A THOUGHTFUL WOMAN

2 3. A THOUGHTFUL WOMAN. 2 Kings 4:8-11.

Elisha, the man of God, spent his time traveling about and preaching. When he passed through Shunem he stopped at the house of a woman who lived there, and she gave him something to eat. And so it was, that as often as he passed by he turned in there to eat bread. Then she said to her husband, See now, this is a man of God who keeps passing this Let us build on to the side of the house a little chamber for him. Let us put a bed in the room; and let us give him a chair, and a table, and a candle; and then it shall be that whenever he comes this way, he will turn in there. And so they built the prophet's chamber, and Elisha and his servant used to stop there every time they came to that place.

way.

It was kind and thoughtful of the Shunemite woman to build a room on the house for the man of God.

Let the story be told by the teacher and practiced by the pupils as in the former lessons.

2 4. THE THANKFUL LEPER. Luke 17:11-19.

There were ten men who were called lepers, because they had a very bad disease. The priests would not let them live in the village because of their unclean disease; so they had to live in the fields and beg by the roadside.

As Jesus came along the road, they stood far off and cried to him, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, a man from Samaria, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and praised God with a loud voice. And he bowed down, with his face at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks. And Jesus said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Is this stranger the only one to come back and give glory to God? And he said to him, Arise, and go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.

Be sure they get the point about the nine lepers who did not come back to say, Thank you. One man came back to thank Jesus, and to praise God for making him well.

Some of the pupils, if not all, can be taught to tell this story after the teacher, even if they have not learned the art in the First grade.

2 5. THE GOOD KING AND THE BAD SERVANT.

18:23-35.

Matthew

Jesus once told a story of a king who made a reckoning with his servants. One of them owed him so much that he could never pay it, and the king commanded that he and his family should be sold to pay the debt. But the servant begged him saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the king was moved with pity, and let him go, and forgave him the debt. Then the servant went out and found a fellow-servant who owed him a few shillings; and he took him by the throat, saying, Pay what thou owest. So his fellow-servant begged him saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee. And he would not, but cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. When the other servants saw this they were sorry, and told the king. Then the king called him, and said, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that great debt because thou didst ask me. Shouldst thou not also have mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee? And the king was angry, and gave him over to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due.

This story is rather long for second grade people, but the idea is simple enough for them. Help them with the story, and let them feel the unfairness and ungratefulness. Compare the servant with the nine lepers in the other lesson. Close with the saying of Jesus, So shall also my heavenly Father do to you, if ye forgive not, every one his brother. Picture: Wilde, 536.

SOLOMON'S WISE CHOICE

2 6. SOLOMON'S WISE CHOICE. 1 Kings 3:4-14.

When Solomon was made king he went up to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. And the Lord appeared to him in a dream, and said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou has made me king instead of my father David; and I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come in. I am among thy people, and they are so many they cannot be numbered. Therefore give me a wise heart to judge thy great people, that I may know good and evil. And the speech pleased the Lord, and he said, Because thou hast asked wisdom, and hast not asked long life or riches, I have given thee a wise heart. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor. And if thou wilt do as well as thy father David I will give thee long life.

And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men. 1 Kings 4:30.

Help the children to tell the story after the teacher. Also help them to see that it was because Solomon was not greedy in asking, but asked a good thing, that he got what he asked, and the other things too.

Take the next period to review the six "Stories of Good People."

STORIES OF THE HOUSE OF GOD

2 7. GIVING WITH WILLING HEARTS. Exodus 35:37.

When the children of Israel were living in tents in the wilderness, Moses said to them, This is the thing which God commands you: Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him take an offering, and bring it to God to build him a tent. The Lord's offering may be of gold, or silver, or brass, or fine linen, or goat's hair, or skins dyed red, or fine wood, or oil, or spices, or incense, or jewels, or any skillful workman may

give his work, to make the Tent of Meeting for the Lord. And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and they brought their jewels and such other things as they had, for a freewill offering to the Lord. And Moses called every wise-hearted man whose heart stirred him to come to do the work. And the men received of Moses all the offering which the children of Israel brought. And they kept bringing more offerings every morning, until Moses told them to stop, for the stuff which they had was enough for all the work of making the Tent of the Lord, and too much.

Tell the story, and if necessary repeat it. By questioning and help, get the children to give it back as well as they can.

The aim of the series of stories is to give from scripture sources an impression of reverence for the house of God. This story emphasizes generous giving for the house of God.

2 8. SOLOMON BUILDING A HOUSE OF GOD. 1 Kings 5.

When Solomon was made king, he said, David my father could not build a house of God, because of the wars. But now God has given me peace on every side, and I purpose now to build a house for the name of my God. And so King Solomon sent thousands of men to the forests to cut great cedar trees and fir trees, and hew them smooth and square, and bring them to the city of Jerusalem. He also sent men to the mountains, to dig and hew out great square stones for the foundation of the house of God. It is said that the timber and stones were all so well fitted in the mountain that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tools of iron heard in the house, while it was building. So Solomon built the house of God and finished it in seven years, and it was called the Temple of Solomon.

The features of the story which are omitted here had better be left for a future lesson in a higher grade. Present this story vividly, and help the children to recall it. The

SOLOMON BUILDING A HOUSE OF GOD

aim is to lay a good foundation for a concept of the House of God, and of Solomon the Temple builder.

If a few minutes can be found to spare at the end of a period, it should be used in the review of the First grade lessons.

29. REPAIRING THE HOUSE OF GOD. 2 Kings 12:4-15.

When the temple of Solomon had been built more than two hundred years, it was like any old house, very much broken down, and worn out, and in great need of repair. The priests had gathered money to fix the house of God, but they kept the money themselves, and did not repair the house. When the king rebuked them, they took a large chest, and bored a hole in the top, and set it by the door of the temple; and the people brought their offerings and put them in the chest. When they saw that there was much money in the chest, they counted it and put it in bags, and gave it to the carpenters and the builders that worked upon the house of God, and to the masons and hewers of stone; and they bought timber and hewn stone to repair the broken places in the house of God. And they made no account of the work and the money paid for it, for they all dealt faithfully.

Teach the story in the same way as the others. Make it clear that the money to repair the house of God was freely given by the people, and the workmen were not careful for exact wages.

2 10. JESUS CLEANSING THE TEMPLE. John 2:13-16; Matthew 21:12–15.

Once when Jesus went up to Jerusalem, he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves; and the changers of money were sitting there. And Jesus made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple, and their sheep and oxen. And he poured out the changers' money, and overturned their tables. And to them that sold doves he said, Take these things away. Make not my Father's