{71}
WHEN MORNING GILDS THE SKIES
When morning gilds the skies,
My heart awaking cries,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Alike at work and prayer,
To Jesus I repair;
May Jesus Christ be praised!
To Thee, O God above,
I cry with glowing love,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
This song of sacred joy,
It never seems to cloy,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Does sadness fill my mind?
A solace here I find,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Or fades my earthly bliss?
My comfort still is this,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When evil thoughts molest,
With this I shield my breast,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The powers of darkness fear,
When this sweet chant they hear,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
When sleep her balm denies,
My silent spirit sighs,
May Jesus Christ be praised! {72}
The night becomes as day,
When from the heart we say,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this, while life is mine,
My canticle divine,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song,
Through all the ages long,
May Jesus Christ be praised!
--_From the German_.
{73}{74}
[Illustration]
THE BOY JESUS
By Winterstein
"Whatever father or mother wanted done in the house, fetching water,
drink, bread, meat, looking after the house and other things of that
sort, whatever he was bidden, that did the dear little Jesus, like
any other child."
--_Martin Luther_
[End illustration]
{75}
A SONG OF THANKSGIVING
We plough the fields and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God's almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft refreshing rain.
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
For all His love!
He only is the Maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him,
By Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children,
He gives our daily bread.
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
For all His love!
We thank Thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seedtime and the harvest,
Our life, our health, our food; {76}
Accept the gifts we offer
For all Thy love imparts,
And what Thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
All good gifts around us
Are sent from heaven above,
Then thank the Lord, O thank the Lord,
For all His love!
--_From the German of Mathias Claudius_.
{77}
HEAVEN IS NOT REACHED AT A SINGLE BOUND
Heaven is not reached at a single bound,
But we build the ladder on which we rise,
From the lowly earth to the vaulted skies,
And we mount to the summit round by round.
I count this thing to be grandly true,
That a noble deed is a step toward God,--
Lifting a soul from the common clod,
To a purer air and a broader view.
--_J. G. Holland_.
By permission of Charles Scribner's Sons.
{78}
STILL, STILL WITH THEE
Still, still with Thee, when purple morning breaketh,
When the bird waketh, and the shadows flee:
Fairer than morning, lovelier than the daylight,
Dawns the sweet consciousness, I am with Thee.
Alone with Thee, amid the mystic shadows,
The solemn hush of Nature newly born;
Alone with Thee, in breathless adoration,
In the calm dew and freshness of the morn.
When sinks the soul, subdued by toil, to slumber,
Its closing eye looks up to Thee in prayer;
Sweet the repose, beneath Thy wings o'ershadowing,
But sweeter still to wake and find Thee there.
So shall it be at last in that bright morning
When the soul waketh, and life's shadows flee;
O in that hour, and fairer than day's dawning,
Shall rise the glorious thought, I am with Thee.
--_Harriet Beecher Stowe_.
{79}
SHORT BIBLE STORIES
{80}
{81}
GOD SEES ME
When does God see me?
God sees me when I am good, and it makes him glad.
God sees me when I am bad, and it makes him sorry.
God sees me when I play, and knows if I am kind.
God sees me when I am at school, and knows if I am faithful.
God sees me when I am at home, and knows
if I obey my father and my mother.
God sees me when I am cross, and knows how ugly I look and feel.
God sees me when I am happy, and knows how glad I am.
God sees me all day long, and wants me to love him.
God sees me all night long, and watches over me while I sleep.
"When I run about all day,
When I kneel at night to pray,
God sees.
Need I ever know a fear
Night and day, my Father near?
God sees."
"Thou God seest me."--_Genesis 16:13_.
{82}
WHAT DOES GOD WANT ME TO DO?
God wants me to be kind to other children.
God wants me to be gentle and loving.
God wants me to be kind to animals.
God wants me to obey my father and my mother.
God wants me to care more for others than for myself.
God wants me to keep the Sabbath day.
God wants me to pray to him every day.
God wants me to tell the truth.
God wants me to be happy all the day.
God wants me to be good, and then I shall be happy.
God wants me to do these things because he loves me.
I ought to want to do the things he wants me to do.
{83}{84}
[Illustration]
PLOWING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton,
and used by her kind permission.
How strange it looks to see a camel harnessed to a plow! If you look
closely you will see that the plow is strange, too. It is a crooked
branch with a plowshare fastened to it. It has only one handle. It
was a plow almost exactly like this that was used in the times of
the Bible. This picture was taken in the plains of old Philistia.
[End illustration]
{85}
WHAT GOD GIVES
God is always giving.
God gives to the trees their leaves and fruit.
God gives to the earth the rain in summer to make the grass grow,
and the snow in winter to cover the ground.
God gives to the beasts and to the birds their food.
God gives to us our homes and friends and all that makes us happy.
God gives us the Bible to tell us how he loves us.
God gives us sweet sleep at night.
God gives us health to enjoy all his gifts.
What has God given you to-day? Have you thanked him for it?
"Who giveth food to the hungry."--_Psalms 146:7_.
"Who giveth to the beast his food."--_Psalms 147:9_.
"So he giveth his beloved sleep."--_Psalms 127:2_.
"He giveth snow like wool."--_Psalms 147:16_.
"Give us this day our daily bread."--_Matthew 6:11_.
"My peace I give unto you."--_John 14:27_.
"Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all."--_I Timothy 2:6_.
{86}
JESUS AND HIS FRIENDS
Jesus had many friends.
Some of them were people whom he had healed.
Some of them had heard him talk, and had learned to love him.
Sometimes they stayed with him, day after day.
Jesus loved his friends.
Jesus told his friends about God.
Jesus was so kind and loving to his friends
that they could not help loving him.
The friends of Jesus were called disciples.
Disciple means learner.
The disciples learned what Jesus had taught.
Jesus picked out from his friends a few to be with him all the time.
They were sometimes called disciples, too.
Sometimes they were called apostles.
Apostle means one who is sent.
Jesus sent the apostles out to tell others about himself.
There were twelve of the apostles.
The names of three of them were Peter, James, and John.
{87}{88}
[Illustration]
BEAUTIFUL NAZARETH:
OUTLOOK FROM HILLS ABOVE TOWN TO HISTORIC ESDRAELON
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
After he began his active ministry Jesus had no home, but while he
was a boy his home was in the town of Nazareth, beautifully situated
among the hills of Galilee. A traveler there describes the town as
it now is;--
"Almost in the center of this chain of hills there is a singular
cleft in the limestone, forming the entrance to a little valley.
As a traveler leaves the plain he will ride up a steep and narrow
pathway, broidered with grass and flowers, through scenery which is
neither colossal nor overwhelming, but infinitely beautiful and
picturesque. Beneath him, on the right-hand side, the vale will
gradually widen, until it becomes about a quarter of a mile in
breadth. The basin of the valley is divided by hedges of cactus into
little fields and gardens, which, about the fall of the spring
rains, wear an aspect of indescribable calm, and glow with a tint of
the richest green. Beside the narrow pathway, at no great distance
apart from each other, are two wells, and the women who draw water
there are more beautiful, and the ruddy, bright-eyed shepherd boys
who sit or play by the well sides, in their gay-colored Oriental
costume, are a happier, bolder, brighter-looking race than the
traveler will have seen elsewhere. Gradually the valley opens into a
little natural amphitheater of hills, supposed by some to be the
crater of an extinct volcano; and there, clinging to the hollows of
a hill, which rises to the height of some five hundred feet above
it, lie, 'like a handful of pearls in a goblet of emerald,' the flat
roofs and narrow streets of a little Eastern town. There is a small
church; the massive buildings of a convent; the tall minaret of a
mosque; a clear, abundant fountain; houses built of white stone, and
gardens scattered among them, umbrageous with figs and olives, and
rich with the white and scarlet blossoms of orange and pomegranate.
In spring, at least, everything about the place looks indescribably
bright and soft; doves murmur in the trees; the hoopoe flits about
in ceaseless activity; the bright blue roller-bird, the commonest
and loveliest bird of Palestine, flashes like a living sapphire over
fields which are enameled with innumerable flowers."
[End illustration]
{89}
JESUS HAD NO HOME
Jesus had no home of his own after he grew up.
Once a man wanted to be his disciple.
Jesus wanted this man to know that he had no
fine house where he could entertain him.
He said that the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have
nests, but that he had not where to lay his head.
His friends asked him to visit them.
They were always glad when he came to see them.
Sometimes a rich man asked Jesus and his friends to dinner.
He made no difference between the rich and the poor among his friends.
One of the homes where he liked to be was the home of a fisherman.
The fisherman's name was Simon.
{90}
Sometimes he was called by another name, Peter.
He caught fish in the lake of Galilee.
His house stood near the lake.
His fishing boat was drawn up upon the shore.
Another home where Jesus liked to stay was the home of Lazarus.
Lazarus had two sisters. Their names were Mary and Martha.
The brother and the sisters lived in a little town called Bethany.
Jesus loved these people very much.
Why was Jesus so poor?
"Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor,
that ye through his poverty might become rich."--_2 Corinthians 8:90_
{91}{92}
[Illustration]
BETHANY
From a picture taken by Mrs. Frank L. Goodspeed,
and used by her kind permission.
This is a picture of the village of Bethany, not far from Jerusalem.
It was here in the home of Mary and Martha that Jesus liked so much
to stay.
[End illustration]
{93}
THE PEOPLE LOVED JESUS
The people loved Jesus.
They crowded about him to hear him talk.
Sometimes Jesus and his friends did not have time to eat.
Sometimes the people came after sunset.
Sometimes they came early in the morning.
Sometimes so many people came that the house would not hold them.
Then they had to go out of doors.
Jesus loved to talk with the people out of doors.
He loved to look up and see the blue sky and the green hills.
He told the people many stories while out of doors.
Jesus never turned the people away without trying to help them.
"Many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room for
them."--_Mark 2:2_.
"And he went forth again by the seaside, and many came unto him, and
he taught them."--_Mark 2:13_.
"And all the city was gathered together at the door where Jesus
was."--_Mark 1:33_.
"And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea . . . and a great
multitude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him."
--_Mark 3:7, 8_.
{94}
THE SEA OF GALILEE
Do you know what a lake is?
Did you ever see a lake?
There was a lake in the country where Jesus lived.
It was a pretty lake.
There were hills and mountains all about it.
There were towns and villages on its shores.
Jesus sometimes stayed in these villages.
The lake had a long name.
It was called Gennesaret.
It also had other names.
Sometimes it was called the Sea of Tiberias.
Sometimes it was called the Sea of Galilee.
There were many boats on the Lake of Gennesaret.
How swiftly they sailed along!
How the little waves danced on the waters!
How pretty the hills were on either side!
Some of the boats belonged to the friends of Jesus.
Sometimes these friends took Jesus in their boats.
One day he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.
The people were crowding about him.
He could not talk because they crowded so.
He had the boat pushed out a little way from shore.
Then he sat down and taught the people.
The people all sat on the shore and listened.
{95}
[Illustration]
TIBERIAS, ON THE COAST OF THE SEA OF GALILEE
Used by special permission of the Detroit Photograph Company.
On this beautiful lake Jesus very often sailed with his fishermen
disciples.
At that time there were many towns and cities on its shores, but
now, except for a few small hamlets, the once populous shores are
desolate. But the lake is still as beautiful, its blue waters
sparkle in the sun, and the stars looking down from the brilliant
eastern sky are reflected in its bosom as when Jesus "walked in
Galilee".
[End illustration]
{97}
THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS
When Jesus was a boy, he lived at Nazareth.
Nazareth was a village among the hills.
It was itself on a hill.
All about it were green fields.
In the spring, the fields were filled with pretty flowers.
Jesus' father was a carpenter.
He made doors and chairs and tables.
Jesus helped about the shop.
He was a good boy and loved to help his father.
He helped his mother to draw water from the well.
He went to school and learned to read and write.
He went to church on the Sabbath.
The church to which he went was called a synagogue.
Do you suppose Jesus played with other boys and girls?
He played with them in the village streets.
He was always kind to them.
He never teased them or did things that were mean.
There is still a village of Nazareth.
The hills and the fields about it are the same as then.
{98}
JESUS AND SICK PEOPLE
Jesus was very sorry for people who were sick.
How pale and thin some of them looked!
How some of them suffered!
Jesus loved to heal them.
He was glad to see them get well again.
How happy they and their friends were when they were made well!
How glad the little children were to see their
fathers and mothers come home again, well!
As soon as people knew that Jesus could heal the sick,
they brought all their friends who were sick to Jesus.
Sometimes they brought sick children.
How glad Jesus was to make the children well!
"And at even when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that
were sick . . . And all the city was gathered together at the door.
And he healed many that were sick."--_Mark 1:32-34_.
"And when they were come out of the boat, straightway the people
knew him, and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry
about on their beds those that were sick, where they heard he
was."--_Mark 6:54-56_.
{99}{100}
[Illustration]
NAZARETH
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
This is a picture of the village of Nazareth, where Jesus lived when
he was a boy. When he climbed the hills about the town he had a most
beautiful view of the mountains and valleys of Palestine. Looking
westward, the waters of the Mediterranean were spread out before
him, and he could see the white sails of the passing ships.
[End illustration]
{101}
TALKING WITH OUR FATHER
Because God is our Father we want to talk with him.
We want to tell him about many things.
We want to tell him how happy we are.
If we have been naughty, we want to tell him how sorry we are.
Sometimes we want to tell him how much we love him.
Why do we do this?
When people give us gifts, it is polite to say, "thank you."
God gives us gifts, and we should say "thank you," to him.
When we love people we want to talk with them.
If we love God we will want to talk with him.
When we have been naughty to anyone, we are sorry,
and we want to say "please forgive me."
When we have been naughty, we ought also to ask God to forgive us.
{102}
It makes God sorry when we are naughty.
Would it be right to get up in the morning, and play all day when your
father was at home, without saying one word to him?
Would it make your father glad or sorry?
Is it right, then, to take gifts from your Father in heaven all day
long, and not say a word to him?
Does it make him glad or sorry?
Talking with our Father in heaven, we call praying.
It is telling him all the things we want to tell a loving father.
{103}{104}
[Illustration]
JESUS HEALING THE SICK
By Heinrich Hofmann
Jesus was rightly called the "Great Physician." In the picture are
shown some of the sufferers whom Jesus delighted to help--the poor
little child, white and still in its mother's arms, the lame, and
the blind.
[End illustration]
{105}
GOD IS OUR FATHER
We call God our Father.
The prayer which Jesus taught us to pray, begins, "Our Father."
Why do we call God our Father?
Because God does for us what a good father does for his children.
A good father loves his children.
God loves his children.
A good father gets food and clothing, and other
things which his children need.
God gets for his children what he sees they need.
A good father wants his children to be good.
God wants his children to be good.
A good father will not let his children have
what would be bad for them.
God will not let us have what will be bad for us.
When we call God our Father, it is a way of saying, "God loves me, God
will take care of me."
"Our Father who art in heaven."--_Matthew 6:9_.
"One is your father, even he who is in heaven."--_Matthew 23:9_.
"One God and Father of all."--_Ephesians 4:6_.
{106}
WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT BIRDS AND FLOWERS
"Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they
reap, nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feedeth them.
Are not ye of much more value than they? And which of you by being
anxious can add one cubit unto his stature? And why are ye anxious
concerning raiment?
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not,
neither do they spin; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothe
the grass of the field, . . . shall he not much more clothe you,
O ye of little faith?"--_Matt. 6:26-30_.
{107}{108}
[Illustration]
THE LAKE OF GALILEE
Another picture of the beautiful lake on which Jesus so often sailed
with his disciples. The lake abounded in fish, and there was a great
fleet of fishing boats which sailed about the lake and brought the
fish to the many towns and cities on its shores. Some of Jesus'
disciples were fishermen.
"And walking by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who
is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the
lake; for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Come ye after
me, and I will make you fishers of men.
"And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.
"And going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James the son
of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their
father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they straightway
left the boat and their father, and followed him."--_Matt. 4:18-22_
[End illustration]
{109}
WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT TREES
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns,
or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good
fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree
cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down
and cast into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits ye shall know
them."--_Matt. 7:16-20_.
"And he spake to them a parable: Behold the fig tree and all the
trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves
that the summer is now nigh at hand."--_Luke 21:29-30_.
{110}
JESUS AND THE LITTLE GIRL
Beseech
Beg.
Suffered
Allowed.
Many weeping and wailing
In the Bible times, when a person died, women were hired to weep
and wail. This was supposed to honor the dead.
Once upon a time, there was a man named Jairus. He was a very important
man among the Jews. He was one of the rulers of the synagogue; that
means that he was one of those who had charge of the worship in the
synagogue or church of the town. This man had a dear little daughter.
This little girl was twelve years old, and her father and her mother
loved her very much. One day she was taken sick. Her parents were very
anxious about her, for each day she seemed to be growing worse. Then her
father remembered that Jesus could cure people who were sick. So he went
to find Jesus, and ask him if he would come and make his little girl
well. Jesus was very busy when Jairus found him. He was talking to a
great multitude of people. Jairus pushed through the crowd, and fell
down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come and make his little girl
well. Jesus was very glad to come, but there were so many people about
him that he had to walk very slowly. He stopped to heal a poor sick
woman on the way. At last he drew near Jairus' house, but people came
out of the house and said it was too late, for the little girl was dead.
How badly the poor father felt then! But Jesus told him not to be
afraid, just to have faith in him. Here is the whole story, as it is
told in the Bible:--
{111}{112}
[Illustration]
JESUS AND THE LITTLE GIRL
By Gustav Richter (1823-1884)
"The healing of His seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch Him in life's throng and press,
And we are whole again.
"Through Him the first fond prayers are said
Our lips of childhood frame,
The last low whispers of our dead
Are burdened with His name."
--_John Greenleaf Whittier_
[End illustration]
{113}
One day a great multitude was gathered about Jesus as he taught by the
sea. And there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by
name; and seeing him, he falleth at his feet, and beseecheth him much,
saying:--
"My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou
come and lay hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live."
And he went with him; and a great multitude followed him.
As he approached the house, people came out, who said to Jairus:--
"Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the Master any further?"
But Jesus, not heeding the word spoken, saith unto the ruler of the
synagogue:--
"Fear not, only believe."
And they come to the house of the ruler of the synagogue; and he
beholdeth a tumult, and many weeping and wailing greatly. And when he
had entered in, he saith unto them:-- {114}
"Why make ye a tumult, and weep? The child is not dead but sleepeth."
And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all forth,
taketh the father of the child and her mother and them that were with
him, and goeth in where the child was. And taking the child by the
hand, he saith unto her:--
"Talitha cumi," which means in the language of the country, "Little
girl, I say unto thee, Arise."
And straightway the little girl rose up, and walked.
{115}{116}
[Illustration]
EGYPTIAN TEMPLE ON THE ISLAND OF PHILAE
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
This is one of the beautiful temples of Egypt on an island in the
river Nile. This island has lately been covered by the waters of
the great artificial lake formed by the dam built by the English
government across the Nile to control the flow of the river. In the
foreground is seen a "dahabiyeh," one of the peculiar boats for
sailing upon the Nile.
[End illustration]
{117}
THE BABY HID IN A BASKET
Flags
Plants which grow in the water at the edges of ponds and rivers.
Bulrushes
Plants which were used for the weaving of baskets.
Ark
A woven basket.
Pitch
A sticky substance daubed on the basket to keep out the water.
Handmaid
A servant.
Once upon a time a little boy was born to some poor Hebrew people who
were slaves in Egypt. The pharaoh, or king of that country, did not
like the Hebrew people, and he said that all the little boy babies
born to them must be killed. But the mother of this little boy wanted
to save her pretty baby if she could. So she hid him three months. And
when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of
bulrushes, and daubed it with pitch; and she put the child therein,
and laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood
afar off, to know what would be done with him. And the daughter of
Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked {118}
along by the river side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent
her handmaid to fetch it. And she opened it, and saw the child: and,
behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This
is one of the Hebrews' children."
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I call thee a nurse
of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?"
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go."
And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's
daughter said unto her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me,
and I will give thee thy wages."
And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and
she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And
she called his name Moses.
{119}{120}
[Illustration]
THE RIVER NILE
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
The great river Nile was the very life of the country of Egypt which
lies along its banks. A little way back from the river the desert
begins. On the little green strip of the banks lived the proud and
powerful people who enslaved the Israelites. A fleet of dahabiyehs
is being loaded by the shore.
[End illustration]
{121}
AN OLD BOOK OF SONGS
Gates and Courts
The gates and open spaces of the temple of God.
