Christian Education
Object Lessons
by Elmer L. Wilder, Th.D.
Illustrated by Gladys Bowman
Feb. 5, 1956 A H ero ’ s H e l p
down and Abram went up, but they are still linked together by love. (Let the small link fall down to repre sent Lot and lift the larger one to represent Abram.) There is something else for us to notice— the link representing Abram has increased in length, while Lot’s has not. After separating from Lot, Abram’s possessions increased greatly. Lot thought he would gain by going toward Sodom, but in the end he lost everything. Abram refused to quar rel, allowing Lot to have first choice and God greatly blessed him. The link of love which bound Abram and Lot together was felt later when Lot was carried away cap tive and had to be rescued by Abram and again when the city of Sodom was about to be destroyed and Abram prayed. OBJECTS: A piece of paper folded to represent a bank book with the words “ Bank of Heaven” written on the out side and a strong electric bulb con nected to a current of electricity. (With full strength lemon juice or with 10 drops of sulphuric acid di luted with 25 drops of water, write with a pointed stick on the inside pages of the bank book the words “ Seed as the stars” ; “ Seed as the sand” ; “A great and mighty nation.” ) LESSON: Did you ever hear the ex pression “ Seeing is believing” ? I want to give you a lesson on “ Believing is seeing.” I open this booklet marked “ Bank of Heaven” and there is ap parently nothing on the inside. It reminds me of the people who read the promises of God and then say, “ I do not see anything in them for me.” Abraham was a man of faith and he believed the promises of God al though he could not see how or when they were to be fulfilled. We shall let this strong electric light remind us of Abraham’s faith. As it shines into this book, words are appearing! Feb. 12, 1956 A H ero ’ s F a it h
Listen as I read them: “ Seed as the stars.” God told Abraham that his “ seed,” that is, his children and grandchildren and their children on down through the centuries would be as the stars for they could not be num bered. What a wonderful promise that must have been for Abraham when he was without children! Then again, “ Seed as the sand.” No one knows how many grains of sand there are by the sea, and no one is able to
OBJECTS: Two paper links and a pair of scissors. (Make the links by using adding machine tape 6 feet long and 3 inches wide. Glue the ends of one piece together, making an endless link. Before gluing the ends of the other piece together, give one end half of a complete twist.) “ LESSON: In Genesis 13:7-9 we read, “ And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle . . . And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen
coimt the children of Abraham. There are other words appearing and they read, “A great and mighty nation.” Just as we could not see anything on the pages of this book until the bright light shone into it, so Abraham had nothing but his faith in the prom ises of God to assure him that they would be fulfilled. OBJECTS: A candle, a mirror and a toy windmill. (The windmill can be made from a piece of paper 4 inches square, cut from each corner to within a half inch of the center. Bend one point of each section to ward the center, putting a pin through the center of the paper and into the end of a pencil.) LESSON: Abraham’s servant was going to find a bride for Isaac, and it was very necessary that he be guided to the right person. After he had found Rebekkah, he said, “ I being in the way, the Lord led me . . .” (Gen. 24:27). People today are very much in CONTINUED Feb. 19, 1956 A G u id e a n d a B rid e
and' thy herdmen; for we be breth ren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left.” This is what happens when some people quarrel and separate. (Cut down the middle of the untwisted link, until you have gone completely around it.) They separate from each other and each forgets all about the other. We will let this other circle repre sent Abram and Lot. We will sep arate them with the scissors and see what happens. (Begin cutting 1 inch from one side. After you have gone around once, you will be in a position to split the remaining 2/3 by going around again.) Look! Instead of dropping apart, they are linked together. Lot went
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