The Bible Story, Volume 1: The Book of Beginnings [1974 printing ed.] 0816315930, 9780816315932

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The

Greatest Stories Ever Told From The

Greatest Book Ever Written -A rodent Wtltea:

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for this answer ["The Bible Story"] to prayer. the greatest need in the homes of our notion."

found the

fully

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God

feel this

Bible illustrated. I

read them from

"Without a doubt of Bible stories

I

pictured faithfully in word and beoutifound the volumes so interesting that cover to cover."

is the most beautifully written collection have ever seen."

this

UKE ONE-MAIL TODAY It

you would like to

how

know to obtain

tor your honte,

cards and No

fill

in

one of these

MAIL TODAY

obligation, of course

In these ten beautiful

BlBLJii

^

S 1 UHx

More than 400

volumes will be found:

stories

unexcelled in clarity of

presentation

^ ^

Nearly 2,000 pages Full coverage of the Bible narrative

from Genesis

to Revelation

^

Exquisite four-color illustrations by nationally known artists at every page opening

|> Reading enjoyment for every

^

Character-building literature

member

of the family

Digitized by the Internet Archive in

2009

http://www.archive.org/details/biblestory01maxw

r-rr^

H,

^

Lifetime

Treasure

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in BIBLE

STORY

More Than Four Hundred Stories in Ten Volumes Covering the Entire Bible From Genesis to Revelation

Copyright © 1953 and 1973 by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. All Rights Are Reserved.

No

part of the literary or pictorial contents of this

book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher. All illustrations painted by Herbert Rudeen, those individually credited.

Twenty-eighth printing 1974. PRINTED

IN U.S.A.

FOREWORD The written.

Bible

full of stories, all

It is

the

is

most wonderful storybook ever

way from

the

the

first

chapter of Genesis

to the last chapter of Revelation.

These years,

They need century It

Bible

have been told over and over again for thousands of

stories

new and

they are

yet

fresh

and fascinating to every generation. and girls of the twentieth

to be retold today, so that the boys

may

is

is

see their beauty and catch their inspiration. one of the strangest paradoxes of our time that

enjoying

its

widest

circulation,

millions

of

every year, fewer people than ever seem to be reading

it.

when

just

copies

being

the sold

Because in count-

homes family worship and the reading of the Bible have been neglected, and parents themselves seldom open its pages, a whole generation is growing up with little or no knowledge of this wonderful Book. Most modern children have heard little or nothing about the great less

Bible characters of ancient times, so familiar to their grandparents. Their

heroes are not Daniel, Paul, and Peter, but Dick Tracy and Superman.

They have never heard

and thus have been robbed No wonder there is so much juvenile delinquency, youthful vandalism, and lawlessness. In the author's opinion no greater contribution could be made to the welfare of society and the peace of the world than to lead children to of the love of Jesus,

of the greatest treasure their

love the Bible ards,

and

— to

find

In writing

its

enjoy

its

minds and

stories,

hearts could possess.

appreciate

its

teachings, adopt

its

stand-

God.

The

Bible Story the author has tried not only to

tell

the

dear old stories in language that boys and girls of today can understand

—

them the love of God men, and His wondrous plan for their redemption. purpose has been to provide what might be called a Bible

but also to reveal the golden thread which binds for the children of

The

over-all

for children

boys and

by retelling all the old familiar stories can both understand and enjoy.

girls

.!

W^'-^ 'm:k*

First it

she was

!

THE TEST OF LOVE Finally the temptation was

more than she could

reached out her hand, took of the

She wondered

delightful.

the serpent

meant

to

why

must be right

fruit,

ate

The

it.

taste

She

was

she had hesitated so long. Surely

after

God

all.

keep her from eating

couldn't possibly have

fruit as lovely as this.

She gathered more and took

to

it

what had happened, "and he did

No

and

stand.

Adam,

explaining to

him

eat."

doubt he said to her, "But

I

thought

God

told us not

And she probably said, "Oh, it's quite all right. The serpent told me I wouldn't die, and, you see, nothing has happened to me. Maybe God made a mistake." But God had not made a mistake. He had had a good reason to eat this fruit."

for telling

Adam and Eve

of finding out so

much

if

they really loved

Him

we

Did they

is

tree. It

He

one never-failing

test

it

was

was

that

let

them

of the tree,

be

told

of love,

test. If

Adam

and

He knew He

they

that

and Eve not

they had loved

Seeing they

is

obedience.

will gladly obey them.

Him

to eat of that

sincerely,

with

Then God would disobeyed Him, and ate

they wouldn't have touched

live forever.

Would

sure.''

and mother, we

God

a simple

all their hearts,

have

How

really love Him.''

could

always.?

truly love father

So

Him. He had given them of

There If

was His way

tree. It

—every good thing He could think —and He yearned

for their love in return.

love

not to eat of that

it.

could not trust them; so they would

have to die and go back to the dust from which

What a sad day that was. How much was at stake in had known

He

had taken

If

only they

them.

that

little

test!

67

THE BIBLE STORY Alas, they failed the

had they eaten

test.

Both of them.

of the fruit than they

sooner

knew something was

Something had gone wrong. For the

matter.

And no

first

the

time in their

What would God think of them.? they wondered. What would He say to them.'' Then came fear. As the day dragged wearily on, and evethey

lives

felt

worried.

ning shadows lengthened, they talked in frightened whispers.