Endureth
Lasteth.
Faithfulness
God will keep his promises.
Unto all generations
Always.
In a city of the Bible land, called Jerusalem, there was a great
temple, a sort of big church. Every day people came to this temple to
worship in it. On the Sabbath, all the people came to worship in it.
They did not sit in seats as we do in church, but stood up and
listened. In front of where they stood were steps. Here, where all the
people could see, stood a great band of singers dressed in white
robes. Near by, were men with silver trumpets. When they blew the
trumpets, all the people bowed down to pray. Then the singers sang
praises to God, and the musicians played upon all the instruments of
music, and the great temple was filled with glad, joyous song. The
book of songs from which they sang is the book of Psalms in our Bible.
Many of the songs were calls to the people to praise God for his
goodness. Here is one of them:--
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness:
Come before his presence with singing. {122}
Know ye that the Lord he is God:
It is he that hath made us, and we are his;
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
And into his courts with praise:
Give thanks unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; and his mercy endureth for ever;
And his faithfulness unto all generations.
Here is another beautiful song of praise:--
O come, let us sing unto the Lord:
Let us make a joyful noise unto the rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving,
Let us make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, and he made it;
And his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker:
For he is our God,
And we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
{123}{124}
[Illustration]
THE PYRAMIDS AND THE SPHINX
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
The great pyramids of Egypt are among the wonders of the world. They
are the tombs of some of the Pharaohs. They are great masses of stone,
and we can hardly imagine how in those days it was possible to build
them. The sphinx is a great stone figure of a beast with a human
face. The pyramids and the sphinx were built before Joseph came to
Egypt.
[End illustration]
{125}
Here is a song of trust in God, who watches over us day and night:--
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains:
From whence shall my help come?
My help cometh from the Lord,
Which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved;
He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is thy keeper:
The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall keep thee from all evil;
He shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall keep thy going out and thy coming in,
From this time forth and for evermore.
The shortest song of all those in the book is a song of praise:--
O praise the Lord, all ye nations:
Praise him, all ye peoples.
For his merciful kindness is great toward us:
And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.
Praise ye the Lord.
{126}
A STORY WHICH JESUS TOLD
Straightway
At once.
Tribulation
Trouble.
Persecution
Injury done one by an enemy.
Jesus often told the people little stories when he was
teaching them to be good. These little stories he called
parables. Here is one of the parables:--
THE STORY OF THE SOWER
And Jesus said, "Behold the sower went forth to sow; and, as he sowed,
some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them:
and others fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth;
and straightway they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth,
and when the sun was risen, they were scorched; and because they had no
root, they withered away. And others fell among the thorns; and the
thorns grew up and choked them: and others fell upon the good ground,
and yielded fruit, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty."
{127}{128}
[Illustration]
THRESHING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE:
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton,
and used by her kind permission.
What a strange company of animals we have here! A camel, two oxen,
and a little white donkey! And is this not a hard way to thresh out
the grain? This field, with its beasts at work, does not much
resemble a great wheat field in the western states of America, with
its wonderful machinery. It shows how little progress has been made
in the East, to find the same methods employed now as in Bible times.
[End illustration]
{129}
Then Jesus explained the story to his disciples in this way. He said,
"When anyone heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not,
then cometh the evil one, and snatcheth away that which hath been sown
in his heart. This is he that was sown by the wayside. And he that was
sown upon the rocky places, this is he that heareth the word, and
straightway with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but
endureth for a while; and when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, straightway he stumbleth. And he that was sown
among the thorns, this is he that heareth the word; and the cares of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful. And he that was sown upon the good ground, this is
he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; who verily beareth
fruit, and bringeth forth, some a hundred fold, some sixty, some
thirty."
{130}
SOME THINGS WHICH JESUS TAUGHT THE PEOPLE
At one time Jesus went up the slopes of a mountain, and many people
gathered about him and he taught them these words, which are called
THE BEATITUDES.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
"Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.
"Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
{131}
Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say
all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted
they the prophets which were before you."
{132}
THE BOY WHO CAME WHEN HE WAS CALLED
Wax
To grow.
Ark of God
A box of wood which was kept in the temple, and which the Jews
thought was very precious and sacred.
There was once a woman who lived in the Bible land, and her name was
Hannah. She had a little boy named Samuel. When Samuel was a baby, his
mother made up her mind that she would give him to God, to serve in
the temple. So she took him to the temple, and as soon as he was old
enough he helped the good priest Eli about his work. Every year Hannah
made a little coat for her boy, and gave it to him, when she came to
see him at the temple. It was very hard for Hannah to have her dear
little boy away from home, but she was very happy when she came to
see him every year, and heard what a good boy he was. The old priest
Eli was very fond of him. His own sons were very bad men, and that
made him love Samuel all the more. Here is a story about Samuel and
Eli, which shows what a good and obedient boy he was. Samuel grew up
to be a very wise and a very great man, and served his country and God
faithfully all his life.
{133}{134}
[Illustration]
A DRUSE FAMILY
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton,
and used by her kind permission.
The Druses are a remarkable people living on the mountains of
Lebanon in the northern part of Palestine. For a thousand years they
have been a separate people, preserving many of the customs and
manners of living of Bible times. This makes them a very interesting
people to us. Most of them are well to do, but there is occasionally
a poor family like the one shown in our picture. You will notice the
cow shed at the front door, and the family dog, but can you see the
donkey? What looks like a great brush heap in the middle of the
picture is really a little donkey loaded with brush! If you look
sharply you may see his little feet. At the left of the picture, on
the hilltop, are the ruins of an old castle built by the Crusaders.
[End illustration]
{135}
And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place,
and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp
of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was,
and Samuel was laid down to sleep; that the Lord called Samuel; and he
answered:--
"Here am I."
And he ran unto Eli and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."
And he said, "I called not; lie down again."
And he went and lay down.
And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel."
And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst
call me."
And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again."
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord
yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time.
And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou didst call
me." And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli
said unto Samuel:--
{136}
"Go, lie down: and it shall be if he call thee, that thou shalt say,
'Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.'"
So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel,
Samuel."
Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for thy servant heareth."
{137}{138}
[Illustration]
BETHLEHEM
This is a picture of the village as seen close at hand, the Church
of the Nativity in the foreground.
"Seated on the summit level of the hill country of Judah, with deep
gorges descending east to the Dead Sea, and west to the plains of
Philistia, the shepherds of Bethlehem had to contend not only with
bears and lions, but also with human enemies, the Philistines on the
west, and Arab robbers on the east. They would therefore from
childhood be accustomed to bear fatigue, hunger, heat and cold,
both by night and by day, and also to brave every kind of danger
and fight with every kind of antagonist. Thus the youthful David
learned to sling stones when he led his father's flocks over the
hills, and thus was he prepared to conquer Goliath; and so, too, by
defending his charge against lions and bears, he learned to face
lion-like men in war and conquer them."--"_The Land and the Book_"
[End illustration]
{139}
STORIES OF DAVID
THE SHEPHERD BOY WHO KILLED A GIANT
Cubit.
A measure used in Bible lands, thought to be about nineteen
inches. The span was another measure, about half a cubit.
According to this, the height of Goliath was about ten feet. A
very tall giant indeed!
Greaves
Armor for the legs.
Target
A round shield.
Weaver's Beam
The heavy round piece of wood used in old looms.
Once upon a time there lived in the little village of Bethlehem among
the hills of Judea, a shepherd lad whose name was David. Every day he
led his flock of sheep to the greenest pasture and then watered them
at the still pools of water.
This work was very pleasant when the weather was fair and warm, but
sometimes it grows very cold in the hill country of Judea. The wind
blows and the ground is covered with snow. Sometimes the shepherd is
forced to stay out all night with his flock. Sometimes a lamb {140}
is lost, and the shepherd has to search all night in the darkness,
along dangerous paths in the hills. Sometimes wild beasts attack the
flock and the shepherd must beat them off. Sometimes the wild people
of the East try to carry off the sheep, and the shepherd is in danger
of his life.
But this hard work and constant danger made David a strong, brave boy.
He grew very skillful with the sling, which was a weapon much used
in those days. With it even a boy could throw a stone very hard and
far. Once when he was keeping the flock, a bear came to steal a lamb,
and, at another time, a mountain lion, and David killed them both.
While David was still no more than a big boy, war broke out between
his country and the Philistines. These people lived in the lower
country to the west of Judea, and the two nations were very often at
war. This time the two armies camped on opposite sides of a narrow
valley.
The Philistines had a giant in their army, who used to come out every
day and challenge anyone in the army of the Israelites to fight. This
is how the giant is described:--
{141}{142}
[Illustration]
WATER WORKS IN OLD PHILISTIA
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton,
and used by her kind permission.
This unusual picture was taken at the village of Yebnah, between.
Jaffa and Ashdod, in the country of old Philistia. The camel is
harnessed to a pole, and, walking in a circle, turns the clumsy
machinery which lifts the water from the well.
[End illustration]
{143}
"And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines,
named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he
had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of
mail, and he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass
between his shoulders, and the staff of his spear was like a weaver's
beam, and a servant bearing a shield went before him."
Every day this great giant came out before the army and shouted out
his challenge. "Choose you a man for you," he cried, "and let him come
to me. If he be able to fight with me and kill me, then will we be
your servants: but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall
ye be our servants and serve us."
What a terrible sight he must have been with the sun shining on his
bright brass armor, and his great roaring voice, which echoed among
the hills! It is no wonder that the whole army of the Israelites was
afraid, and that no champion was brave enough to come out to meet him.
All this time David was at home taking care of the sheep. He had three
older brothers who were away with the army, but David was thought too
young to be a soldier. It must have {144} been very hard for such a
brave boy to stay at home, but he was a good boy as well as a brave
one, and he patiently did his work.
One day David's mother had made some very nice bread, and some cheese,
and she remembered that the boys in camp would have very poor food. So
David's father said he might go up to camp and take some roasted corn
and the bread to his brothers, and he sent, too, ten cheeses to the
captain of the boys' company.
David was delighted to go. He came quickly to the camp, and, leaving
his bread, and corn, and cheese with a servant in the rear, went right
up to the front where the line of battle was intrenched. He was just
in time to see Goliath come out and shout his challenge. Just then
David's oldest brother caught sight of him, and thought he had run
away from home to see the battle.
