THE Bible is the teacher's best handbook of object training. This is
true because the Bible is an oriental book, and the orientals received
truth through symbols and visual instruction. Their mannerisms were
symbolical, their holy writings radiant with visualized truth. So the
Bible weaves into its cloth of truth this gorgeous method of appeal.
Hence the Bible is something to look at as well as to read through.
The oriental mind grasped truth and the human mind elsewhere is cast
in the same mould. The universal mind follows the same program. The
perfect art of the religious teacher is to teach Bible truth in the
Bible method, and that method is "through the eye-gate into the
kingdom of the soul." Let us wander through the wonderland of the
Bible that we may learn the perfect art of great teaching.
The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to go out and set his face toward
Jerusalem, and there, in the presence of the people hold aloft his
sword and drop it to the ground and say "A sword is also sharpened"
meaning that war was soon to come down upon them, and the sword of
battle was sharpened for the fray. God was against them, and because
of their sins they were to be punished. Jeremiah also was an object
teacher for God and this was one of the lessons he taught the people.
He saw a potter shaping a vessel and it was marred in his hands. It
was defective in substance. Too much earth, and not enough of clay. He
broke the marred vessel and made another of better stuff; by this
object lesson, the prophet declared, Israel was defective; it had in
its composition too much earth; it was marred with idol dust and
earthly parts and so God would break Israel and make it over again.
Jeremiah at another time produced two baskets of figs and set them
before the Lord in the temple. One basket contained good figs, and the
other basket spoiled figs. The prophet explained this object lesson by
saying the-basket of good figs were God's good people. God will keep
them and save them. The bad figs represented the unfaithful people,
and they shall be scattered over the earth. This same prophet once
took a girdle and hid it from sight in a dark damp place where it
finally became mouldy and worthless. Then he brought it forth before
the people and holding it up said, "This girdle represents God's
people who have left the true fold, and joined themselves to idols of
the heathen races. They are no longer a fit girdle to wrap around His
loins as His peculiar and holy peoples." The prophet explains "Cleave
unto your God, as the girdle clings to the body, so shall ye be kept
close to him." Once more, this same prophet took a parchment and
before all the people wrote thereon the sins of the people. He then
read it once to them, rolled it up and bound a stone about it and cast
it into the river saying, "So shall Babylon be destroyed and pass
away."
This same object teaching prophet called the order of Rechabites
before him and set before them ten pots of wine and ordered them to
drink thereof, which of course they refused to do, and quoted the law
of their clan in defense of their act. The prophet then said--so will
you obey your earthly leaders, and their laws, but will not obey God
and his heavenly commandments. So we learn from these illustrations,
that God taught His people in their early days to "See Truth." Objects
were His text books. His first manuscript on the art of object
teaching He flung out upon the heavens,--it was the beautiful rainbow
which was an object to look at and when it appeared they were to
remember its teachings. There should never be another Deluge to
destroy the world. Ever since that day when He wants the earth to look
up and see His gorgeous object lesson, He sends forth the thunder to
herald its appearance. He washes out the atmosphere with His rain that
they can gaze upon it, and flashes out the lightning that their eyes
may be arrested to behold it. Then in glorious peace, with sunshine
dancing on its arching curves, He hangs out His object lesson, and we
look and remember the promises of God. Behold an object lesson in
colors! But, it has been remarked, this was God's method in teaching
the races back in their nursery days, but now the kindergarten days
are passed, and we are living in the golden age of civilization and
philosophy, and we must put away childish things. Let me remind you
that Jesus and Moses are alike as to method. They both represented the
Father, so both utilize the same method. They both taught by objects.
Moses of the Old Testament times, and Jesus of the advanced New
Testament times. Jesus knew the human heart and He knew it was best
for His day so to teach, for we receive eighteen times more truth
through the eyes than through the ear.
Jesus used this royal, broad and open wide road to the soul. It was
the best in the days of Moses. It was the best in the days of Jesus,
because it was the surest and quickest and most lasting of all
methods. Jesus left us two ordinances--the baptism of the believer and
the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Both of these ordinances are built
around objects--water, bread and wine. All stand for the highest
things in our holy faith. These two ordinances are both holy
pantomimes, which by action, and use of objects, the faith of heaven
is perpetuated among men. This was the Master's method--make it yours.
the Master's truth in the Master's way is the masterful way of telling
forth the message of Peace on Earth Good Will Toward Men.
=CHAPTER III
"UNDERSTANDING YOUR OBJECT=
_Know your subject well, but know also your object. Know the latter
just a little better. This chapter will help you to do this task_