Part 6

1. What is a prophet? 2. Who sent for Balaam? 3. What did God tell Balaam? 4. But what did Balaam wish? 5. How did he get leave to go at last? 6. But who stood in his way? 7. Who saw the angel first? 8. What did Balaam do to the ass? 9. What wonder did God work? 10. What did the ass say? 11. Whom did Balaam see? 12. What did the angel tell him? 13. What had he been allowed to have? 14. Does good come of having our own way?

SECOND READING.

"There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel."--_Numbers 24:17._

THERE was a king named Balak, whose land the Israelites were to pass through. They promised not to do any harm to him or his people, if they might go quietly through; but he was afraid and angry, and wanted to have them cursed, hoping to bring God's anger on them. That was a very wicked and foolish notion of King Balak's; and God would not let it bring harm upon His people. They had not deserved to have His anger called down on them, and so He would not be angry with them.

And when Balak's friend Balaam tried to speak curses, God turned them all to blessings; and, instead of saying they should come to a terrible end, he could only say how happy and well off they should be, with God to take care of them, and be their King. He even went on to say that a Star should come out of Jacob, and a Sceptre should rise out of Israel--and that meant that our Saviour should be born among them. He is called a Star, because He came to give us light; and you know a star showed the way to the place where He was born. And a sceptre is the rod a king carries in his hand. So when He was called the Sceptre, it meant that He should be a King.

Only think how angry Balak was, when Balaam could not curse, but only blessed. I wish he had been afraid, and seen it was not God's will that he should hurt the Israelites; but instead of that, he went on in his wickedness, and was miserably killed at last; for God took care of His people, and would let no one do them any harm.

Now, recollect, bad words and bad wishes do harm to the person that speaks them, not to those they are meant for. If a bad boy came and abused a steady one for going to church, or saying his prayers, it would be very bad for himself; but if the good boy kept on quietly, nothing that the other could say would hurt him one bit. God would take care of him as surely as He took care of the Israelites.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did Balak want? 2. Why did he want the Israelites to be cursed? 3. Whom did he set to curse the Israelites? 4. But what did Balaam do instead? 5. Why could he not curse them? 6. Who would not let him curse them? 7. Who was to be born among them? 8. What did Balaam call our Saviour? 9. Why was He like a star? 10. Why was He like a sceptre? 11. Could Balak hurt the Israelites? 12. Why not? 13. Whom do bad words hurt? 14. Ought we to mind them? 15. If anyone teazes you when you try to be good, must you leave off?

THIRD READING.

"The people did eat, and bowed down to their gods."--_Numbers 25:2._

YOU heard how Balaam went to Balak; and how God made him bless the children of Israel when he wanted to curse them. But even this did not make Balaam good. He wanted Balak to give him a reward; and so he told him that though no harm could happen to the people of Israel while they were good and worshipped their God, yet if he could make them do something wicked, and turn away from their God, then God would be sure to punish them.

THE ISRAELITES INVITED TO A GREAT FEAST.

So these two wicked men sent a number of women to invite the Israelites to hold a great feast with them, in honor of their idol Baal Peor. Many were so foolish and wicked as to be led away; and they had a great feasting and revelling, and all kinds of bad pleasures that these heathen women said were to do praise to this horrible false god. Then, though Balak might have cursed for ever without hurting them, they had done themselves the harm. God sent a deadly sickness, and in one day twenty-four thousand people died.

But Phinehas, Aaron's grandson, did as Moses commanded him. He first put to death the wickedest of the people who had joined themselves to Baal Peor; and then he prayed--and all the people prayed and wept too. So God forgave them, and the plague ceased.

Afterwards Phinehas led the Israelite fighting men to punish the wicked Balak and his people; and Balaam was killed in fighting with them. All the wicked women who had tempted the Israelites away from God were put to death too. So Balaam's evil counsel ended in all sorts of misery. It is very sad to think of him, for he knew so well what was good, and yet did what was so very bad. But remember this, nobody could hurt God's people till they did wrong, and then they hurt themselves, and God punished them.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did Balak want to do? 2. How had Balak tried to hurt the children of Israel? 3. Why could not Balaam curse them? 4. What did Balaam think would be the way to hurt them? 5. Whom did he send to them? 6. Whom did the women persuade them to worship? 7. What did God send to punish them? 8. How was the plague stopped? 9. How was Balaam punished? 10. Why was Balaam greatly to be blamed? 11. When could not Balaam hurt them? 12. When could he hurt them? 13. For who took care of them when they were good?

Fourteenth Sunday.

_THE GIVING OF THE LAW._

FIRST READING.