"What are you doing here, David?" he shouted angrily. "Why have you
left that little flock of sheep to be eaten up by wild beasts in the
pastures? You are a naughty boy, and you have just come here to see
the battle."
David replied, "What have I done now? Isn't there a good reason why I
have come?"
{145}{146}
[Illustration]
AN EASTERN SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by
her kind permission.
This is an exceptionally fine picture of a flock of sheep and their
shepherd as they appear in the country of the Bible. This picture
was taken in the springtime on the beautiful plain of Sharon which
borders the seacoast from Joppa to Mt. Carmel. The prophet Isaiah
says, "Sharon shall be a pasturage for flocks." The picture shows
how the whole plain is carpeted with bright colored flowers.
[End illustration]
{147}
And there was good reason, when no one in all the army was brave
enough to fight Goliath.
David went to king Saul, who was the general of the army, and offered
to fight the giant. The king was very much surprised, and told him he
was only a boy, while the giant had been a soldier for many years.
But David told Saul how he had killed the lion and the bear, and said
that the God who helped him in his fight with these wild beasts would
help him in his fight with the giant.
Then Saul allowed him to try, and offered him a suit of armor. David
tried it on, but it was not what the shepherd boy had been used to
wear, so he would not take it.
He went down to the brook and picked out five smooth, round stones,
just right for his sling. Then, with his shepherd's staff and bag and
his sling, he went out of the lines of the army to meet the giant.
When the great giant saw the shepherd lad, he laughed, and then he
grew very angry.
"Am I a dog," he said, "that you come to fight me with a shepherd's
stick? Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air
and to the beasts of the field."
{148}
Then little David answered, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with
a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord
of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied."
Then Goliath marched forward in all his brass armor to kill David; and
David ran, too, straight toward the giant. When he was at the right
distance he put a stone into his sling and took good aim. Away went
the stone and struck the giant right in the middle of the forehead!
Down he fell on his face with a crash.
Then David marched up and drew the giant's great sword out of its
sheath and cut off his head.
What a shout arose from the army of Israel when they saw that the
great giant whom they so much feared, was dead! And this is the way a
brave boy killed a great boastful giant, with all his bragging words
and his brass armor.
{149}{150}
[Illustration]
THE "TOMB OF RACHEL" WITH BETHLEHEM IN THE DISTANCE
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether,
and used by her kind permission.
This picture is chiefly interesting for the beautiful view it gives
of Bethlehem, lying white against the hillside in the distance.
[End illustration]
{151}
DAVID AND KING SAUL
After David had killed the giant Goliath, King Saul would not let him
go back to his father's house at Bethlehem, but made him stay at the
court, and gave him a high command in the army. King Saul was not
well. He had a disease of the mind which made him at times almost, if
not quite, insane. At such times he was very sad and gloomy. David
could play very sweetly on the harp. When the king felt this trouble
in his mind, he would send for David, who would play on the harp and
the playing would soothe and calm the king so that he would be himself
again.
David was a poet; he not only played upon the harp but he wrote some
of the beautiful songs or psalms which he sang. In some of these songs
he told about the love of God, who cares for his children as the
shepherd cares for his flock.
The poet Browning wrote a beautiful poem about Saul and David and how
the skillful playing of the shepherd had helped the king. Here {152}
is a stanza of the poem. David is supposed to be telling someone about
his playing to the king.
"Then I tuned my harp,--took off the lilies
we twine round its chords
Lest they snap 'neath the stress of the noontide
--those sunbeams like swords!
And I first played the tune all our sheep know,
as, one after one,
So docile they come to the pen-door
till folding be done.
They are white and untorn by the bushes,
for lo, they have fed
Where the long grasses stifle the water
within the stream's bed;
And now one after one seeks its lodging,
as star follows star
Into eve and the blue far above us,
--so blue and so far!"
But in spite of David's playing the king's health grew worse. He
became very jealous of David. David was young and strong and handsome,
and a favorite with everyone. Saul at last came to hate him. Once he
threw his spear at David, but missed his aim and David escaped. David
was afraid that the king would kill him, so he gathered a few bold men
about him, and became an outlaw. Day after day Saul and his soldiers
pursued David but he always managed to escape, hiding in caves by day
and marching by night.
{153}{154}
[Illustration]
THE CONVENT OF MAR-SARBA IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDEA
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
It was in this wild and desolate country on the eastern edge of
Palestine that David hid in caves and ravines when pursued by his
enemy, King Saul.
[End illustration]
{155}
More than once David had Saul in his power and might have put him to
death, but he was too brave and generous to take advantage of his
weakness, and besides he felt that it was wrong to harm the nation's
king. One night Saul and his soldiers had encamped near the place
where David and his men were hiding. The night was dark. All the
sentries were asleep. Quietly, David and one of his men stole into the
camp, and came to the spot where Saul lay asleep with his spear stuck
in the ground beside his head. The soldier wanted David to kill his
enemy, but he would not do it. He took Saul's spear and the water skin
which was beside him and crept safely past the sentries and out of the
camp again.
When he had gone to a safe distance, he stood on a hill and shouted
and awakened the men in the camp, and told them to look for the spear
and the water skin. So they knew that David had truly been in the camp
and had spared the king's life.
{156}
DAVID AND JONATHAN
While David was living at the king's court his dearest friend was
Jonathan, Saul's son. These two young men loved each other as soon as
they met, which was after David had killed the giant. They went
everywhere together. They hunted and played their games together. They
were like two brothers. Jonathan was never jealous of David. He wanted
him to be liked by others. He gave him the best that he had himself.
He was a very kind hearted and generous young man. It made him very
sad because his father was so cruel to David. He could not believe
that his father really wished to kill his friend.
At last David did not dare to come to the king's court nor to take his
place at the king's table. Still Jonathan did not believe that his
father really meant to do harm to his friend. To test the king they
planned to leave David in a hiding place in the field while Jonathan
went home to see his father. When David did not take his place at the
table, the king grew very gloomy. "Where is David?" he said.
{157}{158}
[Illustration]
WINNOWING IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton,
and used by her kind permission.
In the East, after the grain is threshed out by the trampling of
cattle or by driving over it with sledges, it is tossed up in the
air by a kind of fork. The wind blows the light chaff away, while
the heavier grain falls in a heap. This explains many of the
allusions in the Bible.
[End illustration]
{159}
"He asked permission to run home to Bethlehem to offer the sacrifice
with his family," replied Jonathan.
At that the king grew furious in his rage. He told his son that David
wanted to steal the kingdom away from him (for Jonathan was the oldest
son and would be king when Saul died).
Saul was so angry that he even threw his spear at his own son, and so
Jonathan knew that his father had determined to kill his friend.
David was hiding behind a great rock in the field, and, according to a
plan they had made beforehand, Jonathan came out the next day with his
bow and arrows and pretended to shoot at a mark. He had a little boy
with him to run for the arrows.
The plan was this: If Jonathan said to the boy, "The arrows are on
this side of you," David would know that all was safe. But if he said,
"The arrows are beyond you," he would know that he was in great
danger.
Jonathan came and shot his arrows, and cried, "The arrows are beyond
you."
So David knew that the king intended to kill him. They waited until
the boy had gone and then David came out, and Jonathan told {160} him
how sorry he was that the friend he loved so much must go away. In
many other ways Jonathan showed his great love for his friend.
At last both Saul and Jonathan were killed in a great battle with the
Philistines. Then David mourned deeply for Jonathan and he made a song
of mourning about their friendship. This is a part of it:--
"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives,
And in their death they were not divided;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were stronger than lions.
How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle!
O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places!
I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan:
Very pleasant hast thou been to me,
Thy love was wonderful,
Passing the love of women.
How are the mighty fallen,
And the weapons of war perished!"
{161}{162}
[Illustration]
WINNOWING OF GRAIN AFTER THRESHING IN EGYPT
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
After the grain was threshed it was winnowed. The mixture of grain,
chaff, and broken straw was turned over and shaken with a wooden
fork. It was thrown high in the air so that the wind might carry
away the chaff. This work was often carried on at night to take
advantage of the night wind, which was usually stronger than during
the day. After the first process another was carried on by the
"fan," a kind of shovel by which there was a still further
separation of impurities. The final cleansing was accomplished by a
sieve. The chaff was burned or blown away by the wind. In the
picture the blurred appearance is the chaff which has just been
tossed up and is being blown away.
[End illustration]
{163}
DAVID AND HIS THREE BRAVE SOLDIERS
Once when David was fighting against the Philistines the little town
of Beth-lehem was in the hands of the enemy. David had a great longing
for a drink of the cool water of the well which was near the gate of
the town. It seemed to him that he would be perfectly happy if he
could taste that water which he used to enjoy so much when he was a
boy. He wanted it so much that he spoke out loud and said, "Oh, that
one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Beth-lehem which
is near the gate!"
Some of his men overheard him as he said this to himself, and three of
his brave soldiers left the cave where they were hiding, and broke
through the enemy's lines and brought back a drink of the water to
David. But when David saw them all bleeding from the wounds which they
had received, he would not drink the water which they brought, because
it had cost so much in the blood of his men.
{164}
So he poured it out upon the ground as an offering to God of something
very sacred and precious, and as a way of showing his friends that he
prized their love more than the water for which he longed.
{165}{166}
[Illustration]
HEBRON
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
It was here that perhaps the oldest city in Palestine was built. The
picture shows the character of the country, the hills and valleys
with the towns showing white on the hillsides or nestling in the
valleys.
[End illustration]
{167}
DAVID AND HIS SON ABSALOM
After Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle David became king.
He did many brave and wise things and some foolish and evil things.
For the wrong deeds he was punished by great sorrows.
He had a favorite son named Absalom. Absalom grew up to be a very bad
boy. No doubt David was foolish in his affection and did not train the
boy as he should.
He grew so bad at last that he gathered an army and rebelled against
the king. At first he was successful and actually drove his father out
of Jerusalem.
But David's army rallied and defeated Absalom and his bad friends in a
great battle.
When Absalom knew that his army was defeated he tried to escape by
riding away on the back of a swift mule. But as he passed under a
great oak in the dark forest where the battle was fought, his long
hair was caught in the low hanging branches: Here he hung helplessly
until the soldiers of David came up and killed him.
{169}
David was very sorrowful while the battle was being fought, because he
loved the boy so much. He sat at the gate of the city and watched and
waited. Suddenly the watchman on the tower called out that he saw a
man running, and in a few moments he said that he saw another.
