Chapter I: TOLD you what sort of place a desert is, and how full it is of (1)

stones, and rocks, and sand, and with no water in it. Do you remember how thirsty Ishmael was in the desert, and how God heard the voice of the lad, and sent an angel to lead his mother to a well of water?

When the Israelites had come out of the land of Egypt, they were in a terrible wilderness. Mount Sinai stood up in the midst, and all round were great rocks of red and black marble, all dry and parched with the hot sun shining on them.

The Israelites grew very hot and sadly thirsty, but they did not pray as Ishmael had done. They grew angry, and said, "Is the Lord among us or no?" Do you not think they deserved that God should show whether He was among them by punishing them for grumbling? That was the way they tempted God. But He was so good and merciful that He pitied them; and He bade Moses to take his rod, and go to the bare, dry rock, and strike it. And when Moses struck the rock, God made a beautiful, fresh, clear spring of water come pouring out of it, so that all the people, and all their cows, and sheep, and goats, and camels, could drink and be refreshed.

Was not that a great wonder? and was not God very kind to them, though they were not good? But you see God was near to help them all the time, and it was very sad that they grumbled instead of praying. Do not be like them. If a thing is hard to bear, don't murmur and grumble about it, but pray, and then you will get help. Either the vexing thing will go away, or you will leave off minding it.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where had the Israelites come from? 2. Who was leading them? 3. What kind of place did they get into? 4. What is a desert like? 5. What was the mountain in the midst of the desert? 6. What cannot be found in the desert? 7. Who was the lad that was thirsty there before? 8. What did Ishmael do when he was thirsty? 9. But what did the Israelites do? 10. What did they say? 11. What would have served them right? 12. But did God punish them? 13. What did he tell Moses to take? 14. What did Moses strike? 15. What came out of the rock? 16. What made the water come out of the rock? 17. Was it not very good of God to give them water? 18. What ought they to have done? 19. What should you do when a thing is hard? 20. Is it not very naughty to grumble?

SECOND READING.

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up."--_John 3:14._

ONE great fault of the Israelites was that they had no patience. The moment they saw anything troublesome or difficult, they began to cry out, and say they could not get on, and it was very hard on them. Now it is very wrong ever to say God is very hard upon us, for we may be sure He is doing what is best for us. There was one stony, hot, steep part of the journey still to come, and when the Israelites saw it they forgot how often God had helped them, and cried out, and lamented, and complained of Him and of Moses.

So again they were punished, for the little shining snakes that live there came in numbers, darting at them and biting them, so that the bite burnt like fire, and they died. Then they cried out to God and were sorry, and He told Moses of a wonderful way to cure them. Moses was to melt up some brass and make a great serpent, like the little ones that bit them, and set it up on a pole. Then if anyone who was bitten would come at once and look up at the brazen serpent, his bite would get well, and he would not die of it.

This was a miracle--a wonder. And it was to teach the Israelites something, and us too. For you know our Blessed Lord hung on the cross, as the serpent hung on the pole; and when our souls are in danger of dying of sin, we must think of Him, and look to Him in faith, and He will save us from being punished for our sin, and keep our souls from dying.

QUESTIONS.

1. What sort of place had the Israelites to go over? 2. How did they like it? 3. What did they do? 4. Why ought they not to have cried out? 5. Who had been taking care of them? 6. So how did God punish them? 7. What happened when the serpents bit them? 8. What were they sorry for? 9. So what was Moses to make? 10. Where did he put the brazen serpent? 11. What were they to do if they were bit? 12. What cured them? 13. Who hung upon the cross? 14. What does He cure our souls of?

THIRD READING.

"He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not."--_Deut. 8:3._

THIS morning you heard how God gave the children of Israel water to drink in the wilderness. Now you shall hear what He gave them to eat. The ground was all hard stones. There was grass which the cows and sheep could eat, and there were a few trees with long sharp thorns, but no fruit on them, and no corn to make bread; and soon the people were very hungry, and began to cry out that they did not know what would become of them.

But God was not going to forget them. When they rose up in the morning, the fresh dew lay on the grass, and all about in the dew were little white things that tasted like wafers made with honey. This was called manna, and God had sent it from heaven for them to eat.

Every morning on week days there it was, and they had all to come out and pick it up. But they must get up early to gather it, for when the sun was hot it would melt away. And they could not keep it--it grew bad and was not fit to use the next day; but there was always just enough for everybody to have all they wanted. There was only one day in each week that more came down, and that was the day before the Sabbath-day, which they had instead of Sunday. Then each one could get twice as much as could be eaten in one day, and it did not spoil so fast. For on the Sabbath-day God would have them rest, and so no manna was to be found anywhere, so that they might learn to keep the Fourth Commandment--Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy.

