Wisdom Booklet 13

7i WISDOM

QUZZ

Matthew 5:13a

“Ye are the salt of the earth. . . .”

How well d o

y o u u n d e r s t a n d t h e

c o n c e p t o f b e i n g s a l t ?

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True”FalseWhen Jesus said, “Ye are the saltof the earth,” He was referring toall Christians. cl0(Read Matthew 5:3-E.)l In the context of this sermon, salty

Christians are those who are poor in spirit,mourners over sin, meek, hungry andthirsty after righteousness, merciful andpure in heart, peacemakers, and perse-cuted for righteousness’ sake. Only thesequalities will accomplish the functions ofbeing spiritual salt.

It actually takes years of maturingbefore a believer can become a“salty Christian.” clcl(See Revelation 21-5 and I Timothy4:12.)

By identifying Christians as the“salt of the earth,” God makesthem responsible for the extent ofevil that is in the world. 00(Read Genesis 1832 and I Peter4:17.)l One of the primary functions of salt is to

preserve food. As Christians maintainGodly standards, they become theconscience of their community and causeeven unbelievers to respect them. Lot’sineffectiveness in Sodom was evidencednot only by the lack of converts but alsoby the lack of respect which was shownto him.

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If all Christians were “salty,” theycould eventually win the wholeworld to Christ. q cl(See Luke 16:31 and Jude 4.)

Based on the concept that Christiansare salt, God expects them to bescattered throughout the world. 00(Read Matthew 28: 19-20.)l A pile of salt on part of a steak would

certainly prompt the one who is about toeat it to spread that salt over its entiresurface. Similarly, God wants Christiansto view themselves as pilgrims andstrangers that go throughout the worldspreading His truth. God uses persecutionto scatter Christians throughout the world.

Even if a community rejects theGospel, Christians are to remainthere in order to be a witness. Cl0(See Matthew 10:14-15, 23.)

Salty Christians should remain inapostate churches so they cancontinue to have a Godly influence. 00(Read II Corinthians 6:14-l&)l As in the case of meat, there comes a

point when the preserving influence of saltis no longer effective. At this point, God’scommand is to come out from amongthem and be separate. This is necessarynot only for the fellowship requiredamong believers, but also for the churchto be a pure and effective witness ofChrist’s truth in the community.

Scripture offers no specific timewhen a Christian should leave anapostate church. 00(See Acts 19:9.)

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Wisdom Worksheet (Booklet 1~Prelimmary Edition)

WISDOMWORKSHEET -ONMATTHEW5:13a

“YE ARE THE SALT OF THEEARTH. . . .”

1 Salt is essential to life.

A person lacking salt will soon die.Those who do not hear the Gospel willperish, and “. . how shall they hearwithout a preacher?” [Romans 10:14).

2 Salt is a preservative.

When salt is spread on meat, it retardsthe spread of bacteria. Christians shouldretard the spread of evil in their county.

3 Salt creates thirst.

People who eat salt become thirsty.People who are around Christiansshould begin to hunger and thirst afterGod.

4 Salt is a food seasoner.

Salt brings out the real flavor of food,just as Christians are to bring out thereal meaning of life.

5 Salt requires distribution.

To be most effective, salt should bespread evenly throughout food. Godcommands Christians to go out into allthe world and preach the Gospel. If wefail to obey this command, God mayraise up persecution to scatterChristians to distant places.

6 Salt is useful in industry.

Christians should serve others in avariety of practical ways.

Can you think of other analogies?

YEGreek: 6pLdq (hoo-MACE)DEFINITION: YouINSIGHT: When used as a subject, yeis emphatic. It is not the scribes orPharisees who are the salt of the world,but Christians who demonstrate alleight beatitudes in their lives.

SALTGreek: &3ia~ (HAH-lahs)DEFINITION: A muriate of soda usedfor seasoning or preserving foods.

Salt has come to representpurity, incorruptibility, fidelity,friendship, wisdom, prudence,virtue, health, and vigor. Latin: sal.Words which have come fromthe word saltl Silt: Salty depositsl Saline: Salty solutionl Salad: Dish of salted vegetablesl Sauce: Any salty seasoningl Saucer: A small dish for saltl Sausage: Meat heavily pre-

served or seasoned with saltl Salary: Salt used as wagesFigurative expressions:l “He is worth his salt.”l “Her wit added salt to the

conversation.”l “He’s been salting away

money for years.”l “Take that remark with a grain

of salt.”

Do Resource A.

EARTHGreek: ~4 (GAY)INSIGHT: Godly Christians have auniversal message and ministry. Theentire world has need of this life-givingmessage.

The function ofChristians as thesalt of the earthis beautifully illus-trated in the lifeand work of Hud-son Taylor.

Christians are also God’s restrain- Hudson Tayloring force in the world. 1832-1905

Do Resource B.

What is the historical relationshipbetween salt and a paycheck?

Roman soldierswere originally given aregular allowance ofsalt. As time went on,they received moneyinstead, with whichthey could purchasetheir own salt. Thisfinancial allowance wascalled salarium, fromwhich we get ourword salary.

How has the valueconfirmed in history?

of salt been

Since salt is essential for life, manyof the ancient trade routes werespecifically built to transport it. One ofthe oldest roads in Italy was called theVia Salaria, or “salt route.”

When salt was scarce, it was usedfor money; at times it was traded ouncefor ounce for gold.

How does thedanger of toomuch salt illus-trate the needfor Christiansto be dispersed‘throughout theworld?

