SPREADING THE LIGHT—AN OBJECT LESSON IN CHRISTIAN
TESTIMONY

Tell the beautiful story of King Hezekiah’s great passover, as found in II Chronicles 30. You will have prepared on a large sheet of paper an outline map of Palestine, showing the portions of the country occupied by the twelve tribes, each bearing the name plainly marked. Lay this flat on a table, and place on each of the twelve divisions a pretty little candle, unlighted. Tell how dark the land had become, light after light having gone out. They had forgotten the Bible. They had not been observing the holy days. They had neglected that great feast of gratitude, the passover. No wonder God had permitted many of them to be taken captive by the cruel Assyrians!

Then tell how light came to good King Hezekiah, and how he made up his mind that his people should worship God as they used to do. With this, light the candle at Judah.

Next tell the story of Hezekiah’s messengers, sent up and down the land to carry the light, to call the people back to worship God, and to invite them all to come to Jerusalem and keep the passover. As you tell this, move the Judah candle to each division in turn, and imagine at each a conversation: “Come, all ye people, give up your idols. What have they ever done for you? Have they kept you from the Assyrians? Let us go back to the true God. Do you not remember how he led our fathers out of Egypt? how he brought our people through the Red Sea? how he conquered this land for us? Let us pray to him that he will deliver our dear ones that are held in cruel bondage. Come up to Jerusalem to the passover, as God has commanded.” Thus they will speak, and you will imagine and repeat the replies.

As each division is invited, if it accepts the invitation, light its candle from the first one and carry it down to Jerusalem till all are there except Simeon and Naphtali. Those will be left unlighted, standing in their places. Describe the joyous passover, and then send each candle home to burn in its own country. Close by applying the lesson to the lives of the children. Show them how each of them can light a little candle and hold it out where others can get a light from it. No one knows how far even a little light will travel.