler mused, there passed his pane A beggar drenched by the driving rain. He called him in from the stony street And gave him shoes for his bruised feet. The beggar went and there came a crone, Her face with wrinkles of sorrow sown. A bundle of fagots bowed her back, And she was spent with wrench and rack. He gave her his loaf and steadied her load As she took her way on the weary road. Then to his door came a little child, Lost and afraid in the world so wild, In the big, dark world. Catching it up, He gave it milk in the waiting cup, And led it home to its mother's arms, Out of the reach of the world’s alarms. The day went down in the crimson west, And with it the hope of the blessed Guest, And Conrad sighed as the world turned gray; “Why is it, Lord, that your feet delay? Did you forget that this was the day?” Then soft in the silence a voice he heard : “ Lift up your heart, for I kept my word. Three times I came to your friendly door ; Three times my shadow was on your floor I was the beggar with bruised feet; I was the woman you gave to eat ; I was the child in the homeless street ! ” — From volume, “ The Shoes of Happiness and Other Poems,” by Edwin Markham. Copyright by Edwin Markham and used by permission. 106 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS EXPRESSIONAL SESSION HOW JUNIORS CAN BE HOSPITABLE I Peter 4 :8- 10 Suggestions for the Leader's Opening Address Abraham has given us very many examples which it would be well for us to follow. He has shown that he was kind and generous and obedient and faithful — a worthy friend of God. In our lesson for this week, he has set be¬ fore us an example of hospitality. He did not at first recog¬ nize that the three men who came to his tent were messen¬ gers from God. And yet he treated them with the greatest generosity. He set before them the best food and drink that he could provide. He showed himself in every way a polite and generous man. We Juniors, too, should be polite to guests who' come to our homes, and to strangers who are really guests in our land. We should do our very best to make those who feel strange with us to feel at home and comfortable, sharing with them the best that we have of everything. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, help us to be kind to strangers and polite to those who come as guests into our homes. Help us to be generous in giving them the best that we have. Help us to make them feel at home in our homes. Espe¬ cially we ask thee to help us to be kind to any foreign chil¬ dren or strangers in our school or in our neighborhood. Enable us to remember the words of Jesus, “ Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these ... ye did it unto me.” Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Matthew 7:12; 25:34-40; Luke 14:12-14; I Corinthians 13:4; Ephesians 2:19; \ Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Be Ye Kind.” “ O Jesus, Thou Art Standing.” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 107 “ Have You Had a Kindness Shown.” “ Somebody Did a Kind Deed.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Who wrote the verses given at the beginning of the lesson ? 2. How long did he live after Abraham lived? 3. In what ways did Abraham, who lived so many hun¬ dreds of years before, show that he was like Peter’s idea of what a Christian should be? 4. How may you be like Abraham at home? 5. How may you be like Abraham in school? 6. Have you done anything this week that shows that you are trying to follow Abraham’s example? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Peter’s Advice to the Followers of Christ. 2. Entertaining Jesus. Luke 10:38, 39. 3. How Juniors Can Follow Abraham’s Example in Be¬ ing Hospitable. 4. The Stranger in Your Schoolroom. 5. The Visitor in Your Home. 6. Our Best for Our Guests. 7. Hawthorne's “ Miraculous Pitcher.” To Read in the Meeting Perhaps those whom we entertain will not prove to be angels, as were the three men whom Abraham entertained, but if we treat them kindly and politely, we shall find that the knowledge that God approves of our action will be re¬ ward enough. There may be a girl in your class in school who can hardly talk English. She is left out of your games and plays, and must be lonely. If you ask her to join in the game, she will probably be very glad, and you will find, on your part, that you enjoy having her. Try it and see. If Walter comes to play with you some afternoon, do you play the games that he likes, or the games that you like? If you are trying to follow the example of Abraham, and being truly hospitable, you will play the games that your 108 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS guest likes best, and let him play with your favorite toys, if he wants to do so. Do not think that Therese, or Pietro, or Paquita, or Ah Sid is not so good as we are because he cannot understand our language. When you find out what these strangers are really like, you may find that they are really fine friends for you, as Abraham found that the strangers who came to his tent were fine friends for him. CHAPTER XI WEEK DAY SESSION THE DOOM OF SODOM AND GOMORRAH Genesis 18:17-33 The Memory Verse “ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners.” — Psalm 1:1. The Lesson Story The three strangers who had been Abraham’s guests fin¬ ished their meal. They rose from their places under the shady oak tree, and turned toward Sodom. Abraham, as the custom was, started with them on their way. God was pleased with his servant. He planned once more to make Abraham the father of a great and mighty nation. He planned to tell Abraham what he was about to do. “ Sodom and Gomorrah are very wicked cities,” he said, “ and they must be destroyed.” Abraham was sad. “Wilt thou destroy all the people?” he asked. “ Wilt thou destroy the righteous as well as the wicked? Perhaps there may be fifty good men in the city. Wilt thou not spare the place if there are fifty righteous people in it ? ” And God said, “ If I find in the city of Sodom, fifty right¬ eous men, I will spare all the place for their sake.” “ But perhaps there will be only forty-five good people,” said Abraham. “ Wilt thou destroy it because of a lack of five ? ” “ I will spare the city if there are forty-five good men in it,” God promised. So God and Abraham talked until God had promised his 109 no JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS faithful servant to spare the city if there were ten men and women in it who were righteous. Then Abraham returned home, still more sure than ever that he was God’s friend. In the meantime the angels had gone on to Sodom ; they reached the city in the evening. Lot was sitting in the gate, which in those days was the place in which the important men of the city took counsel together and gave judgments and decisions. Lot, you see, had become one of the leading men of Sodom. When Lot saw the strangers approaching, he, too, carried out the laws of hospitality as they were known in those days. He bowed down before them, and invited them to his house for the night, offering them water with which to wash their feet. At first they refused his invitation, but they finally ac¬ cepted, and he made a feast for them, as his uncle Abra¬ ham had done earlier in the day. The men accepted Lot’s hospitality, and then because Lot was a believer in the true God, and in every way a better man than others in Sodom, they gave him a warning. “ Up, and get you out of this place,” they said, “ for Jehovah will destroy this city. Look not behind you, but escape to the mountain.” So Lot and his wife and his two daughters went out from the city. And at sunrise, “ Jehovah rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from Jehovah out of heaven; and he overthrew those cities, and all the Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities.” God had not found even ten righteous men in Sodom for whose sake he could spare the city. Lot and his wife and his two daughters fled toward a safe place. But Lot’s wife turned and looked back toward the city where she had lived for many years. And as she looked, she was turned into a pillar of salt. God, through his messengers, had commanded them not to look back. She had disobeyed and because of her disobedience, she was punished. And when Abraham rose in the morning and looked toward the plain, “ Lo, the smoke of the land went up as the smoke of a furnace.” The cities of the plain had disap¬ peared. And even to-day there is no trace of those cities left, which travelers can find. The salt waters of the Dead JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 111 Sea, it is thought, cover the place where once lay the five great cities which were destroyed for their wickedness. Handwork Complete your sand-table representations of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Notebook Work Enter the story of the destruction of the cities of the plain, in your notebook. Map Work Draw on the blackboard a map of Palestine, without put¬ ting in the Dead Sea. Instead, put dots to represent the cities of the plain. Then erase the cities, and draw the out¬ line of the Dead Sea, to show that people think that this sea, as it is nowadays, covers the plain where the great cities once were. Expressionar Activity Try during the week to be especially obedient to those through whom God sends his messages to you — your parents and teachers ; and try, too, to find other messages to you, by reading your Bible. Memory Work Learn the remaining verses of the Memory Hymn, “ Guide Ale, O Thou Great Jehovah.” “When I tread the verge of Jordan, Bid my anxious fears subside; Death of deaths and hell’s destruction, Land me safe on Canaan’s side : Songs of praises I will ever give to thee.” The Dead Sea and the Cities of the Plain What had been the fertile vale of Siddim was covered, in the time that this story was written, by the Salt (Dead) Sea. It is a disputed question whether the vale of Siddim in which were the “ cities of the plain ” was situated at its 112 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS north or south end. “ For the north end, it is argued that Abraham and Lot looked upon the cities from near Bethel, whence it would be impossible to see the south end of the Dead Sea; that the name ‘Circle (or plain) of Jordan’ is inapplicable to the south end ; and that the presence of five cities there is impossible. On the other hand, at the south end of the Dead Sea there lay, through Roman and medieval times, a city called Zoara by the Greeks and Zughar by the Arabs, which was identified by all as the Zoar of Lot. Jebel Usdum, at the southeast end, is the un¬ contested representative of Sodom. The name Kikkar (“circle”) may surely have been extended to the south of the Dead Sea; just as to-day the Ghor (lower Jordan val¬ ley) is continued a few miles to the south of Jebel Usdum. Jewish and Arab traditions fix on the south end; and finally the material conditions are more' suitable there than on the north end to the description of the region both before and after the catastrophe, for there is still sufficient water and verdure on the east side of the Ghor to suggest the garden of the Lord, while the shallow bay and long marsh at the south end may, better than the ground at the north end of the sea, hide the secret of the overwhelmed cities.” (G. A. Smith). The Dead Sea, which is about forty-six miles long by nine miles wide, is now nearly divided in two parts toward the south end by a tongue of land jutting from the east shore. This tongue probably once joined the opposite shore, and formed the south limit of the Sea. But it is con¬ jectured that, by the action of an earthquake, a subsidence took place, and, as Professor Smith hints, what had been the fertile vale of Siddim became a desolate lagoon. The salt¬ ness of the water (twenty-six per cent as compared with the four per cent of the ocean) is due to the presence of a mountain of rock salt (Jebel Usdum) at the south end of the sea. ' Fish cannot live in it, not so much owing to its saltness, as to the excess of bromide of magnesium ; and the extreme buoyancy of its waters is well known. The position of this salt mountain, and the occurrence of bitumen pits at the south end supports the theory of the position of the cities just mentioned. The name “ the Dead Sea ” occurs nowhere in the Bible, and has not been found earlier than the second century a. d. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 113 SUNDAY SESSION THE BIRTH OF ISAAC Genesis 21 : 1-8 The: Memory Verse; “ Thou shall call his name Isaac : and I will establish my covenant with him.” — Genesis 17 :19b. The Lesson Story To parents in the East the birth of a son is an event which is always accompanied with great rejoicing. In a book called “ When I Was a Boy in Palestine,” the writer says : “ It is not so very long since I was a boy in Palestine. My birth was welcome news to my father, and the woman who told it received as a reward a large silver coin. In most Oriental countries a boy is always prized more than a girl. The natural division of the people into classes causes this desire for boy children. Boys grow into men who strengthen the tribe. After hearing the news of my birth, my father had to furnish refreshments for all who were present. The men guests were served the usual coffee, while women and children were given candy and cucumbers, the latter being in season at the time.” In Abraham’s time as nowadays there was great rejoicing at the birth of an heir, and when at last the day came when the first part of God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled, and a son was born to him and Sarah, there was great joy in the tents. There were great feasts among the herdsmen and shepherds and servants. Everyone rejoiced with Abra¬ ham and Sarah that a young chief had been born. The child was named “ Isaac,” as God had commanded, but the name, which means “ laughter ” was well suited, for his birth caused much joy among many people. Do you remember how long it had been since God first made the promise to Abraham that through his descendants all the nations of the earth should be blessed ? He was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran, where God had said to him plainly, “ I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, . . . and in thee shall all the 114 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS families of the earth be blessed,” Genesis 12:2, 3. Now he was a hundred years old. Genesis 21 :5. So you see that twenty-five years had passed since the promise was first made. It must sometimes have seemed to Abraham that God had forgotten him; but God never forgets, and at last his words were carried out. And they are still being car¬ ried out, for even to-day we are helping to carry out the promise, which meant that through Jesus, our Saviour, all the people of the world should be saved from sin, and be¬ come followers of the true God. Putting the; Lesson Into teie Life of the Class The fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham began with the birth of Isaac. The greatest step in the fulfillment was the coming of Jesus Christ to the world. The fulfill¬ ment of the promise now rests with God’s people in the world, who are carrying out Jesus’ last command, “ Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” We can help in carrying out God’s promise by support¬ ing the work of missionaries. We can help this work with our offerings, with our prayers, with our interest. Abraham had faith that God’s promise would be carried out. We, too, should have faith though the answer to our prayers seems a long time in coming. The Lesson Truth in Your Life God’s promises are always fulfilled. If we learn from faithful Abraham the lesson of faith, we shall “ trust and obey.” Bible Stories of Other Babies Weiose Coming Brought Joy to the World Samuel. I Samuel, chapter 1. John the Baptist. Zacharias and Elisabeth, the father and mother of John the Baptist, were old people, as Abra¬ ham and Sarah were. To them, too, the birth of a son was foretold by an angel, and he, too, was given his name, “John,” by God’s command. Read of the rejoicing at his JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 115 birth in Luke 1 :58-66. He was called John because the angel said, “ Thou shalt call his name John.’’ JESUS, the Saviour. The name of Jesus was given to him by God when the angel said to Joseph, “ Thou shalt call his name Jesus; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins.” At his birth there was rejoicing in heaven, and the angels sang of his coming, to save the people of the world from their sins ; to fulfill the promise given to Abra¬ ham, through whom all the nations of the world were to be blessed. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION PRAYING FOR OURSELVES AND FOR OTHERS Jonah, chapter 3 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address When Abraham pleaded with God to spare the city of Sodom if there were ten righteous people in it, God granted his prayer. God is always ready to listen to those who pray for others. He was ready and willing to spare the city of Sodom even at the last, just as he spared the wicked city of Nineveh when the king and the people listened to the warnings of Jonah and were sorry for their sins. God is always the same. But he wants us to be sorry when we have done wrong, and to try to do better the next time. W e who live to-day have One who pleads for us even better than Abraham pleaded for the people of Sodom — Jesus Christ, who came into the world to die for sinners, and so to save us from our sins. The Class Prayer We thank thee, our Father in heaven, for the life and the death of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has given himself for us, and who, on the night on which he was betrayed, prayed not only for his followers during his own lifetime, but for all those that believed on him through their word. We pray that all the world may soon come to know of him and of thee, through the teachings of those who follow in his steps. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. 116 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Verses for Use in the Meeting I Samuel 1:17; I Kings 8:28; II Kings 19:15-20; Psalm 4 :1 ; 6 :9 ; John 17 :24-26 ; James 5 :16. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire.” “ Jesus, Gentle Saviour.” “ Jesus, Meek and Gentle.” “Jesus, Friend of Little Children.” “ Lord, Teach a Little Child to Pray.” “Jesus, from Thy Throne on High.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. How has God shown us that he wants us to pray for ethers ? 2. Does he want us to pray for ourselves, too? 3. What should we ask for in our prayers? 4. What are the parts of a true prayer? 5. Is prayer that is pleasing to God ever only asking for something ? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Prayer Which Jesus Taught Us. Matthew 6:9-14. 2. The Pharisee and the Publican. Luke 18:10-14. 3. The Prayer Which God Hears. 4. The Parts of a True Prayer. 5. Praying for Our Own Needs. 6. Praying for Others. 7. Prayer and Praise. What Others Have Said About Prayer “ Pray without ceasing.” “ Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire.” “ A generous prayer is never presented in vain.” “ More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of.” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 117 “ He prayeth best who loveth best, All things both great and small ; For the dear God who loveth us, He made and loveth all.” CHAPTER XII WEEK DAY SESSION ABRAHAM WILLING TO OFFER ISAAC Genesis 22 : 1-14 The Memory Verse “ Show ne thy ways, O Jehovah; Teach me thy paths.” — Psalm 25 :4. The Lesson Story The years passed rapidly, and Isaac, the young chief of Abraham’s line, grew from a laughing baby to a young man. His boyhood in the great black tents was happy; he was a gentle, quiet lad, a close companion of his father, whom he learned to obey and to trust absolutely. One day when he was quite grown up, we should say, his father called to him. “ Come, Isaac,” he said, “ we are going to make an expe¬ dition to the land of Moriah.” “ Why are we going, father? ” Isaac may have asked. “ Jehovah God has commanded me to go thither to sacri¬ fice,” said Abraham. And this was true. God had com¬ manded Abraham to go to the land of Moriah, and there to sacrifice Isaac, his son, the pride and joy of his life. At this time Abraham did not tell Isaac what the sacrifice was to be. He was obedient to God ; he knew that God had promised that Isaac should be the ancestor of a great race, and that now he was commanded to sacrifice him. How God would fulfill his promise he did not understand, but he trusted and obeyed. However, he did not tell Isaac. He did not tell anyone what God’s command had been. Early in the morning the party set out, Abraham and Isaac and two servants, with an ass bearing their supplies, the wood for the sacrifice, and the little vessel which con- 118 If It C. H sM5i i> *#»**^_ C. Arnold Slade Used by permission. ABRAHAM AND ISAAC JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 119 tained fire. All that day they traveled, camping- at night; the next day they moved on again. On the third day as Abraham looked off into the distance he could see the place to which God had commanded him to go. “ This is the stopping place,” Abraham then said to his servants. “ I will take Isaac and go ahead to worship. Stay here until we come back.” You see that Abraham was very sure of God’s love for him and of God’s promise. He did not say, “ I ” will come again to you, but “ we ” will come again. His faith in God never wavered. Quickly they unloaded the ass. They placed on Isaac’s hack the wood which they had brought. Abraham took in his hand his knife and the little vessel in which a spark of fire still burned, and he and Isaac went forward. “ Father, tell me something,” Isaac said. “ We have wood and fire here for our sacrifice, but where is the lamb for the burnt-offering ? ” Then Abraham showed once more how truly he trusted God. Even then he did not say to Isaac that he was to be the sacrifice. Instead he said what he hoped and knew in his heart must be true: “ God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.” So talking, father and son went on until they came to the place of which God had told Abraham. Abraham built an altar. He bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar. He put out his hand to take the knife to kill the young man. And then God’s angel spoke from heaven. “ Abraham, Abraham ! ” he said. How happy the father must have been to hear that voice. How glad he must have been to answer, “ Here am I ! ” “ Lay not thy hand upon the lad,” God’s words continued, “ neither do thou any thing unto him ; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from me.” And as Abraham lifted up his eyes he saw a ram caught in the thicket by his horns. Quickly he caught the ram. Quickly he unloosed Isaac and together they offered up the ram as a burnt offering. It must have been a true thank offering to God, who had 120 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS in his way tested the faith of both his servants, Abraham and Isaac. And because God himself provided the lamb for the sac¬ rifice, Abraham called the place “ Jehovah-jireh,” “In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided.” Quietly and solemnly Abraham and Isaac must have gone back to the servants and turned their steps homeward. Rev¬ erently they must have thanked God that they had not failed in the test which he had set before them. Handwork Build an altar of stones on the sand table. Notebook Work Enter this lesson story in your notebook, and copy in con¬ nection with it the words of Hebrews 11 : 17-19. Map Work Bible students do not know exactly where to place the land of Moriah, where Abraham was commanded to sacri¬ fice Isaac. Some people think that it was the same as Mount Moriah, where the Temple at Jerusalem was later built. Other people think it was the land of Moreh, and still others think that it was Mount Gerizim. Find on your map the city of Jerusalem and mark this as one of the places where this test of Abraham’s faith may have taken place. Expressionae Activity Try hard this week to be obedient in every way to your parents and to your teachers, and to all whom God has made older and wiser than you. Memory Work In addition to your Memory Verse, learn Psalm 25 ■ 5 , 6. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 121 SUNDAY SESSION GOD’S PROMISE TO ABRAHAM Genesis 22 : 1 5- 1 9 The: Memory Verse “ I will establish my covenant with him for an everlast¬ ing covenant for his seed after him.” — Genesis 17 :19b. The Lesson Story Once more, after Abraham had shown his willingness to obey Cxod and to sacrifice Isaac, God’s message came to his obedient servant, promising that through him all the world should be blessed. This was the eighth time that such a promise to Abraham is given in the Bible. God told Abra¬ ham again and again what he meant to do for him. The First Time. “ Now Jehovah said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto the land that I will show thee : and I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great ; and be thou a blessing : . . . and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:1-3. This promise was made when Abraham was about to set out from Haran, in obedience to God’s command. The Second Promise. “ And Jehovah appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land.” Genesis 12:7a. This promise was made when Abraham first entered the Promised Land. The Third Promise. “And Jehovah said unto- Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for¬ ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth : so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered.” Genesis 13:14-16. This promise was made after Abraham had generously given Lot the first choice of the land. The Fourth Promise. “ After these things the word of 122 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Jehovah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram : I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. . . . And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and number the stars, if thou be able to number them : and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in Jehovah.” Genesis 15:1, 5, 6a. This promise was made after Abraham had delivered Lot from the power of the four kings. The Fifth Promise. “ Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty ; . . . I will make my covenant between me and thee, ... I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” Genesis 17:1-10. This promise was made just before the visit of the three strangers to Abraham’s tent. The Sixth Promise. “ Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him.” Genesis 18:18. This promise was made just at the conclusion of the visit of the three strangers. The Seventh Promise. “ In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” Genesis 21 :12c. This promise was made at the conclusion of the feast when Isaac was weaned. The Eighth Promise. “ And the angel of Jehovah called unto Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith Jehovah, ... that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heavens, and as the sand which is upon the sea-shore ; . . . and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed ; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” Genesis 22 :1 5-18. See in how many ways God promised to help Abraham. He will be a shield and a defender to him ; he will be his exceeding great reward ; his descendants shall be like the dust of the earth ; like the stars in the sky, like the sands of the seashore — so many, that is, that they cannot be num¬ bered. And all these promises of God to Abraham have been fulfilled, as we who live hundreds of years afterwards, know. And because God was faithful in carrying out his JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 123 promises to faithful Abraham, we know that he will be faithful in carrying out his promises to us, if we are faith¬ ful to him. Putting the: Lesson Into the: Life: of the Class The land which God has promised to give to his followers of to-day if they are faithful to him, is the Promised Land of heaven. If we are obedient to him and faithful to his commandments, we shall be rewarded as was Abraham, for our obedience and our faith. God carried out his promise to Abraham in sending to the world our Saviour, Jesus Christ. We should try to help in carrying his promise to its complete fulfillment by obeying the command of Jesus, to go into all the world and preach his gospel to every creature. When we help in the work of the missionaries who are trying to fulfill the last command of Jesus, we are helping to fulfill God’s promise to Abraham. The Lesson Truth in Your Life God wants his followers of to-day to be as faithful and obedient as was Abraham. Jesus will help us when we are trying to follow God’s commands, if we will ask him for help. We will try, with Jesus’ help, to follow the example of faithful Abraham. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION GOD’S PROMISES TO US Hebrews 6:11-15; 10:23, 24 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address We have seen in the lessons that we have been studying some of the promises which God made to Abraham. From what we have learned we know how these promises have been fulfilled. To us, too, God has made promises, and he is sure to keep the promises which he has made to us, as 124 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS he kept the promises made to Abraham. Some of these promises we can find in the Bible. Some of them we have studied, for instance, the promise to Noah that the world should never again be destroyed by flood. In token of this promise God set his bow in the clouds to remind his fol¬ lowers of all time of this promise that he made. To-day we are going to learn what some of these prom¬ ises are, and how we can help in bringing them quickly to pass. We have learned one way in which we can help to bring to pass the promise made to Abraham that through his descendants all the people of the world should be blessed. We help in doing this when we tell the good news of the coming of Jesus the Saviour to the world, when we help to send missionaries to tell others of him. We want to help to bring to pass as quickly as possible God’s promises to the people of the world. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, help us to do the things we should, so that thy promises to us and to all the world may be ful¬ filled as quickly as possible. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Deuteronomy 1:11; 15:6; I Kings 8:56; Psalm 105:42; Luke 1 :72, 73 ; Acts 2 :39 ; 13 :32, 33 ; 26 :6, 7 ; Romans 4 :21 ; II Corinthians 1 :20 ; 7:1 ; Galatians 3 :16, 18, 29; Ephesians 3:6; Hebrews 10:23; II Peter 1:4; 3:9, 13. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ The Lord Will Provide.” “ But the Lord Is Mindful.” “ The King of Love My Shepherd Is.” “ Thou Bid’st Us Seek Thee Early.” “ Children of the Heavenly King.” “ Ye Servants of God.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What was God’s promise to Noah? 2. What was the sign of that promise? JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 125 3. Has it been fulfilled? 4. What was God’s promise to Abraham ? 5. How many times did he repeat this promise? 6. How did God fulfill this promise? 7. Has God made any promises to the people of to-day in the Bible? 8. How can you help to make those promises come true? 9. Has God made any promises to you in the Bible ? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Some Old Testament Promises. 2. Some New Testament Promises. 3. God’s Promises to Us. 4. How God’s Promises Are Carried Out. 5. Helping to Make the World Ready for the Fulfill¬ ment of God’s Promises. Some Bible Promises and Where They Are Found 1. A Promise to Noah. Genesis 8:22. 2. Another Promise to Noah. Genesis 9:11. 3. A Promise to Abraham. Genesis 18:18. 4. A Promise to Obedient Children. Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6 :2, 3. 5. A Promise About Prayer. Matthew 7 :7, 8. 6. A Promise of Help. Isaiah 41 :10. 7. A Promise of Eternal Life. I John 2:25. 8. A Promise of a Crown in Heaven. James 1 :12; Rev¬ elation 2 :10b. CHAPTER XIII WEEK DAY SESSION REBEKAH AT THE WELL Genesis, chapter 24 The Memory Verse “And they blessed Rebekah.” — Genesis 24:60. The Story of Isaac and Rebekah (You can plan to give this little play of Isaac and Re¬ bekah at the Week Day Session or at the Expressional Session of the school.) Characters, in Order of Their Appearance Abraham, the chief of the tribe. At this time about one hundred and forty years old. Eeiezer, his servant. An elderly man. Rebekah, a young girl. Laban, her brother. Milcah, her grandmother. Bethuee, her father. Nahor, her grandfather, Abraham’s brother, a very old man. Isaac, Abraham’s son, a man of forty years old. Costumes These may be made of cheesecloth. Your teachers will help you with them. 126 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 127 Scene I Abraham’s Encampment at Beer-sheba. One of his tents is shown. Abraham (alone). Sarah, my wife is dead, and Isaac, my son, and I are lonely without a woman in the great tent to command the servants and to prepare our food. I am an old man, and I would that Isaac should marry before I die. And yet — I would not have him take a wife from among these heathen neighbors. I would have him marry a follower of the true God, one of my kinsfolk. I will send my trusted servant, Eliezer, who rules over all my household, back to Haran, to the home of Nahor, my brother. There he shall find a wife for Isaac, who is a follower of Jehovah God, who will be a worthy successor to Sarah. (He calls.) Eliezer! (Servant enters.) Abraham. Eliezer, I have an errand for thee — an errand of importance. Swear to be true to me and I will tell thee all my plans. Eliezer. O my master, I will swear to do as thou com- mandest. Abraham. Swear that thou wilt not allow Isaac my son to marry a wife from among the Canaanites. Eliezer. I swear that I will not allow him so to do. ; Abraham. Then make ready to go to the home of my brother Nahor in Haran. There find a wife for Isaac, a follower of the true God. Eliezer. Perhaps I shall not be able to find a woman who will come with me. 1 1 Abraham. Jehovah God has promised all this land to me and to my children and to my grandchildren. He will direct thee in the right way. She will come. But the journey is long, Eliezer — five hundred miles and more. Haste thee to prepare. Take ten camels with thee, and j servants and gold and jewels. Make haste! The time grows short. Make haste 1 Eliezer. I hasten, master, to obey. 128 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Scene: II Haran — the well. Slowly Eliezer approaches as if tired. (Seats himself on the well curb.) EeiEzer. It is evening, and I am weary. The journey has been long, but it is finished at last. May God direct the choice of a wife for the son of my master, Abra¬ ham ! He will guide me. Let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink ; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also : let the same be she that is appointed for thy servant Isaac. (As he is speaking, Rebekah appears in the distance with a pitcher on her shoulder. Goes to the well and fills her pitcher, glancing curiously at the stranger.) Eliezer. Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher. Rebekaei. Drink, my lord. (She lets down her pitcher into the well, and gives a drink to the old man.) I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drink¬ ing. (Again lets down her pitcher into the well.) Eliezer (watching her. He speaks to himself). Here is a kind and beautiful maiden, careful for the beasts as well as for the man. (Draws from his stores a gold ring and two bracelets.) Damsel, come hither. Here is a present for thee in return for thy kindness. Rebekah (receiving the gifts with pleasure). Thanks, stranger. It is little that I have done to receive so great a reward. Eliezer. Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father’s house for us to lodge in? Rebekah. I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor. We have straw and food enough for the camels, and food and room for thee and for thy servants. (She hastens away.) Eliezer. Blessed be Jehovah, the God of my master Abra¬ ham, who has led me in the way to the house of my master’s brother ! (Laban, Rebekah’s brother, enters and speaks to Eliezer.) JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 129 Laban. Come, come, friend. Wherefore standest thou here? There is a place prepared for thee and for thy servants. Come, my friend, come. Scene III The house of Nahor. Miecah (Rachel’s grandmother). Here, friend, is food for thee. EeiEzer. No, I will not eat until I have told my errand. Laban. Speak on. Eeiezer. I am the servant of Abraham. Jehovah hath blessed my master greatly ; and he hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses. My master has a son, Isaac, to whom he hath given all that he hath. He desires a wife for his son who is not one of the heathen Canaanites, and so he hath sent me hither to the city of his kinsfolk to find a wife for Isaac. Bethuel. It is true. Abraham is the brother of Nahor, my father. Nahor (a very old man). Yes, Abraham is my brother. Has he prospered in his wanderings, didst thou say? EliEzer. Yes, he hath prospered. And when I came to Haran, I asked Jehovah God to point out to me the maiden who should be Isaac’s bride. And lo ! Re- bekah came. Tell me, I pray you, shall Rebekah be the wife of Isaac? Bethuel and Laban. Behold, God hath planned these things, that Rebekah might be thy master’s son’s wife. Take her. EliEzer (bows to the ground in prayer. Calls one of his servants). Hadad, bring forth the gifts that my master hath sent hither. (Presents gold and silver and gar¬ ments to Rebekah and to her mother and father.) Here is a ring for thee ; and a garment for thee ; and a bracelet for thee. My master Abraham is rich and generous. 130 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Laban. We thank thee for thy kindness, O stranger. But come, let us eat and drink. Eliezer. Yes, let us eat and drink and rest, for to-morrow I would that we should set out on our journey. Laban. Let the maiden stay with us for a few days longer. EliEzer. Hinder me not, friends. Let me go quickly back to my master. Miecah. We will let the damsel herself decide. What wilt thou do, Rebekah ? Rebekah. I will go. Let my nurse be summoned. Let us prepare for the journey. Scene IV (Beer-sheba, again. Isaac in a field, alone. Eliezer and Rebekah, veiled, come near.) EeiEzer. Here is the damsel whom I have brought with me from Haran, O son of my master. She is the maiden, Rebekah, the granddaughter of thy father’s brother. Isaac. Welcome, Rebekah. (Takes her by the hand.) I will lead thee to my father. Thou shalt be my wife. Thou shalt have the tent of Sarah my mother and be mistress of the household. Welcome, Rebekah, wel¬ come. Here are my father and the servants. (Leads Rebekah forward, as Abraham enters.) Here, my father, is Rebekah, the maiden whom Eliezer has brought from Haran. Abraham. Welcome, Rebekah, daughter of my house. (Turns to his attendants.) Hasten and prepare the wedding feast, for to-day my son shall marry a wife who is a follower of the true God. Prepare the fatted calf, and wheaten cakes. Make ready ! Hasten ! Handwork Preparing the costumes for the dramatization. Notebook Work Enter the story of Rebekah and Isaac in your notebooks. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 131 Expressionar Activity Acting out the dramatization. Memory Work The memorization of the parts of this drama. SUNDAY SESSION THE STORY OF REBEKAH Genesis, chapter 24 The Memory Verse “ Eet not kindness and truth forsake thee : . . . So shalt thou find favor and good understanding In the sight of God and man.” — Proverbs 3 :3a, 4. The Lesson Story “ Rebekah, it is time to draw the water for the evening meal. Go down to the well for it, my child.” Milcah, the grandmother of Rebekah, spoke. Rebekah turned obediently. She picked up the great stone pitcher and placed it on her shoulder. She went quickly toward the well where the women of the city drew the water that they needed for their households. Little did Rebekah know, as she went to the well, what God had in store for her. Little did she know that there was waiting for her at the well an old man whose coming would change her life. She glanced at him curiously when she first saw him. Then, when he asked her to draw for him a drink of water, she looked at him more closely. Off in the distance she saw the ten camels and the servants be¬ side them. “ Drink, my lord,” 'she said, lowering the pitcher which she carried on her shoulder. “ I will draw water for your camels, also.” She lowered the pitcher into the well again and again. Quickly she drew water for those ten thirsty camels, which had been traveling for miles and miles over the desert sands, 132 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS which were no doubt very thirsty after days and nights without water. But Rebekah did not hesitate. She let down the pitcher into the well over and over again. She drew water until all had had enough. She must have found the work hard ; the pitcher must have been heavy as she pulled it up again and again and again. But she did it — and what is more, she drew the water without any hope of reward. She did not do it for pay. She did it voluntarily, that is, of her own free will. That is a lesson which the Bible wants us to learn. “ Be ye kind one to another,’’ the New Testament says. Be kind to everyone in all the world — friend or stranger, old or young, man or beast. Eliezer had asked God to point out to him by this very sign what maiden was to be Isaac’s wife. The result showed that Rebekah was kind-hearted, generous of her time and strength, and hospitable. She cared for animals as well as for people. She was like the Good Samaritan in Jesus’ parable, willing to1 do a kind act for a stranger of whom she knew nothing. And so God rewarded her. Eliezer first presented her with bracelets and a ring. Later the great result of her kind act came to her. She was chosen as the wife of Isaac, and so it has come about that her name has been handed down to us as that of one of the greatest women in the Bible, one of those whose name stands out as that of an ancestress of Jesus. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Ceass Rebekah was kind to a stranger. She showed respect for the old man. She is an example to all of us in kindliness and in respect for our elders. She received a reward, but she was not kind for the sake of the reward. So we, too, must be kind to others and respectful to our elders, not for the sake of any reward for which we may hope, but because it is right, and so we shall please the heavenly Father. Rebekah was kind to dumb animals. She thought of the camels, and of how thirsty they must be. She took care of their needs, even though it meant a great deal of extra work for her. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 133 Are you always thoughtful of strangers as Rebekah was? Are you always thoughtful of old people and of what you can do for them? Do you always treat them with respect? Sometimes it seems a bother to get grandmother's spectacles, or to listen when grandfather talks when you yourself want to talk, but you must remember that your grandmother and your grandfather are older and wiser than you are, and that you should treat them with respect. Abraham entertained angels unawares. Rebekah drew water from the well for Abrahanrs servant without hope of a reward, but she received a great reward. So sometimes when we think that we are doing a great deal for others, we shall suddenly find that they are doing a great deal for us, and that we are being unexpectedly rewarded. The Lesson Truth in Your Liee The words of the Memory Verse : “ Let not kindness and truth forsake thee : . . . So shall thou find favor and good understanding In the sight of God and man.'’ EXPRESSION AL SESSION HOW JUNIORS MAY BE KIND Ephesians 4 :32 Suggestions for the Leader's Opening Address Perhaps it seems to you that because you are only a Junior, you cannot be kind to anyone or to anything. If you think that, you are mistaken, for there are many ways in which you can show yourself kind to others. The Boy Scouts have a law that they should do a kind act every day. A Christian Junior, whether a boy or a girl, should do better than the Scout pledge requires ; he should do a kind act every chance that he gets, so he will be the sort of Christian that God wants him to be, helping where- ever he has a chance. 134 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS The: Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, help us to be kind as Jesus told us that we should be. Help us to be kind to old people and to little children, to friends and relatives, and to strangers; to dumb animals as well as to people. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Luke 6:35; I Corinthians 13:4; Proverbs 31:26; John 2:13; 4 :2 ; I Timothy 5 :4 ; II Peter 1 :7. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Somebody Did a Kind Deed To-Day.” “ Love Thyself Last.” Master, No Offering Costly and Sweet.” “ If You Cannot Cross the Ocean.” “ Has Some One a Kindness Shown.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Plow can a Junior be kind to a stranger, so following Rebekah's example? 2. How can a Junior be kind to an old person? 3. How can a Junior be kind to an animal? 4. Have you been kind to anyone this week? 5. Have you expected a reward when you were kind? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Kindness to Those We Do Not Know. 2. Kindness in Our Own Family. 3. Kindness in School. 4. Kindness to the Stranger in School. 5. Kindness to Pets. 6. Kindness to Stray Animals. 7. Abraham’s Kindness. 8. Some Ways in Which Jesus Showed Himself Kind. To Read in the Meeting When you see in the street a strange person who is in¬ quiring the way to a house that you know, you will be kind JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 135 if you direct him politely, or take him to the place where he wants to go. If there is a strange child in school, you should be sure to invite him to take a part in your games and plays. In do¬ ing this you will be kind. If baby sister falls, you will run to pick her up, and com¬ fort her. In that way you can be kind. If you never forget to feed your pet dog or kitten, you will be showing kindness to them. If you help your friend to learn the history lesson which she missed because she was ill, you will be showing kind¬ ness to her. “ Kind hearts are more than coronets.” CHAPTER XIV WEEK DAY SESSION THE STORY OF JACOB AND ESAU Genesis 25 :27-34 The Memory Verse “ But desire earnestly the greater gifts.” — I Corinthians 12:31a. The Lesson Story Twenty years passed by, and Isaac and Rebekah had no children. And then, one day, there was great happiness in the encampment, for twin boys were born to them. The older twin had a great quantity of red hair, and so was called “ Esau.” a name which means “ hairy.” The other baby was named Jacob. As the boys grew up, they were very different. Esau was eager to be out of doors ; he liked to hunt and to wander through the fields in search of game. Jacob was quieter than his brother. He liked to stay at home with his mother. He liked to listen to the stories of the old men of the en¬ campment, and particularly he must have enjoyed the listen¬ ing to Grandfather Abraham. The old grandfather, who was more than one hundred and Gxty years older than the boys, must have told such interesting stories of far-away lands, of his travels from Haran, and down to Egypt. And particularly he must have impressed upon both the boys the wonder of God’s promise to him and to his descendants. “ Your children, my grandsons,” he may have said, “ will be a blessing to the whole world. God has promised this, and his promises never fail.” But, strange to say, Esau, the first-born, who would be expected to be the heir, did not care very much about Abra¬ ham’s stories. As he sat there by his grandfather, often his 136 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 137 thoughts were on the hunt of the next day. He did not care very much about the birthright, or about his children and his grandchildren. But to Jacob, Grandfather Abraham’s stories were most interesting. To him God’s promises meant much. When the boys were about fifteen years old, Abraham died, and was buried in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, which he had bought at the time of the death of Sarah, his wife. There she, too, had been buried, and even to-day the tomb of Abraham is shown to travelers to- the Holy Land. Jacob and Esau grew up. Esau was always the favorite of his father, Isaac, but Mother Rebekah cared more for quiet, thoughtful Jacob. One day Esau came back to camp from a hunting expedi¬ tion, tired and hungry. As he came near the tent he smelled a most appetizing odor. Jacob was preparing pottage — a sort of soup, made of lentils, and tasting something like the pea soup which we have to-day. “ I am faint with hunger,” said Esau. “ Give me some of that red pottage.” Now Jacob was really much cleverer than Esau. But he was not very kind or very honorable. If he had done right he would immediately have given his brother the food. But instead he played an unkind trick. He knew that Esau never thought about anything excepting just what he wanted at the moment. He took advantage of his brother’s hunger. “ I will give you the food if you will swear that I shall have the birthright,” he said. Of course he had no right to ask this, and Esau had no right to give it away, but the great, red-haired giant of a man did not think. “ What good will the birthright do me if I die of hunger?” he asked. “ Swear that I shall have it,” insisted Jacob. “ Oh, I swear that you shall have it! Now give me some of the red pottage.” And so, because Esau was hungry, and thought only of the needs of the moment, he gave up his rights as an elder son. He “ despised the birthright,” the Bible says, consid¬ ering that it was worth less to him than a good meal when he was hungry. He thought only of himself. He did not care at all about what happened in the future, nor for God’s 138 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS promises to Abraham. And so he showed that he was not fit to help in carrying out the promise of God to Abraham. He lost his chance to be the ancestor of God’s chosen people. Nor does Jacob seem to have been the kind of man that God would want Abraham’s grandson to be. But in one thing Jacob excelled. He understood God’s promises. He felt that they were going to be carried out. And so, though he tried to obtain the birthright for himself, instead of wait¬ ing to find out if it was God’s will that he should have it and trusting God to give it to him in his own way, God knew that he could be made into a fit ancestor for his chosen people — Jacob had to fight against his sins, and to be punished for them, as you will see, but after many years he won the victory over temptation, and so became a great and good man. Handwork Put on the blackboard in your best writing or printing the first verse of the hymn, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee.” Make as attractive a decoration for the hymn as you possibly can. Notebook Work In your own words write in your notebook the story of the lesson. See that all the notebook work for the lessons so far is completed, and finish any work that has not been done. Expressionae Activity This week see if you cannot share some of your good things with some one who* is hungry, or who does not have so much as you have. Perhaps you can give a sandwich to some one in school, or, if you have candy or cookies, you can share with others. So you will show that you are not like Jacob the selfish. Memory Work Almost all of you are familiar with the hymn, “ Nearer, JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 139 My God, to Thee.” If you do not know the words of the first verse, learn them this week: “ Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee! E’en though it be a cross That raiseth me ; Still all my song shall be, Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee.” This song was written by Mrs. Sarah Flower Adams, in 1841, and has been translated into many languages. It has been the favorite hymn of many people, among whom was President McKinley. The: Birthright This term denotes the rights or privileges belonging to the first-born among the Hebrews. The particular advan¬ tages which these conferred were the following: (1) Right to the priesthood. The first-born became the priest in virtue of his priority of descent, provided no blemish or defect attached to him. (2) Double portion. The first-born received a double portion of his father’s property. There is some difficulty in determining precisely what is meant by a double portion. Some suppose that half the inheritance was received by the elder brother, and that the other half was equally divided among the remaining brethren. This is not probable. The rabbis believe that the elder brother received twice as much as any of the rest, and there is no reason to doubt the cor¬ rectness of this opinion. When the first-born died before his father’s property was divided, and left children, the right of the father descended to the children, and not to the brother next of age. (3) Official authority. He succeeded to the official au¬ thority possessed by his father. — Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia. 140 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS SUNDAY SESSION JACOB RECEIVES THE BIRTHRIGHT Genesis 27 : 1-40 The Memory Verse “ Lying lips are an abomination to Jehovah; But they that deal truly are his delight.” — Proverbs 12 :22. The Lesson Story The fact that Esau had promised to Jacob the birthright did not give it to him, for the old father, Isaac, had that right in his hands. Time passed, and probably careless Esau did not think very much of what he had done, but Jacob and his mother, Rebekah, did think of it. Isaac was getting to be a very old man, perhaps one hun¬ dred and twenty years old. His eyes were dim, now, and he knew that he did not have much longer to live. One day he spoke to Esau, the older son. “ My son,” he called. “ Here am I,” Esau answered. “ Behold now, I am old,” Isaac said. “ I know not the day of my death. Go out into the field and get me some of the venison that I like so much. Then, when I have eaten, I shall bless thee before I die.” Esau obeyed his father. He started immediately on the hunt. Rebekah had overheard what Isaac had said. She called her favorite son, Jacob. She told him what Isaac had said. “ But I have a plan whereby thou mayest have the bless¬ ing instead of thy brother,” she said. “ Go out to the flock, and bring in to me two of the very best kids that thou canst find. I will cook them in such a way that thy father will like the dish. Thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death.” “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, mother,” said Jacob, “ and my skin is smooth. Perhaps our father will touch me, and I shall seem to him a deceiver, so that he will curse me.” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 141 “ Go and do what I say, my son,'’ insisted Rebekah, “ and the curse shall be upon me.” Jacob obeyed. He brought the kids, and Rebekah pre¬ pared them, making the dish taste as much like venison as possible. Then she took from her store the garments which belonged to Esau as the older son, which she had carefully put away with sweet-smelling spices. She took the skin of the kids, and put it on the back of Jacob’s hands and of his neck. Then she gave him the food that she had prepared, and Jacob went to the tent where his father was. “ Which of my sons art thou? ” Isaac asked. “ I am Esau,” answered Jacob, lying. “ I have done as thou badest me do. I pray thee eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.” “ LIow is it that thou hast found the meat so quickly, my son ? ” Isaac asked. “ Because God helped me,” answered Jacob. “ Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not,” were Isaac’s next words. He must have been suspicious. Jacob went closer to his father. The old man felt his arms and hands. He said wonderingly, “ The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” Still he was not sure. “ Art thou my very son Esau ? ” he asked again. And Jacob lied again, “ I am.” At last Isaac was persuaded. He ate the food which Re¬ bekah had prepared, and then called Jacob to him. He kissed him, and as he smelled the odor of the spices in the garments which Jacob wore, he gave the birthright blessing: “ See, the smell of my son • Is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed: And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and new wine: Let peoples serve thee, And nations bow down to thee : Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee : Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee.” That was a wonderful blessing, was it not? If only 142 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Jacob had obtained it honestly ! But he had deceived his father, and soon he was to begin to pay for his deception. Esau returned from the hunt. He prepared the venison and brought it to Isaac, and his father discovered that he had been deceived. How angry and sorrowful he was, and how angry Esau was, also ! “ Thy brother came with lies, and hath taken away thy blessing,” the father said. “ Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me, also? ” asked Esau sorrowfully. “ I have made thy brother lord, and have given him all,” said Jacob. “ What then shall I do for thee, my son? ” “Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau wept aloud. Isaac could not give to Esau the blessing that he had given to Jacob, but he spoke words of blessing to his older son, and tried to comfort him : “ Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother ; And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.” Of course Esau hated Jacob for what he had done. God, too, was displeased that Jacob had tried to take the birth¬ right by falsehood and deception. Jacob could not have it in this way. He must be punished for his sins, until he should learn better things. Probably the household in the encampment of Isaac was not happy that night. Isaac was unhappy because he had been deceived. Rebekah was unhappy because she had de¬ ceived her husband and had been unfair to her elder son. Esau was unhappy because he had been cheated, and as for Jacob — his conscience must have hurt, as he wondered what would come to him next. So sin brought unhappiness to the descendants of God’s faithful servant, Abraham. And it brought still more un¬ happiness, as you will learn through your next lessons. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 143 Putting the; Lesson Into the: Life of the Class There are four people in the lesson that we study for to¬ day : Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, and Esau. Which one of them do you like best? Jacob and Rebekah deceived Isaac and cheated Esau. Jacob told lies to his father. God hates a lie. So do human beings. Jacob thought that he had gained something good for himself by lying. But God would have brought that good thing to him in his own good time, with¬ out the lies. Does it ever seem to you that a lie will do good? If you try it, you will find that you are wrong. A lie is never justifiable. Lies which on the surface seem to harm no one, are some¬ times called “ white lies.” But even if a lie does not seem to harm anyone else, it always harms the person who tells it. It makes it easier for him to tell the next lie, and the next, and the next, until at last he tells a lie that does harm some one else, as well as himself. White Naughtiness “ A little white lie came tiptoeing by, Whispering, ‘ Almost true ! ’ But it spoiled, so they say, A little boy’s day ; And his honor was stained by it, too — Oh, yes ! Such harm can a white lie do.” Teie Lesson Truth in Your Life God hates lies, and sometimes the Devil is called “ the father of lies.” It is pleasing to God and more honorable to men to keep my tongue from lying, and to tell the truth always. EXPRESSION AL SESSION OUR BIRTHRIGHTS Romans 8:14-17 Suggestions for the Leader's Opening Address In our lesson about Jacob and Esau we have learned how 144 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Esau “ despised ” his birthright, and sold it for a mess of pottage. We Juniors of to-day have a birthright as well as Esau had, though the birthright does not mean the same to a Christian American Junior as it did to Esau in the days of the past. But we all of us are born equal, as the Declara¬ tion of Independence says : we all have the same inheritance of glorious memories from those great men who founded our government. We all have the opportunities of school. We all have the opportunity to be honest and truthful. When we grow up we all shall have the opportunity of vot¬ ing and helping to govern our great country. Best of all, we have the birthright of a knowledge of God and of Christ, and of the Bible. All these things can belong to all of us. Some of us may “ despise ” them, and give them up in ex¬ change for a trifle, as Esau gave up his birthright; we may give up our right to learn the lessons which are given us in school, for instance, because we are idle, and would rather play than study. We may give up our birthright of honor, if we cheat in an examination, exchanging a good conscience for a good mark in a test — a poor exchange, indeed. Let us try to be worthy of our birthright as Christian American Juniors, and try to appreciate it as we should. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we want to keep our inheritance honorable as we received it from those who made our coun¬ try what it is, and who established our government in thy name. We want to appreciate our birthright as Christian American Juniors, and thus to show honor to thee. We ask thy help in Jesus’ name. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Romans 8:17; Galatians 3:29; Ephesians 3:6; Titus 3 :6, 7 ; James 2 :5. Hymns for Use in the Meeting “ Children of the Heavenly King.” “ The Son of God Goes Forth to War.” “ My Soul Be on Thy Guard.” “ Keep Thou the Door of My Lips.” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 145 “ Lead Us, Heavenly Father.’’ “ Brave Hearts, True Hearts.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What was a “ birthright ” in Bible times? 2. If you cheat in a school examination, how are you despising your birthright ? 3. If you neglect your work in school because you are lazy, or want tO' play, how are you despising your birth¬ right ? 4. If you do not vote, when you grow up, how are you despising your birthright? 5. If you do not go regularly to church and to Sunday school, how are you despising your birthright? Topics for Discussion or Reports 4 1. The Birthright in Bible Times. 2. The Birthright of a Christian American Junior. 3. Our Birthright as a Nation. 4. How Adam and Eve Despised Their Birthright as God’s Children. To Read During the Lesson Many times we read in the Bible of those who- sold their birthright for something of little value. We are so apt to give up what is really valuable for something that is of little worth. Adam and Eve gave up their inheritance in exchange for fruit. Lot's wife gave up her life and became a pillar of salt in exchange for a look back at Sodom. Ahab committed murder for a pretty garden. Joseph’s brothers sold him for twenty pieces of silver — and Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. All these people sold their inheritance in exchange for “ a mess of pottage,” - — gave up something of value for something that was of very little value. John Bunyan has told us that in his hours of temptation, he used to hear a whisper, “ Sell Christ for a pin, sell him for a pin ! ” “ A ship was sinking, and as the last boat was being loaded, the mate said that he was going to get his purse. 146 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS The captain expostulated, but the mate insisted. As he was gone on his errand, the ship went down. By and by they found the dead body of the mate, his stiffened hand tightly grasping the fatal purse. And when they opened it, they found in it — only thirty-six cents ! ” “ Our fathers were high-minded men, Who firmly kept the faith ; To freedom and to conscience true, In danger and in death ; Great names had they, but greater souls, True heroes of their age, Who like a rock in stormy seas, Defied opposing rage. “ For all they suffered, little cared Those earnest men and wise; Their zeal for Christ, their love of truth, Made them the shame despise; Nor should their deeds be e’er forgot, For noble men were they, Who struggled hard for sacred rights, And bravely won the day. “As faithful as our fathers were, May we, their children, be; And in our hearts their spirit live, That gained our liberty. God help us all to do and dare Whatever can be done, Till for the cause of good and truth The victory shall be won.” “My Father is rich in houses and lands; He holdeth the wealth of the world in his hands ! Of rubies and diamonds, of silver and gold, His coffers are full — he has riches untold! “I’m the child of a King! The child of a King! With Jesus, my Saviour, I’m the child of a King ! ” STORIES OF THREE PATRIARCHS (Continued) CHAPTER XV WEEK DAY SESSION THE FIRST RESULT OF JACOB’S SIN Genesis 27 :41 to 28 :9 The Memory Verse “ Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love ccvereth all transgressions.” — Proverbs 10:12. The Lesson Story It must have been very uncomfortable in the home of Isaac and Rebekah after Jacob had deceived his father and tried to cheat his brother. No home can be really happy where there is deception. No home can be happy where mother and father and brothers quarrel and try to get the better of one another. Jacob soon found that nothing which is really good can be obtained by wrongdoing. The way to get the birthright blessing was not by lying and cheating. “ Your brother Esau hates you, and is planning to kill you,” Rebekah said to him one day. “ I think that it will be best for you to go away from home for a while. He will not do you any harm until your father dies, but then ” — and she must have shuddered as she thought of a quarrel between strong, hot-tempered Esau, and quiet, home-loving Jacob. Rebekah was very clever. She always knew just how to get her own way. She went to her husband. She did not tell him that she was afraid that Esau would kill Jacob. “ I do not want Jacob to marry one of these heathen women who live near us,” she said. “ Let him go to the home of my brother Laban, in Paddan-aram, and find a wife there.” You remember that Abraham had sent his servant to the home of his brother in Haran to find a wife for Isaac. And 149 150 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Isaac agreed with Rebekah that it was best for Jacob to do as he had done. He called him to his side. He blessed him and sent him on his errand, telling- him to choose a wife from among the followers of the true God. But as Jacob set out from home, he knew that he was going for a very different reason. He knew that he was fleeing for his life, trying to escape his brother’s anger. He was suffering from the first result of his sin. He had to leave his comfortable tent home. He did not know whether or not he would ever see his mother and his father again. He would have to work hard for many years in Haran. It must have seemed to him as he set out on his journey that he was not to receive the birthright blessing, that God was taking it from him, rather than giving it to him. Perhaps his conscience hurt him, too, for Jacob had many good qualities as well as the bad qualities that he had shown. At any rate, as he left home, he must have felt unhappy and dissatisfied about -what he had done in trying to gain the birthright for himself, rather than in waiting for God’s pur¬ pose to be carried out. As for Esau, he, too, must have been unhappy. He had done wrong, also. He had been careless and wicked, and his act had caused his brother to go away from home. And Rebekah and Isaac, too, must have been unhappy. Instead of peace and joy in the encampment of God’s people, there was sorrow and unhappiness, because of the sin of those who should have known better than to do the wrong which they had done. Notebook Work Continue the story of Jacob and Esau, which you began last week in your notebook. Pretend that you are Esau, and write a short account of what he thought. Map Work At the time of this lesson, the tents of Isaac and Rebekah were in Beer-sheba. Draw on the blackboard a map of the country between Haran and Beer-sheba. The distance be¬ tween the two places was about five hundred miles. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 151 Expressionae Activity Try this week to live happily with your brothers and sisters and schoolmates. Be sure not to quarrel with anyone, particularly if there is any way in which you are to blame. Memory Work Learn this week the second verse of the hymn, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee,” which you began last week. “ Though like the wanderer, The sun gone down, Darkness be over me, My rest a stone ; Yet in my dreams I’d be Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee!” Is a Junior Ever Like Jacob? It was right for Jacob to want God’s blessing. It is right for boys and girls to want good marks in their school work. It is right for them to try to get such marks. But — there is a right way and a wrong way of trying to get what we want. It is wrong to try to get a good mark by cheating. It is wrong to try to get a good mark by copying the work of some one else. It is right to try to get a good mark by studying hard and doing as well as you can the work given to you to do by your teacher. It is right to try to get a good mark by being attentive and studious in class. It is right to try to get a good mark by making all your papers just as neat and complete as possible. Jacob was right in wanting God’s blessing, but he was wrong in the way he tried to get it. He should have worked and prayed and tried to do his very best in his life. Then God would have given him the birthright just the same, but he would not have had to feel his brother’s hatred. He would not have had to leave his home, which he loved so much, and live for many years in a strange land. So you, too, will hnd that it is the happiest thing to “ Do your duty. That is best. Leave unto the Lord the rest.” 152 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS You will find that honesty, fairness, generosity will pay in the end in our lives as well as they would have paid in Jacob’s life. SUNDAY SESSION JACOB’S VISION OF A LADDER TO HEAVEN Genesis 28:10-22 The: Memory Verse “ And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee whither¬ soever thou goest.” — Genesis 28:15a. The Lesson Story Jacob toiled along the weary way to Haran. He was alone, and the road was rough and lonely. For several days he had been walking on and on and on, and he was feeling more and more sorry for what he had done. As a boy and as a man Jacob had always loved his home. He loved his mother, and, though he had deceived his father, he loved him, too. He was homesick and tired and he must have felt that he was being punished for his sins. Perhaps his mother, Rebekah, had told him when he was a little boy of the way in which his grandfather Abraham had sent his head servant with ten camels and attendants, when he had sought her as a wife for Isaac. Perhaps Jacob felt that when he went to seek a wife, he, too, should have been riding along attended by servants and camels, instead of walking wearily along, alone, really a fugitive running away from home, instead of the son of a rich man, going to seek a wife. One night as the sun went down in the west, he found himself in a strange place called Luz. There were no houses or tents near by where he might ask for a night’s shelter — nothing but rocks and stones and wild, unsettled country. He was so tired from his journey that he did not take time to make a camp for the night. He just lay down on the ground with a large stone as a pillow. And there he fell asleep, worn out with the things that had happened to him during the day. Copyrighted by Harold Copping JACOB'S VOW Harold Copping JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 153 But as Jacob slept in this uncomfortable bed, he dreamed a wonderful dream. It seemed to him that a ladder extend¬ ing from earth to heaven had been set up. Angels of God were ascending and descending the ladder. But most won¬ derful of all, the Lord himself stood at the top of the ladder, and he spoke words of comfort to Jacob! Even though Jacob had been wicked and unkind, God was willing to for¬ give him and fulfill through him the promise that had been made to Abraham. He would be the God of Jacob, as he had been the God of Abraham and Isaac, and though his words showed that Jacob would have to wander far from home and be punished, God promised to be with him always ; he promised, also, that Jacob should return to his own land from which he was now going out as an exile. How do you suppose that Jacob must have felt when he wakened from his sleep? He knew that God had spoken to him in this dream, and he was filled with fear and reverence as he said, “ Surely Jehovah is in this place; and I knew it not/’ He was afraid as he thought of his own sins. He felt that the place was the gate of heaven, where God had spoken to him, and he was filled with reverence. When he woke in the morning he took the stone that he had used as a pillow and set it up for a pillar ; that is, he made it a sort of altar. Then he took from his store of sup¬ plies a little cruse of oil. He poured the oil upon the stone, as the custom was, and vowed a vow, that if God would bless him and care for him, he would worship God, the Lord, and be his follower. The name of the place where Jacob rested that night under the stars had been Luz, but he gave it a new name, “ Bethel,” the house of God, because there he had come first to know God really and to begin to understand what God wanted him to do. Jacob would need much training before he was worthy to receive the fulfillment of God’s promise, but the time would come when he had learned his lesson and had become God’s true worshiper. Putting the Lesson Into the Liee oe the Class God’s followers have to be trained before they understand what he wants them to do, and are willing to do it. Jacob had to learn many lessons before he was worthy to be the 154 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS ancestor of God’s chosen people, and so does everyone else in the world. Even when we have sinned, God is with us, watching over us, willing to help us when we are ready to receive his help. Jacob saw in his dream a ladder which reached up to heaven, where angels descended and ascended, carrying God’s messages to the people of the world. Charles Wesley has written a hymn in which he says that Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, is the Ladder which reaches between man and heaven. Jesus that Ladder is, Th' incarnate Deity, Partaking of celestial bliss And human misery. Sent from his high abode, To sleeping mortals given, He stands and man unites to God, And earth connects to heaven. Memory Work Learn the last verses of “ Nearer, my God, to Thee.” “ There let the way appear, Steps unto heaven : All that thou send’st to me In mercy given : Angels to beckon me Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee! “ Then, with my waking thoughts Bright with thy praise, Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise ; So bv my woes to be Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee ! “Or if on joyful wing Cleaving the sky, Sun, moon and stars forgot, Upwards I fly, Still all my song shall be, Nearer, my God, to thee, Nearer to thee ! ” JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 155 “ Nearer, My God, to Thee” Your Memory Work during the past two weeks has been the hymn, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee.” Now that you have studied the lesson about “ Jacob’s Vision of a Ladder to Heaven,” the meaning of the song should be clearer to you. Read the hymn once more, and then look especially at the second, third, and fourth verses. See in how many ways our lesson about Jacob is touched upon. “ My rest a stone ” refers to him, as does the reference to the ladder which he saw, and the angels, referred to in verse 3. In the fourth verse, the lines “ Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise,” means that even in the midst of trouble and sorrow it is possible to know that God is caring for us and to give thanks to him for his goodness and kindness. In telling of this hymn Dr. Louis F. Benson says: “ It is likely that this hymn will always be associated with the tragic death of President McKinley. The last words of the President, as reported by the attendant physician, were : ‘ “ Nearer, my God, to thee, E’en though it be a cross,” has been my constant prayer.’ It is not unnatural that the grieved heart of the American people was deeply touched by such allusion under such circumstances. The hymn was sung in hundreds of churches over the country on the Sun¬ day following, and in memorial gatherings of every sort. One heard the familiar strains of the tune from strong- lunged bands of itinerant musicians in city streets, the street children and their elders often gathering about the perform¬ ers, and perhaps joining in the hymn. On the day of the burial at Canton, Thursday, September 19th, 1901, all traffic in the cities stopped, by previous arrangement, at half past three o’clock, and for five minutes there was silence. People in the trolley cars rose and those in the streets bared their heads and stood, often joining in singing the words of the hymn. In Union and Madison Squares, New York City, immense throngs had assembled, and after the period of silence, bands played ‘ Nearer, My God, to Thee,’ and then ‘ Lead, Kindly Light,’ a favorite hymn of the dead Presi- 156 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS dent, during which every head in the throng remained un¬ covered. The whole occasion was remarkable as a demon¬ stration of popular feeling in which reverence seemed to have a share. Has any other hymn ever received such popular recognition ? ” Some Bible Dreams and Visions On a separate page of your notebook write something about Bible dreams. You will find some of these by looking up the following references: Genesis 31:24 (Laban). Genesis 3/ :5-10 (Joseph). Genesis 40:7, 8 (Pharaoh’s Officers). Genesis, chapter 41 (Pharaoh). Genesis 46:2-4 (Jacob). Judges 7:13 (Gideon’s Enemy). 1 Kings 3:5-15 (Solomon). Daniel 2:1-13, 36, 37 (Nebuchadnezzar). Matthew 2:13. 19-22 (Joseph, the Husband of Mary). Matthew 27:19 (Pilate’s Wife). Acts 9:10-12 (Ananias). Acts 16:9; 23:11 (Paul). The Lesson Truth in Your Life God is always near to his people of the world. No matter how far from him you think that you are, he is close by; he will hear your slightest whisper if you call to him. He watches always over his children everywhere. EXPRESSIONAL SESSION OUR WAY TO HEAVEN John 14 :l-6 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address As Jacob slept that night at Bethel under the stars, he saw a ladder which seemed to reach from earth to heaven. God was above the ladder, and angels ascended and descended it, bearing his messages to the world. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 157 We who have lived since the days of Jesus have a better knowledge of the way to heaven than Jacob had, for Jesus himself has told us, “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one cometh unto the Father, but by me.” In talking to one of the first disciples who came to him ( John 1:51), he promised him, “ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.” In these words he re¬ ferred to the ladder of Jacob. Do you not think that we who know this better way to heaven should follow the ex¬ ample which Jesus has set before us? The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we thank thee that thou hast sent thy Son, Jesus Christ, who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. Help us to be like him, and to do those things that he would have us do. We ask for his sake. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Genesis 28:12, 13; Exodus 33:13; John 1:51; Proverbs 3:13, 17; 4:18; Acts 1.6:17; 18 :26 ; Hebrews 10:19, 20. Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ O God of Bethel.” “ Nearer, My God, to Thee.” “ How Strong and Sweet My Father’s Care.” “ Night and Day.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Where was Jacob at the time when the vision of the ladder to heaven appeared to him ? 2. Tell what you can of what the vision of the ladder to heaven meant to Jacob. 3. When did Jesus tell his disciples that he was the Way, and the Truth, and the Life? 4. The early Christians were called followers of “ the Way.” Why do you think that this was so? Acts 24 :14. 5. Do you follow “ the Way ” in your everyday life? 158 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 6. Are you trying to do as God would have you do ; that is, follow the example of Jesus in all that you do and say? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Hymn, “ Nearer, My God, to Thee.” 2. Jacob’s Way to Heaven, and Our Way. 3. How We “ Climb the Steep Ascent of Heaven.” 4. Following Jesus Day by Day. To Be Read During the Meeting “ Heaven is not reached at a single bound, But we build the ladder by which we rise From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies, And we mount to its summit, round by round.” “Around your lifetime golden ladders rise; And up and down the skies, With winged sandals shod, The angels come and go, the messengers of God.” Jesus told his disciples that he was going to the heavenly home, where he would prepare a place for them. He is the Way which we must follow if we would reach the place prepared for us. “A noble army, men and boys, The matron and the maid, Around the Saviour’s throne rejoice, In robes of light arrayed: They climbed the steep ascent of heaven Through peril, toil, and pain : O God, to us may grace be given To follow in their train.” CHAPTER XVI WEEK DAY SESSION JACOB IN HARAN Genesis 29:1-12; 31 : 1-3, 48-55 The Memory Verse “ And Jehovah said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred ; and I will be with thee.” ■ — Genesis 31 :3. The Lesson Story As Jacob journeyed on toward Paddan-aram, he must have felt happier than he had been before he had seen the vision of the ladder to heaven, and had heard God’s promise. He must have felt that God was ready to forgive him, even although he had sinned. He journeyed on and on, going on foot over the way which Eliezer, his grandfather’s servant, had gone years before, with attendants riding on camels, and with gifts and jewels for the bride whom he was seeking for his master’s son Isaac, who was Jacob’s father. The journey was long, for the distance from Beer-sheba to Haran is about five hundred miles, but at last Jacob came near to Haran. And there, outside the city, in a field, was a well, which supplied water for the great flocks of sheep and other animals belonging to the rich men of the neighborhood. Jacob spoke to the shepherds in charge of the flocks gath¬ ered around the well to be watered. He asked them whether they knew his uncle, Laban, the son of Nahor, and when they said that they knew him, Jacob inquired about his health and that of his family. As they talked there together Rachel, the daughter of Laban, came to the well, to water her father’s sheep. She was a beautiful girl, and when Jacob saw her he knew at once that he loved her, and he wanted to make her his wife. 160 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS “ Let me roll away the stone from the well for you,” he said to her. Then he helped her to water the sheep.’ He told her who he was and she ran quickly to her father to tell him that her cousin Jacob had come. There was great rejoicing in the home of Laban at Jacob’s arrival. Jacob made known to his uncle the fact that he had come from his home in order to seek a wife. He asked for Rachel. But Jacob did not bring presents to Laban, as Abraham’s servant had done when he came to seek a wife for Isaac, Jacob’s father. You remember how the servant had given great gifts ; how Rebekah had returned immediately with him to the home of Abraham. Jacob was traveling alone ; he brought no presents. So, according to the custom of those days, he offered to serve Laban for seven years, in order to win Rachel. He loved her very dearly, you see. Laban ac¬ cepted the offer, and “ Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.” And then at the end of the seven years, Laban showed that he wasn’t fair! He told Jacob that his older daughter, Leah, was still unmarried. She must be married first, before her younger sister! So Jacob married Leah, the older, and then he served his uncle another seven years for Rachel, the younger sister. In those days it was the custom for a man to have several wives and, strange as it may seem to us, Jacob was just fol¬ lowing the custom of the times in marrying Leah and Rachel. But always, as long as he lived, he loved Rachel best. For six years more Jacob stayed in Haran. During that time he grew rich in cattle and in sheep. He had eleven sons and one daughter. And then a quarrel arose between Jacob and his uncle and cousins, Laban’s sons. Things were not pleasant in Haran. But God was still watching over Jacob. God knew that he had been punished for his sin by his twenty years of hard work in Haran. He had learned many lessons in that time. God spoke to Jacob once more. “ Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred,” he said ; “ and I will be with thee.” Once more, you see, God showed that he loved Jacob and was watching over him. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 161 Quickly Jacob called Leah and Rachel. He told them to get ready for a journey. He set the women and children of his family on camelback. Quietly, without letting Laban know about their plans, they started out, and crossed over the Euphrates River, going toward the homeland. Laban had been away from home, at a sheepshearing. It was three days before he knew that Jacob had left Haran. When he heard that Jacob had gone, he followed after him. Perhaps he would have harmed his son-in-law, but God spoke to him in a dream, telling him to take heed of what he did to Jacob. So when he caught up to Jacob’s caravan, they did not quarrel. They made a covenant and set up a pile of stones as a sign. They called the place Mizpah, for Laban said there as he parted from Jacob, and his daughters, “ Je¬ hovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.” So Jacob set out for the homeland, knowing that God’s blessing was with him. He must have felt that he had been punished for his sin, but that God had forgiven him. Handwork On the sand table make a pile of stones, such as Jacob and Laban made at Mizpah. Letter a card with the words of the Mizpah Benediction. Make it as attractive as possible. Notebook Work Write in your notebook the names of the eleven sons of Jacob, born before he left Haran. They are as follows: 1. Reuben 2. Simeon 3. Levi 4. Judah 5. Issachar 6. Zebulun 7. Dan 8. Naphtali 9. Gad 10. Asher 11. Joseph Benjamin, the twelfth and youngest son, was born later. The daughter was named Dinah. Expressional Activity Jacob worked hard for many years because he loved Rachel. Can you do something hard this week for mother 162 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS or father or some one else that you love, just because you love that person ? Try it. Memory Work Learn the names of Jacob’s sons. SUNDAY SESSION THE MEETING OF JACOB AND ESAU Genesis, chapters 32, 33 The Memory Verse “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity! ” — Psalm 133:1. The Lesson Story Jacob and his family parted from Laban. Slowly they moved forward, for besides the women and the children of the company there were great flocks of camels and cows and goats and other animals. For miles and miles they advanced through the country and at last they came to the borders of the Promised Land. And here once more God strengthened Jacob, for he sent angels to meet him, so that Jacob named the place “ Mahanaim,” for, he said, “ This is God’s host.” And Jacob needed all the strength that God would give him. Esau was near by — Esau, the brother whom he had wronged, who had threatened to kill him ! Esau was now a desert chief, the leader of a great band of four hundred men. And when Jacob sent word of his arrival to his brother, calling him “ my lord,” as a servant would address a master, messages came back with word that Esau was coming to meet him with all this great band of fierce warriors. Jacob was afraid, but he did just the right thing. He divided his forces into two companies. He asked for God’s help in one of the oldest prayers of the Bible. He sent pres¬ ents to Esau, more than five hundred and forty animals. He sent an apologetic message. Everything that he could do to JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 163 make friends with Esau he did. He was trying his best to make peace. Genesis 32 : 1 3-2 1 . Then quietly that night he sent his companies of men and women and animals across the Jabbok, the boundary of the Promised Land. He himself remained behind, alone, and while he was there, a wonderful thing happened to him. All night long, until the breaking of the day a Man wrestled with him — a Man whom Jacob knew to be God. And in that struggle Jacob conquered completely his old, wicked nature. He clung to the Man. He would not let him go until he promised to bless him. Then the Man spoke unto him, “What is thy name?” And he said. “Jacob.” Then God gave to him a new name, to show that he had a new nature. “ Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel [a prince with God] : for thou hast striven with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” Then God blessed Jacob and left him. And Jacob after that struggle called the place Penuel, for there he had seen God face to face. When morning came Jacob was .sure that God would bless him, and God did help him to act in such a way that Esau and he became friends. He divided his forces. He put Rachel and his little son Joseph in the rear where they would be safest, and he himself went to the head of the line, to meet his brother, bowing seven times before him as he drew near. Esau, instead of being angry, ran to meet him and em¬ braced him and they both wept with joy. At first Esau refused Jacob’s presents, but Jacob urged him and finally he took them. And so Jacob entered the Promised Land once more, at peace with his brother, rich in flocks and herds, and with a great family. He had learned his lesson in the twenty years of service in a foreign land. Pie was fitted now to do God’s will. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class There were three steps in the way in which Jacob made friends .with Esau. 1. Pie prepared to protect himself. 2. Pie prayed to God and asked for his help. 3. Then he faced the danger bravely. 164 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS You do not have enemies to meet such as Jacob expected Esau to be, but in times of difficulty or trouble you can do just those three things. You can do what you can do for yourself. You can ask God to do the rest. And God will not fail you. When you have asked for God’s help, you can go bravely to meet any danger or difficulty. Tiii- Lesson Truth in Your Life If you ask God for aid, he will help you in every time of difficulty and danger. Notebook Work Toseph, the little son of Jacob and Rachel, was six years old at the time of the lesson. Pretend that you were in his place and write his story of the journey — how he rode with his mother on the back of the camel with its queer gait; how he felt when he saw his uncle Esau ; how happy he was when he saw the meeting between his father and his uncle. The Jabbok River, Near Which Jacob Met God Face to Face In Scribner’s Magazine Dr. Henry van Dyke gives the following description of the Jabbok River: Early one morn¬ ing we went down and down, by ledge and terrace and grassy slopes, into the Vale or Jabbok. It is sixty miles long, be¬ ginning on the edge of the mountain of Moab. Here is the famous little river, a swift, singing current of gray-blue water — Nahe ez-Zerka, “ Blue River,” the Arabs call it — dashing and swirling merrily between the thickets of willows and tamaracks and oleanders that border it. The Shepherdess of the East Jacob had learned from the shepherds of the welfare of his uncle, Laban. While he talked to them, Rachel, the daughter, who had been pointed out to him, came up with her father’s sheep. This was no unusual thing in that day and country. Much of the drudgery was placed upon the women, and is yet in much of the East. Among the Arabs and other nomadic nations, the care of the flocks devolves JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 165 upon the women or the servants. Among some of the tribes it is the exclusive business of the young, unmarried women to drive the cattle to pasture. “ These young women set out before sunrise, three or four together, carrying some water or victuals with them, and they do not return until late in the evening. Throughout the day they continue ex¬ posed to the sun, watching the sheep with great care, for they are sure to be severely beaten by their father should any be lost. These young women are, in general, civil to persons who pass by, and ready enough to share with them their victuals and milk. They are fully able to protect their flocks against any ordinary depredation or danger, for their way of life makes them as hardy and vigorous as men.” EXPRES SIGNAL SESSION HOW JUNIORS MAY SETTLE QUARRELS Colossians 3:12-15 Suggestions eor the Leader’s Opening Address After twenty years of separation, Jacob and Esau met as friends instead of as enemies. Probably Esau would not have been so friendly if Jacob had not acted as he did. Jacob had learned a great many lessons in his twenty years away from home. He had learned to conquer himself. He had learned to trust in God. And so, when he met his brother, he was willing to do all that he could to make friends with his brother. He offered to him a great present. He acted in a way that showed he wanted to make friends. But Esau, too, had his part in making up the quarrel. He was ready to forgive his brother, and to give up the thought of killing him. To-day we still need the lessons which Jacob and Esau learned. If we have quarreled with anyone, and are in the wrong, we must learn to apologize ; make amends. If anyone has done harm to us, we must be ready to forgive and forget if he asks for forgiveness. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, make us ready to ask for forgive¬ ness if we have done wrong, and ready to forgive others who 166 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS have done wrong to us. Let us remember the words which Jesus spoke to Peter about forgiving seventy times seven. We ask thee to help us in times of temptation to quarrel. Show us how to act so as to live at peace with others. We ask this for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting II Corinthians 13:11 ; Ephesians 4:32a; Matthew 5:9, 23, 24; Romans 12:9, 10, 14, 17-19; I Corinthians, chapter 13; Matthew 18:21, 22. Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ As the Sun Doth Daily Rise.” “ Love Divine, All Loves Excelling.” “ Do No Sinful Action.” “ Father, Lead Me Day by Day.” “ Guard, My Child, Thy Tongue.” “ Hear the Captain Clearly Calling.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Tell of the start of Jacob and his family from Haran. 2. What plan did Jacob make when he found that Esau was not far away? 3. Why was he afraid of his brother? 4. How did Jacob settle the quarrel with his brother: 5. What is the best way of settling a quarrel to-day? 6. Have you quarreled with anyone lately ? How did you settle this quarrel ? Topics for Discussion or Reports (Some of these topics refer back to the Week Day and Sunday Sessions.) 1. The Meeting of Abraham’s Servant and Rebekah, Compared with that of Jacob and Rachel. 2. The Origin of the Mizpah Benediction. 3. Marriage Customs in Jacob’s Day. 4. Jesus’ Rules for Settling Quarrels. 5. How Jacob Settled a Quarrel. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 167 6. How We Should Settle Quarrels. 7. Seeing the Other Fellow’s Viewpoint. Another Prayer to Say “ O Thou who hast thy children taught That not by words alone, But by the fruit of holy deeds Our love to God is shown, LTpon the daily path of life Uphold us as we go, That, in cur lives, as with our lips, Thy goodness we may show. Amen.” \ V STORIES OF JOSEPH CHAPTER XVII WEEK DAY SESSION THE LAND OF THE PHARAOHS Psalm 105:16-24 The: Memory Verse “ Israel also came into Egypt.” — Psalm 105 :23. The Lesson Story In the lessons which we have studied about the beginnings of world history as we are told of it in the Bible, we have already learned about one of the greatest countries of the ancient world — Chaldea (Assyria), from which Abraham set out at God’s command to seek for the Land of Promise. Chaldea was in Asia, the continent where, we think, God first placed the man whom he had created. But there was an¬ other country which was almost, if not quite, as old in its civilization as was Chaldea ; at least, as far as the old records show. That country was Egypt. Look at the map in your day-school geography. Look at the position of Assyria and of Egypt. In ancient days the greatest kings of the world ruled in one of those nations or in the other. Always they were fighting with one another. Great armies were led from Assyria toward Egypt, and from Egypt toward Assyria. As you look at the map, guess what the route of these armies would be. Of course you see at once that little Palestine was in the way, and SO', many times it was overrun by the armies of first one king and then an¬ other. It was often a battle ground between the two great powers. The Geography oe Egypt You probably have read a great deal in day school about the geography of Egypt, and you know something about 171 172 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS modern Egypt. The geography of ancient Egypt was much the same. On both sides of it were deserts. All the great fertility of the country is due to the river Nile — that great stream of which even nowadays we know so little. Each year it rises and overflows its banks, and the wealth of the country depends altogether on the amount which the Nile rises each year. If it rises twenty-six feet, for instance, the year’s crops are good; if it rises only twenty-one feet, the year’s crops are small, and the people correspondingly poor. All Egypt would be desert if it were not for the black sedi¬ ment which is left when the river subsides. In that soil the farmer plants his seed, and quickly a rich crop springs up, providing food for all the people. THE LAND OF GOSHEN Just east of the Nile River is the Land of Goshen, a little strip of country about a hundred square miles in area, and surrounded on the north and east by deserts. GREAT CITIES OE ANCIENT DAYS At different times there were various capitals in ancient Egypt. One of these was Memphis, a city built in very early times in the plain on the western side of the Nile, and about ten miles above the apex of the delta. In the neighborhood of Memphis, there are about twenty pyramids, and the great sphinx. Another capital was Thebes, called “ No,’’ in the Bible, and still another was Tanis, called also “ Zoan.” One of the most important priestly cities was On, or Heliopolis, where there was a great temple to the sun. There were be¬ sides, in the days of Moses, treasure or store cities, of which Rameses and Pithom have been found by explorers. Ra¬ ineses, now called “ Tell Rotab,” is north of the modern city of Cairo, and about ten miles east of this is Pithom, now called “ Tell-el-Maskbuta.” These store cities are both men¬ tioned in the Bible. THE history OE EGYPT The story of Egypt goes so far back that we cannot even trace the beginnings. We only know that there were differ¬ ent sets of rulers whom we call “ dynasties.” The first king JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 173 who ruled over all Egypt is supposed to have been a Pha¬ raoh, or ruler, named Menes. The first capital of Egypt was at Thinis, or This. In the third dynasty, which ended about 2900 e. c., the capital was moved to Memphis, and it was the kings of this time who first built their tombs in pyramidal shape. It was in the fourth dynasty, however, that Pharaoh Cheops built the Great Pyramid. “ His pyramid stood 480 feet high, and spread over thirteen acres of ground, being 755 feet on each side. By walking twice around it, one goes somewhat over a mile. It is built of limestone, and contains three grave chambers. The uppermost of these chambers is near the heart of the mass. It is finished in granite, and con¬ tained the sarcophagus covered with heavy granite slabs. Around the great pyramid lay three small pyramids for members of the royal family.” The sphinx, too, dates from this time, and still retains the features of the king whose portrait it was. In the eleventh dynasty the capital was moved to Thebes, where there were many famous temples built, whose ruins still exist. But at last these Pharaohs were conquered by a people called “ the Hyksos,” or shepherd kings. They made them¬ selves rulers of the land. They made their capital, probably, at Tanis. And it was during the rule of one of these Hyksos kings that Joseph, of whom we are going to study in our next lessons, was brought to Egypt. He found there a ruler who understood shepherd people, and who was willing to give a stranger who deserved it advancement in his kingdom. Handwork Make on the sand table a pyramid such as the Pyramid of Cheops, or Khufu, and a sphinx. Perhaps you can make one large and several small pyramids from paper, to set up. Notebook Work Find as many pictures of Egypt as you can, and make a picture page, or even two pages, in your notebook. Mark some of the things that you think Joseph may have seen there. 174 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Map Work Draw on the blackboard a map of the part of Egypt which is near the delta, or mouths, of the Nile River. Put im the cities mentioned in the lesson. Modern Egypt Instead of Memory Work this week, find out all that you can about Egypt of to-day, so that you can tell the class from memory some interesting facts about the land. SUNDAY SESSION JOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT Genesis, chapter 37 The Memory Verse “ I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: From whence shall my help come? My help cometh from Jehovah, * Who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121 :1, 2. The Lesson Story At last the family of Jacob was settled in the Promised Land, at Hebron, where Abraham had lived. There was another little son in the family, Benjamin, but Rachel, the mother of Benjamin and Joseph, was dead. Jacob, the father, was like his mother Rebekah. He had a favorite son, Joseph, the older son of Rachel. He had not learned the lesson that he should not treat one of his sons better than the others; he gave to Joseph presents which he did not give to the older sons — particularly a coat of many colors — a long-sleeved garment that showed that Joseph was his father’s favorite. Of course the older sons did not like this. They were angry. Thev were angry, too, because Joseph had wonderful dreams which he told to them. First he dreamed that they were all binding sheaves in the field, and that his sheaf rose and stood upright. All the other sheaves came round about JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 175 and bowed low before his sheaf. Then he dreamed that the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed low before him. Even his father was provoked at this and asked him, “ Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?” But Jacob felt that God meant something by these dreams which had come to Joseph. He remembered them, and often thought about them. The days went by. Joseph was seventeen years old, a boy who could be depended on, honest and fearless. He loved God, too, and he really loved his father and his brothers. So one day, when his father summoned him, he came quickly. “ Your brothers have taken the flocks to Shechem, to find pasturage,” he said. “ Go after them and see whether all is well with them.” Joseph must have known that his brothers hated him. Perhaps he did not want to take that long journey of fifty miles to Shechem, with the dangers that he must meet on the way, and only his unkind brothers at the end. But he obeyed his father. He went to Shechem. He did not find his brothers there and he was told that they had gone on to Dothan. He did not hesitate. He knew that his father wanted him to find his brothers. On he went, twelve miles farther. Perhaps he thought that his brothers would be glad to see him, but if he did, he was mistaken. Even as they saw him in the distance they showed their hatred. “ Behold, this dreamer cometh,” one of them said. “ Come, let us kill him, and tell our father that a wild beast has de¬ voured him. Then his dreams won't come true! ” Reuben, the oldest brother, was kinder hearted than the others. “ Don’t let us kill him,” he advised. “ Let us put him down in this pit.” Reuben really meant well. He meant to save Joseph later. Then they seized Joseph. They took off his coat, which had made them so envious. They put him in the pit, which, by chance, was dry. Then they sat down to eat, leaving their poor younger brother hungry ! While Reuben, the kind-hearted, was away, a band of traders came by, carrying spices from Gilead to Egypt. A sudden thought came to Judah. 176 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS “ I’ve a plan,” he said. “ If we kill Joseph, we won’t get anything out of it. But if we sell him as a slave, we shall make some money. Come on ! Let’s do it ! It would be a sin, anyway, to kill our own brother.” The others agreed. Joseph was drawn out of the pit. Because he was a good-looking boy, the merchants bought him, paying twenty pieces of silver for him. So Jacob’s dearest son, who had always known comfort and luxury, was carried to Egypt there to become a slave. Poor old Jacob at home was left sorrowing, for his ten sons came back bringing only Joseph’s coat, which they had dipped in the blood of a goat. They told their father that they had found it, that Joseph must have been devoured by a* wild animal. But all the while Joseph was in the caravan of the merchants, traveling toward Egypt. God had saved his life and was going to use him in carrying out his promise to Abraham. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Ceass Joseph was obedient to his father’s wishes, even when obedience was hard. When your mother asks you to do something hard, do you say, “Oh, I can’t”? Or do you obey willingly and cheerfully? When Joseph reached Shechem he did not find his brothers. He had obeyed his father’s command. Why didn’t he go home, without seeing his brothers? He obeyed the spirit of his father’s wish, as well as the exact words. Do you always do that? Joseph was thorough; he was reliable and trustworthy; he did what he set out to do. You, too, can be and do all of those things. The Lesson Truth in Your Life Jacob was trustworthy and reliable. Those are traits which every boy and girl should have. I will try always to be trustworthy and reliable. Notebook Work Write a story of how Joseph must have felt as he went to find his brothers. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 1 77 Jack's Obedience “ Jack, I have a note here that I want grandfather to have as soon as possible. I think that he is going to be at the store this morning, and I want yon to take it to him. It is very important that he get it as soon as possible. In it is the letter that he has been waiting for.” Mother handed Jack the thick envelope. “ Be very careful, dear,” she called after him, as he went down the stairs. “Then may I go to Donald’s to play hall?” Jack asked. “ All the boys are going to practice this morning.” “ Yes, indeed, dear, go ahead, if grandfather doesn’t want you,” mother answered. “ But be sure to be back in good time for lunch.” It was Saturday, and she knew how the boys liked to play on that day, after the long week in school. Jack went whistling down the street. He stopped at the store. “ Your grandfather isn’t here just now,” said the clerk. “ He’s gone to the bank, and he won’t be back for an hour or more.” Jack stood still. What should he do? Should he leave the note with the clerk, or should he follow his grand¬ father? His mother had said that it was important for the note to be delivered as soon as possible. And yet — if he went to the bank he’d be late for the ball practice. Mother hadn’t told him to go anywhere but to the store. But — Then he straightened his shoulders. “ Mother wants me to deliver the note,” he said to himself. “ That’s what I must do first.” So he hurried as quickly as he could go over to the bank. “ Is my grandfather here? ” he asked the man at the door. “ Your grandfather ? Mr. Johnson ?” said the man. “He was here, but he has gone. I think that he said he was going to Wilson’s garage.” Here was another problem for Jack. But this time he did not hesitate even a minute. He went on to Wilson’s garage. And there at last he found his grandfather. He delivered the note and started off. Though it was probably too late for him to get on the team, he could watch the game, anyway ! “ Wait a minute, sonny,” grandfather called after him. “ Do you know what this note is about ? ” “ No, sir. Mother didn’t tell me,” answered Jack. “ At 178 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS least — she did say that it was the letter that you had been waiting for/’ “ So it is,” said grandfather. “ And it is from your Uncle Dick, saying that he will be at home for Sunday as I had hoped. Your mother says in her note that if I want you, and if you want to go, you can go with me. How about it, boy ? ” Jack fairly jumped for joy. He had wanted to go to Uncle Dick’s farm for months and months and months. And then, too, there would be that splendid ride in grandfather’s new car ! Wasn’t it just great ! “ Hurry home now and get ready, sonny. I got this letter so early that I think we’ll start just as soon as we can get off, instead of waiting until this afternoon, as I told your mother I wanted to do. We’ll stop at the hotel at Medford for lunch. It’s a good thing that you caught me, Jack. We’ll have just that much more fun on our trip!” And grandfather laughed understandingly at Jack’s happy face. “ Oh, be off with you,” he said jokingly. “ Be sure that you don’t keep me waiting ! ” Tack started home on the run. But as he ran, he thought of what might have happened if he had left the note at the store. Grandfather might have started to Uncle Dick’s without him, and at least he would have missed the ride that they were to have this morning ! “ Well, I’m mighty glad that I tried to do mother’s errand before I went off to play,” he said as he rushed into the house. EXPRESSION AL SESSION DOING A HARD TASK Romans 12:10-13 Suggestions for the Leader's Opening Address We learned in our lesson about Joseph, how he obeyed his father quickly, though Jacob asked him to do an errand that he must have known would be hard and unpleasant. Joseph was reliable and trustworthy. He did the hard task well. Often we are asked to do something which we do not want JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 179 to do. Perhaps an errand interferes with our plans, or per¬ haps it is something that we do not like to do. God often asks his followers, even grown men and women, to do hard things. Think of the early Christians who proclaimed Christ in the midst of enemies. Think of Peter and John, and of Steohen and Paul. Think of the missionaries who go into foreign lands, leaving home and friends, often to go among savages who may kill them. When we think of these things the dangers and unpleasantnesses that we Juniors have to face will seem very little. Let us ask God to give us courage now, so that when the call for greater courage comes, we may be ready. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, we are only Juniors, but we some¬ times have duties to perform that seem hard for us. Give us courage to do them in the right way, as Joseph did, so that when the call for greater things comes, we may be ready. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who, in the days of long ago, turned Peter the coward into Peter the bold. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Colossians 3:20; Ephesians 6:1-3; Hebrews 12:28; Psalm 100:2. Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ Oft in Danger, Oft in Woe.” “ True-Hearted, Whole-Hearted.” “ We Are Soldiers of Christ.” “ O Jesus, I Have Promised.” “ The Wise May Bring Their Learning.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. What was the connection between Israel and Egypt in the days of Jacob? 2. What was the first mention of Egypt in the Bible? 3. How did Joseph show his obedience to his father? 4. Who were the Ishmaelites? the Midianites? 5. How can you show obedience to your parents ? 180 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 6. Did you ever do an errand that took courage? Tell about it. /. How can a Junior become brave to do the right? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Bible Brothers. (Cain and Abel; Jacob and Esau; Joseph and His Brothers ; the Prodigal Son and His Brother.) 2. How Juniors of To-Day Can Be Better Brothers and Sisters Than These. 3. Israel and Egypt in Bible Times. 4. The Family of Jacob. 5. The Courage of the Boy Joseph. 6. Joseph the Obedient and Trustworthy. 7. The Hardest Errand I Ever Did. 8. Why Missionaries Are Brave in Doing God’s Errands. 9. How Juniors May Become Obedient and Trustworthy. To Read During tiie Hour Peter the coward became Peter the brave. On the night of the betrayal he denied Jesus three times, because he was afraid of being laughed at. And then, not many weeks later, he stood in the Temple and preached about Jesus, although he had been forbidden to do this by the rulers. He became brave because Jesus gave him courage. Women missionaries who go to foreign lands are not dif¬ ferent from other women. God gives them courage to go on his errands to foreign lands, and to preach the gospel to every creature. If you are afraid, and yet do your duty, you have true courage. It takes more courage to do a little task that you dislike to do than to do a greater task that you like to do. If you think that a task set before you is hard and un¬ pleasant, and are a little bit afraid to tackle it, and yet go at it with the spirit of Joseph, bravely and obediently, you will probably find that it is not so hard as you expected it to be. As you do hard tasks in your life, you are growing more and more able to do the hard tasks which will come to you when you grow up. Prepare when you are only Juniors, as Joseph did, for a position of trust when you become a man or a woman. CHAPTER XVIII WEEK DAY SESSION THE JOURNEY TO EGYPT Genesis 39:1-6 The Memory Verse “ Pie will not suffer thy foot to be moved : He that keepeth thee will not slumber.” — Psalm 121 :3. The Lesson Story On and on the caravan moved. Joseph, probably lashed to the side of one of the cane wagons in which the traders carried their spices and other goods which they were going to sell in Egypt, was dragged farther and farther from home. On and on they went, turning south to the coast road, “ the wav of the land of the Philistines.” The road lay among vast woods of olive and fir, and past orchards and green fields where wheat and barley grew. To the west, in the distance, was the Great Sea — the Mediterranean — with its waters sparkling in the sunlight and its deep blue contrasting with the yellow sand dunes. To the east lay the rough hills of Palestine. They passed by Gaza, the city of the Philistines, with its waving palm trees. Then they struck out into the waterless desert. The Greek historian, Herodotus, says that the breadth of this desert was reckoned as “ a journey of three days.” Nowadays the journey can be made by rail in a few hours, but for a caravan such as that in which Joseph traveled, probably it took six days. For six days the broiling sun scorched them by day and the cold desert air chilled them at night. They met few travelers to cheer them ; but here and there they saw the bleached bones of asses and camels which had died on the journey, while vultures hovered round, wait¬ ing for a new victim. To Joseph it must have seemed a 181 182 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS long, long journey, and he must have been glad when they caught a glimpse of the top of palms, a green streak which showed that their desert wanderings were almost over. They reached a causeway extending between marshes, where great reeds and bulrushes grew, and water snakes came in from the near-by Nile. The frontier town to which they came first was Sin, the Greek Pelusium. Here they were detained by the officials JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 183 until they were examined. Then they were permitted to go on their way to the capital — Tanis, or Zoan. (Mark it on your map, on page 182, about halfway between Pithom and Damietta. And there Joseph’s journey was ended for a time. He was in the capital of the Pharaoh’s, the home of kings. The: Capital op Egypt in Joseph's Day Tanis, or Zoan, as it is called in the Bible, was about forty miles northwest of Sin, the frontier town where Joseph most likely entered Egypt. There was probably a great roadway connecting the two cities, and running through the marshy lake which lay between them. Zoan lay on the eastern bank of the Nile River. It was surrounded by a great brick wall ; it had many temples built as were very many of those in Egypt with high, pyramid¬ shaped towers and great courts. Through these courts would parade great troops of priests, preparing sacrifices, offering incense to their gods, singing hymns to the music of the pipes and the drums and the cymbals. In the streets would be seen the people from all parts of the world — brown Egyptians, red Arabs, black men from the depths of Africa. Quickly they would turn aside when a great noble passed, carried in his chair by his slaves, or when a young grandee drove his chariot with its two horses through the streets, caring nothing for those whom he might run down as he drove by. Outside the town was the river, leading down to the Great Sea. In the days of Joseph it was covered with boats — large vessels rowed by forty or fifty men; merchant ships carrying all sorts of goods ; gilded arks, containing the images of the gods, or lighter skiffs, carrying the people upon their daily business. From the river branched out the canals, which carried the water needed in irrigation through the fertile fields of Zoan. Handwork and Map Work * Make a relief map of the region shown on the map on page 182. Make it of paper pulp, according to the following directions. Take newspaper or any paper that does not have a glazed 184 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS surface. Tear into small pieces and pour over it boiling water. Let it soak for twelve or eighteen hours and work with your hands or with a stick into pulp which can be easily molded. Then draw off the water through a cloth. Keep the pulp rather wet as you mold your map, dampening it if necessary. As you mold be sure to pinch the pulp dry enough to hold its shape. When it is finished set it aside for several hours until it is dry. Notebook Work Copy in your notebook the map given on page 182, and write a little story of Joseph’s journey, pretending that you are Joseph. Expressional Activity Do you suppose that Joseph acted toward the Ishmaelite traders so that he won their favor? Why? Try this week to act in such a way that you will win the favor of those older and wiser than you are. SUNDAY SESSION JOSEPH AND THE BUTLER AND THE BAKER Genesis 39 :20-23 ; chapter 40 The Memory Verse “ Behold, he that keepeth Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.” — Psalm 121 :4. The Lesson Story There was a great hurry and bustle in the streets of Tanis one morning. The slave market was crowded. Hurrying back and forth were the Ishmaelite and Midianite slave dealers. “ Stand up straight, Apepi,” perhaps they would shout, with a crack of the whip. “ No good master will buy a weakling like you! Look at Joseph there. How strong he is!” The slave buyers for the Egyptian nobles passed through JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 185 the market, examining the slaves, asking questions and test¬ ing their muscles, as if they had been animals. There was a sudden stir. “ Here comes the overseer of Potiphar, the captain of the king’s guard,” the whisper went through the crowd. “ He will be fortunate who is bought for the household of Potiphar ! ” Slowly the great man’s servant passed through the market. He came to the place where Joseph was standing. When he saw the boy erect, clear-eyed, looking at him bravely, he took a fancy to him at once. “ Send that boy to the house of Potiphar,” he commanded. “He shall be of the household of the captain of the king’s guard.” And so Joseph was taken away from his Ishmaelite masters. He became a slave of Potiphar. Years passed by. Joseph showed the same trustworthi¬ ness, the same honesty that he had shown in the home of his father Jacob. Always he worshiped God as he had learned to do when he was at home. God blessed him in everything that he did so that soon Potiphar made him head over all his household. Then a dreadful thing happened to this young man whose life had been so full of ups and downs. His master’s wife became angry at him. She went to her husband, Potiphar, and told him that Joseph was untrue to him and was deceiving him. Potiphar believed what she said. Pie had Joseph taken to prison and shut up there! But in prison Joseph “ made good,” too. He was so trustworthy and honorable, so pleasant, that he soon won the favor of the keeper of the prison. He was put in charge of the other prisoners. While Joseph was in this position, two of the officers of the Pharaoh of Egypt, the chief butler and the chief baker, offended the king, and they, too, were in prison. One morn¬ ing when he went on his rounds among the prisoners, he found these two men looking very sad. “ What is the matter? ” he asked. “ We have dreamed a dream,” they said, “ and there is no one to tell us what it means.” “ Tell your dreams to me,” said Joseph. “ God can help me to interpret them for you.” 186 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS First the chief butler told his dream. He had dreamed of a grapevine, with three branches ; first it budded ; then it blossomed ; and then it bore ripe grapes. The chief butler thought he had pressed out the juice of the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup, and given it to the king to drink. “ I can tell you what your dream means,” said Joseph. “ In three days you shall be set free, and serve Pharaoh as you did before you came to prison. Remember me, I pray, when you return to court. Speak a good word for me.” Then the chief baker told his dream of three baskets of white bread and all kinds of baked food for the king. But the birds, instead of Pharaoh, were eating his food. Joseph told the chief baker, too, the meaning of his dream, but it was not so pleasant as that which he had told the chief butler. In three days, he said, the chief baker would be hanged. So it proved. In three days came Pharaoh’s birthday. He remembered the chief butler and the chief baker in prison. He discovered that the accusation against the chief butler had been false and he freed him ; but the chief baker had really been unfaithful to him, and so he was hanged. So God told to Joseph the meaning of the dreams of these two men. And through that, Joseph was by and by freed from prison and brought to the attention of the king. Putting the Lesson IRto the Life of the Cgass In all our lessons about Joseph we shall find that he was helpful. He was helpful to his father. He was helpful to Potiphar. He was helpful to the jailer. He was helpful to the butler and the baker. And through his helpfulness he won great favor and was promoted. Are you trying to be helpful every day? Do you help your mother? Do you help your teachers? Do you help your friends? The best way to be helpful to older people is to be obedient and trustworthy, and in these things, too, Joseph is an example. The Lesson Truth in Your Life Joseph was helpful, obedient, trustworthy. I, too, will try to be helpful, obedient, trustworthy. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 187 EXPRESSION AL SESSION FAITHFULNESS IN EVERYDAY THINGS Matthew 25 : 14-29 Suggestions for tiif Leader's Opening Address This week we have been studying about Joseph, who was trustworthy and faithful in little things, and so was given always greater and greater responsibilities. He was like the man of whom Jesus told in his parable of the Talents, who, because he was faithful in few things, was made ruler over many things. And that is the way for us Juniors to-day to learn. If we are faithful in the little things that we have to do every day, we shall be ready for the greater things that we have to do when we grow up. Perhaps we think that these things we do now are too little to be of any account in the world, but if we are faithful now, we shall be ready when the great chance comes. We shall find, too, that God will help us as he helped Joseph, of whom the Bible says, “ Jehovah was with Joseph.” The Ceass Prayer Our Father in heaven, we ask thee to be with us as thou wast with Joseph. Help us in all our lives of every day. Help us to do the little tasks as thou wouldst have us to do, and so be ready for whatever may come to us when we have grown to be men or women. We ask for Jesus’ sake. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting Luke 19:12-26; Revelation 2:10; II Timothy 2:2; II Kings 12 :15 ; III John 5 ; I Timothy 1 :12. Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought.” “ I Pledge My Spirit Loyal.” “ Follow Me, the Master Said.” “ Teach Me, O God and King.” “ The Light of God Is Falling.” 188 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. How did Joseph show himself faithful? 2. How did Joseph show himself helpful? 3. Was Joseph always true to the God of his father, Jacob? What makes you think so? 4. How can a Junior of to-day be like Joseph? 5. How can a Junior of to-day be like the faithful servant in Jesus’ parable? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. Strange Gods of Egypt. 2. Why Joseph Might Have Turned from the Worship of the True (Jod. 3. Faithfulness to God and to Men. 4. Everyday Faithfulness. 5. Faithfulness at Home. 6. Faithfulness at School. 7. Faithfulness to Our Church. 8. Faithfulness to Our Country. To Read During the Hour “ We may have to study what we do not enjoy, or do work that is mere drudgery to us. . . . But if we glorify it with Joseph’s spirit of cheerful fidelity and serene confidence in God,” we shall succeed. “ Who sweeps a room as by God’s law Makes that and the action fine.” “ Far higher than worldly success is heavenly success ; and this also depends upon our fidelity. We shall not be true to Christ in the large things unless we are true to him in the little things ; we shall not be faithful where men can see us if we are not faithful in the dark and hidden corners of our lives.” By my tasks of every day, By the little words I say, By the friendships which I make, By the roads my footsteps take, My allegiance I proclaim — My allegiance to a name — Prove my right his cross to wear, Cross and name of Christ to bear. — George Klingle. CHAPTER XIX WEEK DAY SESSION FROM PRISON TO PALACE Genesis 41 :l-43 The: Memory Verse “Jehovah is thy keeper: fehovah is thy shade upon thy right hand.”