Seawater is too saltyto drink.

Do Resource C.

496 Wisdom Worksheet (Booklet KLPreliminary Edit

How does the chemistry of saltillustrate the miracle of how God canuse Christians?

Salt = NaClThe basic chemi-

:a1 makeup of saltdefies logic.

Salt is a blend ofsodium and chlorine.

Sodium is an al-kali metal so unstablethat it bursts intoflame when exposedto water. Chlorine islust the right process,turn into a life-giving

a lethal gas. Withthese ingredientsagent.

Do Resource D.

How does saltkeep meat fromspoiling?

Salt preservesmeat by drawingthe moisture outof bacteria beforethey have an op-portunity to spread.

worked into freshmeat and allowed

to “cure,” the meat can last more thansix months, whereas mea t in arefrigerator begins to spoil in less than aweek.

A relatively small amount of salt isrequired to preserve a large amount ofmeat. A few righteous people couldhave preserved the wicked cities ofSodom and Gomorrah. (See Genesisl&2%33.)

How do the multiplied uses of saltillustrate the many functions ofChristians in the world?

Do Resource E.

xn Worksheet (Booklet 1CLPreliminary Edition)

How is salt a picture of a Godlylaw system?

When sodium and chloride ionscombine in salt, they form an almostperfect cube.

If larger cubes arebroken down intosmaller ones, theyalso form nearly per-fect cubes.

This constancy ,and orderliness ,’ ,,’ ,

,s’

clearly illustrate,’ ,/ ,’

/’ ,I ,,’ ,1,’ ’ A salt

two basic ,J’:.‘:,~:,,” crystal

aspects of /’ /’ (,,I ,’ containsGod’s ,,,‘,;:/,, negativelaws. ‘f:’ ”‘/ / ,,, ‘, and positive

‘, ‘,’ . . . . $3 ions in a regular,d’- . . .,, repeating arrangement.

.._- . . _.__L..

God is the same yesterday, today,and forever, and His laws do notchange to fit the passing culture of adecaying civilization.

How does salt relate to legalagreements?

Salt has been the symbol of acovenant since the days of Moses.

Treaties were concluded and ren-dered firm and unbreakable when eachparty ate bread and salt together.

The “salt of the covenant” symbol-izes unbending truthfulness, purity,and permanency, which are character-istics of God’s nature.

Do Resource F.

How is salt essential to maintain lifein the body?

l HeartbeatSodium is required

for muscle contraction,including 100,000 con-tractions of the heart ina single day!

l Nervous SystemSalt is essential in

maintaining the nerveconstitute the body’snetwork.

Heart muscle

impulses whichcommunication

How does salt cre-ate thirst?

A kidney

Thirst is trig-gered by theamount of salt inthe blood.

As the salt con-tent increases, thekidneys slow their

production of waste water, the tonguedries out, and the sensation of thirstresults.

l DigestionSalt regulates the exchange of

water between body cells and theirsurrounding fluid. This exchange car-ries food in and wastes out.

Without salt, the body goes intoconvulsions, then paralysis, and finallydeath. If a blood cell is put in a saltlessfluid, it will burst.

Do Resource G.

The purpose of thirst is to add waterto the body and thus dilute the saltconcentration. This process restoresbalance to the chemical compositionof the body.

49;

How many of these questions can you answerbefore studying the resources?

H O W C A N Y O U A T T A C K E V I L W I T H A P E N ?l Why does God call police-

men His ministers? . ,499l How did “policemen” save

Paul’s life?. . 501l How can you test whether

you have the right attitudetoward the police? . 503

l Why did a famous robberbecome a famous de-tective? . . . . . 507

H O W D O P R O N O U N S I N T E N S I F YS T A T E M E N T S ?

l What are the forms ofGreek personal pronouns? 509

l How do pronouns empha-size personal responsibility? 510

l How do Greek personalpronouns illustrate thesaying, “Two are betterthan one”?. . . . . 510

H O W D I D S A L T I N A S T U D E N T ’ S L I F EC R E A T E T H I R S T I N A N A T I O N ?

l How did an English coinchange the direction of aman’s life?. . . . . . . . . . 511

l How did Hudson Taylorwin his way into the heartsof the Chinese?. . . . . . 514

l What three benefits did^’ Hudson Taylor believe

would occur as a result oftrusting God?. . . . . ,515

l What secret enabled Hud-son Taylor to shoulder im-possible si tuations? . . . . .517

. How did God demonstrateHis laws of abundant har-vest in Hudson Taylor’slife? 518

H O W D O E S S A L T

.

SHU W GUD’S DESIGN?

How can the combinationof two dangerous sub-stances produce a harmlessmixture? . . .519

Why do sodium and chlo-rine combine so easily? . . 520

What causes salt to retaini t s c u b e - l i k e s h a p e ? . 5 2 1

Why does salt weaken amagnetic field? . . . . ,522

H O W D O E S S A L T F U N C T I O N L I K EC H R I S T I A N S ?

d‘,I i l When is salt more precious

than gold? . . . 526

H O W D O E S S A L T R E L A T E T OA G R E E M E N T S ?

l What is a salt covenant? . . . ,527

l When does a meal consti-tute a binding agreement? 528

9 What consequences wouldcome upon an Arab whobroke a salt covenant? ,529

l How do we enter into “saltcovenants” with otherbelievers?. . . ,530

H O W D O E S T H E E A R “ T A S T E ” W O R D S ?

l What are the four sensa-tions of taste? ,531

l What part of the tonguetastes salt? 532

l How did a failing salesmandiscover the most impor-tant secret to selling? . . . . 532

l What did God mean whenHe said, “Let your speechbe seasoned with salt”? . 533

498 Wisdom Worksheet (Booklet 1LLPreliminary Edition)

THROUGH

L E A R N T H E W O R D S T H A TD E F I N E O U R R E S P O N S I B I L I T YTO RETARD EV I L .

WORDS WHICHMEAN “TORETARD EVIL”

Cl Protect0 MaintainEl Sustain•i Preserve0 Arrest0 Guard

CHARACTERQUALITIES NEEDEDTO RETARD EVIL

Cl IntegrityCl Consistency0 VigorEl IncorruptibilityCl Discernment0 Courage

“Ye are the salt of the earth. . . .” S T E P 1

Identify those whom police must PROTECT.The first twelve verses of Matthew 5 focus onthe development of inward character. Verse thirteenemphasizes our responsibility to be an influence onthe world around us. The functions of salt provideclear analogies which define what we should do.

Salt maintains balance in the body. TheChristian is to maintain the balance of God’s truth inthe Body of Christ, since truth out of balance leads toheresy. Salt creates thirst, and the Christian is tocreate interest in the things of God.

One of the most important functions of salt isto preserve food from the spread of disease-producing bacteria. The Christian is to function witha similar purpose in the world.

When we see evil increasing, we should beprompted to do something about it. Our actionsagainst evil, however, must be guided by theprinciple of authority. We are to make direct appealsto those who are doing evil, but when that fails, weare to notify and encouragethose in authority over them toexercise their God-given re-sponsibilities.

The words in this resourceidentify the responsibilities oflaw officers.

God calls policemen Hisministers. This fact is empha-sized three times in the first sixverses of Romans 13.

I‘

God.. --*The powers that be are ordained of

. . For he is the minister of God to thee forgood. . . . for he is the minister of God, a revengerto execute wrath upon him that doethevil. . . . For they are God’s ministers, attendingcontinually upon this very thing” (Romans139-6).

PRONUNCIATION: pro-tect (pro-tekt)

DEFINITION: To keep from harm, attack, or injury.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word protegere;tegere, meaning “to cover,” and pro, meaning“in front.” Protection, then, refers to a cov-ering to shield from the effects of an attack.

I ISAGE: As a verb-(to) protectPolicemen must protect the innocent from theattacks of lawbreakers.

As a noun-protectionThis protection must be diligently given.

As an adjective-protectiveEvery Christian should value the policeman’sprotective role.

SYNONYMS:Verb: to cover, to shelter, to defend, to keepNoun: safekeeping, care, defense, shelterAdjective: shielding, sheltering, keeping (parti-

ciples), defensive

ANTONYMS:Verb: to attack, to assault, to assail, to exposeNoun: attack, assault, exposureAdjective: attacking, assailing (participles), aggres-

sive, combative

Power through Precision A (Booklet 1LPreliminay Edition)

EXAMPLE:

A five-year-old boy in New Haven, Connec-ticut, fell through the ice on a river near his home.The police responded to the desperate call for help.

.

Several patrol officers rushed to the scene andrisked their lives on the treacherous ice in an effort tosave him. While pulling the boy out of the freezingwaters and back toward the shore, a patrolman

himself fell through the ice and then struggled toshore with the boy in his arms.

The boy had been in the water for anextended period of time. Thus, the heroic efforts ofthe officer to save his life were in vain. Yet, thepoliceman gave himself fully to his responsibility withintegrity.

One who protects must have INTEGRITY.

PRONUNCIATION: in-teg-ri-ty (in-teg-rat-e:)DEFINITION: Firm adherence to a standard of

behavior; soundness, completeness, honesty.ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word integtitas,

meaning “completeness” or “purity.” Thisword is related to integer, “whole”; its rootmeans “untouched” or “intact.” From thisroot we derive words like holy, wholesome,heal, health, hale.

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If we desire that our umbrella of protec-tion be useful, the covering must be intact,having no holes.

USAGE: As a noun-integrityA law officer must be a person of integrity ifhe is to carry out protection without partiality.

SYNONYMS:Noun: honesty, uprightness, honor

ANTONYMS:Noun: duplicity, deceit, corruption, dishonesty

APPLICATION:

Law enforcement officialsare ordained by God to be“shields of protection” to everyChristian.

In the day of Christ, thearmies carried out the functionsof the local, state, and nationalpolice. Thus, the centurion whocame to Christ was a “police-man, ” and Christ’s teaching togo the second mile referred tothe directions of the police.

Dover. 1°CIdentify those whomake up your“shield.”

The police must protect every citizen withintheir jurisdiction. They must carry out their functionswith integrity, which means without partiality.

Learn the structure of the law enforcementagencies over you.

1.2.3.4.

Local and city policeCounty police and sheriffState police-highway patrolFederal law enforcement agenciesl Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)l Immigration and Naturalization Servicel Drug Enforcement Administrationl U.S. Marshals Servicel Postal Inspection Servicel U.S. Secret Servicel Internal Revenue Servicel U.S. Customs Servicel Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearmsl U.S. Coast Guard

Power through Precision A (Booklet l%Preliminaly Edition)

Learn the basic function of each of theseagencies and how each one works to protect youfrom destructive elements. Use your AmericanGovernment and Economics resource book.

S T E P 2Know the law and order which policemust MAINTAIN.