Somehow all happiness had the

first

joy for

and

time they

them

in

felt sad,

suddenly gone out of their miserable, wretched.

lives.

For

There was no

Eden any more. They wanted only

to

run away

hide.

What today

.i^

a pity!

But

It just spoils

isn't this

the result of disobedience even

everything, doesn't

it.f*

PART

STORY The

IT

WAS

beginning

5

Price of Sin

to get dark.

rustling the leaves of the trees.

the stars

would appear

Already a cool breeze was

Soon

would be

it

With bowed heads and aching

hearts

sadly through the forest glades

known

such perfect

Suddenly they heard

God

as

He walked

Until

now

night,

and

again.

But there was no happiness in Eden on

they had

TWO

this lovely evening.

Adam

where but

a

and Eve wandered little

while before

joy.

a familiar sound. It

was the voice of

"in the garden in the cool of the day."

they had rejoiced to hear this wondrous voice,

running toward

it

ran away from

it.

from the presence

as to that of a

much-loved friend.

Now

they

"And Adam and his wife hid themselves of the Lord God amongst the trees of the

garden." It

was

a foolish thing to do.

—any more than you or "And Where art

the

Lord God

I

They could not hide from God

could hide from called unto

Him

Adam, and

today. said

unto him.

thou.?"

69

!

THE BIBLE STORY He knew where they were. know that He was looking for them,

God

did not need to ask.

But

He wanted them to that He still cared for them and loved them. What tenderness there was in His voice at that moment! He seemed to be saying, "Why are you hiding from One who loves you so.? Why don't you come to meet Me as you used to do.?"

Unable

from and

I

to

keep

silent

his hiding place

was

and

What

heard thy voice in the garden,

a strange thing for

never been afraid before.

was

said, "I

stepped slowly

afraid."

Afraid!

Now

Adam

any longer,

He had

him

known what

never

He

to say!

had

fear was.

grand, noble being, God's masterpiece of creation,

this

afraid.

And,

oh, most sorrowful thought, he

was

afraid of

His Maker But

this

is

what

sin does. It

best friends. It turns the bravest

makes

man

even his

a person fear

into a coward.

It

bows

the

noblest head in shame.

God knew what had happened, of course, for nothing is hidden from Him. But He asked Adam, "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat.?" Yes,

Adam

had eaten of the

tree.

So had Eve. Both were

guilty of grave disobedience. Sadly they stood before

dering what

He would

God had warned dying thou

shalt die."

say next,

what

their penalty

them, "In the day that thou

And

God, won-

would

be.

eatest thereof,

they had often wondered what

He

had meant by those strange words. Never having seen death, they could not

tell

what

it

was

like.

Now

were they

to die.?

'^

THE PRICE OF SIN Would

today be their

had been here such

Then

was

it

them because

moment

a

little

They could not life

returning at

would take at last this

was not

it

was

would be

had begun

to die.

And

in

true.

live forever as

for them.

a long time,

They

them what must happen to He explained how, from the very

He had

planned they should.

Not now. Dying

the dust of

last to

sad!

told

of their disobedience, they

knew

How

while.

God

that

of their sin.

their hearts they

Eternal

day upon the earth?

last

which

they must die,

He had made

many hundreds

them.

It

of years, in fact, but

their fate.

Meanwhile, they would have

to leave their beautiful

home.

Instead of the pleasant, easy time they had been having, they

work hard and long for their living. They would know pain and sorrow. They would learn the awfulness of sin as they saw all nature suffer with them because of what would have

to

they had done.

Looking

at

Adam

in deepest pity,

God

hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife,

the tree, of eat of

it:

eat of

it

it

which

cursed all

is

commanded

I

the

ground

the days of thy

said,

"Because thou

and hast eaten

thee, saying,

Thou

of

shalt not

for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou life:

thorns also and thistles shall

bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

in the sweat of thy face shalt

unto the ground; for out of art,

and unto dust

Was God nature of

sin,

pdi?^^ '^SM^

shalt

too hard

how

it

it

thou eat bread,

till

thou return

wast thou taken: for dust thou

thou return."

on

them.i^

wrecks and

No.

spoils

He knew everything

the deadly it

touches.

!

THE BIBLE STORY He

had seen

break the sweet harmony of heaven.

it

was beginning again on

He had

Paradise

Adam it

It

the

only just created. Something had to be done.

and what

was

it

to realize

what

sin

know who

don't

I

two poor things turned from God and began

from

means, what

costs.

very sad, and

all

it

earth, threatening to ruin this glorious

and Eve must be made

does,

Now

felt

to

worse

as

walk away

Eden home.

their beautiful

Darkness was gathering, and from out of the

forest peered

many animal friends, their wonder-filled eyes seeming to ask each other. What is the matter Where are they going? Even .f^

the birds hushed their twittering as they listened in great,

to the

heartbroken sobs of their lord and master as he and his

lovely wife

For

walked out into the night.

Adam

and Eve the hardest

that they could not return. a

awe

was the thought

By morning Eden would be only

memory. They would never Turning

to bear

enter

it

again.

they had loved and

lost,

they saw a strange light glowing in the darkness along the

way

that they

to take

had come.

angel's hand.

And

cost of

one

It

last

look at

seemed

weapon held

in

an

sword "turned every way,

to

tree of life."

closed; the gate

little sin

all

like a fiery

the flaming

keep the way of the

The way was

one

was locked. So great

is

the

!

