Introduction
(Have your Work Book open at page 14.) We had some rules last week in our Work Book, and they were headed, “How to Have a Happy Home.” How many of you read those rules? Suppose I read them very carefully now, and you see if you think any of them might be left out of the list. Which one of these rules do you think is the hardest of all to obey? (If the children do not speak of it themselves, call their attention to “Be willing and obedient,” and explain that it means not simply to do what you are told to do, but to do it willingly and cheerfully.) It is often hard to obey, because the command is to do some hard or disagreeable thing, and the harder it is to obey, the more temptation there is to do unwillingly what we are told to do, and to be cross about it. When one obeys in that spirit all the beauty of the obedience is taken away. One who obeys willingly will soon find that he can obey cheerfully, and it is only such obedience that is pleasing to the heavenly Father.
The Lesson Story
I have a beautiful story to tell you to-day of a man who obeyed in just that way. The name of this man was Noah. In his time there were many people living in the world, but, except Noah and his family, no one of them cared to please God, and they did not even try to obey him. The Bible tells us that “the earth was filled with violence,” and that God said the evil doers must be destroyed. But Noah was not one of these, and to him God said something like this: “The people are so wicked and cruel that I shall have to send a flood upon the earth which will destroy all those who are doing such evil things, but I want you to build an ark in which you and your wife and children shall be saved.” This ark was to be a great boat three stories high, with rooms in it, and a large door in the side. Just as soon as Noah knew what God wanted him to do he bought the wood and hired carpenters and began the work of building the ark. (Show the picture for this lesson.) Do you think it was an easy task to build that ark in a land full of wicked people? Of course, when his neighbors saw what he was doing they were curious to know what this great building was to be. When he told them, can you imagine how they would laugh at him for building a boat on dry land, and how they would laugh harder still when he said there was to be a flood? It must have been hard for Noah to stand their ridicule, but he never thought of giving up the work. He did a braver thing than just keeping on with the building, too, for all through the years he was at work the Bible says that he was “a preacher of righteousness.” He told the people of the punishment that was surely coming, and urged them to give up their wicked ways and do the sort of things that would be pleasing to the heavenly Father. But they would not listen, and would not believe what he told them. Still Noah kept patiently on working and preaching until the ark was finished. Then God said to his faithful servant, “Before very long I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth.” Let us read what it says in the Bible about the things that Noah was to do before the flood came (Genesis 6:19-21). Do you suppose that Noah did all that just as God had told him to do? Let us read that next verse very carefully together: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Is not that a splendid thing to be said about any man? Let us read the words again and then close our books and say them, for that is our memory text this week, and it is one that we would like always to remember, I am sure.
The Bible says that God told Noah what he wanted him to do. How does God tell you and me what he wants us to do? (Guide the conversation so that the children themselves will mention the Bible, God’s message, and the Sunday school and church where the meaning of the message is explained to us and where we try to help each other to be doers of the Word. Teachers at school and those who guide and direct in the home should also be mentioned.) You see that as you obey these helpers that God has given to you, you are learning to do according to all that God has commanded you. What has Jesus said of those who hear the Word of God and keep it? (Luke 11: 28.) “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Shall we not ask the heavenly Father to help us to be so strong to obey and so willing that something like that may be said of us too?
Prayer
(To be used if the conditions in the room and the spirit of the class make possible a quiet moment in which heads may be bowed, and the words, softly spoken by the teacher, heard by all the members of the class.)
Our Father in heaven, we are glad that we have the Bible with its stories of people who loved and obeyed thee in the long ago. May we learn from these stories how to be more obedient to-day. Help us to be cheerful, loving doers of the Word. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.