WI& World

Crowd control is an important part of police work.

PRONUNCIATION: main-tain (man-tan)

DEFINITION: To carry on; to continue; to keep up.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word manutinere;manu means “in hand” and tenere means “tohandle, to hold,” or “to keep.” Many relatedwords come from manu: manage, manual(handbook for doing things), maneuuer (workwith hands), manifest (show in “able tohandle” form), manuscript, (handwritten).

Tenere is related to contain (hold in),detain (hold back), and obtain (get hold of).

USAGE: As a verb-(to) maintainLaw officers have the God-given responsibilityto maintain law and order.

As a noun-maintenanceThe maintenance of law and order is actuallywarfare against evil.

SYNONYMS:Verb: to continue, to persist, to persevereNoun: continuance, persistence, perseveranceAdjective: continuing, persevering, persisting (parti-

ciples)

Power through Precision A (Booklet 1~Preliminay Edition)

ANTONYMS:Verb: to quit, to withdraw, to abandon, to forsakeNoun: termination, discontinuance, cessationAdjective: quitting, withdrawing, abandoning, for-

saking (participles)

EXAMPLE:

Paul being rescued by the soldiers

When the wicked and jealous men spottedPaul in the Temple, they stirred up the peopleagainst him. Their verbal attack turned into a mobaction as they laid hands on Paul and cried out,“This is the man that teacheth all men everywhereagainst the people, and the law, and this place.”(Acts 21:28).

The entire city was in an uproar, and Paul wasdragged out of the Temple. When the people wereabout to kill him, the chief captain of the band(police) immediately “. . . took soldiers and cen-turions, and ran down unto them: and when theysaw the chief captain and the soldiers, they leftbeating of Paul” (Acts 21:32}.

Thus, the police in the day of Paul maintainedorder and allowed Paul to continue his ministry.

Law cannot be maintained withoutCONSISTENCY.

PRONUNCIATION: con-sis-ten-cy (kan-sis-tan-se)

DEFINITION: The condition of holding together;being firm; repeating an act in exactly the samemanner each time the opportunity arises.

ETYMOLOGY: Coming from the Latin word con-sistere, this word means “to cause to stand” or“to take root.” It is related to stance, statue,stature, statute, constant, and insist.

501

USAGE: As a noun-consistencyLaw officers should expect consistencyamong Christians.

As an adjective-consistentThe only way to be a consistent testimony isto have God’s law within our hearts.

SYNONYMS:Noun: persistence, steadfastness, faithfulnessAdjective: undeviating, uniform, steady

ANTONYMS:Noun: inconsistency, incongruity, disagreementAdjective: inconsistent, erratic, incongruous

APPLICATION:Secure a Rules of the Road manual and study

the traffic laws. As you travel in the car, make a quizof what the road signs and markings mean.

Discuss how consistency in maintainingdriving regulations is an important testimony toeveryone who observes you. Expand your dis-cussion to include rules for biking and for walking.

S T E P 3Learn what police are to SUSTAIN.

*@a-” ^

Many public officials take an oath ofoffice on the Bible. Court witnesses whoare “sworn in” do the same.

PKONUNCIATION: sus-tain (sa-Stan)

DEFINITION: To supply with that which is neces-sary; to support from below; to provide for; tokeep from falling.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word sustinere,meaning “to hold up”; sub means “up fromunder” and tenere means “to hold.” Itsmeaning goes back to the root, “to cause toendure or continue.”

Tenere is related to tenacious (able tohold on), tenant (holds land temporarily), andtenor (to hold the note uninterrupted).

USAGE: As a verb-(to) sustainGod commands the strong to sustain theweak.

As a noun-sustenanceTaxes must be paid in order to providesustenance for law officers.

As an adjective-sustaining (participle)God’s sustaining grace allows us to fulfill Hislaw.

SYNONYMS:Verb: to uphold, to support, to nourishNoun: upkeep, support, nourishmentAdjective: Upholding, supporting, nourishing

(participles)

ANTONYMS:Verb: to abandon, to desert, to relinquishNoun: desertion, abandonmentAdjective: abandoning, relinquishing, deserting

(participles)

EXAMPLE:

Traffic officers and highway patrolmen sustainorder and safety on the roads by enforcing laws andproviding sustenance to needy motorists.

To sustain morale requires VIGOR.

PRONUNCIATION: vig-or (vig-ar)

DEFINITION: Active physical or mental strength

502 Power through Precision A (Booklet 13-Preliminary Edition)

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word uigere, thisword means “to be lively or vigorous.” It isrelated to vegetable (enlivening) and vigil(watchful or awake).

USAGE: As a noun-vigorChristians must expend vigor to encouragelaw enforcement officials.

As an adjective-vigorousA vigorous effort of commendation willproduce multiplied benefits.

SYNONYMS:

Noun: energy, vitality, drive, strength

Adjective: energetic, vibrant, active, strong

ANTONYMS:

Noun: lethargy, apathy, indolence, weakness

Adjective: lethargic, apathetic, indolent

APPLICATION:

The more effective law enforcement officersare, the more freedom we have from fear of harm.The more fully we obey the laws, the more freedomwe have from a guilty conscience.

A clear conscience, in fact, is one of the basicreasons for which God has ordained public officials.‘I. . . For he beareth not the sword in vain: for he isthe minister of God, a revenger to execute wrathupon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needsbe subject, not only for wrath, but also forconscience sake” (Romans 13:4-5).