All the time they stayed in the wilderness, the sweet white manna lay on the grass in the morning for them to pick it up--twice as much on the sixth day of the week, and on the Sabbath-day none at all. Was not that very good of God?

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the Israelites? 2. What had they to drink in the wilderness? 3. What else did they want? 4. Why could they not get bread? 5. What did God give them instead? 6. What was the manna like? 7. Where did it lie? 8. When was the manna on the grass? 9. Who were to eat it? 10. Who sent it? 11. What became of it in hot sunshine? 12. Would it keep? 13. What was the day when it could be kept? 14. How much came down the day before the Sabbath? 15. What might not be done on the Sabbath? 16. What is the Fourth Commandment? 17. So why did they get twice as much manna the day before? 18. When did no manna come? 19. What day have we instead of the Sabbath?

Thirteenth Sunday.

_BALAAM AND BALAK._

FIRST READING.

"Thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed."--_Numbers 22:12._

THERE was a prophet called Balaam. A prophet means a man to whom God made His will known, and who was thus much wiser than other men. This prophet one day saw some rich great men come to his house. They brought him a message, that a king named Balak wanted him to come with them, and would give him great rewards for coming. Balaam said he must wait for one night, and God would make known to him what he was to do. And at night God told him he was not to go; for what Balak wanted of him was to curse the children of Israel, and God would not have them cursed. So Balaam said he must not go, and the messengers went away.

But Balak sent more princes, still grander men, with larger presents, to fetch Balaam. He answered, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more." But he had not left off wishing. He begged the messengers to stay, and see if God would give him leave to go. And this time God did say he might go, but that he should not say anything about the Israelites but what God put in his mouth. Balaam knew that God was not pleased with him; but he wanted Balak's rewards, and he set off in the morning, riding on his ass.

Presently the ass was frightened, and turned out of the road into the field. Balaam was angry at this, and beat the ass. But again the ass turned aside in a narrow walled path, and squeezed Balaam's foot against the wall. He beat her again. Presently, in a very narrow road, the poor ass fell quite down for fear; and Balaam was very angry, and beat her harder.

Then God worked a wonder. He made the dumb ass to speak, and ask why he was so cruel to her. He answered that he only wished for a sword to kill her. The ass asked if she had ever been like this before. He said, No. And then, full before him, he saw God's holy angel with a sword in his hand. And he fell down on his face.

The poor ass had seen the angel all the time; but Balaam could not see him till God made him able. And now he was afraid, and would have gone back; but the angel said he must go on now, though he would only be able to speak the words which God put in his mouth.

Think if, sometimes when you have been told you must not do something, you fret and teaze to do it--is not that like Balaam? And perhaps you teaze till some one gives you leave to do as you wish. Then you get quite cross with eagerness, and are unkind to all that hinders you; and, after all, you do not find that any good comes of getting your own way.

QUESTIONS.

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_

AFTER Moses had gone out of sight on the mountain, God Himself told Joshua that Moses was dead, and that he must lead the children of Israel into the good land God had promised them. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua's head, and God's Holy Spirit had come to help him to see what was right, and to lead the people. He must be strong and brave, and do all that God commanded, and then he would be quite sure to be able to drive away all the strange people out of the land, and to make a home for the people in the land that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had loved so well.

All the people promised they would do as Joshua bade them. So he was their captain instead of Moses.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the old leader of the children of Israel? 2. Where had Moses led them from? 3. Where were they going? 4. Where did Moses go? 5. What became of Moses on the mountain? 6. Whom did God make captain instead of Moses? 7. What did God tell Joshua? 8. What did God promise him? 9. What is the way to be helped by God? 10. What were the Israelites to be helped to do? 11. Who were to be driven away? 12. Why did the children of Israel wish to live in the land of Canaan? 13. What had God promised Abraham? 14. And does God always keep his promises?

Seventeenth Sunday.

_ISRAEL IN BATTLE._

FIRST READING.

"Ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the Lord your God giveth you."--_Deut. 12:10._

AFTER the children of Israel had been forty years living in the wilderness, God led them into the beautiful land He had promised them. But before they could come in they had to get across a river--a deep river, with rocks on each side, and a stony bottom to it, and the water running very fast indeed. The name of the river was Jordan. There was no bridges to go over, and no boat to row them across; and not only all the strong men, but all the women and little children, had to get over it!

But nobody need be afraid when God is helping him. God told them what to do. The priests, who were like clergymen to them, were to take the ark--that is, the chest where the two tables of the Ten Commandments were kept--and were to walk down into the river, without being afraid. And they were brave men; they believed what God told them, and went down into the swift stream in no fear of being drowned. And behold, as soon as their feet touched the water it stopped flowing, and stood still. No more water came down, and all the hosts of the children of Israel went straight over the bottom of the river with dry feet.