"Thou heardest His words out of the midst of the fire."--_Deut. 4:36._

WHEN the children of Israel had come out of Egypt, God had told Moses to lead them to the foot of Mount Sinai. This was a high steep rocky mountain in the wilderness. And God told Moses to set bounds round the mountain, so that nobody should come and touch it; and the people were to pray, and wait round it for the holy and awful thing that was to happen.

Then there came on the hill-top a deep dark cloud, and the mountain was altogether on a smoke, and it shook and quaked, and there were lightnings and thunders and voices, and the sound of a trumpet loud and louder, so that all the people trembled. Then out of that cloud there came a voice speaking to them--a voice that they all could hear, and that made them afraid. For it was the voice of God. And God spoke out of the cloud, and gave the Ten Commandments. They were the very same Ten Commandments you say in the Catechism, and see written up in church.

Thou shalt have no more Gods but me. Before no idol bend the knee. Take not the name of God in vain, Nor dare the sabbath day profane. Give both thy parents honor due, Take heed that thou no murder do. Abstain from words and deeds unclean, Nor steal, though thou art poor and mean. Nor make a wilful lie, nor love it. What is thy neighbor's dare not covet.

God had come in this terrible and awful manner to speak to them, that all Israel might hear and fear, and take care not to break them. Afterwards God gave these Ten Commandments to Moses, written upon two tables--or pieces of stone--written by God Himself. That was the way the Ten Commandments were given--by God's own voice speaking to men, out of the cloud, amid thunders and lightnings, and the sound of the trumpet, dreadful to hear.

And God means us all to obey the Commandments, just as much as He meant the Israelites to obey them. They are His words, and must be kept; and if we ask Him in our prayers He will give us help and strength to obey them, so that we may fulfil the promise that was made at our baptism, that we should keep God's Holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same unto our lives' end.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where had the children of Israel come from? 2. Who was leading them? 3. Where did God tell Moses to take them? 4. What wonderful sight did they see on Mount Sinai? 5. What did they hear? 6. Who spoke out of the cloud? 7. What did God speak? 8. How many Commandments? 9. Tell me the first of them. 10. On what did God write them? 11. To whom did He give them? 12. When do you say them? 13. When did you promise to keep them? 14. What is keeping the Commandments? 15. How can you be helped to do as they tell you? 16. How must you ask for God's help?

SECOND READING.

"The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of fire."--_Deuteronomy 5:4._

WHEN the lightning and thunder and the loud voice of the trumpet came forth from the cloud on Mount Sinai, and God had spoken the Ten Commandments, He called to Moses to come up and speak with Him in the cloud. How wonderful it must have been! Moses was the only man that ever spoke so near to God.

God gave him two blocks of stone written with the Ten Commandments, written with God's own Finger. Then God told him to make a chest to keep them in. It was to be made of wood, with gold all over it; and two figures of cherubims were to be one on each side. This chest was to be called the Ark of the Covenant. And it was to be put into a square room, inside a tent, that was to be made with curtains, and carried about with the Israelites. It was to be called the Tabernacle. And this was to be a very holy place.

The children of Israel would say their prayers in front of the Tabernacle; but they were not to go into the place where the Ark was, because they were sinful, and God is holy. That place was to be called the Holy of Holies, and no one might go near it but the Priests whom God chose, and set apart to lead His worship.

The first High Priest was to be Moses' brother Aaron; and he was to wear a beautiful dress when he ministered before God--a high cap with "Holiness to the Lord" on it, a long embroidered robe, edged with gold bells and pomegranates, and a blue scarf crossed over her breast; and in the middle a breast-plate, made of twelve precious stones, each carved with the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, so that he might have them on his heart as he prayed to God. All this and much more God told Moses while he was on the mount.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was given on Mount Sinai? 2. Who spoke the Commandments? 3. To whom did God give them? 4. What were they written on? 5. Who wrote them? 6. Where were they to be kept? 7. What was the chest like? 8. What was the chest called? 9. Where was Moses to put the chest? 10. What was the room called? 11. Who might go near the Holy of Holies? 12. Who was the first High Priest? 13. Who was Aaron? 14. What was Aaron to wear? 15. Why might not the people come near?

THIRD READING.

"Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God."--_Deut. 7:9._

WHEN Moses went up into the awful cloud upon Mount Sinai, he stayed there forty days.

But all the Israelites below were impatient. They could not think what had become of Moses; and though they had so lately heard God's own Voice speaking to them, they would not wait as they had been told to do. They cried out that they wanted something instead of Moses, whom they had lost.

So they took all their gold ear-rings and melted them, and made an image of a golden calf. And then these foolish wicked people began to feast and dance, and worship this golden idol.

