Then God said to his faithful servant, “Before very long I will bring the flood of waters upon the earth.” Let us read what it says in the Bible about the things that Noah was to do before the flood came (Genesis 6:19-21). Do you suppose that Noah did all that just as God had told him to do? Let us read that next verse very carefully together: “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Is not that a splendid thing to be said about any man? Let us read the words again and then close our books and say them, for that is our memory text this week, and it is one that we would like always to remember, I am sure. The Bible says that God told Noah what he wanted him to do. How does God tell you and me what he wants us to do? (Guide the conversation so that the children themselves will mention the Bible, God’s message, and the Sunday school and church where the meaning of the message is explained to us and where we try to help each other to be doers of the Word. Teachers at school and those who guide and direct in the home should also be mentioned.) You see that as you obey these helpers that God has given to you, you are learning to do according to all that God has commanded you. What has Jesus said of those who hear the Word of God and keep it? (Luke 11: 28.) “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Shall we not ask the heavenly Father to help us to be so strong to obey and so willing that something like that may be said of us too? Prayer (To be used if the conditions in the room and the spirit of the class make possible a quiet moment in which heads may be bowed, and the words, softly spoken by the teacher, heard by all the members of the class.) Our Father in heaven, we are glad that we have the Bible with its stories of people who loved and obeyed thee in the long ago. May we learn from these stories how to be more obedient to-day. Help us to be cheerful, loving doers of the Word. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen. LESSON 7 THE CORRELATED LESSON Use your own copy of the pupil’s book, and let the children talk over the lesson on the Building of the Ark freely and informally. If you should find that any one of the class has been dwelling in thought upon the people outside of the ark, and wondering why it was necessary that all of them should be destroyed, have them read Genesis 6: 11, and help them to see that people who choose to live in sin cannot be saved from its consequences. “Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him” (Psalm 140: 11. See also Galatians 6: 7, 8). People were sowing violence and reaping violence. Human life was not respected. God’s laws were scorned and ignored. There had to be a new beginning for the world, if there were to be any people left in it.