The priests stood up in the middle all the time the others were going over, and when everyone was safe on the other side they came after them; and by-and-by the river came rushing down again in its own place, for it was God who had commanded it to stop short, and make a dry place for His people to pass over. And so they came into the land of Canaan that He had promised them so long.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long did the children of Israel stay in the wilderness? 2. Where were they going? 3. What had they to eat? 4. What had they to drink? 5. What had God given them on Mount Sinai? 6. What were the Ten Commandments written on? 7. Where were the two stones put? 8. Who carried this ark? 9. What had the Israelites to go over? 10. What was the name of the river? 11. How do we cross rivers? 12. But had they a bridge or a boat? 13. Who was taking care of them? 14. What did God tell the priests to do? 15. Were the priests afraid to go into the river? 16. Why not? 17. What happened when the priest's feet touched the water?

SECOND READING.

"By faith the walls of Jericho fell down."--_Hebrews 11:30._

AFTER the Israelites had come into the land of Canaan, there was a strong walled city before them, and its name was Jericho. They could not go any further till they had taken the city. But God was going to show that He fought for them. So He told them not to fight, but that every day, for a whole week, the priests should take the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders and walk around the outside of the walls of the town.

Seven priests were to go in front, blowing on trumpets made of rams' horns; but nobody else was to make any noise. So they did one day, and nothing happened. Joshua bade them do it the next day. Perhaps some of the Israelites wondered and were impatient, but they had to go on the next day still; and after that the Ark was carried round once every day for a whole week.

On the seventh day, Joshua told the priests that God would have them go round not once but seven times. And so they did; and then, at last, on the seventh day, Joshua said, "Shout." The whole of the people shouted, and the priests blew their trumpets, and then--oh, great wonders!--the walls of Jericho fell down flat, and the people went in and took the city. So the Lord fought for Israel.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the Israelites now? 2. Who was their leader? 3. What city were they come to? 4. What did they want to do? 5. Were they to fight? 6. But what was to be carried round? 7. What was the Ark? 8. What was in it? 9. Who carried the Ark? 10. Who went in front of them? 11. How many days did they go on? 12. How many times did they carry the Ark round first? 13. How often on the seventh day? 14. What were the priests to do? 15. What were the people to do? 16. What happened then? 17. Who had conquered Jericho? 18. What was God giving the Israelites?

THIRD READING.

"As for me and my house, we will serve the lord."--_Joshua 24:15._

THIS morning you heard how God gave the children of Israel victory over Jericho. After that He gave them more victories. None of the heathen people could stand before them. They took their towns, and drove the heathen out, and had the fields and gardens and houses for their own. Then Joshua was to divide the land among them, and fix what cities each tribe should have for its own.

All the chief men of each tribe came to him, and the Lord taught him how to fix the places for them to dwell in. The children of the good Joseph had the very best lot of all, as his father Jacob had wished. It was just in the middle of the country, and was full of beautiful corn land. Two tribes and a-half lived on the other side of the river Jordan, on the edge of the desert, but where there was fine grass for their cattle. The tribe of Judah had a very hilly, rocky part of the country; but they loved it, because it was where Abraham had lived and now lay buried.

And up all the hills they planted vines, where fine large grapes grew; and in the valleys were plenty of corn-fields. All over the country, people had each man his own house, with his vine and his fig-tree to shelter it, and olive-trees in his garden, and a field to grow corn in, and hill-sides near, where he might keep his cows, goats, and sheep. The rocks and the hollow trees were full of wild bees' nests; so that indeed they found it, as Moses had told them, a land of corn and wine--a land that flowed with milk and honey; and they were very glad to be there, and to rest after their long wandering in the wilderness.

After they had had a quiet rest, their first sorrow came. It was that their brave leader Joshua had grown old, and felt himself near his death. So he called all the chief men together, and told them over again how much God had done for them; and that if they would serve Him and keep His Commandments, all would go well with them. "As for me and my house," he said, "we will serve the Lord." And all the people promised too. They said they would serve the Lord, and would not go after other gods, but would keep His Commandments.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where were the children of Israel now? 2. Who had promised the land to them? 3. Who was leading them? 4. Whom did they drive out? 5. Who had the country then? 6. How was it settled where they were to live? 7. Who had the best part? 8. What had Joseph done that was good? 9. Who went beyond the Jordan? 10. What part did Judah have? 11. What grows there? 12. What choice plants grew in the land? 13. What sort of place had they been told it would be? 14. Who was grown old? 15. What did Joshua tell the Israelites? 16. What was the way for them to be happy?

Eighteenth Sunday.

_THE JUDGES OF ISRAEL._

FIRST READING.

