A Sunday Reader

Illustrated Narratives from the Old and New Testaments

Aley Fox

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9780486803968
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Noah and the Ark, Isaac's blessing of Jacob, Jonah cast into the sea, and other immortal Bible tales are memorably retold in this splendid book of stories and pictures. Starting with Cain and Abel, the collection ofninety familiar and lesser-known vignettes includes Abraham's sacrifice, the plagues of Egypt, Samson and the lion, Elijah fed by ravens, the parable of the boiling pot, and other episodes from the scriptures.
Written in simple but vivid language, each tale is accompanied by a black-and-white illustration by a distinguished Victorian artist. Contributors include Sir Frederic Leighton, Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Sir Edward Poynter, George Frederic Watts, William Holman Hunt, and other luminaries of the nineteenth-century British art world. All of the narratives comment directly on the striking images, pointing out details of particular interest. A wonderful way to introduce children to biblical literature, this new reproduction of a magnificent antique volume will captivate readers of all ages.

CAIN AND ABEL

The Bible begins by telling us that the world was made by GOD. He created all living things which move upon the earth ; and last of all, He made a man and gave him power to know and love Him. The man was to rule over other creatures, and to obey GOD with a joyful and thankful heart.

The first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, disobeyed GOD ; and their sin spoilt the happiness of life on earth, for it brought fear, and pain, and .sorrow into the world.

Cain and Abel were the sons of Adam and Eve. Cain helped his father to till the ground and sow corn for food; and Abel took care of sheep.

The young men wished to try and please GOD by offering a sacrifice to Him. They built two altars with heaps of stones. Cain laid some fruit upon one altar, while Abel killed a lamb and placed it upon the other. This was the way in which the men of very early times worshipped GOD. They knew that all things were given to them by GOD ; and instead of thanking Him in prayers as we do, they spread their offerings on an altar, under the open sky, hoping that GOD would look down from heaven, and accept the gifts as a sign of their thankfulness to Him.

Abel was a good man, and GOD was pleased with his sacrifice; but Cain was wicked, and GOD would not accept his offering.

Then Cain was very angry; and he grew jealous of Abel and hated him. One day when the brothers were in the fields, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him. As soon as the wicked deed was done, Cain turned away to hide his face, for he could not bear to see his young brother lying, stretched out upon the ground, white and silent in death. In the picture by Sir Frederick Leighton, we see him making haste to fly from the spot, yet choosing a dark path under high rocks, as if he were afraid to show himself in the open country.

NOAH BUILDING THE ARK.

The people that were born into the world, after Adam and his children were all dead, lived very wicked lives. Some of them were giants ; and they had no fear of GOD’S anger against sin.

The Bible tells us of one good man, called Noah, who taught his sons to obey GOD.

The LORD told Noah that He meant to bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy the wicked people and all living things ; but Noah’s family and some of every kind of bird, beast, and insect, were to be saved alive.

And GOD told Noah how to build a great ship, which is called an Ark. There was to be a window at the top and a door at the side of the Ark ; and it would be like a large house floating on the waters.

Noah began to build this ship at once; according to all that GOD commanded him, so did he. And he gathered together all kinds of food that were eaten.

The wicked people laughed at Noah and tried to tempt him to forsake his work. They used to come with wine, and invite the good man to drink and be merry with them. Mr. Watts has drawn a picture of Noah and his sons, working with bare arms and breasts, under the hot summer sun, while the idle men of the place are watching them, and mocking at Noah’s grave face and warning words.

NOAH BUILDING THE ARK, G.F. WATTS, R.A., DELT.

1.—THE DELUGE.

2.—THE ARK ON THE WATERS.

When the Ark was finished, GOD told Noah to go in with his sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives, and to take two of every kind of living creature, and seven of those used for sacrifices, such as oxen, sheep, and doves. And the LORD shut them in.

After seven days the rain began to fall, and for forty days and nights it never ceased pouring down from the heavy, black clouds. The rays of the sun could not pierce the damp air; and in Mr. Dalziel’s picture we see the people wandering about in the darkness, seeking for safety upon rocks and hills. The strength of the giants was of no use to them; they could not escape from their punishment. Every day the flood rose higher, until at last the land was covered, and no spot of earth was to be seen. All living creatures were drowned.

In the second picture, the Ark can be seen, floating upon the top of the waters; and everything in it was perfectly safe. When the rain ceased, and Noah saw clear sky through the window, he let a raven fly out. It did not come back; it went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. After seven days he sent out a dove, but she could find no rest for the sole of her foot, and soon flew home. After another seven days, he let the little bird fly again; and she returned with an olive leaf in her mouth. . The third time he sent her she did not come back at all; and Noah knew that the land must be nearly dry.

The Ark is a type of Christ’s Church. As Noah and his family were received into the Ark, and kept in safety from the Flood, so by Holy Baptism we are received into Christ’s Church, that being washed from sin, and made pure and good by the power of the Holy Spirit, we may pass in safety through the waves of this troublesome world to the land of everlasting life.

THE DELUGE. T. DALZIEL, DELT.

THE ARK ON THE WATERS. T. DALZIEL, DELT.

NOAH’S SACRIFICE.

The Ark had rested upon a high mountain, called Ararat; and GOD told Noah to come out with his family and all living creatures.

As the little company of men and women walked down into the valley, their hearts must have been filled with thankfulness to GOD for having saved them alive, to see the blue sky, and feel the warm sun, and tread the green earth once more.

Noah built an altar; and he burned some of the beasts and fowls upon it, as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving to GOD for His great mercy.

The LORD GOD accepted the sacrifice as a sign of His servant’s love ; and He blessed Noah and his sons. He gave the earth to them, as He had given it to Adam ; and He commanded them to spread themselves over the world, that it might be filled with people.

And GOD promised Noah that He would never again send a flood to destroy all living creatures. The rainbow was to be the sign of this promise; it was set in the heavens for a token of the covenant which GOD had made between Himself and all flesh that is upon the earth.

In Mr. Watts’ picture Noah is standing in front of the altar, looking up to heaven, and praying GOD to accept his offering. He is holding the knife with which he has killed the birds and beasts; and the smoke of the burning sacrifice is rising into the air. The young men and women, kneeling on the ground, have caught sight of a rainbow in the sky ; and they are gazing in fear and wonder at the strange and beautiful sight of the many-coloured bow in the cloudy heavens. Noah’s face is turned to the sun, and he has not yet seen the token of GOD’S covenant.

NOAH’S SACRIFICE. G.F. WATTS, R.A., DELT.

1.—ABRAM INSTRUCTING SARAI.

2.—ABRAM PARTING FROM LOT.

Many hundred years after the flood, when the people of the world had forgotten the GOD of Noah, He made Himself known to a man called Abram.

Abram was very rich ; he had numbers of sheep and oxen, and men and women-servants. They all lived in tents, and moved from place to place in search of good grass for the cattle.

Abram had a very beautiful wife called Sarai; and when he went down into Egypt with his flocks and herds, he was afraid that the Egyptians would kill him that they might take possession of Sarai; therefore he told Sarai to say she was his sister.

In Mr. Dalziel’s picture Abram and Sarai are standing in their tent, talking together. Abram is telling Sarai to call herself his sister. Egypt is a very hot country, and Abram and Sarai are dressed in cool, loose garments, with coverings on their heads to shield them from the sun. The fringed curtain of the tent is lifted with a pole to let in air and light; and we can see a stone-jar for water or milk, and a cup and basin set on the ground near the opening. Inside the ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Preface
• Contents
• Part I
• Part II