Test your attitude toward the law with thefollowing questions:

0 1. Do I consistently drive within the speed limit?

0 2. Do I regularly drive a few miles over thespeed limit with the idea that it does notmake any difference?

0 3. Do I tend to keep alert for policemen?

0 4. Do I instinctively put my foot on the brakewhen I see a policeman?

0 5. Do I consistently wear a seatbelt?

0 6. Do I ride my bicycle properly?

0 7. Do I cross the street at the intersection?

0 8. Do I hunt or fish according to the law?

Power through Precision A (Booklet K&Preliminary Edition)

Memorize the following verse:

“They that forsake the law praise thewicked: but such as keep the law contendwith them” (Proverbs 28:4).

S T E P 4Thank the police for what they PRESERVE.

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Distinguished service medals Distinguished j(military awards) flying cross ;

--. -_.. _ .__. __. -_ .._ . .._ --. IBvhld Book, 1°C

F’~~~.)~~~, :N(.,?~3 a-‘ff.j%;: pre-serve (pri-zarv)

DEf.i.\l’i’lc 1W: To keep in unaltered or perfectcondition.

1;1‘2’;l1( II .( H.;k’: From the Latin word praeseruare,meaning “to guard beforehand”; prae means“before,” and seruare means “to keep.” Thisroot is related to conserue (to keep), observe(to keep to), reserue (to keep back).

I JSAGE: As a verb-(to) preserveA primary responsibility of Christians is topreserve an environment in which law andorder can be carried out.As a noun-preservationThe preservation of morale among lawofficers is essential.As an adjective-preservativeSalt is a preservative influence in the world.

C;YNONYWB.Verb: to strengthen, to conserve, to keep intactNoun: conservation, saving (gerund)Adjective: conserving, saving (participles)

,\% (C j\‘: >?“7

Verb: to waste, to squander, to weakenNoun: neglect, disregard, inattention

503

EXAMPL.E:

Detail. Nahonal Gallery of Art. Samuel H Kres Collectmn

Napoleon poses in a decorated uniform.

When a police officer performs a heroic deed,he is given special recognition. The importance ofsuch honor has been recognized down throughhistory. During Napoleon’s conquest of Europe, animpatient officer complained about the time andeffort it took to give medals of honor to the soldiers.Napoleon turned to him and said with a sharprebuke, “Don’t ever let me hear you complain again!Remember, men are willing to die for these medals.”

Officers who preserve law and order musthave INCORRUPTIBILITY.

PRONUNCIATION: in-car-rup-ti-bil-i-ty(in-ka-rup-ta-bil-a+)

DEFINITION: The condition of one who is notbribable, not likely to be morally defiled, andable to resist defilement and spoiling.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word incorruptus;in, meaning “not,” and corruptus, meaning“broken to pieces, ruined, or destroyed.” Thebasic root word is rumpere. It means “tobreak.” Related words are rupture, abrupt(break off), bankrupt (break the bank), disrupt(break apart), and interrupt (break into).

USAGE: As a noun-incorruptibilityA police officer increases his incorruptibilityby refusing gifts.As an adjective-incorruptibleAn incorruptible officer is to be praised.

SYNONYMS:

Noun: purity, righteousness, faultlessness

Adjective: pure, righteous, faultless

ANTONYMS:

Noun: corruptibility, unrighteousness, impurityAdjective: impure, bribable, corruptible

APPLICATION:

A fourteen-year-old ATlA student in Beaumont,Texas, completed this resource by writing a letter tothe police department in her city. In the letter, shedescribed her gratefulness for the various respon-sibilities which the police department carried out forher protection and the protection of her family andthe community.

The following Saturday morning a uniformedofficer knocked at the front door of her home. Whenthe parents came to the door, the officer explained,“We received a letter of appreciation from yourdaughter. The entire department was so pleased andencouraged by it that they posted it on the bulletinboard and appointed me to come over andpersonally thank her.”

As a result of that visit, two officers beganattending the weekly Bible study led by her father.

The goal of this project is that each studentwrite a similar letter to the local police department.You might not get the same expression ofappreciation, but you can be sure that your letter willbe received with gratefulness by the policemen, whousually go unthanked for their vital, God-givenministry.

H O W T O B E G I N Y O U R L E T T E RO F A P P R E C I A T I O N

1. Picture your reader.

The police department is required to be onconstant alert because they are often dealing withviolators of the law and those who are not honest.They must be cautious and questioning of whateverthey receive.

The one opening your letter may have beenunder special pressure and may have many things todo. He or she may ask while opening your letter,“Who is this person?” or “What does this personwant?”

2. Address your reader correctly.

Find out the name and correct spelling of theone who is the head of the police department towhich you are writing. If the department is small, youmay want to get the name of each officer.

Find out the rank of the officer in charge sothat you can address him correctly.

504 Power through Precision A (Booklet 1~Preliminay Edition)

3. Make your first paragraph count.

Answer in your first paragraph the initialquestions that your reader will have. As you do this,create interest and curiosity for what you have to say.Here are two examples:

Dear Captain Smith and members of the [local]Police Department,

You may wonder just how much appre-ciation people have for all that you and yourstaff do in providing protection for the residentsof our district.

I am a [fifteen]-year-old resident andwould like to take this opportunity to explainthe reasons why you are so important to meand my family.

My name is . I am [nine] yearsold, and I am writing to tell you how thankful Iam for you and the work that you are doing.

I just finished a study on the work thatyou do, and I had never realized all theresponsibilities that rest upon your shouldersfor the benefit of me and my family.