In the lands of the Bible, messengers, swift of foot and trained in
running, always brought the news to the city as quickly as they could
run.
When the first messenger came the king said quickly, "Is the young man
Absalom safe?"
"I saw a great tumult when I left the battle field," said the runner,
"but I knew not what it meant."
"Stand aside here," said the king.
Then came the second man and he called out, "Tidings, my lord the
king!"
"Is my boy Absalom safe?" again cried the king.
Then the messenger replied, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all
that rise up against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."
{169}
The king knew that this meant that the boy he loved so much was dead.
And the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the
gate, and wept, and as he went there he said, "O my son Absalom, my
son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee. O Absalom, my son,
my son!"
{170}
THE STORY OF A GOOD KING
When King David died, Solomon his son became king. He was the wisest
and best king the people ever had. He is often called "the wise king."
One night soon after he became king he had a dream. In his dream he
seemed to see the Lord, who said, "Ask what I shall give thee."
Instead of asking for great riches or honor or power, Solomon asked
for wisdom.
He said, "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come
in. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart."
And the Lord replied, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast
not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for
thyself, nor hast asked for the life of thine enemies, but hast asked
for thyself understanding, behold, I have done according to thy word;
I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, and I have given
thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that
there shall not be any among the kings like thee all thy days."
{171}{172}
[Illustration]
CHILDREN AT CANA
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether and used by her
kind permission.
[End illustration]
{173}
Then Solomon awoke and knew it was a dream, but in after years the
dream came true, and Solomon became the wisest and richest king in the
world.
Every year his ships sailed away and brought many rare and costly
things from the East. They brought gold, and silver, and precious
stones, and ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
At one time Solomon had a visit from the Queen of Sheba, who had heard
of his great wisdom and wished very much to see him. She came with a
great many servants riding upon camels, and she brought him as
presents, gold, and precious stones, and spices.
Many kings came also to see him and they brought as presents, gold,
and silver, and costly cloths, and spices, and horses, and mules with
their harnesses.
Solomon's greatest wish was to build a beautiful house in which to
worship God. So he sent to King Hiram, who lived in the north country
where the great cedars of Lebanon grew, and Hiram sent his woodcutters
into the forest and they cut down the great cedars {174} and squared
the logs into beams. Then the lumber was taken to the coast and
floated on rafts in the sea along the shore and then brought over the
land to Jerusalem.
There were also men working in the stone quarries hewing out the great
stones for the foundation, and skillful workmen making the golden
ornaments and the beautiful carving.
So carefully were the stones and timbers cut and marked that they were
all put together without the sound of hammer or axe. This beautiful
building was the first temple which the Israelites built and it has
always been called "Solomon's Temple."
{175}{176}
[Illustration]
CAMEL MERCHANTS
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by
her kind permission.
These men are on the way from Palestine to sell their camels in
Egypt. Every year great herds of camels are still brought from the
East to sell for the carrying of merchandise in caravans, just as
they were used in the days of the Bible.
[End illustration]
{177}
JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN
Vesture
Clothing.
Famine
A time when the crops fail and there is no food,
and people often starve.
Hostage
One who is held by an enemy to be sure that promises are kept.
Myrrh and balm
Precious gums very much used in the East.
There was once a boy whose father loved him very much indeed. The
boy's name was Joseph. His father's name was Jacob. The father gave
the boy a coat of many colors. It was a very fine coat and he was very
proud of it. He had eleven brothers, and they hated him because he was
his father's favorite. He had a dream in which he saw the sun and the
moon and eleven stars bowing down before him. This made the brothers
hate him still more, and even his father was none too well pleased.
One day the brothers were taking care of the sheep in a distant
pasture, and Jacob sent Joseph to see how the boys were getting along.
The shepherd boys saw him while he was still a long way off, and they
said, "Here comes {178} the dreamer. Let us kill him and put him into
some pit, and say to father, 'Some wild beast has killed him,' and
then see what will become of his dreams!" They were very bad boys
indeed.
They all agreed but Reuben, who was the only one who had any pity for
Joseph. He really wanted to save his brother, but in order to deceive
the others he said, "Do not kill him, but put him alive into some pit,
in an out-off the-way place." He said this hoping to come back and
rescue Joseph when the others had gone.
They finally consented; so, when Joseph came up, they took off his
coat of many colors and put him into a pit. Probably they did not
handle him at all gently!
Then Reuben went away and the others calmly sat down to eat their
dinner. While they were eating, they looked up and saw a long caravan
with camels loaded with spices and balm and myrrh going from the East
down to Egypt.
Then an idea came to Judah, one of the brothers. "Let us sell Joseph,"
he said, "so we shall get rid of him and no guilt of his blood will be
on our hands."
{179}{180}
[Illustration]
ONE OF THE PYRAMIDS
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
Another one of the great pyramids which rise above the level
country of Egypt, monuments to the departed greatness of her rulers.
Recent explorations show that the civilization of Egypt goes back
more than four thousand years before the time of Christ.
[End illustration]
{181}
They drew Joseph, who must have been well frightened by this time, out
of the pit, and sold him to the traders for twenty pieces of silver.
When Reuben came back he was very much distressed, but he did not dare
to tell his father the truth. They agreed to dip Joseph's coat of many
colors in blood and say that a wild beast had eaten him. Then they
went home and pretended to be very sorry and told their poor old
father this lie which they had made up. The father believed it because
they showed him the coat of many colors which they had dipped in
blood. Jacob was very sad and mourned a long time for his boy.
The traders carried Joseph to Egypt and sold him as a slave. He was
treated badly and at last put into prison. While he was there the
Pharaoh, the king of the country, had a dream. He dreamed that he saw
seven fat oxen come up out of a river and feed in a meadow. Then seven
lean and hungry oxen came out of the river and ate up the fat oxen.
Then he saw seven fine full ears of corn on one stalk, but there grew
also seven poor thin ears, which destroyed the good ears.
No one could tell the king what his dream {182} meant, until he heard
that Joseph, who was in prison, was able to tell the meaning of
dreams. So he called Joseph, who was very glad to come out of the dark
prison. Joseph told the king at once what his dream meant. He said
that there would be seven years of plenty in Egypt, when there would
be great crops of grain. Then would come seven years of famine, when
no crops would grow. Joseph advised the king to build great store
houses and to store up the grain during the years of plenty, so that
the people might not starve during the years of famine.
Pharaoh was much pleased because Joseph told him the meaning of the
dream, and at once appointed him as the man to gather the grain during
the years of plenty.
And Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set thee over all the land of
Egypt."
And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's
hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain
about his neck; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which he
had, and they cried before him, "Bow the knee!" and he made him ruler
over all the land of Egypt.
{183}{184}
[Illustration]
TEMPLE AT THEBES
From an old photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
This is another of the great Egyptian temples, built thousands of
years ago, with the massive columns still standing.
[End illustration]
{185}
And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without thy consent
no man shall lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt." So
the shepherd boy, who had been sold as a slave in Egypt, became next
to Pharaoh the chief man in all the country!
During the next seven years, there never had been such harvests, and
Joseph went about gathering up the great loads of grain into all the
storehouses.
Then came the terrible famine. No grain grew in the fields. But Joseph
was ready. The people came to him and bought grain to keep them from
starving.
All this time Joseph's father thought he was dead and he never ceased
to mourn for his boy. By and by the famine reached the land where
Joseph's father lived and he sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food,
but of course they did not know that the ruler of Egypt was Joseph.
Ten of Jacob's sons, each with his donkey, went to Egypt, but the
youngest boy, Benjamin, Jacob kept at home.
When they came to the palace where Joseph lived, he knew at once that
they were his {186} brothers, but they did not know him. At first
Joseph treated them roughly. He said they were spies. But they told
him they were all brothers who lived in the land of Canaan and their
youngest brother and their father they had left at home. Joseph still
seemed to be very angry and put them in prison for three days.
Then he let them out and told them to go home, all but Simeon, whom he
would keep as a hostage, and bring back their youngest brother, and
then he would believe that they spoke the truth.
They started back, each with his donkey loaded with grain. When they
stopped at an inn they found that the money which they had paid for
the grain was in the top of each sack.
They reached home at last and told their father all that had happened.
The story made the old man very sad. He would not let them go back to
Egypt. He said that he had lost two sons, Joseph and Simeon, and he
could not let Benjamin, whom he loved next to Joseph, go with them.
{187}{188}
[Illustration]
AN EASTERN HOUSE
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by
her kind permission.
This house is made of mud--that is, sun-dried clay, with a roof of
thatch, and shows how houses were made and looked in Bible times.
The children of the village have come to have their eyes treated by
the doctor. Many of the children in the hot countries of the East
have trouble with their eyes, and blindness. The little village of
mud houses where this was taken is on the site of the ancient
Ashdod, one of the five powerful cities of the Philistines.
[End illustration]
{189}
But the famine kept on. They had nothing to eat and at last Jacob was
forced to let them go. They promised to take the best of care of
Benjamin and started on their journey.
When they reached Egypt Joseph was more kind. He asked them how they
were and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is
he yet alive?"
And they answered, "Thy servant, our father, is yet alive. He is in
good health."
Then he saw Benjamin and said, "Is this your younger brother of whom
ye spoke unto me?"
And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."
He gave them a feast, and told them to go home, but as soon as they
were gone he sent an officer after them. The officer caught up with
them and opened the bags of grain, and there was Joseph's own golden
cup in the mouth of Benjamin's sack!
They were wild with fear. They said that their poor old father would
die if anything happened to Benjamin. But the stern officer took them
back to Joseph.
Then Joseph told them who he was, and forgave them for the evil they
had once done him.
{190}
He said to them, "Go home and say to Jacob, 'Thus saith thy son
Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry
not; and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be
near unto me, thou and thy children's children, and thy flocks and thy
herds, and all that thou hast.' And ye shall tell my father of all my
glory in Egypt and of all that ye have seen, and ye shall haste and
bring down my father hither."
The brothers went home and the old man Jacob and all his family came
to Egypt to live. So Jacob saw Joseph again before he died.
And Joseph ruled wisely and well over Egypt all the days of his life.
{191}{192}
[Illustration]
THE GREAT STATUES OF MEMNON
From a photograph in the possession of the Springfield Public
Library, and used by kind permission.
These great statues, carved out of the solid rock, were erected to
the honor of two of the Pharaohs of Egypt. You may realize something
of the immense size of these monuments by noticing how small the
camel standing at the base seems in comparison.