PART

STORY

6

One Gleam

How

FAR Adam

home we

TWO

Hope

of

and Eve wandered from

their

are not told, but they soon noticed

Eden

many

changes.

For one thing they found that they needed

we

read that "the Lord

God" made

"coats of skins,

clothes,

and

and clothed

them."

What all

the

wonderful coats these must have been, made with

skill, all

the thoughtfulness,

all

the tender pity of man's

Creator

Yet these coats meant death. At two, had to die that

Adam

was brought home

of sin

Many

least

and Eve might

to

them

God had

live.

And

so the cost

again.

times on their journeyings they must have talked

good old days they had enjoyed

of the

one animal, possibly

in the glorious Paradise

given them in the beginning.

Many

times too they

must have wondered whether they would ever be allowed see

it

to

again.

73

'.^

t

ONE GLEAM OF HOPE As again and again they went over all that had happened on that sad day when they had made their terrible mistake, one thing kept coming back to their minds.

had

It

was something God

said to the serpent.

Over and over they repeated might mean:

"I will put

what

just

it

enmity between thee and the woman,

and between thy seed and her seed;

and thou

wondering

it,

it

shall bruise thy head,

shalt bruise his heel."

Whatever could

One

this mean.''

thing was certain:

dren, and she

was glad

meant

It

of that.

But

that

Eve would have

how much more

did

it

chil-

mean.^*

Well, there would be "enmity," or war, between Eve's children and the serpent's children.

Eve knew

would never forgive the serpent for the way he had deceived her and robbed her of her lovely home; that she

nor would her children. She would see to that.

when God said to the serpent, that her seed, her children

And

"It shall bruise thy head,"

—or one

of

them

—would

surely,

it

meant

win the

conflict at last.

Here

for the first time she

the wicked serpent,

who had

saw a gleam of hope. Someday

brought such sorrow and

loss

her and her husband, would be destroyed. Then, perhaps,

would

them go back

let

How they both ever

made

to

it

loved this promise

it

God

Eden.

man, and the

To Adam and Eve precious

to

upon

first

!

It

was the

first

promise

one mentioned in the Bible.

was the only promise they had, and how

must have been

to

them

!

On

dark days, when every-

thing seemed to go wrong, they remembered

it

and talked about 75

-*fi3r.r /*»-';

^ jfS^

PART

STORY

11

The Man Heaven

IF

YOU drew

line

much

is

ing the

and

life

those lines

I

Who

shorter than all the others.

Into

It is

the line mark-

of Enoch. His father lived to be 962 years old,

he lived only 365

Why

Did he

No, he

Walked

suggested, you will see that one

his son 969, but

was

TWO

this.?

didn't. In fact,

get

ill

years.

and

die early.?

he didn't die

at all.

That

is

the

won-

The Bible says, "God took him," which means God took him away without his having to die. derful thing about Enoch.

That body all

is

something

like this. Indeed, so far as

the history o^ the world

like this

God

does not treat every-

we know,

only two people in

to think about.

—Enoch

and Elijah

—were

taken

without dying.

Why

did

good reason

God

for

take Enoch.? There must have been a very

making an exception

have been something about

more than

all

this

man

in his case. that

There must

made God

love

him

the other people of his day.

95

-^

PAINTING BY RUSSELL HARLAN

©

BY REVIEW AND HERALD

Enoch was a very good man. He loved God and was kind and helpful to his neighbors. He often went into the woods to talk with God in the cool shade and quiet of the trees.

THE BIBLE STORY You may

say,

God

But did not

Adam, His masterHe did. But God let Adam

piece of creation, very, very dearly?

He

die, just as

said

He

How about Seth.? But

God

him

let

would,

after

Wasn't he

love

he had lived 930

specially beloved

die also, after he

had

lived 912

years.

He was. years. And so too.f*

He let them die. With Enoch, however, it was different. God loved him so much He couldn't let him die. So He took him away to live with

all

with

Him

the others.

God

loved them, but

forever.

The Bible doesn't tell us very much about it, but enough so we may understand. It says: "And Enoch lived Why.''

just

sixty

and

with

God

five years,

after

and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked

he begat Methuselah three hundred years.

And Enoch walked

with God: and he was not; for

.

.

.

God

took him."

There

is

the secret!

He

walked with God. That

is

what

God wanted Adam to do from the very beginning. There wasn't anything God wouldn't have done for Adam had he walked

Him as Enoch did,

with

instead of forgetting

Him

and wander-

ing away. Certainly he never would have died.

And

with Seth, Enos, Cainan, and

so

wanted them

came up

to

all to

with

do His every

his heart.

He

different

He had

thought about

word and deed

to please

ness, greediness, jealousy, or

96

rest.

God

His expectations.

all

will.

the

walk with Him, but none of them quite

Only Enoch. He was

God

all

from the

others.

one purpose: to serve

God

all

He

loved

God and

day long, striving in

Him. Never was

there any selfish-

anger in his heart, for he believed

!

THE MAN that such

WHO WALKED

wicked thoughts were unworthy of

No wonder God was drawn ahiiost hear

He

is

just

INTO HEAVEN

God

what

"Here

saying,

hoped

I

Dear Enoch! What

all

to this dear is

man

a

the sons of

.

every day, every

him, the more

He

man. Indeed,

My own

after

Adam would

moment. And

loved him.

