THE MAN OF GOD AND THE LION

1 26. THE MAN OF GOD AND THE LION. 1 Kings 13.

There was a man of God whom the Lord sent from Judah to Bethel to speak against the king. And the Lord commanded him to return at once by another way, and to eat no bread and drink no water at Bethel. But a man deceived him until he did eat and drink in that place. And then he saddled his donkey and started back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way and slew him; and his body fell by the wayside. And men passed by and saw the body, and the donkey and the lion both standing by it. And they told it in the city. And men went out and drove away the lion, and buried the body of the prophet. And the man who deceived him was sorry, and said, When I am dead, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside

his bones.

Memory Words. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing. Psalm 34: 10.

1 27. THE CATTLE OF BASHAN. Psalm 22:11-13; Deuteronomy 32:9–15; Amos 4:1.

In the hills of Bashan there were rich pasture lands. In those pastures there grew famous breeds of cattle and sheep. They fed on the rich grass, and grew large and strong. The cattle were fierce fighters; and their roaring and bellowing could be heard far down the valleys of Bashan. They were well known; and men were afraid of them. And so it used to be said of people who were noisy and loud-mouthed, that they were like the bulls of Bashan; and fierce and cruel people were called cows of Bashan.

It is better to behave like people than like animals.

Reading Text. Psalm 22:11–13.

Take the next period for Review. Cover the "Animal Stories" first, and then review as well as may be the first two series, namely, the "Sheep Stories," and the "Baby Stories."

TREE STORIES

1 28. THE CEDARS OF LEBANON. 1 Kings 6, 7; Ezekiel 27: 5.

The mountains of Lebanon were once covered with great forests of beautiful trees. There were many different kinds of trees growing together in the mountains, but the cedar tree was the king of the forest. The cedars grew so tall, and straight, and strong, that men used them to make masts for their largest ships. The cedar wood did not rot, and when it was put into the roofs and walls of houses, it would last for hundreds of years. The chest or ark in which the law was kept was made of fragrant cedar wood. The beams and pillars and boards of the temple were made from the cedars of Lebanon. They were cut and hewed in the forest, and carried by way of the sea a long way to Jerusalem.

Memory Words. The righteous shall flourish like a palmtree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Psalm 92: 12. Reading Text. Ezekiel 31: 3-9; Psalm 80: 8-11.

Genesis 13:18; 14: 13; 18: 1.

1 29. THE OAKS OF MAMRE. Abraham moved his tent, and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. And he built there an altar to the Lord, and he made that his home. It was by the oaks that people afterward knew where to find him, when they had any news to tell him, or when they wanted his help. He was sitting in the tent-door in the heat of the day, in the shade of the oaks of Mamre, when the Lord appeared to him, to tell him that he should have a son in his old age, to make happy the home under the oaks.

A group of oak trees was a landmark for the whole country, and their cool shade and strong protection made a good place for a home.

Picture: Wilde, 551.

ABSALOM AND THE OAK

1 30. ABSALOM AND THE OAK. 2 Samuel 18:9-15.

Absalom was King David's son, and he wanted to be king instead of his father. He was a handsome young man, with long heavy hair. He was riding on a mule through the woods, leading some soldiers to fight against the king's army. As he rode under a great oak, his long hair caught in the branches and held him fast, while the mule went on and left him hanging there between heaven and earth. And a certain man saw it, and said to the king's captain, Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak. And the captain took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, and slew him.

When one is wrong, the best things in the world are against him. Even the great oak was an enemy to Absalom. Picture: Tissot, O., 88.

1 31. CLIMBING A TREE TO SEE JESUS. Luke 9:1-10.

Once Jesus was coming to town, and a great crowd of people went out along the road to meet him. But there was one man who was very little. When he was in a crowd of people he was never able to see what was passing, because he was so little. He had never seen Jesus, and he wanted very much to see him; so he ran on ahead, and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and said to the little man in the tree, Make haste and come down; for today I must stay at your house. And the man made haste and came down, and received Jesus joyfully, for he was proud to have Jesus stop at his house.

Just as a boy sometimes climbs up into a tree to get a chance to see something, so the little man climbed into a tree to see Jesus.

Picture: Tissot, N., 72.

1 32. THE TREES IN THE GARDEN. Genesis 2:8, 9; 15-17.

The Lord God planted a garden, eastward in Eden, for the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground he made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And he said to the man, Thou mayest eat freely of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest of it, thou shalt surely die.

That was a nice home which the Lord made for the man; and he gave him all he needed while he cared for the garden, without eating the fruit of the one tree.

Take the next period for review of the "Tree Stories," and the "Animal Stories."

FRUIT AND FLOWER STORIES

1 33. THE GRAPES OF ESHCOL. Numbers 13:17-27.

Before the people of Israel came to live in Canaan, they sent spies ahead to see what the place was like. They found that it was a land of milk and honey and rich fruits. They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down a branch with one cluster of grapes so large that two men carried it upon a staff between them. And they brought back word to the people of Israel, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they said, We came to the land where you sent us; and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. But the people who live there are strong, and the cities are very great, and there are giants living there. And so the people were afraid to go.

The cluster of grapes from the valley of Eshcol showed how good the land of Canaan was.

Picture by Doré. Wilde, 406.

THORNS AND FIGS

1 34. THORNS AND FIGS. Matthew 7: 15-29.

Jesus said, People are like fruit trees. We know that people are good or bad by the things they do, just as we know the trees. By their fruit ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes, or do they pick figs from thistles? Every good tree brings forth good fruit; and every bad tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a bad tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and burned in the fire. Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good. And the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth that which is evil.

Memory Verse. By their fruits ye shall know them.

1 35. THE LILIES OF THE FIELD. Matthew 6: 28-34.

Jesus said, Do not be anxious about clothes. Remember the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these lilies. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which lasts only for the day, and tomorrow is cast into the fire, shall he not much more clothe you? Be not anxious, saying, What shall we eat, and what shall we drink, and with what shall we be clothed? Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Find him, and do his will, and all these things shall be added to you.

Even the beauty of a king's robes is not so great as the beauty which God gives the flowers every day.

Picture: Wilde, 67, or 553.

1 36. THE BLADE AND THE EAR. Mark 4:26-29.

How does the kingdom of God grow? If a man should make the ground ready and sow seed in the earth, and then sleep nights and rise in the mornings, he would some morning