Being A Dialogue For Children and Parents

Father—Hello James! how do you feel? Coming in with dad now, it will soon be dark and time for supper.

James—Hello dad! I am so glad to see you again. I am anxious to go in for supper because I need your help. Mother was too busy to answer a few questions for me which I do not understand. Besides, I have also a few problems which I cannot do.

Father—Hello mother!

Mother—Hello dad!

Father—How were the children today?

Mother—All well, they played nicely and behaved well. Are you ready for supper children, hands washed and hair combed? Hurry now, daddy wants to eat.

After dad had asked a blessing upon the food, he said, well girls, did you help mother with the wash today?

Martha—Yes dad, I did; but Joan had to sit reading that novel again.

Father—Is that so mother?

Mother—I don’t know dad, I didn’t see her reading.

Father—Joan, were you reading in novels again?

Joan—Ah, I kin never do anything here. I did my work, didn’t I mother!

Father—Joan, answer my question and don’t talk so saucy. Remember, God above is also God below, He also sees all things and hears all things.

Joan—I only read a few pages.

Father—Remember the instruction God gives you, and all of us children, but especially the young people. In Eccl. 12:1, the Preacher, (who is Solomon), directs his words to the youths as being the best time to “remember thy Creator.” What does he teach concerning the reading and studying of books? “My son (or daughter) by these, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh”; (verse 12). This will be our scripture topic for tomorrow night children, the Lord willing. Let us read this twelfth chapter of Ecclesiastes. Have you all found it in your Bible?

Children—Yes dad, we are ready to look on. (Each child having their own Bible.)

Father—After reading the first seven verses, dad said, now each one read a verse, and then mother will finish the chapter. And we will then give thanks to God for His bounties.

Martha—Oh! dishes must be washed again and Miss Joan has to first read the funny sheet. Well, I’m not going to start till you help me.

Joan—Ah mind your own business, you little old grandmother. And slam goes the door.

Mother—Joan! hurry now, the dishes must be washed and put away first.

Father—Now children, let us gather around the table for one-half hour and search the scriptures.

James—Oh dad! that’s just the thing I want to do. I asked mother what that meant, but she was too busy to answer me. Can we play that hide and go seek with the scriptures tonight?

Father—That’s not a game, James. To search means to look for something ’tis true. And in this case it means we must look for salvation in the scriptures. There we can read about God and how He works. About Jesus, the Son of God, who is the Saviour of poor sinners. And how He saves boys and girls and makes them truly happy.

James—Can’t you explain to me, dad, how to go about that searching?

Father—Yes, James, we will first answer your questions tonight. The first one is about searching the scriptures. Where is this text found?

Martha—I read that in the Banner of Truth, in the November number, it is found in John 5:39; also about the Bereans, searching the scriptures daily, Acts 17:11.

Father—Very good Martha, I see that you remember what you read. That is very important. Now, who is the speaker in John 5:39?

James—I think it is Jesus whom the Father hath sent.

Father—Correct James; and to whom did Jesus speak thus, “search the scriptures?”

James—To the Jews, who persecuted Jesus and sought to kill Him.

Father—Why did they try to kill Jesus? He always did good to every one!

James—Because Jesus cured a poor man, that had beeil sick thirty-eight years, on the Sabbath day, and told him to take up his bed.

Joan—I thought we were not allowed to work or carry our beds on the Lord’s Day?

Father—’Tis true children, we may not do any manner of work on the Sabbath day; it is unlawful and against the command of God. But, in this case, it was not working, but rather a proclaiming the miraculous cure to the honour of God. Also, to show that Jesus was the Lord of the Sabbath, and had power to overrule the law. Did not Joshua, and the host of Israel, march about Jericho on the Sabbath-day, at the command of God? To be sure, they did! Likewise, this man obeyed God’s command to carry his bed. So, in a case of sudden sickness, on the Lord’s Day, it would not be considered an unnecessary work but rather a most needful act and rendering mercy to the suffering one. Such an act of mercy and power Jesus performed upon this poor, sick man by bestowing upon him a complete cure.

Now, for that act, those Jews accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath, at which time, He justifies His deeds done on the Sabbath-day. He answered them, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work,” verses 17-30, wherein He tells them that He and His Father are equal. And that He was sent of God to be the Messiah, meaning Saviour.

The Jews denied and rejected Jesus as the Messiah of God. Very sad for them, children, for surely, all that so reject Jesus must be lost forever. For He is the only Way by whom man can be saved. And as those Jews had Moses and the prophets, who wrote of Jesus, and yet would not come to Him to be saved, neither would they believe Jesus whom the Father sent unto them; therefore Jesus said unto them: “Search the Scriptures”, because you vainly imagine that you have life eternal in them, but you certainly have not. Because Moses even testifies of Me but you do not believe Me, therefore you are deceiving yourselves by your own foolish imaginations. You have not the love of God in your hearts; for, if you had, you would not seek to kill Me as you do, but would the rather honour God instead of yourself. And, you do not even believe Moses, how, then, shall ye believe My words? Never! O horrible unbelief and hardness of heart, dear children; for that reason it is so necessary to “Search the Scriptures”, so that we may come to a true, proper and right understanding of the scriptures as they do indeed testify of Jesus as the one and only Saviour for our soul.

James—Dad! is that the meaning of those words? Well! well! how foolish I was in thinking it to mean playing a game.

Father—Well children, our time is now up; the Lord willing, we hope to consider next, how we are to conduct our searchings of the scriptures. Let us now pray to God for the forgiveness of all our sins of this day. And then you must get at your school work.

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