Life stories from the Old and the New Testament

Front matter

LIFE STORIES FROI* THE OLD AND N TESTAMENT

JENNY B. MERRILLPAfiT

Class

Foreword

'*Life Stories from tlie Old and the New Testament" will be found suitable for use in the Daily- Vacation Bible School, the week day Eeligious School and for religious training in the home.

As many Daily Vacation Bible Schools are reassembling summer after summer, new Bible courses are being sought ; schools organizing will find a goodly number of such courses that have been tried and proved in the International Manual of Graded Bible Courses, in the Supplementary Manual for Training Classes, and at denominational and other publishing houses.

As there is an evident desire, indicated by examination of many reports from Daily Vacation Bible School centers, to include both the Old and the New Testament in the Bible work, this course is presented to meet the demand.

It will be seen that the Bible lessons have been taken mainly from the first book in the Old Testament and the first book in the New.

This has been done partly to give the teacher and the parent an opportunity if the children are sufficiently mature, to interest them in the fact that the Bible is a collection of books.

An attempt has been made in ^^Life Stories" to

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interest the children in reading selected parts of the Gospel of Matthew both in the school and at home. The single Gospel of Matthew should be provided for those who can read. There is an edition of Stories from Genesis in Bible language in the Moulton series, omitting chapters not suitable for child readers. The *^ Shorter Bible'' is also recommended.

^^Life Stories from the Old and the New Testament" is adapted primarily for use in *Hwo grade" schools. In such schools, the children under seven or eight years of age are separated from the older boys and girls and follow a primary Bible course, while the principal conducts the Bible work with the rest of the school.

The course offered in this book has been prepared with this older group in view.

If a school is large and has teachers to warrant further grading, the children from six to eight constitute the primary grade, the children from eight to ten are called ' * Juniors, ' ' and those from ten to twelve are the ^^Intermediate" group. The school then has four grades, Beginners, Primary, Junior and Intermediate grades.

If children over twelve are entered, they usually meet with the Intermediates, but in some churches a Senior grade is recognized. Several courses of interest have been prepared for a Senior grade, or a suitable book is chosen for study. One Daily Vacation Bible School reports such a class held in the evenings during July and August.

FOREWORD ix

If the school is one of four grades, '^Life Stories'' may be used in either the Junior or in the Intermediate grade according to the needs of the children.

There is an earnest endeavor to relate Bible work to the every-day needs of child life in order to develop Christian character. After all, it is the child we teach, not any set of lessons.

To make this purpose more evident, the course has been entitled '^Life Stoeies from the Old and the New Testament." Double titles have been given to the lessons, the first title suggesting a practical touch with the life of a child; the second title naming a story from the Bible which illustrates and helps to enforce the life lesson.

In developing each lesson the Introduction aims to arouse interest and curiosity and to awaken an *4nner urge," to use Dr. Kilpatrick's telling words, — an inner urge to listen to the story, and later to carry the life lesson out in some practical way.

If the mother or the teacher can arouse this *4nner urge" in the child, listening to the story becomes the child's own project — ^for writers on the project method which is now claiming the attention of many educators, tell us that the project method may be applied to listening to a story, to singing a song or hymn, to memorizing and drilling as well as to constructive work.

The difference between the old method and the

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new is mainly in the child's attitude towards the work to be done.

The child may memorize because of external pressure, or from * ' inner urge. ' ' The skill or tact of the teacher must find a way to make the child purpose to be his own driver, to urge himself to memorize. Beware, however, what selections for memorizing are planned.

It is worth while to arouse the listening attitude before beginning to relate a story, perhaps by a picture, or by merely a question. Pictures are listed in the appendix for every story.

Making Bible Picture Albums is an appropriate project for a Bible School, is it not? Equally helpful will such handwork prove in the home. Pages in the Album may be reserved for copying the Bible texts or even for short reproductions of the story. If a child is not able to write the story, he may write the names of the persons in the picture.

To dramatize a story will make it more impressive, and may aid in securing that ^' inner urge" which will develop the real hero in life. Pictures will aid such work by suggesting scenes and even costumes. Dialogue or simple dramatic scenes are introduced in a number of these *^Life Stories."

Get it fixed in mind that the child must be active, not passive, not mere physical activity though that too is often to be desired — ^but he must be active in thinking, he must purpose, he

FOREWORD xi

must choose, he must imll to DO — ^while you as teacher must be steadily conscious that it is your aim to aid the child to be an active being, who carries into daily living the Heavenly Father's Will—

"And they helped every one his neighbor, and every one said unto his brother. Be of good cheer."

To arouse both desire and will to carry the meaning back of the story into active life is the acme of success.

Jenny B. Merrill.

New York City.

Contents

PAGE

FOREWORD vii

PART I: LIFE STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT First We eh

LESSON

1. A NEW HOME: Story of Abraham . .

2. A THIRSTY BOY: Story of Ishmael .

3. A KIND GIRL: Story of Rebekah at the Well

4. "LOOK UP^': Story of Jacob's Dream .

24 30 36 41

Second Week

6. "MAKING UP": Story of Jacob and Esau ... 44

7. A DREAM AND A COAT THAT MADE TROUBLE :

Story of Joseph and his Brothers ... .49

8. BEARING TROUBLE BRAVELY: Story of Joseph

in Egypt 54

9. BEING THRIFTY: Story of Joseph Storing Food to

Save the People of Egypt and His Own Family . 59

10. REVIEW AND MISSIONARY STORY ... 62