Day by

.

.

three

can

heart.

be

like.

years."

testing him, watching

the

day,

hundred

more God watched

week by week, month

by month, century by century, Enoch walked with at last, instead of

I

noble, godly soul!"

a

"And Enoch walked with God That was a long time; but God was him

God.

a child ot

God

until

dying, he just kept on walking right into

heaven

It

What was it made Enoch want to live such a life as this.^ may have been the result of a talk he had with Adam, for

Adam, remember, was

still

alive in

God in making love God sincerely

he learned more of the love of

man, he made up yet

it

his

mind

to

Enoch's day. Perhaps as the world

and

in return.

And

might have happened because of something

The

Bible says that

S^i^^

else.

Enoch walked with God

"after he

—

THE BIBLE STORY begat Methuselah" a httle boy that, as

that

;

means a

after his Uttle

is,

most daddies, and

lot to

Enoch looked

lovingly

upon

Be

that as

it

and

serve

Him

all his life.

in step.

together they must have talked to

God

God in giving him a to God as never before

may, from that moment Enoch walked with

God, which means they kept

things

could well be

of

child like himself, that he gave his heart to love

it

that precious baby of his,

and thought of the wonderful goodness and promised

boy was born. Having

And

as

they walked

— each other "secrets"

could not reveal to anybody

too

else.

when Enoch learned so much of God's plans for and why he was able to write that great prophecy:

That

is

the future,

"Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints."

Even though he was only "the seventh from Adam," God helped him to see clear down the ages to that wondrous day

when

Jesus shall

And like this,

come

so, after

"God

"Enoch was

His

in

three

glory.

hundred

took him." In the

years of

New

walking with

God

Testament we read that

...

translated that he should not see death;

for

before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased

God." Isn't that a beautiful record for a

him.?

"He

Him

a

Him

wonderful thing

in every thought

98

on

behind

Do

you

every day.? Always.?

into heaven.

to

walk with God, seeking

and word and deed.

knows, perhaps someday, right

to leave

pleased God." Could that be said of you.?

try to please It's

man

like

And

Enoch, we too

if

shall

we

to please

do,

who

go walking

PART Stories

III

About Noah and the Flood (Genesis 6:1-11:9)

PART THREE

STORY Sad,

1

Bad Days

WHILE

Enoch walked with God most of Adam's children and grandchildren did not. They walked by themselves and forgot

came had

about Him. They be-

and greedy, quarrelsome and

selfish

among

to fight

all

themselves and

kill

cruel.

They began

each other, even as Cain

killed Abel. It is

hard to understand

pened such a short time

mon

even today for boys and

a nice picnic

girls to

Some can become is

and such a

and harmony of Eden. Yet

all

after church.

such things could have hap-

after creation,

from

the peace

how

over.

It

it is

little

way

not uncom-

be cross and unruly right

real little pests just as

doesn't take long for

some

soon as

to forget

kindness and love that they should remember forever.

So

it

was back there

in the early days of the world.

As

people drifted farther and farther from God, they drifted farther

and farther

into sin.

Satan who, in the form of a serpent, had deceived

Adam 101

-^

PAINTING BV HfRBFBT RUDtEN

©

BY REVIEW AND HERALD

There were no churches in Enoch's day. Those who loved God built stone altars and there worshiped. When men became wicked, they neglected God's altars and fought one another.

THE BIBLE STORY and Eve in the garden, rejoiced

schemed

to spoil

turn of events.

at the

He had

God's plans for a happy and beautiful

and now he was succeeding

better than

Having heard God's promise

that the Seed of the

made up

bruise his head, he

his

mind

vi^orld,

he had dared to hope.

woman

should

that nothing of the sort

should ever happen.

The best way to do this, he thought, would be to lead as many as possible of Adam's children to disobey God and do all sorts of things displeasing to

in

many

ways, and

all

Him. So he began

who were

to

tempt them

not living close to

God

fell

for his deceptions.

Adam their

own

and Eve, having learned the

costliness of sin

sad experience, tried their best to

warn

their

from

wayward

boys and girls of their danger, and persuade them to follow the

good way "which leadeth unto

life."

Year

after year

and century

after century they stood against the rising tide of evil.

was

But

it

The wicked became ever bolder in their More and more openly they mocked at Adam's

a losing struggle.

wickedness.

counsel, sneering that he

was too old-fashioned

young people, and grumbling every time he keep good rules.

Adam

lived to see his once beautiful

to

understand

tried to

make them

and peaceful world

inhabited by a host of very sinful people. Just before he died

he heard Enoch, the

man who walked

with God, rebuke the

"ungodly deeds" of the "murmurers" and "complainers, walking after their

own

lusts."

That was about nine hundred hundred 102

years later things

years after creation. Five

had become much worse. By

this

SAD,

BAD DAYS

time there was quarreling and fighting everywhere. Nobody's Hfe was

The

safe.

Bible says,

"The

earth

was

with

filled

violence."

How much

to

sad that

make

it

should have been so!

God had done

the world a place of beauty, peace,

and

joy.

so

Now

Satan had almost ruined everything.

How sorry God must have been The !

saw that the wickedness of

man was

Bible says that

"God

and

great in the earth,

that

every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

earth,

And

and

it

grieved

it

In those

last

of His sorrow.

