TThhee Friendly Companion Friendly Companion “The L ORD hath made all things for Himself.” (Proverbs 16. 4.) January 2014 2 Friendly Companion January 2014 Editor: Mr. G.D. Buss, “Bethany,” 7 Laines Head, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 1PH. Tel: 01249 656910. Email: [email protected] All correspondence (except that which relates to subscriptions) to be sent to the Editor. Annual Subscriptions inc. postage: U.K. U.S.A. & Canada Australia Europe (Netherlands) £13.50 $36 A$38 €25.00 All correspondence concerning subscriptions should be addressed to Mr. D. Christian, 5, Roundwood Gardens, Harpenden, Herts. AL5 3AJ. Cheques should be made out to Gospel Standard Publications. For United States and Canada, please send to Mr. G. Tenbroeke, 1725 Plainwood Drive, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53081, USA. Volume 140 January 2014 CONTENTS Our Monthly Message 3 Our Front Cover Picture 4 Good Wishes 5 For The Very Little Ones: Naomi Returns 6 Colouring Text: Ruth 1. 22. 7 Bible Lessons: The Burial Of Jesus 8 Three ‘B’s For 2014 10 A Dark Episode 12 Naaman 17 Sin 17 The Necessity Of Divine Life 18 Editor’s Postbag 18 Fascinating Flowerpots 19 Bible Study For The Older Ones: Light And Darkness (I) 20 Bible Questions: Washing And Making Clean 22 Poetry: A Conversation Between Two Brothers 24 Friendly Companion January 2014 3 OUR MONTHLY MESSAGE Dear Children and Young People, As you pick up the Friendly Companion this month it will be to read the first issue of another year. How quickly, to those of us who are older, do the years fly past! When you are younger, often time seems to drag, and there is a danger that you might wish your time away faster than God intends. Many of us look back and wish we had spent our earlier days more profitably, especially when we think of days when we did not fear God. How Paul exhorts us, to ‘redeem the time, for the days are evil.’ What did he mean? To redeem, means ‘to buy back.’ How can we ‘buy back’ our time? We certainly cannot become younger and relive those days that are gone, but we should seek, with God’s help, to live our remaining days more profitably. How Zacchæus sought to do that when his life was changed by the Lord Jesus Christ. He restored the money he had stolen from others, fourfold, and gave the half of his goods to the poor. Saul of Tarsus redeemed the time by using his considerable zeal to defend Christ’s cause, the very opposite of what he had done before his experience on the Damascus Road. But when all is said and done, as we look back over 2013, we all have to say how far short we have come of this standard! How much of our time have we spent in unprofitable conversation? How much of our time have we wasted by being too engrossed with the world around us and have forgotten the one thing needful, which is Christ? Young people in our day have many attractions that are often really nothing other than time-wasters, if not worse. This is the great snare of such things as ‘Facebook,’ which seems to be the craze with many in our day. Addiction to the internet and television are equally harmful, especially in those growing years when the mind is formed. To use the world and not to abuse it needs a power greater than we can summon up. If you compare how much time you spend reading your Bible, with the hours you may be spending using (or misusing?) the 4 Friendly Companion January 2014 media, I am sure many of you would be staggered to see the imbalance. It is a saying which has a lot of truth in it: “We should treat the world as a man doing business in the rain. As soon as he is finished he goes indoors.” So while we cannot altogether divorce ourselves from current technology, we should use it only as much as is necessary to carry on our daily lives honourably, and only ever to the glory of God. Any other use is not only displeasing to God, but also harmful to our souls and should be turned from and avoided. May God help us each to use the days of 2014 to Him and not to ourselves. With best wishes from your sincere friend and Editor. ——— OUR FRONT COVER PICTURE Those of you who live in England will no doubt be aware of a cull of badgers which is taking place. The environmental authorities say that up to 70% of badgers in certain areas need to be culled to avoid the spread of tuberculosis among cattle. Strong views have been expressed on both sides of the argument, and it is not for us to take sides, we not having all the necessary knowledge to hand. However, did you know that the badger has a very important place in Scripture? The Tabernacle was covered with badger skins. Now godly scholars tell us that it was probably not the same species of badger that we are used to in this country, but nonetheless there are some lessons we can learn. The Tabernacle was so designed to teach spiritual lessons to the Israelites. Firstly, the skin’s dark colour in such contrast to the glories within the Tabernacle, reminds us of how the Lord Jesus veiled His glory when He became a Man. Isaiah tells us: “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53. 2). Friendly Companion January 2014 5 Secondly, the black exterior of the Tabernacle reminds us that when the Lord Jesus came, He came to bear the sins of His people. Their sin was to be laid to His charge to bear the punishment: “For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5. 21). Thirdly , the badger skin was very hard wearing. It gave adequate protection from all of the elements in the long wilderness journey, from the searing heat of the midday sun and the ferocious sand storms which are common in desert lands. Isaiah, again in his prophecy says in chapter 32. 2: “And a Man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; … as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Even though the children of Israel had not the full revelation of the Word of God as we have, yet God taught those who had ears to hear, in these ways, the great fundamental truths of salvation. We are blessed with a complete Bible. Do we value it enough? Have we been made wise unto salvation through its sacred teachings? ——— GOOD WISHES The present season prompts my mind to send These, my kind wishes, to my Christian friend: I wish you much increase of every grace; I wish you strength to run your Christian race; I wish you patience under every rod; I wish you much sweet fellowship with God; I wish you joy and comforts all divine; I wish your evidence bright may shine; I wish you very strong in “precious faith”; I wish you well through life, and well in death; I wish you safe on the celestial shore; And there, I wish you well for evermore. Samuel Medley 6 Friendly Companion January 2014 FOR THE VERY LITTLE ONES NAOMI RETURNS There was a famine in Israel in the time of the judges. One family left their home in Bethlehem and went to stay in the land of Moab. There was plenty of food in Moab, but they could not go away from the judgments of God. After a while the father died. The two sons married women of Moab named Orpah and Ruth. Ten years went by and the two sons also died. The mother, Naomi, heard that: “the L ORD had visited His people in giving them bread.” She wanted to return to Bethlehem. Orpah and Ruth went on the way with her. Naomi told them to go back to their old homes in Moab. They wept together and Naomi urged them again to go back. Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye, but Ruth refused to leave her. She did not want to go back to the idols of Moab. Ruth said: “ ... thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” The people of Bethlehem were amazed to see them. They said: “Is this Naomi?” But she told them to call her Mara, which means bitter. She said: “the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty.” QUESTIONS: 1. What land did one family go to stay in? 2. Who refused to leave Naomi? 3. How did she say the Almighty had dealt with her? (2 words) Please send your answers to the Editor either by post or by e-mail. (See page 2 for the address). Remember to give your name and address and to write the word ANSWERS on the envelope. Contributed ANSWERS TO DECEMBER QUESTIONS 1. Delilah. 2. Samson's great strength. 3. His hair to be shaved off. Friendly Companion January 2014 7 8 Friendly Companion January 2014 BIBLE LESSONS THE BURIAL OF JESUS What a striking silhouette the crosses must have made in the late evening sky! The historic, though solemn, events of the day had come to an end.