[End illustration]
{193}
THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD
Once upon a time there was a widow who lived, with her only son, in a
city in the land of the Bible. She was very poor, and one year she
found herself still poorer. Everybody was poor that year, for there
was a famine in the land. How thin and hungry some of the children
became! How glad they were to get even poor food! How carefully the
poor widow watched her barrel of flour and her jar, or cruse, of oil,
with which the flour was mixed for baking! How hard she worked to get
more! At last she had only a little flour and a little oil left. She
was almost starving. There was just enough left to make one more cake
for herself and her boy, and after that was gone she did not know what
they would do. Perhaps they must die. She went out to gather some
sticks for a fire. While she was gathering them, a man came by. He was
a prophet, named Elijah, but she did not know him. He called to {194}
her, and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel,
that I may drink."
And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, "Bring
me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."
And she said, "As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an
handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold,
I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my
son, that we may eat it, and die."
And Elijah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but
make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it to me, and after
make for thee and for thy son.
"For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, 'The barrel of meal shall not
waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the
Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.'"
And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and
he, and her house, did eat many days.
And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail,
according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Elijah.
{195}{196}
[Illustration]
ON THE ROAD NEAR TIBERIAS,
WITH THE LAKE OF GALILEE IN THE DISTANCE
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether, and used by her
kind permission.
This interesting picture, with laden camel and group of native
people, shows very well the nature of the country about the lake of
Galilee, the hill rising above the lake and the village nestling on
its shore. In the distance can be seen the waters of the lake and
the shadowy hills upon the farther shore. It is thus that the
country must have looked in the old days when it was the center of
so much active life.
[End illustration]
{197}
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the
mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that
there was no breath left in him.
And she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of
God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay
my son?"
And he said to her, "Give me thy son."
And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft,
where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
And he cried to the Lord; and said, "O Lord my God, hast thou also
brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?"
And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried to the
Lord, and said, "O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul
come into him again."
And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came
into him again, and he revived.
And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber
into the house, and delivered him to his mother: and Elijah said,
"See, thy son liveth!"
{198}
And the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that thou art a man
of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth."
{199}{200}
[Illustration]
GOING TO THE DOCTOR
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Louise Seymour Houghton, and used by
her kind permission.
These poor women of the East have brought their poor little sick
children on the patient old donkey to the doctor. As the custom is
in the East, the faces of the women are covered by veils. This is
the way the Eastern mothers used to bring their sick little children
to Jesus in the old days.
[End illustration]
{201}
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The people of the Bible land had lost their kingdom before the time of
Christ. They had no king of their own, but governors came from Rome, a
city hundreds of miles away, and ruled them. But the people hoped that
this would not last. They wanted a kingdom of their own. They believed
God would give it to them some day. They prayed that it might come.
When Jesus began to teach and hear people, they thought perhaps he
would be a king to bring this kingdom that God would give them. But
Jesus had something better than a great kingdom on earth. He tried to
make them understand what it was. He called it the kingdom of heaven.
By that he meant the rule of God in the world.
God's rule is not in a great palace, with soldiers and a throne and
great splendor. It is in the heart, and grows up very quietly, like
the plants in the field. Jesus once told a story to show this. It was
the story of
THE MUSTARD SEED
"The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man
took, and sowed in his field.
{202}
"Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is
the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of
the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."
So the kingdom of heaven grows very quietly. But it is very precious,
even if it is hidden away so closely. One might better let anything
else go than that.
Again, he told them, the kingdom of heaven is like to a net, that was
cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind.
Again, the kingdom is like to a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls.
How proud a man is to be a citizen of a great country! In this country
we are proud to be Americans. Do you suppose you could be a citizen of
the kingdom of God? Yes. Jesus said once that children and people who
were like children belong to this kingdom.
"Suffer the little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for
of such is the kingdom of heaven."
{203}{204}
[Illustration]
LOADING CAMELS AT JERUSALEM
From a photograph taken by Prof. D. G. Lyon, and used by his kind
permission.
In the East much of the commerce is still carried on by means of
caravans of camels; sometimes there are several thousand camels in
one of these great caravans conveying all kinds of merchandise from
one point to another. The camel will carry a very heavy load, but
it utters piteous cries of complaint when it thinks the load is too
heavy.
[End illustration]
{205}
THE LITTLE CAPTIVE MAID
Leprosy.
A very dreaded disease.
Leper.
One who has leprosy.
Rent his clothes.
To show great sorrow or trouble.
Chariot.
A small wagon with two wheels, used in war.
Flesh shall come again.
In leprosy the flesh dries up, and the person becomes very thin.
In the old times war was very cruel. Houses were burned and men and
women killed, and very often the little children were taken far away
and sold for slaves. Sometimes they never came back to their homes or
friends again.
There had been war between the people in Israel and the people who
lived in a country called Syria, which lay to the north of Israel. In
this war a little girl had been taken away, and sold as a slave. She
was bought by a great general named Naaman, who took her home, and she
waited on Naaman's wife. Naaman and his wife must have been kind to
the little slave girl, for when he was sick she wished that he could
be made well.
{206}
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man
with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given
deliverance to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a
leper. And the little maid said to her mistress, "Would God my lord
were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would heal him of his
leprosy." And one went in, and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus
said the maid that is of the land of Israel." And the king of Syria
said, "I will send a letter unto the king of Israel."
And he departed, and took with him a large present of money and fine
clothes.
And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "Now when
this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my
servant to thee, that thou mayest heal him of his leprosy."
And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that
he rent his clothes, and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive,
that this man doth send unto me to heal a man of his leprosy?
wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel
against me."
And it was so, when Elisha the man of God {207} had heard that the
king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying,
"Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he
shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."
So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the
door of the house of Elisha.
And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in Jordan
seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be
clean."
Then Naaman was angry, and turned to go away in a rage.
And his servants came near, and spoke unto him, and said, "My father,
if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not
have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and
be clean'?"
Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according
to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
{208}
HOW THE PEOPLE TRAVELED IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE
Did they have railroads? Oh, no. Railroads were first built less than
a hundred years ago, and the Bible times were many hundreds of years
ago.
Then they must have traveled in wagons? Not often.
There were few roads, and wagons were not very common.
Then they went on horseback? Sometimes, but not often. In the earliest
Bible times horses were only used in war, and only the kings of great
countries kept a few, for their most honored soldiers to ride on.
How did they travel, then? Very often they rode on the backs of
donkeys and asses. These are smaller than horses, but can go almost as
fast. Do you remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem on an ass, with
the children shouting and waving palm branches before him? For short
journeys, or in the land of Palestine itself, the ass was the animal
most used.
But on many sides of the land of Palestine the roads that go out pass
over country that is more and more bare, until finally the green grass
is seen no more and only here and there is a small tree, and there are
no flocks of white sheep, for there is nothing on which they can feed,
and it is a long way, sometimes a whole day's journey, from one spring
of water to another. Nothing but yellow sand and bare rocks!
{209}{210}
[Illustration]
SHEPHERD BOY ON THE HILLS NEAR BETHLEHEM
Copyright by Underwood & Underwood and used by special permission.
This attractive picture of the shepherd lad shows that the work of
the shepherd still goes on in Judea as it did in the days of the
shepherd boy, David. A writer gives this picture of the shepherd
life at the present day: "Sometimes we enjoyed our noonday rest
beside one of those Judean wells, to which two or three shepherds
come down with their flocks. The flocks mixed with each other, and
we wondered how each shepherd would get his own again. But after the
watering and the playing were over, the shepherds one by one went up
different sides of the valley, and each called out his peculiar
call; and the sheep of each drew out of the crowd, to their own
shepherd, and the flocks passed away as orderly as they came. 'The
Shepherd of the Sheep, . . . when he putteth forth his own sheep, he
goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his
voice. And a stranger will they not follow,' 'I am the Good
Shepherd, and know my sheep and am known of mine.' These words our
Lord spake in Judea."
[End illustration]
{211}
How the hot sun beats down in the summer! How dry all the ground
looks! That is a desert. The little donkeys find it hard to travel on
the long, stony desert roads. They must carry water to drink, or they
would die of thirst. But if they carry water, they cannot carry much
else.
Did you ever see a camel? They have long legs and broad feet, that can
walk over the sand without sinking in. What long necks and queer
humped backs they have! They are not beautiful animals. I am sorry to
say that they are not very good tempered either, but are often very
cross and stubborn. Sometimes they reach out that long neck and try to
bite. Sometimes they refuse to go if they think they are loaded too
heavily. But often they are very patient. They carry heavy loads and
travel long distances. They can go a long time without drinking, where
a horse or an ass would die of thirst. They are made for a desert
country. Men call them "the ship of the desert." They were often used
for long journeys in Bible times, as they are still in the same
countries. Here is a story which tells how a servant of Abraham made a
long journey on camels, and how the camels were given drink at the
close of the journey.
"And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and
departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he
arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of {212} Nahor. And he
made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at
the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw
water," and Rebekah, a niece of Abraham, "came out with her pitcher
upon her shoulder. And the maiden was very fair to look upon: and she
went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the
servant ran to meet her, and said, 'Let me, I pray thee, drink a
little water of thy pitcher.'
"And she said, 'Drink, my lord': and she hasted, and let down her
pitcher upon her hand, and gave him to drink.
"And when she had done giving him drink, she said, 'I will draw water
for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.'
"And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran
again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels."
Then she went home and told of him, and her brother ran and came out
to the servant and said, "'Come in, thou blessed of the Lord;
wherefore standest thou without? for I have prepared the house, and
room for the camels.'
"And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave
straw and {213} provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet
and the men's feet that were with him. And there was set food before
him to eat."
A few days later Rebekah, with her servant, mounted the camels, too,
and went back with Abraham's servant, the long desert journey, to be
the wife of Abraham's son Isaac.
{214}
HOUSES IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE
The people in Bible lands did not have houses like those we live in
to-day. You would not like to live in their houses. They were low, and
small, and dark. Some were built of stone, but many were built of a
sun-dried brick. They had flat roofs, where the people often went and
where they slept in warm weather. A stair led up to the roof from the
outside. Those that were made of the sun-dried brick were not very
durable. Thieves could easily "break through and steal." The house
which the man "built upon the sand" crumbled into mud and was swept
away when "the winds blew and the floods came" and "great was the fall
of it."