Adam

only

repented the Lord that he had

him

a glimpse of the depths

thinking of what might have been

and Eve had not

their children

the

at his heart."

few words we catch

He was

made man on

listened to the serpent,

had loved Him, and walked with Him,

if

only

as

if

all

Enoch

had done!

With awful

man whom and for

beast, it

I

sadness

God

said to Himself, "I will destroy

have created from the face of the earth both man, ;

and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the

repenteth

me

that

I

have made them."

air;

!

THE BIBLE STORY Conditions must have become very terrible indeed for to say that. all

a

How

it

must have hurt

His creatures and

little

all

Him

to think of destroying

the beautiful things

He

had made such

time before

Yet even

now His

Perhaps there were

still

they were given one

even two or three,

"My

more chance.

In other words, years, to see

If

it

to

was.

Him

there were but a handful,

gladly wait.

He

not always strive with man,"

"yet his days shall be an

twenty

some who would turn back

He would

spirit shall

from

heart of infinite love held back

carrying out so dreadful a judgment, necessary though

if

God

hundred and twenty

He would

said;

years."

wait that long, a hundred and

whether any would heed His

call

to re-

pentance.

But now,

if

be found to give

such a it.

call

task.f*

speak His

last

to be given,

somebody must

But who.? With most of Adam's children

following the ways of Satan, portant a

was

Was there

who

anyone

message of mercy

could be trusted with so im-

left

through

to a

whom God

doomed world

.f*

could

y

PART THREE

STORY

2

God's Shipbuilder

LOOKING

for

planning

someone

alert,

God and

man and

God thought of Noah, last now nearly hve hundred years

and vigorous, he was one

of his day. Moreover, loyal to

what

to do,

^ old patriarchs, Keen,

to tell the people

amid

all

the right.

He was

of the ten old.

of the wisest

men

the evil about him, he remained

The

"Noah was a just and Noah walked with

Bible says,

perfect in his generations,

God." In this he was like Enoch, and no doubt this

chose

and

him

for his

his family Just

is

most important task and hnally saved him

from the Flood.

what Noah's usual work was we

are not told. Perhaps

many

of his relatives. But he

been a builder, perhaps even

a boatbuilder, for by

he was a farmer, like so

people surely had boats of

and

rivers.

why God

many

may ha\c this

time

kinds on their beautiful lakes

Certainly he was a great designer, or he never could

have carried out God's instructions for building the ark.

105

THE BIBLE STORY

to

One day Noah and

—one said,

for the earth

of the great days in history

"The end

is filled

of all flesh

with violence.

.

.

.

— God

come

is

Behold,

the breath of

is

thing that

life,

I,

even

I,

do

flesh,

all

from under heaven; and every

in the earth shall die."

is

This must have saddened the old man. about

me;

before

bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy

wherein

came

him were

He knew

the people

very wicked, that they needed to be punished,

but the destruction of everybody and the whole beautiful world

—

that

was something too dreadful

But even out that

as

God

could take

all

"Make

An

as

ark

to think about.

spoke of punishment if

we would

might want

That meant something say.

But would

it

to find refuge in

to

work

on.

It

feet long,

as

would

at

of the U.S. merchant

lifeboat that

modern

990

war

it

ship,

all

who

was

in

—almost

The United It

gave

mind,

to be

600

as big

States, pride

feet long, 101 feet

wide, and 122 feet from keel to top. of 1,000. In

A

God

He had

battleship. It

liners today. fleet, is

float.

the figures

100 feet wide, and 60 feet in height

some of the ocean

said.

it.''

was no small

but a huge vessel, big as a

that

He

be large enough to hold

Noah must have been amazed him

way

told of a

they wished.

thee an ark of gopher wood," !

He

6 inches

has 12 decks and a crew

could carry 14,000 soldiers.

GOD'S SHIPBUILDER

Why because for

him

God

did

Noah

to build so large a vessel? First,

He wanted

every single soul to

in the ark

he wished to be saved. Second, because

if

know

was room

there

He

number of birds and animals in it. because He knew it would have to ride out the

planned to preserve

And

ask

third,

a great

worst storms and the roughest seas of

all

time.

Noah was alone he must have thought a long time about what God had asked him to do. What a lot of trees would have to be cut down and hauled to the building site! Imagine After

all

the sawing, planing,

And

and shaping

that

would have

U

to be done.

—

men who would have to be hired and paid! It was a huge task for any man to tackle. And then Noah must have wondered what everybody all

the

would think when they saw him building a ship feet long!

Most

likely they

would

say he

six

was out of

hundred

his

mind,

money away on a crazy idea. But "thus did Noah according to all that God commanded him, so did he." People do just that, regardless of what others may think of them, when throwing

his

they are walking with God.

So Noah the lumber,

At But

started to

work, drawing the plans, preparing

and laying the

first

*'Vi

keel.

the neighbors probably didn't take

as the years

went

by,

to

a ship

and not

a barn that he

make fun

of him.

How

was

notice.

and one by one the great wooden

of the vessel were secured in place, and it

much

it

became

ribs

clear that

was building, they began

they laughed! For they could see

A.

r_-yt^ft

THE BIBLE STORY no reason

for building

want with it

any such thing.

a boat this big?

wouldn't

float,

And

anyway, even

What would anybody

they probably if

Noah

felt

could get

quite sure it

into the

water.

