CHAPTER XVII
THE STAR BOX
Objects: A box marked with a star containing a cluster of common things
THE STAR BOX
IF this lesson is used simply as "The Star Box" you can use it any time of the year as it is a lesson on the "Baby Days of Jesus." Secure a fair sized box, a pasteboard box will answer if a wooden box is not available. Cover it with sky blue paper to represent the night and on the front of the box place a large golden paper star. Place this on a table before the children and tell them our lesson this hour will be from the Star Box and the baby days of Jesus. Open the box and produce the following colors and objects.
1. The Bible. The coming of Jesus was foretold by the Old Testament prophets. They longed to see His day, just as we now long to see the second coming of Jesus. Here quote some of the Scriptures announcing His first coming. These Scriptures were all like guiding stars to the Old Testament people, which would some day lead them to the baby Jesus. The New Testament says He has come and we believe it, for the Wise Men said, "We have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him." If you desire you can make a scroll like the ancient scriptures and bring this out of the box; this can be used in place of the Bible book. A scroll is made like a roll of wall paper. Make it about eighteen inches long, and have on it the references in the Old Testament which declare His coming. When it is unrolled and you have finished with it, pin the object, and all other objects you produce from the box, somewhere up on the platform where all can see them, and to which you can refer if you so desire a little later in the meeting. Use glass push pins for this and all objects requiring to be pinned up before the audience.
2. Next produce from the Star Box a piece of striped goods about one foot square. This will represent the robe of the shepherds who long ago were watching their sheep, Here teach the lesson of the dignity of labor. God has given us work to do. The shepherds did theirs, and God sent them a wonderful message as they worked. They attended to their sheep. God talked to David, the Shepherd, once, and helped him to sing, and we have the book of the Psalms, the church's oldest hymn book, and many of these songs were given young David as he watched his sheep. So the shepherds just watched and worked.
3. Now produce a field of stars. Some black muslin upon which a few small stars are sewed. This represents the night in which the shepherds watched their flocks. The robbers and wild beasts did their deadly work at night so the shepherds took their turn in watching by night. Here learn a lesson of faithfulness when the hour is dark. So the shepherds did not slumber and sleep by the comfortable fires, but kept both eyes and ears open for the call of the wild beast or the sudden visit of the robber, and as they watched there they heard a joyful song.
4. Here produce a piece of white silk or cloth which represents the angel's song of "Peace on earth, good will toward man." The white silk is an emblem of peace. So they heard the angel's song and its good message of "peace on earth." It is a wonderful thought that God used songs to first announce the glad tidings of the coming of the Son. It is God's way yet—a message of song often finds the heart quicker than a golden word. Learn to "sing for Jesus." Perhaps God may use you, as he did the angels, to bring the message of heaven to some poor heart on earth.
5. Now produce a piece of yellow cloth or felt. This stands for the yellow straw which the shepherds found in the manger when they went to Bethlehem to see the things the angels said had come to pass. Here you may produce, if you desire, a small handful of straw tied tightly together, so it will hang up all right. This straw made the bed for the humble Christ. We should not complain if we are spending our days in humble quarters. Jesus thus spent His baby days.