Of course the king lived in a beautiful palace and rich people had
fine houses, but the houses of the poor people were only huts.
{215}{216}
[Illustration]
CHILDREN OF NAZARETH
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Fontaine Meriwether.
and used by her kind permission.
[End illustration]
{217}
CHILDREN IN THE LANDS OF THE BIBLE
The children of Bible lands were very well cared for. They were sent
to school. They were taught the Bible very carefully and every Sabbath
they went to church. The children were very busy. They learned early
to watch over the sheep, to work in the fields, to card and spin the
wool and weave the cloth. Every child was taught some special trade or
business. Still they had time to play and enjoyed their games as much
as you do.
Jesus was taught to be a carpenter like Joseph. Nazareth, where he
lived when he was a boy, is a small town in Galilee. There are
beautiful fields and hills about. When he climbed the hills he could
see, far away, the sea. He must have loved to pick the lovely lilies
which grew in the fields. All the little boys and girls must have
liked to play with Jesus, for he must have been always gentle and
kind.
{218}
JERUSALEM
The city that the Bible tells most about is Jerusalem. It is on a high
ridge of hills in the middle of the land. On one side of it is a deep
valley, and across the valley a hill called the Mount of Olives. On
that hill there was a village, Bethany, where some of Jesus' friends
lived. Deep valleys were on two other sides of the city.
Why did they build cities on the hilltops, and not in the valleys?
Because, in the old days when wars often took place, a city on a
hilltop could not be so easily taken. It was a safe place to live. To
make it still safer, a wall was built around it, very thick and high.
On the top there was a path, with a low wall outside, so that in war
armed men could go up and shoot from the wall. In the walls there were
great gates, that were shut at night and when there was a war.
In the city of Jerusalem was the palace of the Jewish kings, and the
temple. King Solomon built the first temple. It stood for over three
hundred and fifty years, then it was destroyed in a war. The city was
burned and the walls thrown down, and many of the people were killed.
After more than fifty years, another temple was built on the same
spot. It was later added to and made more beautiful. It was built of
white stone. A man who saw it wrote that it looked, when the sun shone
on it, like a mountain of snow.
{219}{220}
[Illustration]
THE SISTINE MADONNA
By Raphael (1483-1520)
Raphael is generally considered the greatest of all painters, and
the Sistine Madonna is the most famous Madonna in the world.
"The Sistine Madonna is above all words of praise; all extravagance
of expression is silenced before her simplicity. Not one false
note, not one exaggerated emphasis, jars upon the harmony of body,
soul, and spirit. Confident, but entirely unassuming; serious, but
without sadness; joyous, but not to mirthfulness; eager, but without
haste; she moves steadily forward with steps timed to the rhythmic
music of the spheres."--_Estelle M. Hurll_
[End illustration]
{221}
This stood a long time, almost six hundred years, then in another war
it also was thrown down, and never has been built again. It was this
temple that was standing when Christ lived. He often taught in the
open spaces about it. When he was a boy of twelve he first visited it,
and the last days of his life he spent teaching in it. Jesus loved the
temple and Jerusalem very much. He was very sorry that it must be
destroyed. He said once, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the
prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I
have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood
under her wings, and ye would not!"
A Jewish poet wrote a little poem about Jerusalem, to show how he
loved it. Here it is:--
"I was glad when they said unto me,
Let us go into the house of the Lord.
"Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
"Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together:
"Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the
Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give
thanks unto the name of the Lord.
"Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee. {222}
"Peace be within thy walls,
and prosperity within thy palaces.
"For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say, Peace be within thee.
"Because of the house of the Lord our God
I will seek thy good."
Another poet who was living in a foreign land, wrote
another poem:--
"By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat
down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
"We hung our harps upon the willows in
the midst thereof.
"For there they that carried us away captive
required of us a song; and they that
wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
"How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?
"If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget her cunning.
"If I do not remember thee, let my tongue
cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer
not Jerusalem above my chief joy."
{223}
When one Bible writer hoped for some great good in the future, and
wanted to make a very glorious picture, as splendid as he could, he
told of a city coming down from heaven, and called it the New
Jerusalem, because that city was dearer to him than any other place he
knew, and he said:--
"AND I JOHN SAW THE HOLY CITY,
NEW JERUSALEM,
COMING DOWN FROM GOD OUT OF HEAVEN."
{224}
THE JORDAN
Up among the mountains in the North of the land of the Bible a little
stream flows down from a rocky valley. After wandering through
beautiful hills with many trees and vines, it comes into a wide valley
and passes through a little lake. Then it goes tumbling and roaring
down a narrow gorge with high rocks on each side.
After that it widens out into the beautiful lake of Gennesaret, or Sea
of Galilee. In the time of Jesus there were many towns about this lake
and many boats sailing over it.
After leaving this lake, the river flows through a valley, winding
from one side of it to the other. The valley grows deeper and deeper,
until at last to get into it one must go down, down long, steep hills
by winding roads, down narrow valleys where the rocks are piled high
above one. At last the river flows through a wide, sandy plain into
the Dead Sea.
The Jordan is the largest river of the Bible {225} land. The Hebrews
used to tell their little children that in the ancient time, when they
first came into the land, the Jordan stopped flowing so that their
fathers, with all their little children, and cattle and sheep, crossed
it on dry ground. Later King David crossed it, once when he found that
all his country had gone over to his enemies. A few weeks later he
came back, and many people went down to the river to welcome him. The
great general who had leprosy was sent to wash in the river, and he
was healed.
Jesus was baptized in the river. He often crossed it, and he lived and
taught on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, through which it flows.
{226}
THE DEAD SEA
The strangest lake in the world is the lake that is called the Dead
Sea. It is east of Canaan. The Jordan runs into it, but no river runs
out of it. It lies deep down between mountains. On one side the hills
rise so steep that one cannot climb them. On the other, there is only
here and there a place where a man on horseback can scramble down the
rocks into the valley.
Why is it called the Dead Sea? Because the water is so salt that no
fish live in it. It looks very clear and beautiful as it lies in the
sunshine, but no one can drink it, it is so salt. Sometimes people
bathe in it. It is so heavy that no one can sink. No towns were ever
on its shore. Not a single person lives near it. Few people have ever
sailed on its waters. The valley in which it lies is so deep that it
is much lower than the ocean. All these things make it the strangest
lake in the world.
{227}{228}
[Illustration]
ON THE SHORES OF THE DEAD SEA
From a photograph in the possession of Rev. Louis F. Giroux of the
American International College, Springfield, Mass., and used by his
kind permission.
"The water is very nauseous to the taste and oily to the touch,
leaving on the skin when it dries a thick crust of salt. But it is
very brilliant. Seen from far away no lake on earth looks more blue
and beautiful. Swim out upon it, and at a depth of twenty feet you
can count the pebbles through the transparent water. It is difficult
to sink the limbs deep enough to swim; if you throw a stick on the
surface it seems to rest as on a mirror, so little of it actually
penetrates the water. No fish or any living thing can exist in its
waters."--_Smith_
[End illustration]
{229}
BETH-LEHEM
Moab
A country east of Palestine.
Glean
To follow after the reapers and pick up what they have left behind.
The "little town of Beth-lehem," as it lies among the hills of Judaea,
is one of the most famous places in all the world. But it is not
famous because of its wealth or its size, it is famous because of the
people who lived there. Beth-lehem means in the Hebrew language,
"House of Bread," and it was in the fields of Boaz about Beth-lehem
that the beautiful Ruth of Moab gleaned.
Then it was David's home. In the pastures beyond the town he used to
feed his father's flocks. Sometimes it has been called "the city of
David."
But what makes it more famous than all else is the fact that in
"Beth-lehem's manger" the little child Jesus was born, and over the
old town hung in the night the star of Beth-lehem. It was here that
the shepherds {230} who were keeping their flocks outside the town
came to see the newborn child, and it was here that the Wise Men came
to worship him and bring him gifts. It is true that Jesus did not stay
here long. The wicked King Herod wished to kill him, and Mary and
Joseph took him to Egypt. When they came back they lived in the town
of Nazareth. But all the world loves the little town of Beth-lehem
because it was Jesus' birthplace.
{231}
HYMNS FOR THE DAY
{232}
{233}
LORD OF ALL BEING
Lord of all being; throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Center and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!
Sun of our life, Thy quickening ray
Sheds on our path the glow of day;
Star of our hope, Thy softened light
Cheers the long watches of the night.
Our midnight is Thy smile withdrawn;
Our noontide is Thy gracious dawn;
Our rainbow arch Thy mercy's sign;
All, save the clouds of sin, are Thine.
Lord of all life, below, above,
Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love,
Before Thy ever-blazing throne
We ask no luster of our own.
Grant us Thy truth to make us free,
And kindling hearts that burn for Thee,
Till all Thy living altars claim
One holy light, one heavenly flame.
--_Oliver Wendell Holmes_.
By permission of Houghton, Mifflin & Co.
{234}
ON OUR WAY REJOICING
On our way rejoicing,
As we homeward move,
Hearken to our praises,
O Thou God of love.
Is there grief or sadness?
Thine it cannot be.
Is our sky beclouded?
Clouds are not from Thee.
If with honest-hearted
Love for God and man,
Day by day Thou find us
Doing what we can,
Thou who giv'st the seedtime
Wilt give large increase,
Crown the head with blessings,
Fill the heart with peace.
On our way rejoicing
Gladly let us go;
Conquered hath our Leader;
Vanquished is our foe.
Christ without, our safety;
Christ within, our joy;
Who, if we be faithful,
Can our hope destroy?
--_John Samuel Bewley Monsell_.
{235}{236}
[Illustration]
JESUS BLESSING THE LITTLE CHILDREN
By Bernard Plockhorst (1825- )
GOING TO JESUS
"The Master has come over Jordan."
Said Hannah the mother one day;
He is healing the people who throng Him
With a touch of His finger, they say.
"And now I shall carry the children,
Little Rachel and Samuel and John;
I shall carry the baby Esther
For the Lord to look upon."
The father looked at her kindly,
But he shook his head and smiled.
"Now who but a doting mother
Would think of a thing so wild?
"If the children were tortured by demons,
Or dying of fever, 't were well;
Or had they the taint of the leper,
Like many in Israel."
"Nay, do not hinder me. Nathan,
I feel such a burden of care;
If I carry it to the Master,
Perhaps I shall leave it there.
"If He lay His hands on the children,
My heart will be lighter, I know;
For a blessing for ever and ever
Will follow them as they go."
