God also marks the influences which you and I must come in contact with. Every boy who goes to school feels the influence of other boys, some of whom are very bad. If he permits himself to be moved by these things he will go wrong, just the same as the ship that is crossing the Gulf Stream is carried out of its course. So the Bible warns us against bad company.
Now the chart which the sea captain has, indicates also the ports of safety. It shows the location of these different ports, and the direction the captain must take in order to reach them. So the Bible shows us where you and I can find refuge in the day of storm, and in the day of trial, and in the day of sickness, and in the day of distress. To the sea captain, out upon the great ocean, there are ten thousand directions which are sure to end in shipwreck. There is only one safe way to go, in order to reach his desired port in safety.
Now what would you think of a captain out upon the seas who folded up his chart and laid it carefully away, and never looked at it, never studied it, never sought to know what is on the chart? Do you not see how he would go upon the rocks? His ship would go down to the bottom of the sea, just as surely as if he had no chart on board his ship. It is important that he should have his chart in constant use. So it is important, not only that we should have the Bible, but that we should use the Bible, that we should read it, that we should study it, that we should know what it says. I trust that each and all of you not only have a Bible, but that you study it daily, and that you seek to avoid the dangers which God has pointed out, and that you desire to know the will of God concerning you.
Questions.—What should a traveler always have in a strange country? What must a sea captain always carry with him on his ship? What does the chart show? Are we travelers? To what country are we journeying? Has God given us a chart to show the dangers to which we are exposed in our voyage or journey? Should we read the Bible every day? What are two principal parts of the Bible? Do you know how many books there are in the Old Testament? Do you know how many books there are in the New Testament? Do you know who was the first man? Who was the first woman? Who was the first murderer? Who built the ark? Who had the coat of many colors? Who led the Children of Israel out of Egypt? Who was put in the lion's den?
After the entire service has been completed and after the "drive home from church", chairs can be arranged with their backs toward each other, set a little way apart, with a shawl, blanket, or even a sheet, thrown over them so as to form a little tent. A number of tents can be made to illustrate the Children of Israel camping in the wilderness. They were travelers tenting by the way, who forgot about their chart and fell into sin, and God had to turn them back in the wilderness for forty years of wandering. All this suggests important lessons to the parents.
A series of tents can be arranged like the one shown in the picture below (see also pages [209] and [271]) and then, with one child in each tent the questions can be asked. When a child fails to give the correct answer, he moves down to the last tent in the row, the other children move up, and the question is passed to the child next in order, the same as in a "spelling-bee" and other progressive plays. Questions like those given on this page and on pages [25] and [26] can be used; also questions such as are found in the chapter on "Suggestions to Parents," especially from paragraphs 50 onward.
The Children of Israel Camping in the Wilderness.