t
June 1931
271
T h e
K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
4
The Story of the Great King B y H elen H owarth L emmel
parents, for although the Arabs were tru ly _“dirty people,” and Elizabeth was a dainty little lady, it was not like her to show such an unkind spirit. One day, after a burst of anger at an Arab child who spoke to her from the bank, her father said, “You must not hate the Arabs. You are a bint l’Arab your self.” That means “daughter of an Arab.” It was true, for he was an Egyp tian Christian and Elizabeth’s mother was a French-Swiss lady. Elizabeth did not understand, so the explanation was re peated gently but clearly. Then came a storm of tears and denial until, worn out, the child lay sobbing quietly in her fath er’s arms. It was a serious little Elizabeth that went about the boat for a few days. Every one lovingly watched and prayed for the child who, ,so young, was in such deep trouble. One day the word went round the boat: “Go to the shoreside and look 1” There was Elizabeth, her white hand in the dark, dirty hand of another “bint VArab,” cheerily chatting in Arabic. Tears ran down watching faces and praise went up to God, for He alone had done it. Several days later, the workers were starting for the place where the Arab women drew water. Elizabeth suddenly appeared with her doll—a French beauty. “I must go, too,” she said firmly. “My mother and father have gone to tell the Arabs about Jesus, and I must, too.” In a few minutes she was sitting with the two missionaries on a sand mound, with native women and children gathered around. The Arab women listened to the prayer, the talk, and the songs played with the auto-harp. But all eyes were on the little girl and her doll—both strange sights to_ them—for Elizabeth was sweet and fair in her pretty frock. Suddenly she arose. Putting her doll in Miss M’s arms, she stood alone on the top of the mound and began to sing in Arabic in a soft little voice, “Jasour Habeeb ”—the story of Je sus. The tune was an Arabic melody that they all knew. That is how Elizabeth became a mis sionary to the once-hated Arabs. Some day, in the Eternal Kingdom, we believe she will sing the praises of “Jasour” with some of the Arab women who listened to her that day. Where do we read— 1. In the Old Testament of a king who said to a woman: “Ask, and it shall be given thee, even to the half of my kingdom” ? 2. In the New Testament of another king who said the same thing to another woman? 3. That God used a mulberry tree to give the signal for a battle? 4. Qf a little man and a big tree? Bible Questionnaire'
‘~TT'T ANY children came to Adam M i | H in the world outside the gar- den, for he lived to be nine M hundred and fifty years old. That will sound strange, be- cause people rarely live to be even one hundred in these days. And that, too, is be cause of sin, which wastes and ruins health and life, and which makes each generation poorer and weaker. The names of two of the children of Adam and Eve were Cain and Abel. Through them, the first parents learned again what death was. For Cain killed his brother Abel. Both knew about God, the Great King, and Satan, the Wicked Prince. Abel chose to serve God, and in the way He commanded. Cain did not. God therefore favored Abel; and, for this reason, Cain hated, and at last became his brother’s murderer. And this was the first time that death came to a human being. After this wicked deed, Cain was forced to wander in the earth. In time, others of the family of Adam joined him, for, as was said, many, many children came to Adam and Eve in their very long life. Those who joined Cain were doubtless like him, for they grew to be a wicked as well as a great nation. Though of one family, -they married among themselves, which was right in that long-ago age. But the time came when God, to suit His own purposes, put it into the hearts of His people to make a different law, and by that law, all right-minded people of that and all later times have lived. As the earth filled with people, wicked ness increased also. The greater part chose the Wicked Prince as ruler, and God long and patiently bore with their sinfulness. From His Kingdom of Mar velous Light, He saw that soon the world w o u l d be full of a terrible race of people; and b e c a u s e of the dreadful nature of their sins, the suffering and d e g r a d a t i o n would be a w f u l . Some, h o w e v e r , chose God, and waited for the True Prince. Noah was one of these, and to him God said, “This people will not hearken unto Me, nor walk in My ways. The world is so full of evil that I will destroy it. But thou, my servant, I will save. So build thee an ark as I shall tell thee, and when it is finished, take thee seven of thy family, with every kind of living creature, and shut them and thyself within. I will then cause it to rain forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy every living thing that I have made.” And Noah did as God commanded. The rain came and flooded the lowlands. Then the water rose to the hills, and drove the people before it. They began & I l
to remember all that Noah had said while he was building the queer boat at which they had so long and scornfully laughed. The water rose till at last not even the top of the highest mountain was seen, nor any living creature. But the ark rode safely. At the end of forty days, the water began to lower. The mountain tops appeared. At length, one day the ark was upon dry land, and Noah and all that were with him came forth. Their first act was to buijd an altar to God, and offer to Him their praise and thanksgiving. This so pleased Him that He said, “I will no more destroy the earth. And that thou may'est remember that I have said, ‘I will no more destroy the earth,’ I will set My bow in the clouds.” And that is what every rainbow means, for God has kept and will forever keep His promise. (To be continued ) — * 0 — Elizabeth CHE was five years old, and she lived in a missionary houseboat on the River Nile. Her father and mother were there, with several others, to tell the story of Jesus to the Arabs. The boat was moored to the shore, and sometimes it remained six weeks in one place. In the daytime, the workers went into the villages, re turning to the boat at night. They had many wonderful as well as many dread ful stories to tell, for they were often in danger from these people who hated the Lord Jesus. But, for His sake and for the sake of the poor people who so need ed Him, they loved their work, and knew that He would take care of them. The Arabs are a strange people, with their dark faces and dark, piercing eyes. The men wear long white flowing robes and have their heads wrapped in folds of cloth. The women wear black, and almost all of them that one sees are dirty, and ragged, as are the children who swarm about. The women always came to the river in the evening to fill their water jugs. There the women missionaries would talk to them until the men drove them away with sticks and Arab curses. When, as sometimes happened, the men did not appear, many listened eagerly but doubtfully to the strange story of One who loved them —just women who were taught that they had no souls as the men had—One who loved them so much that He came from His glorious home to die to save them. But Elizabeth hated them, she said— said it sometimes with a stamp of her tiny foot. This puzzled and troubled her
►
►
V
-*
*
►
♦
y
*
V
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker