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th e ir gold earrings, which all th e peo ple, even the men wore in th e ir ears. Then all the people took th e ir gold earring s and brough t them to Aaron. ' He p u t them in th e fire, melted them and made an idol in th e shape of a calf. Now of course th is calf made of gold looked very beau tifu l, and th e people said they would have a big holiday. So th e next morning they got up early, b rough t th e ir offerings and laid them before th e golden calf instead of offer ing them to God, and they had a big feast and ate and d rank before th e idol. Moses was up on th e mountain and could not see them , b u t God saw them , and we must always remember th a t God sees everything we do and hears every word we say. God told Moses to go down to th e people for they had done very wickedly. They had made a golden calf, God said, worshipped it and laid th e ir offerings before it and called it th e ir god. As Moses walked down th e m ountain side, a man who helped Moses named Jo shu a was w ith him. Maybe you can rem ember th e name of Joshua, for we will h ea r some th ing about him in our story next week. As they came n ear where th e people were, they heard loud shouting and singing, and as they came closer they saw th e golden calf and th e people were dancing before it. As Moses stood before th e people w hat do you th in k he did? (Take your clay model, hold before class, and th en throw down on floor.) This is ju st w hat Moses did w ith th e tables of stone on which God had w ritten th e commandments, and as they lay a t Moses’ feet broken, it would help them to see how they had broken God’s commandments, by wor shipping th e golden calf. Then Moses took th e golden calf, burned it in the fire and ground it up into fine pieces like dust, sprinkled it over th e w ater th e people had to drink, and made them d rink it. Moses did th is to help the people to rem ember w h at an aw ful sin
it was to worship idols. The next day Moses called th e people tog ether and told them again of th e ir sin, and said he would go and pray to th e Lord for them . When we sin we can ask Jesus ourselves to forgive us, bu t a t th e tim e of our sto ry th e people could no t them selves ask to be forgiven, for Jesus had not come to earth yet, and th e peo ple had to have a leader or m inister pray for them . When Moses w ent to God to p ray for his people Israel, God told Moses He could not help or lead them any more because of th e ir dread ful sin, and th en Moses prayed to God to forgive them for th e ir sin, and to be th e ir God again. Of course God answered th e prayer and prom ised Moses he would be Isra el’s God again, and would do wonderful things for them , and God gave Moses some new tables of stone w ith th e commandments w ritten on them . God cannot be our God when th e re is sin in our lives, but when we ask Him to forgive us, and are sorry, He will forgive and be w ith us. Our memory verse tells us to pray for each other. You know we always p ray for th e boys and girls who are sick or in any trouble, and we should always p ray for each other. Closing P ray er.— Dear Jesus forgive us for th e wrong things we have done, and help us to love thee and do th e rig h t things th a t please thee. THE LAST RESORT Mr. Tompkins was obliged to stop overnight a t a small country hotel. He was shown to his room by th e one boy th e place afforded, a colored lad. “ I am glad th e re ’s a rope h ere in case of fire,” commented Mr. Tompkins, as he surveyed the room ; “ b u t w h at’s th e idea of pu tting a Bible in th e room in such a prom inent place?” Dat am intended foh use, sah,” replied th e boy, "in case de fire am too far advanced foh yo’ to make y0’ escape, sah .”
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