S T E P 5Learn whom police must ARREST.

A police officer from a canine unit preparing tomake an arrest

Power through Precision A (Booklet 1LPreliminay Edition)

PRONUNCIATION: ar-rest (a-rest)

DEFINITION: To prevent the motion of; to stop theprogress or spread of; to check.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word arrestare,which means “to stop or stay behind.” Thisword is a combination of ad, which means?o,” re, which means “back,” plus stare,which means “to stand.” It literally means“stopping what is already in progress.”

Arrest is related to static (standing), rest(standing still), substitute (standing below),and obstacle (standing against).

USAGE: As a verb-(to) arrestIt is the job of police to arrest lawbreakers.As a noun-arrestA policeman faces danger whenever he makesan arrest.As an adjective-arrestedCrime decreases when arrested criminals areswiftly brought to justice.

SYNONYMS:Verb: to stop, to check, to stay, to haltNoun: stoppage, retention, haltAdjective: stopped, checked, stayed, halted (par-

ticiples)

ANTONYMS:Verb: to encourage, to quicken, to promoteNoun: encouragement, commendation, approvalAdjective: encouraged, quickened, promoted (par-

ticiples)

EXAMPLE:Police are charged with the responsibility of

arresting anyone whom they see breaking the law. Ifa policeman overlooks any violation on the basis thatit is a common occurrence, then he fails in hisresponsibility of “teaching” what the law is to thoseunder his jurisdiction.

Scripture emphasizes, “. . . The law is notmade for a righteous man, but for the lawless anddisobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, forunholy and profane, for murderers of fathers andmurderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whore-mongers, for them that defile themselves withmankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjuredpersons, and if there be any other thing that iscontrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-IO).

505

Proper arrests require DISCERNMENT.

When a police officer arrives at the scene of adisturbance or when he stops a motorist for a trafficviolation, he must use discernment as to whom heshould warn and whom he should arrest.

One policeman emphasized his need fordiscernment by saying, “I am concerned that inmany cases, individuals that I warned should havebeen arrested and individuals that I arrested shouldhave simply been warned.”

.“_ ._.~--_ll_- -

1. They protect you and all law-abidingcitizens under their jurisdiction.l How do they protect by their presence

and their patrols?l When do they protect?l How do they demonstrate integrity?

2. They maintain law and order.l How does their commitment to law make

them ministers of God?l How do they demonstrate consistency?

PRONUNCIATION: dis-tern-ment (dis-arn-mant)

I>EFINITION* The act of perceiving the distinctionsof; keenness of discrimination.

3. They sustain life in emergencies.l What rescue calls do they receive?l How do they endanger their own lives?l How do they illustrate vigor?

ETYMOLOGY: From the Latin word discernere,meaning “to separate by sifting.” The wordcomes from dis, meaning “apart” andcernare, “to sift, separate, perceive.” It isrelated to ascertain (sift), concern (sif ttogether), and secret (separated apart).

4. They preserve morale among their ranks.l How do they honor bravery?l How can you add appreciation?l How does incorruptibility relate to

morale?

USAGE: As a verb-(to) discernA policeman must discern which persons toarrest at the scene of a crime.

As a noun-discernmentTrue discernment comes from God alone.As an adjective-discerning (participle)Discerning officers are needed to deal withviolence in families.

5. They arrest lawbreakers.l How does this become more difficult as sin

abounds?l How is discernment required?l How does this expose them to much evil?

, 6. They guard prisoners..

.

.I

:..__ __.

s LEP

How does this place additional pressureon them?

SYNONYMS:

Verb: to detect, to perceive, to discriminate

Noun: detection, perception, discrimination

Adjective: perceptive, judicious, discriminating

How does this demonstrate courage?How does this place pressure on theirspouses and children?

- - -- - -

6(participle)

ANTONYMS:Whom and what must the police GUARD?

Verb: to neglect, to overlook, to disregard

Noun: indiscretion, recklessness, carelessness

Adjective: undiscerning, imperceptive,indiscriminate

APPLICATION:

As you further develop your letter to the policedepartment, it is important to explain specificreasons you are thankful for the work which theyconsistently carry out. The following items should bedeveloped in your letter.

506 Power through Precision A (Booklet 1%Preliminary EdItion)

PHONUNCIATION: guard (gtird)

DEFINITION: To watch over; to secure; to keepsafe.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Old French wordguarder; the root word is wer meaning “toperceive or to watch out for.” It is related towary, aware, beware, steward, weird, warden,award, reward (to watch again), and wares(goods which must be guarded).

USAGE: As a verb-(to) guardUnless the Lord g u a r d s the city, thewatchmen wake in vain.

As a noun-guardianJust as the church is the guardian of theScriptures, police officers must be guardiansof the law.

As an adjective-guarded (participle)Carefully guarded prisons are essential for theprotection of the community.

SYNONYMS:

Verb: to watch over, to attend, to safeguard

Noun: watchman, sentry, guardsman

Adjective: cautious, wary, attentive

ANTONYMS:

Verb: to endanger, to threaten, to menace, toimperil, to jeopardize

Noun: enemy, foe, opponent, lawbreaker, criminal

Adjective: careless, unwary, negligent, unguarded

EXAMPLE:The deception that criminals use in breaking

the law is focused on their attempts to escape oncethey are arrested. Throughout history, criminalshave become famous by repeated escapes fromprisons.