Moses was coming down Mount Sinai with the two Tables of the Commandments in his hands. And first he heard a shouting and singing; then he saw the people leaping and dancing, and the great golden idol standing in the midst. Then he was sure it was of no use to bring them the Commandments if they minded them no better. So he took the two tables of stone, and threw them out of his hand, and broke them to pieces.

Then he went down, and severely punished the worst of the Israelites for having disobeyed the commandment. And he broke the golden calf to pieces, and ground it to powder.

Then he went and prayed to God to forgive the people. God did forgive them, and let Moses bring two fresh tables of stone to be written with the Ten Commandments. But the first that they had lost were the tables God had given, and they could never have them back again!

QUESTIONS.

1. Where was Moses gone? 2. What was God going to give him? 3. Who were left below? 4. What did the Israelites want? 5. What did they take off? 6. What did they make of their ear-rings? 7. What is the Second Commandment? 8. How did they break the Second Commandment? 9. What did Moses do to the Tables of the Law? 10. Why did he throw them down? 11. What did he do with the golden calf? 12. Where did he go then? 13. What did he do for the Israelites?

Fifteenth Sunday.

_THE GIVING OF THE LAW._

FIRST READING.

"I prayed therefore unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance."--_Deut. 9:26._

LAST Sunday you heard how sadly the people of Israel sinned by making the golden calf, while Moses was up in the mountain, and how he punished them.

Then he said he would go and pray to God to forgive them, and try them again. So up he went over the rough rocks of Mount Sinai, and into the cloud again, where he had spoken with God before. And he prayed with all his might that God would not cast off His people, though they had been so wicked, but would give them again the Commandments on their tables of stone. And God listened to Moses, and promised to give them the Commandments again.

Then Moses made a great request: he said to God, "I pray Thee, show me Thy glory." But God said, "Thou canst not see My Face, for there shall no man see Me and live." But Moses was to come up the mountain the next day, and bring with him two blocks of stone, and then God would let him see as much of His glory as he could bear.

On the next day Moses went up the mountain again, and took with him the two tables of stone. And the Lord came down in the cloud; and Moses was in the cleft of the rock, where he could see a small part of the glory, and hear the Lord's Voice proclaim before him, "The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth." Then indeed Moses bowed his head and worshipped. No man ever came so close to God as Moses, with whom God spoke face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend.

Moses stayed forty days and forty nights up in the mountain. And God again wrote the Commandments upon the two tables of stone, and granted the Israelites to try again to keep them. When Moses came down from being in converse with God, the glory was still about his face. It was all shining like the sun, and was so bright that the Israelites could not fix their eyes on it; and he was obliged to put a veil over his face, because they could not bear to look at it. Was ever living man so favored, and brought into such glory?

QUESTIONS.

1. What wicked thing had the Israelites done? 2. Who prayed for their forgiveness? 3. Where did Moses go to pray for their forgiveness? 4. Who forgave them? 5. What did Moses venture to ask God to show him? 6. But what can no one do? 7. Where was Moses placed? 8. What passed by? 9. What voice did he hear? 10. How was Moses more honored than any man? 11. How long did he stay in the mountain? 12. What did God give him again? 13. How did his face look when he came down? 14. What did he do to hide his face? 15. How came his face to be so glorious?

SECOND READING.

"Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him."--_Deut. 13:4._

WHEN the Israelites came into the good land where they were going, they were to be very careful not to learn to worship idols. For idols were no gods at all--only wood and stone--and could not hear them pray, nor give them what they wanted. Besides, the people round them had very frightful ways of trying to please their false gods. They had one called Moloch, made of brass, and they used to offer poor little children up in sacrifice to him, and make a noise with drums and trumpets, that no one might hear their cries. There was another god called Baal, to whom they set up great images, and feasted in his honor; and a goddess, whom they called the queen of heaven, of Ashtoreth. Women used to offer cakes to her, and dance in honor of her, for they thought she sent the moon to shine on them.

Now, the Israelites were not to worship any of these false gods. They were to remember how they heard the Only True God speaking to them out of the cloud upon the mountain, and telling them, "I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt have no other gods but Me." And God told them that if they would worship Him and serve Him, all should go well with them, and they should be happy and blessed. But if they went after these false idols, all would go ill with them, and there would be only sorrow and misery.

QUESTIONS.

1. Say the First Commandment. 2. Say the Second. 3. What three idols did the people of the country worship? 4. What did they do in honor of Moloch? 5. What did they do in honor of Baal? 6. What did they call Ashtoreth? 7. What did they think she sent them? 8. Who made the moon? 9. What would happen if the children of Israel worshipped God? 10. What would happen if they worshipped idols?

THIRD READING.

"It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways."--_Psalm 95:10._

AFTER the Commandments were given the Israelites went on their journey. The Ark, or chest, where the Commandments on their two tables of stone were kept, was carried before them; and God still showed that He was with them, for He made a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night go along with them, and rest on it.

When they came near the land of Canaan, twelve men were sent on to see it. They came back, bringing such a great bunch of grapes that two had to carry it between them on a pole! But they said that the land was full of strong cities, and very strong men, and they should never be able to win it, but would all be killed. Only two men, Joshua and Caleb, recollected that there could be no fear, for God had promised to save them and bring them in. The others all cried, and said they would go back to Egypt, and threw stones at Moses and Aaron when they wanted to quiet them.

Then God showed His glory, and would have cut them all off in a moment if Moses had not prayed for them. But He said none of those who had said they would not go into the good land should go. They were to stay forty years longer in the dismal wilderness, till all the grown-up men, except Joshua and Caleb, should be dead, and their children be grown up in their stead. Then their children, who had learned to trust God and do as He bade, should be the ones to go in and live in the promised land.

QUESTIONS.

1. How did the Israelites know which way to go in the wilderness? 2. What was the ark? 3. What was in it? 4. How did God show them His Presence? 5. Whom did Moses send to look at the land? 6. What did these men bring back? 7. But what did they say of the country? 8. Who were afraid? 9. Why was it wrong to be afraid? 10. Who only were afraid? 11. What were the people ready to do? 12. How were they to be punished? 13. How long were they to stay in the wilderness? 14. Who would die? 15. Who would grow up to go in? 16. Who were the two good brave men? 17. What was promised to Joshua and Caleb?

Sixteenth Sunday.

_THE DEATH OF MOSES._

FIRST READING.

"They angered Him also at the waters of strife."--_Psalm 106:32._

AFTER all the forty years in the wilderness, the children of Israel were quite close to their home in the promised land. There was only the river Jordan between them and the hills and valleys there. But Moses was not to go with them. Once when the people were crying out for more water, and God told him to command the stream to come out of the rock, Moses was so hot with anger that he did not attend. He said, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" And he struck the rock with his rod, instead of speaking to it.

The water came out as it had done before; but Moses had been so hasty that he had not thought how to obey God exactly, and so he was not to be allowed to lead the people in as a great warrior, lest he should fail again. God was not angry with him, but had forgiven him; only he had his punishment because he had done wrong.

Joshua was to lead the people, instead of Moses. So before Moses was taken away, he called Joshua and all the chief men of each tribe, and put them in mind of all that God had done for them, and warned them very solemnly, that if they broke their promise and did not keep the Commandments, God would punish them--first a little, and then more and more, and would even cast them out of the good land at last. For, mind, God always keeps His promises; and as surely as He gives the good all that is best for them, so surely He will punish those who turn from Him.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the Israelites? 2. How long had their journey lasted? 3. Where were they going? 4. What lay between them and the land of Canaan? 5. Who had led them? 6. But what one thing had Moses done? 7. What was he not to do? 8. Who was to lead them in? 9. What did Moses tell the Israelites they must be careful to do? 10. What had they promised to keep? 11. What would happen if they broke the promise? 12. What would happen if they kept the promise? 13. What promises have we made?

SECOND READING

"So Moses the servant of the Lord died."--_Deuteronomy 34:5._

IT was not God's will that Moses should lead the Israelites into the promised land, but he was to die on the east side of the river Jordan; and so he would have his rest above instead of in the land of promise.

But first God told him he might see the land. So he went up into a very high hill: and there God made him able to see all the home of his people--the snowy hill of Hermon, and Mount Lebanon where the cedar trees grow, and the hills and valleys where Abraham had wandered and Isaac and Jacob had lived, and which he had hoped for all his life; and green fields, and corn-fields, and vineyards, on to the great blue sea stretching out to the westward.

That was where his people were to live; but there was a better home for Moses. Nobody saw him any more after he went up into the mountain. There he died, and the Lord buried him, and no one knows of his grave--only the children of Israel wept and mourned for him.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where had the Israelites come? 2. Who had led them? 3. But where was Moses not to go? 4. But what did God allow him to see? 5. Where was he to go? 6. What did God show him there? 7. What kind of place was it? 8. Where had he brought the people from? 9. Who was to lead them in? 10. What was to happen to Moses? 11. Did any one ever see him again? 12. What does no one know? 13. Why do we think so much of Moses? 14. Where did he speak with God? 15. Was he not the greatest man of all in the Old Testament?

THIRD READING.

"Be strong and of good courage."--_Joshua 1:6_