Noah to

tried to explain, but

was no

it

use.

As people

flocked

watch him work he warned them of the Flood that was

how God had who wanted to be

him

coming, and

told

for those

saved.

to build a place of refuge

The more he tried to explain, however, the more they mocked him. But he went on building and preaching, just the same, while the years, the slipped away.

last

few years of that beautiful world,

PART THREE

STORY

3

The Animals Move

IS the

IT

hundred and twentieth year

to build the ark.

The

Sixty feet high

come

a

landmark,

great ship

and

it

it,

feet long,

started

it

has be-

every direction.

although

they don't even bother

Noah

since

finished.

hundred

visible for miles in

Everybody knows about used to

six

is

In

to

have become so

all

go near

it

anymore.

They only point at it with a smile and say, "Noah's folly!" The vast ship itself looks gaunt and deserted, for only Noah remains with left.

They

just

it,

and

worked

his family. All the hired

for their pay,

workmen have

and now, the job

over, they

have gone home. They never really believed Noah's message.

The body

great door of the ark stands open, as

to enter

There

is

and find

empty

vessel,

feet as

making

inviting every-

But nobody comes.

a strange silence everywhere,

sound of echoing the

safety.

if

Noah and sure that

his

all is

broken only by the sons walk through

firm and strong and

watertight.

109

For 120 years the old patriarch has preached of

but ark.

now nowhere Not even

is

coming

destruction,

so peaceful as here

the sound of a

around the

saw or a hammer can be heard.

Noah has made a mistake Could he have misunderstood what God said to him.'' Perhaps nothing will Could

happen

it

after

be that

all.

.''

Perhaps he has wasted his time and money.

Perhaps the ark will

But look! Something over there!

They seem

And now

others are

it

away where

just rot is

to be

it

stands.

happening! See! Those animals

walking toward the

coming from

all

ark.

directions.

They

What

are.

can

mean.''

Now

people are running to watch the amazing sight, as

animals of every kind, evidently guided by some invisible hand,

make

their

way

to the ark,

climb up the ramp, and in through

the open door.

Great elephants arc lumbering up the creaking timbers, followed by growling

110

tigers,

grunting bears, and bleating

.sheep.

THE ANIMALS MOVE IN Behind them are zebras, antelopes, kangaroos, pandas, donkeys, goats,

and

a host of others, while squirrels, opossums, beavers,

chipmunks, and

of

all sorts

little

creatures go scurrying along

in between.

What a sight! Nothing even now the people who are understand.

They

think

it

like

it

ever happened before. Yet

looking on in astonishment do not

is

all

very funny.

Noah, they

say,

has decided to turn his ark into a zoo, seeing he couldn't get

it

to float.

But

comes

as the last of the

animals passes through the door,

to the side of the ark

follow them

in.

"There

is

and makes going

Noah

a final plea to the people

to be a great flood '"

he

cries.

"

THE BIBLE STORY "The whole world

about to be destroyed. That

is

animals have come. They understand.

is

Come! Come,

why

the

before

it

!

is

forever too late

But

still

no one responds. Again they laugh

live

with your animals," they sneer

and

their sins.

Now God

speaks to

house into the ark," before

cause

me

it

He

Noah

to rain

upon the earth

every living substance that

I

.

.

"Come

again.

.

him.

For

thou and

have

and

have made will

thy

all

seen righteous

I

yet seven days,

forty days

"Go

homes

as they return to their

says, "for thee

in this generation.

at

and

I

will

forty nights;

and

destroy

I

from

off

the face of the earth."

There

is

their chance.

nothing more to be done.

They have been given

don't care. Blinded by

sin,

The

their

self-satistied,

people have had

warning. But they

and

set in their evil

ways, they don't even want to be saved. Their ears are deaf to

God's message.

So Noah leaves them. The Bible in,

and

his sons,

and

his wife,

and

says,

"And Noah went

his sons' wives

into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

and

of beasts that are not clean,

that creepeth

upon the

Of

with him,

clean beasts,

and of fowls, and of every thing

earth, there

went

in

two and two unto

Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah." "And the Lord shut him in." As the great door closes, silently and mysteriously, shut by an unseen hand, Noah catches one last glimpse of the beautiful world outside, the world he

will never see again.

-

dogs and

his family

the v tne wild-looking place to

cats,

were

left.

were looking around

at

which the ark had brought

them.

was

It

a sad sight that

met

their gaze.

Everywhere was

wreckage and ruin caused by the raging waters. Great uprooted. Lovely

had been swept clean of

hills

trees lay

soil,

leaving

nothing but bare rock. Mountains had become scarred and jagged. Once-fruitful plains were deserts.

Not

a single

human

dwelling was to be seen anywhere.

Of

homes they remembered, not a trace remained. All had been smashed to matchwood by the towering tidal all

the beautiful

waves that had swept over everything when the Flood began. It

was enough

As

to break their hearts.

they stood there viewing the desolate scene, they

the earth shake under them, for there a

quake

must have been many

as the earth settled after the great eruptions

when

No

the fountains of the great deep" were "broken up."

they

felt afraid

and lonely on

happen

Then

terrible

next.

of a sudden

Noah

looked upward, and there in the

As though

trying to encircle the ruined earth with arms of love

glowing arch of many

It

with amazement.

was the

first

all

What was

rainbow.

was

a

colors.

Scarce daring to breathe, they

dumb

doubt

thing was going

sky he saw something he had never seen before.

glorious,

"all

that shuddering mountainside.

Well may they have wondered what to

felt

stood looking at

it.?

What

could

it

it,

struck

mean.?

Hi^,_-f*»tf»SJW::

And said, "I

watched

as they

do

set

my bow

of a covenant between

pass

when

I

me and

:

in the cloud,

me and

and

will

I

It

Nor

see the

I

And

my

remember

shall

it

be in the cloud

I

come

to

shall be

covenant, which

is

and

all flesh;

;

and

I

will look

upon

God

the everlasting covenant between

upon

is

the earth."

of saying, "I have not forgotten you.

My

ever forget you, or

rainbow and

bow

token

a flood to destroy all flesh.

living creature of all flesh that

was God's way

shall

shall be for a

it

the earth.

more become

"And the bow shall that I may remember

and every

and

you and every living creature of

the waters shall no

it,

wonderment God drew near and

bring a cloud over the earth, that the

seen in the cloud

between

in

see the

promises to you.

rainbow,

we

will

When

you

remember each

other."

Only

a

God

of love could have thought of speaking to

His children in such a way thing

—money,

home,

all

such a time. Having

at

save

brought with them in the ark

life

and what they had

—these poor,

surely needed a message of comfort

But now,

itself

homeless pilgrims

and hope such

their hearts cheered, their courage

told themselves again that all

lost every-

would be well

as this.

renewed, they

at last.

How

good

know that God was still with them, that God still loved them! And so, hand in hand with Him, they went forth through the shining arch above them to build a new world

to

with Him.

123

PART THREE

STORY The

HOW LONG

7

First Skyscraper

Noah and

Ararat nobody knows. it

their

home

his family stayed

It is

on Mount

quite hkely that they

made

for a long time, using the ark as a store-

house for the food and seed they had brought with them.

There was indeed nowhere

else for

them

Not

to live.

a

house or a building of any kind. So here they stayed while

Shem, Ham, and Japheth went exploring looking for a good place to

At

last

and take

As to

them

belongings to their

they started

back sadly

many

all

down and

down

the

many

farming again.

to leave the ark

new home.

mountain they must have looked

a time at the great ship that

for so

start

came when they decided

the day

all their

settle

in the nearby valleys

years, until at last

had meant it

so

much

was hidden from

view in the mists that covered the peak. Whether they ever returned to it

it

we do

not know, or what became of

was buried under the deep snow

finally rotted

124

away.

that later fell

it.

Perhaps

upon

it,

and

THE FIRST SKYSCRAPER The downward

was

trek

of course, not even a

difficult, for

of any kind.

trail

was no road,

there

They had

over jagged rocks, massive boulders, and fallen

hollows of the vast areas of

clamber

to

trees.

In the

they came across large bodies of water and

hills

swampy

land.

Every step of the way they saw fresh

evidence of the awful destruction caused by the Flood. Every-

where there seemed

to be

some

mark

fresh

of the curse that sin

had brought upon the world. But there was no time

new home, and Bible says that

He was

I

am

quickly. For there

They needed

was

Arphaxad was born "two

Shem's

was born

to be lost.

boy,

little

sure

a

to build a

baby coming. The

years after the flood."

and Noah's grandson, and when he

Noah was

baby mentioned in the Bible

very proud of him.

as

being born in the

He

is

new

the

first

world.

But he was not the only baby born in those pioneering days.

Ham, and Jahome they built

Many

other babies were born after him. Shem,

pheth

all

had very large

families.

Soon the

wasn't large enough to hold them out. ofT

As

the children

and

started

By

distant,

to spread

into

first

began

then

at first,

to be repopulated.

century after the Flood, Noah's

hundreds of families and

lots

and

lots

There may well have been half a million people

earth.

One where

own. Thus, slowly

rapidly, the earth

grown

of children.

on the

of their

the end of the

family had

and they began

grew up and got married, they too went

homes

more and more

all,

first

of the big questions all these people talked about

to live.

Should they divide up and go away

to

was

some

unexplored part of the world, or should they stay near

!

THE BIBLE STORY home? Most of them decided they would rather keep together. Nobody wanted to go too far from great-grandfather Noah who, you will remember, lived for 350 years

Many

times they must have talked about the beautiful

world that Noah and

and how ries

it

Noah

his sons

had known before the Flood,

was destroyed because of

could

tell

And

What wonderful

sin.

They were

anybody questioned whether the

if

he could climb Mount Ararat and

true,

One day somebody

too close to

story of the ark

was

see for himself.

raised the question.

there will not be another flood that will fathers

sto-

of those days

iSIobody doubted the Flood then. it.

after the Flood.

How

drown

do we know

us as our fore-

were drowned.''

"But see that

there's the rainbow,"

we

someone

remember God's promise

are to

"When we He will never

replied.

that

again destroy the earth by a flood."

"But

isn't

it

reasonable to trust our future and our chil-

dren's future to rainbows," argued another.

something about

it

and make ourselves

"We

safe in case

should do

another flood

comes."

And

so "they said

one to another,

and burn them throughly. slime had they for morter. us a city let

us

and

make

a tower,

us a name,

And And

Go

to, let

us

make

brick,

they had brick for stone, and they said,

Go

to, let

us build

whose top may reach unto heaven; and lest

we

be scattered abroad upon the face

of the whole earth."