- — Psalm 121 :5. The Lesson Story Month after month passed, and Joseph was still in prison. The chief butler had forgotten all about Joseph, who had been his friend. For two years he did not think of him. And then something happened. Pharaoh had a dream. He thought in his dream that he was standing by the Nile, the great river of Egypt. And as he stood there seven fat cows came up out of the river, and fed in the reed grass that grew along the bank of the Nile. Then seven other cows, thin and badly fed, came from the river and ate the fat ani¬ mals. Pharaoh woke from his dream very much troubled. He did not know what it meant. To make matters still more puzzling, he dreamed another dream, much like the first. In this dream seven ears of grain, well filled out and good, grew on one stalk. Then, after them, sprang up seven poor ears, which had been blasted by the east wind. The seven thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. Pharaoh felt sure that the dreams meant something, though he could not tell what. He called together his wise men. He told them his dreams, but they could not help him in the interpretation. All the people in the palace were troubled, for it was im¬ portant to them to make the king happy. Suddenly the chief butler remembered Joseph in the prison. He told Pharaoh about him and how he had explained the meaning of his dream and that of the chief baker. Pharaoh was pleased 189 190 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS with the chief butler’s story. He sent for Joseph to come to him. Quickly Joseph got ready. He dressed in his best. He was taken before the king. And there, right away, Joseph showed that he still believed in the one true God of his father Jacob. He still remembered what he had learned at home when he was a boy. (You must remember that Jo¬ seph was a man now, probably thirty years old.) He spoke out clearly and decidedly. “ I cannot tell what the dream of Pharaoh means by my own power,” he said. “ God will give Pharaoh the answer.” And when Pharaoh had told him the dreams, God did give him their meaning through Joseph. “ What God is about to do he hath declared unto Pha¬ raoh,” he said. “ The seven good kine are seven years ; and the seven good ears are seven years : the dream is one. And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind ; they shall be seven years of famine. That is the thing which I spake unto Pharaoh : what God is about to do he hath showed unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt : and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land. . . . Now therefore let Pha¬ raoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.” So Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams. The king was pleased. He was quick to accept Joseph’s suggestion of ap¬ pointing a man in command of the grain supply. But he went still further. He did something that Joseph did not expect. “ Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this,” he said, “ there is none so discreet and wise as thou : thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled : only in the throne will I be greater than thou.” So Joseph, who had been so short a time before a prisoner, became the second ruler of the kingdom. Pharaoh gave to him his own signet ring, with which he could seal papers and JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 191 documents. Instead of his prisoner’s clothes he was given clothes of fine linen and a golden chain, and a chariot in which to ride. As he rode through the streets of the city, the slaves who ran before him cried out to the people : “ Bow the knee ! Bow the knee to the ruler.” God had brought his servant Joseph from prison to palace, and made him a mighty ruler in a strange land. Handwork The lotus blossom grew in the Nile River, and the people of Egypt loved it. They used it in decorating many of their buildings. Ask mother for a plain white correspondence card. Decorate it with lotus blossoms, and write on it the Memory Verse, to make you think of Joseph, and how God kept him safe, in a strange land. Notebook Work Copy in your notebook the drawing given on this page and write a short story of what Joseph saw as he was taken through the streets of Tanis, from the prison to the palace. Expressionae Activity Joseph was loyal and faithful and helpful. Try this week to be loyal and faithful and helpful in everything you do. 192 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Memory Work Learn the words of the following hymn: “ Father of Love, our Guide and Friend, Oh, lead us gently on, Until life's trial time shall end, And heavenly peace be won. “ We know not what the path may be As yet by us untrod ; But we can trust our all to thee, Our Father and our God.” SUNDAY SESSION JOSEPH THE RULER OF EGYPT Genesis 41 :44-57 The Memory Verse “ The sun shall not smite thee by day, Nor the moon by night.” — Psalm 121 :6 The Lesson Story “ Bow the knee ! Bow the knee ! Bow the knee ! ” So called the slaves who ran before the chariot of Joseph, the second ruler of Egypt. Those were busy days for the man who had been so short a time before a slave and a prisoner. He was thirty years old now. He had married an Egyptian maiden, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, the priest of On, and they had two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. Joseph himself was called Zaphenath-paneah, a name which perhaps means, “ God speaks ; he lives.” The seven years of plenty had come, as Joseph had fore¬ seen. The Nile rose high during those years ; the crops were good. “ In the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.” And Joseph gathered it in ; he brought it from all parts of the country. Down to Memphis he rode, past the Pyramids and the great Sphinx ; and to Thebes, with its great pillared temples. Everywhere he obtained grain. He JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 193 put it in great brick storehouses. He piled it up until it was as the sands of the sea. And then, suddenly, a year came when the Nile did not rise high; the crops, in consequence, were not good. That year the people did not suffer much. There was grain left over from the years of plenty. But there was a second year of drought — and a third — and a fourth — and a fifth — and a sixth — and a seventh. It was just as Joseph had said when he explained Pharaoh’s dream. The people were in great distress. They cried out to Pha¬ raoh in their trouble. “ Go to Joseph, the second ruler of the land,” he said to them. “ Pie will help you.” And so the people of Egypt went to Joseph. He opened up the great storehouses and sold the grain to the people. There was plenty for the people of Egypt to eat. though there was famine everywhere else. God had given his blessing to Joseph the faithful and trust¬ worthy, and all the land shared in that blessing. There was food enough for themselves, and to spare. “ All countries came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, because the famine was sore in all the earth.” Putting the Lesson Into the Liee oe the Ceass Joseph the faithful in little things had been given authority in great things, as Jesus, in his parable spoken hundreds of years later, said the man who was faithful in little things would be. Though Joseph lived seventeen hundred years before Jesus lived, and we live more than nineteen hundred years afterwards, the rule holds good now as then. While you are a Junior, learn to be faithful in your Junior tasks, and you will be prepared for greater work by and by. Joseph planned and worked for the future. If he had let six years go by before he started to get ready for the seven years of famine, he would have had small provision made. Do you get ready in good time for those things that you know are coming i Do you learn your lessons every day, for instance, or do you learn just before your examinations? Though Joseph lived in a foreign country and married a wife who was the daughter of a heathen priest, he was always true to God and the religion of his father, Jacob. We, too, should always be true to our religion and try to show others that we are followers of Jesus. 194 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Map Work Joseph’s wife was the daughter of Potiphera, a priest of the sun god. Re, at On, or Heliopolis. Find On, on the map, and then read this strange bit about it : At On there had been for centuries a famous temple of the sun god, Re, and the city is better known in history by its Greek name “ Heliopolis,” The City of the Sun. Its ruins stand on the edge of the fertile country, west of the old capital, Memphis. Here were huge inscribed obelisks set up to symbolize the rays of the sun. They are older than the time of Joseph. These great obelisks have had a curious history. More than a thousand years after Joseph’s time, when the Romans ruled Egypt, Heliopolis fell into decay, and four of these obelisks were taken, with great labor, to adorn the city of Alexandria, on the coast of Egypt. Cleopatra’s needles, they came to be called. Later one was taken to Constantinople, one to Rome, one, in 1877, to London, and at last, by the gift of the Egyptian government, one in 1881 to New York, where it stands in Central Park, near the Metropolitan Museum. One of the great obelisks still stands in the ruins of Heliopolis, as it did when Joseph, according to the story, married the daughter of a priest of Re at the old shrine. (“ 'JAhe Heroes of Early Israel,’’ by Wood.) The Lesson Truth in Your Life Joseph was faithful to his father; to his master, Potiphar; to his master, the prison keeper ; to his master Pharaoh ; to the country of his adoption. And God used him to do good to all these people. I will try, too, to be faithful to all those with whom I come in contact, so that God may see fit to use me for good. Famine Inscriptions For many centuries people did not know except from the Bible that there had ever been a famine in Egypt that lasted seven years. But in 1891 the story of such a famine was found cut on a rock in the Nile River. It is written in the queer picture writing (hieroglyphics) which the Egyptians used. It tells how King Zoser, who ruled in Egypt about INTERIOR OF AX EGYPTIAN TEMPLE JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 195 2980 b. Cv appealed to his gods to save him from a famine. Here is what the inscription says. Where there are question marks the men who have tried to translate the words on the stone have not been sure of what the queer signs mean. “ I am very anxious on account of those who are in the palace. My heart is in great anxiety on account of mis¬ fortune, for in my time the Nile has not overflowed for a period of seven years. There is scarcely any produce of the field; herbage fails; eatables are wanting. Every man robs his neighbor. Men move( ?) with nowhere to go. The chil¬ dren cry, the young people creep along( ?). The aged heart is bowed down; their limbs are crippled; they sit ( ?) on the earth. Their arms are . . . The people of the court are at their wits’ end. The storehouses ( ?) were built, but . . . and all that was in them has been consumed.” Inscription op Baba op El-Kab Another inscription tells of a man who lived in 1500 B. c. The last words of the story remind us of the way in which Joseph acted. The “ ephah ” and the “ bin ” are measures or quantity, like our quart and pint. “ Durra ” is a kind of grain. The chief at the table of the sovereign, Baba, the risen again, speaks thus : I loved my father ; I honored my mother; my brothers and sisters loved me. I went out of the door of my house with a benevolent heart ; I stood there with re¬ freshing hand ; splendid were my preparations of what I collected for the festal day. Mild was (my) heart, free from violent anger. The gods bestowed upon me abundant prosperity upon earth. The city wished me health and a life of full enjoyment. I punished the evildoers. The children who stood before me in the town during the days which I fulfilled were — great and small — 60; just as many beds were provided for them, just as many chairs (?), just as many tables ( ?). They all consumed 120 ephahs of durra, the milk of 3 cows, 52 goats, and 9 she-asses, a bin of balsam, and 2 jars of oil. ... I call the god Mut to witness that what I say is true. I had all this prepared in my house ; in addition I put cream in the store-chamber and beer in the cellar in a more than sufficient number of bin-measures. I collected corn as a friend of the harvest-god. I was 1% JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS watchful in time of sowing-. And when a famine arose, last¬ ing many years, I distributed corn to the city each year of famine. — “ Archaeology and the Bible.” By George A. Barton. EXPRESSION AL SESSION MAKING READY FOR OPPORTUNITY James 1 :25 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address Joseph won his way to promotion in the first place because God was with him, “ That which he did, Jehovah made it to prosper.” But God would not have blessed Joseph as he did if Joseph himself had not tried in every way to do what was right. Fie was always loval and faithful to those to whom lie owed loyalty and fidelity.. He was always ready when the opportunity came. And the way that he made ready for opportunity is a way in which we, too, can make ready. He always did just as well as he could the duty that lay before him. When he was in the household of Potiphar and when he was in prison he did well the tasks which were assigned to him. So, when the opportunity came to appear in the court of Pharaoh he was ready. We Juniors should do our very best work in home and in school now, so that we may be ready to make the most of our opportunities when they come to us. The Class Prayer Our Father in heaven, help us while we are Juniors to make ready for the opportunities that will come to us when we are older. Help us to do the things we should and bless us and those with whom we are connected as you blessed Joseph and those with whom he was connected, so many years ago. For Jesus’ sake. Amen. Verses for Use in the Meeting James 1 :1 7 ; Titus 3:1b; I Corinthians 3:7; Psalm 21 :5; 67 :6, 7. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 197 Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ O Thou Whose Feet Have Climbed Life’s Hill.” “ Father, Who on Man Doth Shower.” “ Wait Upon the Lord.” “ Father, Lead Us Day by Day.” “If We Wish for Joy in This Troubled World.” Questions eor Use in the Meeting 1. What probably was the capital of Egypt when Joseph was its second ruler ? 2. Tell what you know about the shepherd kings. 3. How did Joseph prepare to make the most of opportunity ? 4. Tell about two ways in which a Junior can prepare to make the most of opportunities (James 1 :22a). 5. Did Joseph use these two ways of making the most of his opportunities? Topics eor Discussion or Reports 1. Bible Dreams. 2. Egypt in Joseph’s Day. 3. How Jacob Learned God’s Lessons. 4. How Joseph Learned God’s Lessons. 5. Learning to Do by Doing. 6. The Junior Motto. James 1 :22a. To Read in the Meeting When George Washington was a young officer in the Indian Wars, he did not know that he was preparing to be general of the American forces in the Revolution and first President of the United States. He did his very best in each task that was given him, and so was ready for the big op¬ portunity that came to him. Abraham Lincoln, studying by the firelight in his home in Illinois, was doing every task before him to the very best of his ability. He was ready for every chance that came, and so he became President. Have faith in God, and do your very best in everything, and God will bless you. 198 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS First be sure you’re right, boys, Then with courage strong, Strap your pack upon your back, And try, try along. — James Whitcomb Riley. Be brave, be steadfast, and be true ; And e\er, as you climb, Keep God’s clear beacon light in view, And win, in his good time. — Eben E. Rexeord. CHAPTER XX WEEK DAY SESSION JOSEPH’S BROTHERS VISIT EGYPT Genesis, chapter 42 The Memory Verse ‘‘Jehovah will keep thee from all evil; He will keep thy soul.”' — Psalm 121 :7. The Lesson Story The great famine of which God had warned Pharaoh, and for which Joseph had provided, had extended even into the land of Canaan. Jacob and his eleven sons felt it. They needed food for themselves and their families. “ I hear that there is grain in Egypt,” said Jacob to his sons one day. “ I think that it will be best for you to go down to the land of the Nile, to buy food for us all. I shall keep Benjamin at home with me, but I want the rest of you to go.” The ten brothers looked at one another. The word “ Egypt ” always made them feel uncomfortable. Their con¬ sciences still pricked when they remembered their brother Joseph, though more than twenty years had passed since they sold him into slavery. But they saw that to obey their father’s words was the only thing to do. They got together all the money they could collect, and started on the way to Egypt — probably along the coast road over which the Mid- ianites had carried Joseph so many years before. On and on they went. At last they came to the frontier. The customs official stopped them and inquired their busi¬ ness, and when he found out what it was, sent them on to the man in charge of the food supplies. And that man was Joseph, the brother whom they had hated and sold to be a slave ! But the brothers did not know that the great Zaphenath- 199 200 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS paneah was Joseph. They did not expect to find him in a palace, in a position of great honor. If they had thought it was Joseph whom they were to meet, they would have turned and run away. As they came near the great man they bowed down to the ground before him, doing obeisance, with their faces to the earth. Joseph stood before them. He had changed in the years that had passed. He was dressed in rich Egyptian garments. He wore the strange headdress which Egyptian nobles wore. This man, about forty years old, was very different from the lad of seventeen. The ten brothers did not know him. But he knew them. They had not changed so much. They were in the same kind of shepherd garments. There were — how many were there? Ten. Joseph won¬ dered about Benjamin. Had they treated his younger brother as they had treated him? Were they any better men than they had been? Quickly he made up his mind. They did not know him. He would not tell them who he was until he tested them. He thought of the dreams that he had dreamed so many years before, when he had thought that the sheaves of wheat had bowed before him. Genesis 37 :5-8. “Where do you come from?” he asked his brothers roughly. “ From the land of Canaan, to buy food,” they answered. “You are not telling the truth,” said Joseph. “You are spies, who have come to find where the land of Egypt is weak.” “ No, no, my lord,” they replied. “ We are all the sons of one man. If we had come to spy out the land, we should not all have come.” “ You are spies,” Joseph still insisted. Then the brothers told Joseph what he really wanted to know, about Jacob and Benjamin. “ We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan,” they said; “and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.” Joseph must have been glad to hear this news. His heart must have leaped for joy. But still he pretended not to believe them. He put them in prison for three days. Then he sent for them and gave them a command. “If you are true men,” he said, “ I will let you go and JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 201 carry grain to your father. But one of you must remain here" in prison. And if you bring back your youngest brother later, to show that your words are true, the man I have kept shall be freed.” The brothers looked at one another. They spoke in their own language, not knowing that Joseph could understand them. “We were guilty about our brother Joseph,” they said. “ Now we are being punished.” “ Didn’t I warn you ? ” asked Reuben. “ I told you that we would have to pay for our sin.” They did not know that Joseph understood what they were saying. But he did, and he had to turn away from them, to hide his tears. Nevertheless he took Simeon from their number and bound him before them. He ordered his men to fill their sacks with grain. Secretly he commanded that each man's money be put in his sack. Then he com¬ manded them to go. Sadly the brothers started out — nine of them, now. What should they tell their father? What was the meaning of the strange treatment that they had received at the hands of the great Egyptian ruler? On and on they plodded, over the desert way. One night, as one of them opened his sack to give his ass food, he found the money in the sack. More and more strange ! What could be the meaning of all this? Soberly they returned home. They told Jacob all that had happened to them. “ And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack: and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not. and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.” Jacob would not be comforted. He did not yet know what God was planning for his people. Handwork Make a poster which shows that you know something about Egypt. Perhaps you can use as your guide the picture 202 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS given on this page. Use deep blue paper for the sky, and yellow-gray paper for the sandy soil. At the very bottom paste a yellow strip to represent the Nile River. Cut out palm trees, pyramids, and houses from black paper, and paste on the background. Notebook Work The Egyptians used a queer sort of picture writing called “ hieroglyphics.” You will find an example of this on this page. Copy one of these tablets in your notebook as a deco¬ ration, and write a description of how you think Joseph looked when his brothers came before him. Map Work Trace again on the map the journey of the ten brothers from Canaan to Egypt. Expressional Activity If you think that anyone does not like you or has done JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 203 something unkind to you, try this week to return good for evil, and to do something kind for him. Memory Work Learn these words of the old apostle John, the follower of Jesus : “ Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the mes¬ sage which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” — I John 3:10, 11. SUNDAY SESSION JOSEPH FORGIVES HIS BROTHERS Genesis 45 :l-24 The Memory Verse “ Jehovah will keep thy going out and thy coming in From this time forth and for evermore.” — Psalm 121 :8. The Lesson Story Day after day went by. In Egypt there was still a famine, and in Canaan, too. In Jacob’s home in Hebron, the grain which his sons had brought from Egypt was used. They would die of starvation if they did not go back to the land where there was plenty of food stored up. “ Go down to Egypt again, and buy food,” Jacob begged. “ We cannot go without Benjamin,” they answered. “ The man there told us that he would not see us again unless we brought our youngest brother.” “ Why did' you tell him that you had a brother?” asked Jacob. He was afraid that Benjamin would be taken away from him as Joseph had been taken, and as Simeon had been. Finally, however, he agreed to let Benjamin go with his brothers. Loaded with gifts and double money, they re¬ turned again over the long desert road to Egypt. Again they came to the frontier city and again they were sent be¬ fore the great ruler, Zaphenath-paneah. 