And what had the sixth man to say? The sixth man had caught hold of the elephant"s tail, and when he had felt all over it, he declared the elephant was "like a rope".
What conclusion did they come to in the end?
They didn"t come to any conclusion. They argued and argued for a long time, and each man was stubborn and stuck to "his own opinion".
GENERALIZATION
In what respects were they all alike?
1. Each one felt just one part of the animal and took the part for the whole.
2. Each was in a hurry to give his opinion and did not take time to form a good one.
3. Each man was stubborn and probably refused to feel where the others had felt.
If they could be in your place, how would they see themselves? They would see how foolish they had been, and each would see that the others were as nearly right as he himself was.
What lesson for ourselves can we learn from this? It teaches us not to be in a hurry in giving our opinions.
What do we learn from the dispute mentioned in the last verse? We learn from it that, when our own opinions about anything are firmly fixed, it does no good to argue about the matter.
In what way could they have arrived at the same conclusions? If each had done all that each of the others did, they would have agreed about the elephant.
In what way were these men really blind? They could not, or would not, see the viewpoint of others. There may be a mental blindness, as well as a physical blindness.
Here are two lines that you may memorize, as they fit the lesson very well:
Convince a man against his will, He"s of the same opinion still.
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
(Second Reader, page 203)
AIM
To lead the pupils to appreciate the beauty and power of the language of this Biblical lesson, and to feel a confidence in G.o.d"s protection and support.
PRESENTATION
The teacher should talk with the pupils about the great flocks of sheep in Eastern lands. They require a shepherd to lead them to pastures where the gra.s.s is long and sweet, and to protect them from the wild animals.
This Psalm is called the "Shepherd Psalm" because it was written by David, after he became a king. He remembered the time when he was a shepherd boy and used to spend his days and nights in the fields with the sheep, and how he once killed a lion and a bear that came to attack his flock; and he thought to himself that G.o.d had cared for him all his life just as he himself used to care for his little lambs, so at last he put his thoughts into the words of this Twenty-third Psalm.
There are two metaphors in this Psalm. In the first is developed, through the figure of a shepherd and his flock, G.o.d"s care of His people.
What are the feelings of the sheep toward the shepherd? They feel confident that he will supply them with food; he will lead them to the "green pastures" and to the "still waters" by the wells and fountains, where they will neither hunger nor thirst.
What does the expression "lie down" infer? A sense of rest and security. The sheep can lie down in the "green pastures" and feel confident that the shepherd is able and willing to protect them from danger.
In what way do we resemble the sheep? We are dependent upon the Lord for our supply of spiritual and material needs, and for guidance and protection along the path of everyday life.
What does the Psalmist mean when he says: "He restoreth my soul"? "Soul" means, in Hebrew, the "life," or "one"s self". The Lord restores and brings back His people, when wandering into forbidden places.
Explain the next line. As the shepherd goes before and leads his sheep by the right paths, avoiding all dangers, so the Lord leads His people into "the paths of righteousness".
What does "for His name"s sake" mean? He has undertaken to guide His people safely and will do it for the honour of His name.
In the next section, whom is the Psalmist addressing? He is speaking to the Lord.
What words show that he is still using the figure of the shepherd and the sheep? "Through the valley"; "Thy rod and thy staff".
What does the first line mean? Some paths that are right paths for us to walk in still lead through perilous places; and this is the way the Psalmist refers to this fact in shepherd life.
How should we feel? The Lord accompanies us, and we should "fear no evil". The sheep follow the shepherd with absolute confidence, and our att.i.tude toward "the Good Shepherd" should be the same.
What words show that danger is sometimes close?
Death sometimes comes so close that it almost seems to cast a shadow.
What does the "rod" represent? The rod is the sign of authority, and represents the defence and protection afforded by the shepherd to the sheep, when in danger from robbers or wild beasts.
What does the "staff" represent? The staff denotes support and guidance, and is used for aiding the sheep in places of need, even along peaceful ways. The expression "Thy rod and thy staff" covers the whole round of protecting care.
Here the figure is changed. In the second metaphor G.o.d is represented as a host with the Psalmist as a guest at a banquet.
"Thou preparest a table before me." The Lord makes provision for man"s needs. He does so openly, publicly ("in the presence of mine enemies").
In what other way does the Lord show His care for His people? The Psalmist says: "Thou hast anointed my head with oil."
To what does this refer? In the East, it was the custom to pour an ointment of great fragrance on the heads of the guests of honour at a feast.
How does the Psalmist further picture the goodness of G.o.d? He fills our "cup" till it is overflowing.
What is the thought in the last two lines? The confidence of the Psalmist in the Lord, that as He has led and guided him in the past, so His "goodness and mercy" "shall follow" him "all the days of his life," and he will live forever in intimate communion with Him.
What do you like about the selection? The spirit of grat.i.tude and confidence in those who enjoy G.o.d"s benefits. The nature of some of these benefits is made plain to us by the pictures of the "green pastures", the "still waters", "the rod and staff", and the prepared "table".
CHAPTER VI
FORM III