Led by Nimrod, "the mighty hunter," everybody was soon helping to make bricks or carry them to

The

126

idea caught on.

!

THE FIRST SKYSCRAPER the building others

Everybody, that

site.

who remembered

except

is,

Noah and some

God's promises and trusted

Him

to

keep them.

To build a tower task

and must have taken

But gradually

it

was

a very great

lots of

hard labor.

to reach above the clouds

began

by month the world's

a long time

Week

to take shape. first

and

by week and month

skyscraper rose above the Plain of

Shinar.

As

grew higher and higher, with long

it

patiently carrying the bricks felt pleased.

Now

up the

lines of

people

steep ramps, everybody

they could build a large city around this

tower and have a safe place of refuge should another flood come

upon them.

God was

But

doubted, any more than you or

The

He

not pleased.

Bible says that "the

does not like His

word

do.

I

Lord came down

to see the city

and the tower, which the children of men builded."

Of

all

God was

the hundreds of busy builders not one realized that

so near.

But

He was,

they were getting along very nicely weren't, not really.

It is

never wise to forget God, for

and knows everything we

And what

did

They thought without Him, but they

right beside them.

God

He

sees

do.

think of the tower the people were

Not much. Indeed it must have seemed very small and paltry to Him who made the mountains, who raised up the

building.?

mighty Himalayas of India, the

lofty

Alps of Switzerland, the

high Andes of Chile and Peru, and the great Rockies of North

America What !

a pitiful

little pile

of earth

it

was, after

all

^

^ ....—^i

^/

THE FIRST SKYSCRAPER Yet

was dangerous. God saw

it

over the earth. Then, too,

they

if

would tend

it

He wanted them

the people in one place, whereas all

that

all

to hold

to spread

stayed together, not

only would a great city grow up here, but an empire which, controlled by evil

men, could thwart His gracious purpose

for

mankind.

Something had

He

and God chose

He mixed up

upset the program.

words,

to be done,

a novel

way

to

the builders' speech. In other

caused some to talk one language and some another,

so that they couldn't understand each other.

The

effect

was amazing.

some morning

at school

if

Just

imagine what would happen

every child in your class suddenly

began talking a different language. with the

lesson.?

And what

sort of

cess?

Everything would be one

Most

likely school

And

An

would be

that's just

How

would

teacher get

game could you

play at re-

terrible

closed

more

muddle, wouldn't

and everybody

what happened

overseer called for

far

bricks,

at the

and

a

sent

Tower

man

it.^*

home.

of Babel.

brought him

mortar. Another called for mortar, and got a load of bricks.

When

a

worker was

told to bring a trowel, he

mer; and when asked just

for a

brought a ham-

hammer, he brought

walked away not knowing what was being

Soon

voices

a shovel, or

said to him.

were raised in anger, and before long

all

were

shouting at each other, and striking each other, until confusion reigned everywhere.

Nobody could understand what had happened, and nobody knew what to do about it. One by one people got disgusted and walked

off the job.

Work

on the tower stopped.

9

^

PAINTING BY HERBERT RUDEEN

The higher

129

©

BY REVIEW AND HERALD

they built, the prouder they were of their tower. But suddenly their language was confused, and everybody had to stop building. They scattered in all directions.

THE BIBLE STORY On

their

way home some

of

them maybe went shopping,

but they couldn't buy anything, for the storekeepers couldn't

understand what they wanted. Pretty soon the whole place was in

an uproar.

Then one man pack up and

leave.

his belongings

I

and

said to his wife,

can't stand this his family,

"This

is

terrible.

Let's

any longer." So he gathered

and perhaps

a

few others who

could understand what he said, and went away.

Soon another man did the same, and another, and another. groups began moving

Little

no one was

left to

ofif

in all directions, until at last

go on building the tower.

There must have been some very sad girls

who had

they couldn't.

partings.

Boys and

played together tried to say good-by, and found

Maybe

they smiled and nodded and squeezed

hands, but the words they tried to say sounded odd and ugly.

Worse It

And

still,

was hard, but God was thinking only of

they

forget

they couldn't plan to meet again.

all

Him

needed to learn the lesson that

or disbelieve His promises.

it

their good.

never pays to

PART Stories

About Abraham,

IV Isaac,

(Genesis 12:1-24:67)

and Lot

££^

lS^h^^

PART FOUR

STORY God

WAS

ITGod

just

Finds a

We

know who was

then

just

count back to Arphaxad

—and

And now

given the

far.

One

Soon

It is

Shem two

to

meaning easy to

years after

moving away from

Babel.

Some

group, led by Asshur, Noah's grandson,

wandered westward

Strait into

of Peleg,

so find the date.

and founded the

Another group went south and

east into India,

Tower

baby happened to be

name

— the boy born

traveled north about 250 miles

others

building the

was the earth divided."

the people were

did not go very

who were

this because a

"division," "for in his days

the Flood

Boy

about a hundred years after the Flood that

scattered the people

of Babel.

born

1

built a

town

into Europe,

city of

Nineveh.

called Ur. Still

and many traveled

China, Siberia, and perhaps across the Bering

North America. villages,

towns, and

cities

were springing up

all

over

the place. Industries were started, for people needed tools for building, farming,

and cooking. Somebody discovered iron

ore,

133

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