204 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS When Joseph saw his brothers before him, with Benjamin with them, he was glad. Quickly he ordered a feast pre¬ pared. He gave a command that his brothers be brought to his own house. He listened to their story and freed Simeon. He gave them a great feast, but even though he could hardly keep from tears, he did not yet make himself known to them. He was not yet sure that they were different men from those they had been when they sold him into slavery. He must be sure how they felt toward Benjamin. So, when he sent them away, he had his own silver cup hidden in Benjamin’s bag, together with his money. Then, as soon as they were gone, Joseph sent his steward after them and accused them of stealing the cup. Of course the brothers declared that they were innocent. They really knew nothing about the cup. “ We are honest men,” they said. “ We brought back the money for the grain that we had before, that we found in our sacks when we got home. If you find the cup in the possession of any of us, let him die.” Quickly they opened the grain sacks. There, in Benja¬ min’s bag, was the cup! What should they do? They returned to Joseph’s palace and fell on their faces before him. Judah made a plea for Benjamin. He offered to take the youngest brother’s place. The sons of Jacob showed that they really had changed in the years that had passed. Joseph could no longer hide who he was. He sent his at¬ tendants from the room and then he turned to his brothers, weeping. “I am Joseph,” he said simply. “Doth my father yet live?” At first the brothers were frightened. They knew how greatly they had wronged Joseph. They could hardly believe that he would forgive them. But Joseph spoke so kindly to them that at last they be¬ lieved in his forgiveness. “ God saved me,” he said. “ God sent me before you to save you alive. And now get ready to go back to Canaan. Go to our father and tell him that I am alive and ruler it; Egypt. There are yet five more years of famine to come, JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 205 Bring our father thither, and come yourselves with your families.” The news about Joseph’s brothers spread to the palace. It came to the ears of Pharaoh himself, and he was glad be¬ cause Joseph was glad. He, too, urged that Jacob and his family should come to Egypt. He sent wagons by which they could come back. And so it happened that Jacob’s eleven sons returned to Canaan, loaded with food and money and gifts of all sorts. For Jacob himself there were ten asses loaded with the good things of Egypt and ten loaded with grain and provisions. Surely God was bringing a blessing upon his chosen family and was saving their lives in a strange and wonderful way ! Putting the: Lesson Into tiie Life of the Class Joseph forgave his brothers for the evil that they had done to him. We, too, should forgive those who are unkind to us. Joseph knew that God had been his Guide during all his adventures. We, too, know that God is our Guide. We should trust him, whatever happens, as Joseph did. The sons of Jacob had learned a lesson of love in the years that had passed since they had sold Joseph and de¬ ceived their father. Because they showed that they loved their father and their brother Benjamin, they won Joseph’s forgiveness. By love, we can conquer all things. The Lesson Truth in Your Life Joseph, who lived many years before Jesus did, taught also the lesson of forgiveness. Let us forgive those who trespass against us, so that we may say with all our hearts the words of The Lord’s Prayer, “ Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” A Story to Read Joseph was glad when he heard that his brothers were back again, and that they had brought his own dear brother with them, tie was so pleased that he resolved to have them all to dine with him at his own house. Pulling his black wig down over his brow, he ordered them to be brought in ; and as they came kneeling before him, it was not on old Judah or 206 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS kind Reuben, but on Benjamin with the ruddy cheeks, that he fixed his searching eyes. His brother had grown so much that he could hardly recognize the little boy who used to run about the camp holding him by his hand as he took him to see the little lambs at play, and the small black kids, and the doves, and the chickens. “ Take these men to my house, for I shall dine with them at midday/’ was all he said. The brothers were amazed when this order was explained. And when the gates of his courtyard closed behind them, they believed they were prison¬ ers again, and sat down on the stone pavement to sigh and mourn. At midday there came a loud knocking at the gate, and the red-and-green chariot of the great Egyptian drove in, and soon they were summoned to stand before him. With their simple presents in their hands, they went through the garden and into his beautiful house and kneeling, laid them at his feet. “Is your father well?” the great man asked in a kind voice. “ The old man of whom you spoke — is he still alive ? ” “ Thy servant our father is alive and in good health,” they answered humbly. “ Is this your younger brother, of whom you spoke? ” he asked, speaking as if he did not know one from another. Beniamin answered with a low bow, and Joseph added, “ May God be gracious to thee, my son ! ” When Benjamin looked up at him, Joseph felt the tears coming into his eyes, and rising suddenly from his chair, to the surprise of the men he hurriedly left the hall. They did not know why. But if they had seen him in his own room weeping like a child for very joy, they would have been more astonished still. The dinner came, and the ten brothers were surprised when the Egyptian ruler arranged them at a table all in the order of their ages ; and yet they did not suspect who he was. Joseph sat at a table by himself, with a beautiful silver wine cup before him, and he sent plates of choice food to each of his brothers, sending Benjamin five times as much as any of the rest. Still they suspected nothing. The slaves put wreaths of blue convolvulus and red poppies round their necks, and kept their plates well supplied with roast fowl. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 207 fried fish, and venison, pastry, fruits, and sweetmeats, and their cups filled with red and white wine, so that they en¬ joyed themselves very much. — (Robert Bird, in One Hun¬ dred Bible Stories for Children.) EXPRESSIONAL SESSION RETURNING GOOD FOR EVIL II Kings 6:18-23 Suggestions for the Leader’s Opening Address Joseph’s brothers had tried to do him harm, although, because God intended this for good, their wicked act did not result as they expected it to do. But Joseph did not take vengeance upon them. He had no feeling of revenge in his heart. He returned good for evil. Hundreds of years after the time of Joseph, an enemy was attacking the people of Israel. Elisha, God’s prophet, warned the king of Israel again and again of what the soldiers of the enemy were going to do. At last God struck them for a time with blindness and while they could not see, Elisha led them straight into Samaria, the city of the Israel¬ ites. But the people of Israel did not harm the enemy sol¬ diers. Instead, they were feasted with good things and sent home in safety. And after that, for many years, there was peace in Israel. The people of God had won it not by fight¬ ing, but by returning good for evil. And many years later yet, Jesus taught the same lesson of returning good for evil, of turning the other cheek. Even on the cross, he said about those who killed him, “ Father, forgive them ; for they know not what they do.” Let us ask God to help us to follow the example of those who have returned good for evil. The Class Prayer Our Father who art in heaven, help us to forgive and for¬ get the unkind things that we think have been done to us. Help us to return good for evil as Joseph did and as Elisha did and as Jesus did. For Jesus’ sake we ask. Amen. 208 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Verses for Use in the Meeting Proverbs 20 :22 ; 25 :21, 22 ; 24 :29 ; Romans 12 :17, 19-21 ; Luke 6 :27-36 ; Ephesians 4:31, 32. Hymns that May Be Used in Connection with the Meeting “ Saviour, Give Thy Grace to Me.” “ Jesus, Gentle Saviour.” “ Jesus, High in Glory.” “ Tesus, Friend of Little Children.” “ Jesus Will Help Me.” “ My Soul, Be on Thy Guard.” Questions for Use in the Meeting 1. Why did Joseph’s brothers go to Egypt? 2. Tell the story of what happened on their first visit. 3. Tell the story of what happened on their second visit. 4. Why did Joseph test his brothers? 5. Which of Joseph’s brothers do you like best in this part of the story? Is it the same brother as in Chapter XVII? 6. How can a Junior to-day he like Joseph? 7. Have you ever been unkind to anyone? How did that person treat you ? 8. How should you treat one who you think has been un¬ kind to you? Topics for Discussion or Reports 1. The Journey of Joseph’s Brothers to Egypt. 2. Joseph in the Palace. 3. How the Brothers Treated Joseph. 4. How the Brothers Treated Benjamin. 5. Forgiving and Forgetting. 6. Returning Good for Evil. 7. Returning Good for Evil To-Day. To Read in the Meeting Joseph’s true nobleness appears in his love for his broth¬ ers who had so wronged him. This is the way he repaid . JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 209 their wickedness. Though he lived long before Christ he showed the mind of Christ in all his treatment of his broth¬ ers. We should learn the duty of forgiving those who have done us injury, and yet of seeking at the same time their good. We may also see in Joseph an illustration of the way in which Christ does with sinners. On his very cross, he prayed for his murderers. — J. R. Miller. Think truly, and thy thoughts Shall the world’s famine feed ; Speak truly, and each word of thine Shall be a fruitful seed ; Love truly, and thy life shall be A great and noble creed. — Horatius Bonar. “ He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself.” “ Pray for a short memory as to all unkindness.” CHAPTER XXI WEEK DAY SESSION THE FAMILY OF ISRAEL MOVES INTO EGYPT Genesis 46:1-7, 28 to 47 : 12 The Memory Verse “ And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen.” — Genesis 47 :27a. The Lesson Story THE FAMILY OF JACOB GOING TO EGYPT (A Dramatization of the Journey) Scene I. In Hebron (Outside Jacob’s tent.) Jacob: (Peers down the road anxiously.) My daughter, my daughter, come here! Do you see anyone approaching? Dinah : No, father, there is no one. They will come after while. Jacob : It is long since they left us. If any harm has be¬ fallen Benjamin, I shall die. One hundred and thirty years is long to live, Dinah ; I fear I shall not see my sons again. (Shakes head sadly.) Dinah: But see, father! I think there is a great caravan coming. See ! There are camels and wagons and asses. It cannot be our brothers, but perhaps we shall have news of them. Oh, see ! There is Benjamin, hastening ahead of the rest ! They are all here, I know ! Jacob: Yes, now I see him! Benjamin, my son, my son! Simeon, too, is here! and Reuben and Judah and Zebu- lun. All — all but Joseph, who is not! (Greetings as the sons approach.) Benjamin: But, my father, Joseph is alive. He is ruler in Egypt. 210 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 211 Jacob : It cannot be. Simeon: Yes, it is true. See the rich presents he has sent you. (Gifts are spread before Jacob — garments, grain, and so on.) Judah : And because there are yet five years of famine, he asks that you come to Egypt, where he may care for you. Jacob : It cannot be. Gad: Here are the wagons that he sent for you and for our wives and children. Levi : Here is the food for the journey. Jacob: It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him before I die. Scene II. The Land of Goshen Jacob comes in, followed by a caravan. Joseph comes from the opposite direction. Joseph: My father, my father! You are here safe, from your long journey. Jacob : Joseph ! It is Joseph, my son ! Now let me die since I have seen your face and you are alive ! Joseph : I will go to Pharaoh and tell him that you have come. Jacob : Shall we go before the great ruler ? Joseph: Yes, you shall go. And when he asks you what your occupation is, say that you are keepers of cattle. Then will he give you a home in the land of Goshen. Scene III. Ill Pharaoh’s Palace Pharaoh is sitting on the throne. Courtiers with him. Joseph comes in, with five of his brothers. Pharaoh : What wills my lord Zaphenath-paneah ? Joseph : Sire, my father and my brethren have come from the land of Canaan, with all their flocks and herds, and are now in the land of Goshen. Here with me are five of my brethren. (Brothers bow low before Pharaoh.) 212 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS Pharaoh: What is your occupation? Judah: Sire, we are keepers of cattle as our fathers were before us. There is no food for us or for our flocks in Canaan. We pray thee, let us dwell in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh : Let it be as you have asked. Take charge of my cattle, also. Joseph : Sire, my father, the old man Jacob, is here. Piiaraoii : Bring him before me. (Joseph and the broth¬ ers bring Jacob into the room. He raises his hands in blessing.) Jacob: The blessing of God rest upon thee, O king. Pharaoh : Plow many are the days of the years of thy life? Jacob: For one hundred and thirty years I have lived, sire, and the days have seemed few and short. Pharaoh : And yet they have been long. Go with thy sons, old man, and live in peace in the land of Goshen. Jacob: Again I say to thee, God’s blessing be upon thee. (Jacob, Joseph, and the five brothers go out of the room. Pharaoh and his Courtiers follow.) Handwork Preparing the costumes for this dramatization as your teacher directs. Notebook Work Complete any unfinished work in your notebook. Exfressionae Activity Acting out the dramatization above. Memory Work Learning the parts of the dramatization above. 213 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS SUNDAY SESSION THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL IN EGYPT Genesis 47 :27-31 ; chapter 50 The Memory Verse “God meant it for good.” — Genesis 50:20. The Lesson Story Slowly the live remaining years of famine passed. Jacob and his sons and daughters, his grandchildren, and his servants, all lived in peace and plenty in the land of Goshen. They grew rich and prosperous. For seventeen years they lived together, but Jacob was an old man — one hundred and forty-seven years old. He knew that he had not much longer to live, so he called Joseph to him, and made one request. He asked that when he died, his body should be taken back to the Land of Promise, and buried there. He blessed Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. He gave them a share of the inheritance equal to that of his own sons. Then he called to him all his sons. He spoke his farewell words to them, and died. Joseph remembered his promise to his father. He told Pharaoh what Jacob had wanted him to do, and the king granted permission that the Children of Israel should bury their father in the land of Canaan. A great company moved across the desert way, in honor of the old patriarch — many of the important men of Egypt and Jacob’s sons and daughters and grandchildren. They buried Jacob in the cave of Machpelah where his grandfather Abraham and his grandmother Sarah and his father and mother had been buried. And there, even to this day, may be seen the tomb of Jacob. The family returned to Egypt. Then the ten brothers were troubled. Now that their father was dead, they feared their brother Joseph. They could not believe that his for¬ giveness was real ; that it came from his heart. They sent to him and asked again for forgiveness. Joseph was grieved that his brothers were still afraid of him. “Am I in the place of God?” he asked. “You meant 214 JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS evil, but God meant it for good. Do not be afraid. I will take care of you and your families.” Joseph was seventeen years old, you remember, when he was taken as a slave to Egypt. He was thirty years old when he went before Pharaoh. He must have been almost forty when his brothers came to Egypt. He lived to be one hun¬ dred and ten years old. During all those years he was rich and prosperous. He was surrounded by luxury. The Egyptians with whom he lived worshiped idols and strange gods. But always Joseph was true to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Pie never turned from the right course. Always he remembered God’s promise. When the time came for him to die he called his brothers and said to them : “ God will surely visit you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. . . . Ye shall carry up my bones from hence.” So Joseph died, trusting always in God and trying always even in a strange land among strange people to do God’s will. Putting the Lesson Into the Life of the Class Joseph was true to God even in a strange land, where the people did not believe as he believed. Are you always “ true to your colors,” wherever you are? When you are with boys who swear, do you swear, too? When you are with girls who gossip, do you gossip, too ? Joseph believed from his heart that in some way God’s promises would be carried out. That is a lesson for Juniors of to-day. God has promised us many good things if we obey him. We should be sure that his promises will come true. “ Trust and obey,” and he will bring his promises to pass. Joseph’s forgiveness of his brothers was real, and from his heart. He forgave and forgot. That is how we should act toward those who have injured us in any way. We should forgive them and put out of mind the injury that they have done to us. The Lesson Truth in Your Life Joseph’s life is an example to us in many ways: his cour¬ age, his faith, his loyalty, his trustworthiness, his generosity. We shall try to remember these things and make them parts of our own lives. JUNIOR CHURCH SCHOOL LESSONS 215 The Character oe Joseph The character of Joseph was a character which would win success in all times and in all lands. Its foundation stone was faith in God, and on this foundation were laid other good qualities that boys and girls of all ages and all times can imitate. Faith in God was the base stone of his character. On this were laid : 1. Love for his father, shown when he was a boy, and when he was a man. 2. Absolute honesty in every position in which he was placed. 3. Unselfishness. 4. Humility. He always knew and told others that his wisdom and power came from God. And on these stones of character were laid others which boys and girls of to-day would do well to lay in building up their lives. 1. Resolution. 2. Enterprise. 3. Faithfulness in little things. 4. Patience. 5. Perseverance. 6. Evenness of disposition. If you lay such a foundation, your life will be a success, as Joseph’s was. 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