Near the end of the eighteenth century the sonof a French baker, named Vidocq (v&dok), rebelledagainst his parents and became a thief. He stoleeverything that he could get his hands on.

His cleverness in stealing was equaled by hisability to escape whenever he was arrested. He couldslip out of jails, free himself from a galley ship, andavoid the vengeance of fellow criminals.

Through the persistent and faithful work of thepolice, his life was changed and he became adetective for the police department. He is credited

with capturing as many as 20,000 criminals in therookeries of Paris alone.

Prison guards must have C O U R A G E .i’i<~X\UNC:li-l TiWN: tour-age (kar-ij)

l !I‘r’IUITI< >!K: The state or quality of mind and spiritthat enables a person to face danger withconfidence.

ir.2 r’MOl.<GY: From the Latin word cot-, meaning“heart” (as the seat of feelings). Men ofcourage act with the heart. The word is relatedto cordial (hearty), accord (hearts aretogether), discord (hearts are apart), record(when writing was difficult, records wererehearsed by “heart”), concord (hearts with),cardiac (medical term for heart), credence(belief with the heart), credible, and credit(heart acknowledgment of gain).

USAGE: As a noun-courageIt takes courage to fight against organizedcrime.

As an adjective-courageousA courageous officer should be rewarded.

Power through Precision A (Booklet 1SPreluninary Edition) 507

SYNONYMS:

Noun: fortitude,

Adjective: bold,

ANTONYMS:

resolution, tenacity

brave, fearless, dauntless

Noun: cowardice, faintheartedness, timidity, fear

Adjective: cowardly, timid, fearful

APPLICATION:

Complete your letter to the police department.

l Before writing, read Romans 13:1-7, I Timothy2:1-6, and I Peter 2:11-17. These passages giveyou an appreciation of the fact that law officers areministers of God for good and a terror to those whodo evil. You might want to mention this fact in yourletter.

i-J Make sure that the paragraphs contain thethoughts which you want to convey and which willbe clearly understood and appreciated by yourreaders.

Do not communicate the idea that you aresimply fulfilling an assignment. Your assignmentsimply lets you know how grateful you should be forall that the police are doing for you and thecommunity.

Do not try to preach, instruct, or reprove thepolice in your letter. The entire letter should bepositive and affirming. If you have suggestions, theyshould be communicated respectfully in anotherletter.

,-:_; Evaluate each word in the letter to determine ifit is really needed or if another word would moreprecisely define what you mean.

You do not need to use each vocabulary wordin this resource; however, the words should give youideas on what to write.

Your letter should be one to two pages inlength. Remember that these are busy people towhom you are writing.

i-1; Check the spelling of each word and thepunctuation of each sentence.

i?L-. Neatly type or write out your letter.Remember that the care you take in writing or

typing your letter will communicate to your readerhow important you feel he is.

508

Your Street Address

City, State, and Zip Code

Today’s Date

Name of DepartmentStreet AddressCity, State, and Zip Code

Dear [Title of the one in charge and full name] and members ofthe [local] Police Department:

One or two pages giving your message

Sincerely, (or Gratefully,)

Your Signature

L

0 Make sure that you use the proper form for aletter.

Make two extra copies of your letter. Keep onefor your Advanced Training Journal, and send thesecond copy along with your next weekly report toATIA headquarters.

0 Make sure that the envelope which containsyour letter is neat and attractive.l Type or write your return address a quarter inch

from the side and top of the upper left-hand corner.l Place the stamp a half inch from the side and top of

the right hand corner. Make sure that the stamp isstraight. A large commemorative stamp is moreattractive than a small regular stamp. Do not use ameter stamp for personal letters.

l The address should begin at the middle of theenvelope and should be evenly spaced betweenthe stamp and the return address.

Date completed Evaluation

Power through Precision A (Booklet 1SPreliminay Edition)

THROUGHVESTIGATION

H O W D O E S T H E P E R S O N A LP R O N O U N I N G R E E K I N T E N S I F Y

1

S T A T E M E N T ?

1917 U.S. Army recruiting poster

W H A T I S A P R O N O U N I N T H E G R E E KL A N G U A G E ?

A Greek pronoun is the same as apronoun in English. A pronoun is a wordwhich takes the place of a noun.

Salt is a noun. It is a pronoun which can takethe place of salt.

Christians is a noun. We, you, or they arepronouns which can take the place of Christians.

2 W H A T A R E T H E P R O P E R T I E S O FG R E E K P E R S O N A L P R O N O U N S ?

The properties or characteristics of Greekpersonal pronouns include person, number, andcase. Third person pronouns also have gender.

Insights through Investigation B (Booklet 1ZLPreliminary Edition)

PERSON identifies the one speaking (first person),the one spoken to (second person), or the onespoken about (third person).NUMBER indicates how many (singular or plural).CASE determines the function of a pronoun.Nominative case indicates a subject, genitive caseindicates possession, etc.GENDER refers to masculine, feminine, or neuter.