"The journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor."--_Judges 4:9._

WHEN the Israelites had come to live in the beautiful land that God had promised them, they ought to have loved and served Him, and thanked Him for all His goodness. But no! They liked worshipping false gods; and they made idols to pray to, cut out of wood and stone; and they learnt wicked ways.

Then God was angry with them; and He punished them by sending cruel nations to conquer them, to burn their houses, to steal their children, and drive away their cattle. Then they would be sorry, and pray to God again; and He had pity, and sent some brave man to defend them.

To-day we hear how sadly they were used by a fierce man named Sisera, who had nine hundred war chariots of iron to go into battle with. His people used to shoot at the Israelites at the wells when they came to draw water; and nobody dared to go along the high-roads, but only through the paths, for fear of being killed.

QUESTIONS.

1. How ought the Israelites to have behaved? 2. What had God given them? 3. Whom should they have worshipped? 4. But what did they worship? 5. How did God punish them? 6. What was the name of the cruel man who ill-used them? 7. How many chariots had Sisera?

SECOND READING.

"The Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman."--_Judges 4:9._

AT last God spake to a good brave woman named Deborah, and told her to send for a man named Barak, who should lead the Israelites to fight with Sisera. She sent for Barak, and told him what God had said. But Barak was afraid to go alone. He said he must have Deborah with him. He ought to have known that, if God sent him, he was sure to be safe and to succeed.

Deborah told him that since he wished it she would go with him, but that the journey should not be to his honor, for the Lord would sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And it turned out as Deborah said. Barak won a great battle, and drove the enemies away, so that they did not hurt the children of Israel again for forty years. But he did not meet with Sisera in the battle, nor get the honor of killing him.

Sisera fled out of the battle, and was killed after all by a woman, whose name was Jael. Barak lost all the honor, because he would not do just as he was told, but was afraid without Deborah, just as if God could not help him better than Deborah could.

This morning's lesson told how Deborah and Barak conquered the cruel Sisera. This evening's lesson is the song that Deborah made to thank God for having given her the victory, and saved His people.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who was the holy woman that God raised up? 2. For whom did Deborah call? 3. What was Barak to do? 4. Who did Barak say must come with him? 5. Why was this wrong of Barak? 6. What happened in the fight? 7. Did Barak kill Sisera? 8. Who did kill Sisera? 9. Why was not Barak allowed to kill Sisera? 10. Whom ought he to have trusted to? 11. Who will always help us if we are not afraid to do as we are told?

THIRD READING.

"They chose new gods; then was war in the gates."--_Judges 5:8._

THE Israelites never kept long from sinning and setting up idols; and, by-and-by, God let a set of robbers, called Midianites, come in and burn their crops and houses, drive away their cattle, and steal their children for slaves.

Then the Israelites were sorry, and prayed to God to save them. And God had pity on them, and sent His angel to a man named Gideon, to tell him that he was to fight for the Israelites.

A great many men came to Gideon; but the Israelites were to be shown that it was as easy for God to save them with few men as with many. So He bade Gideon send home all but three hundred men. And Gideon believed, and sent them home, and kept only the three hundred.

Then at night he took these men, and gave them each a trumpet, and an earthen pitcher, with a lamp inside the pitcher, so that the light could not be seen. He took a hundred with him, and sent the other two hundreds another way, creeping quietly along till they came to the place where the Midianites had set up their tents, and were all lying asleep among the cattle they had stolen.

There they lay, and never heard Gideon and his men coming till they were close to the camp, the three parties on three sides. Then, all of a sudden, everyone of the Israelites broke his pitcher and let his lamp shine, and blew his trumpet, and shouted, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"

The Midianites were awakened out of their sleep to see the lamps on three sides of them in the dark, and hear the trumpets and the cries. They were very much frightened, and quite wild with fear. They all began to beat down one another, for they did not know friends from enemies. A great many were killed, and the rest fled away, leaving all that they had stolen behind them. And so God delivered the Israelites from the Midianites by the hand of Gideon, and gave them peace again as long as they would serve the Lord.

QUESTIONS.

1. What made the Israelites meet with troubles? 2. Whom ought they to have worshipped? 3. But whom did they worship? 4. What happened then? 5. Who were the next people that ill-used them? 6. What did they do when they were punished? 7. Whom did God send to save them? 8. How many men was Gideon to have with him? 9. What did all the men carry? 10. Where did they go? 11. Into how many parties were they divided? 12. What did the Midianites hear? 13. What did they see? 14. What did they begin to do? 15. What became of those that were not killed? 16. Who had made Gideon able to beat them with so few men?

Nineteenth Sunday.

_SAMUEL._

FIRST READING.

"Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child."--_1 Sam. 2:18._