So over the hills of Judah,
Along the vine-rows green.
With Esther asleep on her bosom,
And Rachel her brothers between,
'Mong the people who hung on His teaching,
Or waited His touch or His word,
Through the row of proud Pharisees listening
She passed to the feet of her Lord.
"Now why shouldst thou hinder the Master,"
Said Peter, "with children like these?
Seest not how from morning to evening
He teacheth, and healeth disease?"
Then Christ said, "Forbid not the children;
Permit them to come unto Me:"
And He took in His arms little Esther,
And Rachel He set on His knee.
And the heavy heart of the mother
Was lifted all earth-care above,
As He laid His hands on the brothers,
And blest them with tenderest love;
As He said of the babes in His bosom,
"Of such is the kingdom of heaven:"
And strength for all duty and trial
That hour to her spirit was given.
--_Julia Gill_
[End illustration]
{237}
OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
I think, when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How He called little children as lambs to His fold,
I should like to have been with them then.
I wish that His hands had been placed on my head,
That His arm had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen His kind look when He said,
"Let the little ones come unto Me."
Yet still to His footstool in prayer I may go,
And ask for a share in His love;
And if I thus earnestly seek Him below,
I shall see Him and hear Him above,
In that beautiful place He has gone to prepare
For all who are washed and forgiven;
And many dear children shall be with Him there,
For "of such is the kingdom of heaven."
But thousands and thousands who wander and fall
Never heard of that heavenly home;
I wish they could know there is room for them all,
And that Jesus has bid them to come.
I long for the joy of that glorious time,
The sweetest, the brightest, the best,
When the dear children of every clime
Shall crowd to His arms and be blest.
--_Jemima Thompson Luke_.
{238}
SUN OF MY SOUL
Sun of my soul, Thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
Oh, may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant's eyes!
When soft the dews of kindly sleep
My weary eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought--how sweet to rest
Forever on my Saviour's breast.
Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.
Be near to bless me when I wake,
Ere through the world my way I take;
Abide with me till in Thy love
I lose myself in heaven above.
--_John Keble_.
{239}
DAY BY DAY
Every day has its dawn,
Its soft and silent eve,
Its noontide hours of bliss or bale,--
Why should we grieve?
Why do we heap huge mounds of years
Before us and behind,
And scorn the little days that pass
Like angels on the wind?
Each turning round a small, sweet face,
As beautiful as near;
Because it has so small a face
We will not see it clear:
We will not clasp it as it flies,
And kiss its lips and brow:
We will not bathe our wearied souls
In its delicious Now.
And so it turns from us, and goes
A way in sad disdain:
Though we would give our lives for it,
It never comes again.
{240}
WHAT CAN LITTLE HANDS DO?
Oh, what can little hands do
To please the King of heaven?
The little hands some work may try
To help the poor in misery:
Such grace to mine be given.
Oh, what can little lips do,
To please the King of heaven?
The little lips can praise and pray,
And gentle words of kindness say:
Such grace to mine be given.
Oh, what can little eyes do,
To please the King of heaven?
The little eyes can upward look,
And learn to read God's holy Book:
Such grace to mine be given.
Oh, what can little hearts do,
To please the King of heaven?
Our hearts, if God His Spirit send,
Can love and trust their Saviour-Friend:
Such grace to mine be given.
When hearts, and hands, and lips unite
To please the King of heaven,
And serve the Saviour with delight,
They are most precious in His sight:
Such grace to mine be given.
--_Fabin_.
{241}
HOW GENTLE GOD'S COMMANDS
How gentle God's commands,
How kind His precepts are!
Come cast your burdens on the Lord,
And trust His constant care.
While Providence supports,
Let saints securely dwell;
That hand which bears all nature up
Shall guide His children well.
Why should this anxious load
Press down your weary mind?
Haste to your heavenly Father's throne,
And sweet refreshment find.
His goodness stands approved,
Down to the present day;
I'll drop my burden at His feet,
And bear a song away.
--_Philip Doddridge_.
{242}
ABOVE THE CLEAR BLUE SKY
Above the clear blue sky,
In heaven's bright abode,
The angel host on high
Sing praises to their God:
Alleluia!
They love to sing
To God their King
Alleluia!
But God from children's tongues
On earth receiveth praise;
We then our cheerful songs
In sweet accord will raise:
Alleluia!
We, too, will sing
To God our King
Alleluia!
O blessed Lord, Thy truth
To all Thy flock impart,
And teach us in our youth
To know Thee as Thou art.
Alleluia!
Then shall we sing
To God our King
Alleluia!
--_John Chandler_.
{243}
BEDTIME STORIES
{244}
{245}
THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
Once there were two little children who lived in a large, red brick
house, on a quiet street in the city. The names of these little
children were Margaret and Harold. Margaret was five years old, and
Harold was eight. Margaret and Harold used to have the best of times
together. They played with their dog Sport and their cat Spot. They
built houses of blocks. They colored pictures with their crayons. In
winter, Harold drew Margaret on his sled, and in summer they played in
the garden. But, better than all else, they loved to hear their mamma
tell stories. Every night, before they went to bed, she told them a
story.
"What shall it be to-night?" said mamma, as they sat before the fire
after a cold winter's day.
"A Bible story," said Margaret.
"Very well," replied mamma. "It shall be a Bible story to-night, and
since it is almost Christmas-time, I will tell you about the dear
little Christ-child who was born in Bethlehem, and the first
Christmas."
So Margaret cuddled up in her mamma's lap, and Harold sat at her feet,
and she began.
THE STORY OF THE FIRST CHRISTMAS.
"Once upon a time, there was a little town called Bethlehem of Judea,
and late one afternoon in winter, a man named Joseph, and his wife
named Mary, came to this {246} town. They were very glad to reach the
village, for they were cold and hungry. But they were disappointed. No
one would take them in. There is an old song which tells about it:--
"'O, dark was the night,
And cold blew the wind,
But Joseph and Mary
No shelter could find.
"'In all the fair city
Of Bethlehem,
In cottage or inn,
Was no room for them.'"
"Wouldn't anyone let them in?" said Margaret.
"No," said mamma. "They went to the inn, or hotel, of Bethlehem, and
the keeper of the inn said, 'No room for you here, go away.' They went
to each one of the houses, and the people who lived in them said
crossly, 'No room for you here, go away.'"
"I would have let them in if I had been there," said Harold,
earnestly.
"I would, too," said Margaret. "Were they very cold, dear mamma?"
"Yes, my dears," said mamma, smiling, "I know that you would have been
kind to them. But you see this was before Jesus had taught people to
be good and kind to others. Well, they were very cold and very sad,
but at last the keeper of the inn let them go into his stable, and
there were oxen there, and hay, and stalls for the cattle, and
mangers."
{247}{248}
[Illustration]
BETHLEHEM AT SUNSET
From a photograph taken by Mrs. Frank L. Goodspeed, and used by her
kind permission.
This beautiful picture of Bethlehem was taken just at sunset, with a
cloud effect unusual in Eastern skies. "So must the little town have
looked when Joseph and Mary, weary from their long journey,
approached it. The short winter's day was probably closing in as the
two travelers from Nazareth neared their journey's end. The way had
been long and weary. A sense of rest and peace must almost
unconsciously have crept over the travelers when at last they
reached the rich fields that surrounded the ancient 'House of
Bread,' and, passing through the valley, which, like an
amphitheater, sweeps up to the twain heights along which Bethlehem
stretches, ascended through the terraced vineyards and
gardens."--_Edersheim_
[End illustration]
{249}
"Like grandpapa's barn?" asked Harold.
"Yes," answered mamma, "only not so nice and comfortable, for this
stable was a cave, cut out of the rock. That night, in the stable, the
little baby Jesus was born, and his dear mother Mary wrapped him all
warmly up, and laid him in one of the cattle mangers for a cradle."
"Was he a little tiny, tiny baby, like Grace's little brother?" asked
Margaret.
"Yes, my dear," said mamma, "and the sweetest little tiny baby you
ever saw.
"And in the fields near by there were shepherds keeping watch over
their flocks by night, and while they watched they saw suddenly a
great light, and an angel stood before them and said, 'Be not afraid,
for I bring you good tidings of great joy for all the people. For
there is born in Bethlehem a little child Jesus, who is to be the
Saviour of the world.' And when the angel had finished speaking, they
heard voices, singing like a great chorus in the sky, and this was the
song they sang,--
"'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased.'
"Then the shepherds went to Bethlehem, and found the little child
Jesus lying in the manger, and loved him, and told everyone what they
had seen and heard.
"And later, wise men from the East came on their three white camels,
guided by the star of Bethlehem, which shone in the sky. And as they
came near to Bethlehem, they {250} said to everyone, 'Where is he
which is born king of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the East,
and have come to worship him.'
"And the star led them at last to the stable where Jesus was, and they
brought beautiful gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh, and they
worshiped him."
"And that is how Christmas came!" said Margaret.
"I am very glad that the little child Jesus was born."
"You must love him very much," said mamma, "for he was born, and grew
up, and died at last, for our sakes. And now I want to read you a
sweet little poem, which a very good man, named Phillips Brooks, once
wrote about Bethlehem. I want you both to learn it to say to papa. Now
listen while I read."
"O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie;
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep.
The silent stars go by;
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee to-night.
"O holy child of Bethlehem,
Descend to us we pray,
Cast out our sin, and enter in,
Be born in us to-day.
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell;
Oh, come to us, abide with us,
Our Lord Immanuel."
[Footnote: By courtesy of E. P. Dutton & Co.]
{251}
THE STORY OF PALM SUNDAY
One Sunday Harold noticed that all the people who came from one of the
churches wore a little piece of palm, or evergreen.
"What does that mean?" said Harold.
"Oh, this is Palm Sunday," said mamma. "This was one of the glad days
in Jesus' life. To-night I will tell you all about it."
When it grew dark mamma called Margaret and Harold, and began
THE STORY OF PALM SUNDAY.
"You know that Jesus was poor and homeless, yet he was very rich in
the love of his friends. He was never honored but once as his friends
liked. That was on Palm Sunday, and the children helped to do it.
"It happened at the great city of Jerusalem. Jesus did not go to the
city very often. He liked to live in the villages and in the country
better. At this time there was a great feast in the city, and Jesus
was going to the feast with his friends."
"What sort of a feast was it, mamma?" asked Harold.