3 W H A T A R E T H E F O R M S O F G R E E KP E R S O N A L P R O N O U N S ?

FIRST PERSONPERSONAL PRONOUNS

SINGULAR PLURAL

cyci,

(1)

Nominative il&

(we)

Ep06

(of, from me)

Genitive, Ablative T)pSV

(of, from us)

Epoi

(to, in, by me)

Epi:

(me)

Dative, Locative,Instrumental

Accusative

@‘iv

(to, in, by us)

M%

(us)

SECOND PERSONPERSONAL PRONOUNS

SINGULAR

06

(you)

CO6

(of, from you)

aoi

(to, in, by you)

ai:

(YOU)

Nominative

Genitive, Ablative

Dative, Locative,Instrumental

Accusative

PLURAL

iq@

(YOU)

6pbJ

(of, from you)

@iv

(to, in, by you)

@&q

(YOU)

509

Nominative

GenitiveAblative

DativeLocativeInstrumental

Accusative

Nominative

GenitiveAblative

DativeLocativeInstrumental

Accusative

THIRD PERSONPERSONAL PRONOUNS

SINGULARMASCULINE FEMININE NEUTER

al%q aq c&6

(be) (she) (it)

C.&O6 Cloths CthO0

(of, from him) (of, from her) (of, from it)

czCz@ a6Tq ah@

(to, in, by him) (to, in, by her) (to, in, by it)

C&h

(him)

Chip

(her)

PLURALMASCULINE FEMININE

aGzoi

(they)

UMhJ

(of, fromthem)

ahoiq

(to, in,by them)

ClhOCS

(them)

akcci

(they)

a62Civ

(of, fromthem)

cdmiq

(to, in,by them)

ahiS

(them)

ahi

(it)

NEUTER

a%

(they)

&QV

(of, fromthem)

a6zoiq

(to, in,by them)

a626

(them)

W H A T A R E T H E F U N C T I O N S O FG R E E K P E R S O N A L P R O N O U N S ?

Remember, a word’s function refers to howthat word is used grammatically in a sentence orphrase.

Personal pronouns can function as subjects,direct objects, and indirect objects, and they can indi-cate possession and location.

W H A T S P E C I A L I N S I G H T D O E S AN O M I N A T I V E C A S E P E R S O N A LP R O N O U N I N G R E E K R E V E A L ?

In English, personal pronouns commonlyfunction as subjects of verbs. For example,“Christians are the salt of the earth, if they [pronoun]possess the eight beatitudes.”

In Greek, verbs do not normally take pronounsas separate subjects. Instead, a pronominal subjectof a verb is derived from the verb itself.

When a pronoun precedes a verb as its subject,it does so for emphasis, and can be translated “Imyself, ” “he himself,” “they themselves,” etc.

l NORMAL VERB &O&XV “they persecuted”

l E M P H A S I Z E D V E R B avtoi &Giocav “theythemselves persecuted”

When the pronoun refers to people, the writeroften desires to stress personal responsibility orauthority.

i- .-_ _ __I___ -------- --I

The Lord Jesus said toHis disciples in Matthew5:13a, “Ye [yourselues] arethe salt of the earth. . . .”Through His use of thenominative case personalpronoun, He emphasizedthe personal responsibilityof His children to be“salty” Christians.

Y O U Y O U R S E L V E SARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH!

D i s c o v e r i n g e m p h a s i z e d p e r s o n a lp r o n o u n s

1 . In Luke lo:19 Christ says, “Behold, I [myself]give unto you power to tread on serpents. . . .”In this passage, our Lord stresses His authority insending out disciples.

2. In II Timothy 4:5 Paul says, “But watch thou(thyself] in all things, endure afflictions. . .”

3. In John 21:22, Jesus commands Peter to“. . . follow thou me.”In this verse, Christ strongly instructs Peter towalk after Him.

Date completed _~ E v a l u a t i o n

510 Insights through Investigation B (Booklet 1SPreltminay Edition)

RESOURCE

H O W D I D “‘SALT” I N O N E M A N ’ SL I F E C R E A T E “ T H I R S T ” I N T H EL I V E S O F T H O U S A N D S ?

The Great Wall of China Sawden

A young medical student arrived at Hull,England, to begin his studies. He was preparinghimself to go to China as a missionary, and heintended to use medicine to open the way for Gospelpreaching.

He knew that his survival in China dependedupon his ability to trust in God alone to meet hisneeds. “When I get out to China, I shall have noclaim on anyone for anything; my only claim will beon God. How important, therefore, to learn beforeleaving England to move men, through God, byprayer alone.”

One evening after a long but happy Lord’sDay of ministry, God began a series of incidents thattaught this dedicated medical student to trust Him.The young man answered a knock at the door andfound a poor man who requested that he go withhim to pray for his desperately ill wife. He readilyagreed and followed the man to his home.

Chase Manhattan Bank~Money Museum

An English crown

As they traveled, themedical student inquiredwhy the man had not askedhis priest to come. The manreplied that the fee whichwas demanded was farmore than he could afford.

Histoy Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminay Edition)

The student suddenly remembered that in his pocketwas a half-crown piece and that it was the onlymoney he had in the world.

To the student’s great discomfort, the Lordmade it clear to him that he was to give that one coinand trust God to meet his needs the next day with nomoney in his pocket. But he replied in his thoughts,“If only I had two coins, I would give one to thefamily and keep the other for my own needs.”

As he continued to wrestle with his thoughts,the medical student was led to a pitiful housingdevelopment which was all too familiar to him. It wasonly recently that he himself had been roughlyhandled there.

The next scene startled him. He walked into aroom where he saw four or five children with sunkencheeks. In the corner he observed a poor, exhaustedmother lying on a crude, makeshift bed with a day-and-a-half-old infant near starvation.

He cried out within himself, “How can I tellthese people of a loving Father in Heaven when Ihold that half crown so covetously?” He tried topray. But his conscience rebuked him, “Dare youmock God? Dare you kneel down and call HimFather with that half crown in your pocket?”

The poor, troubled father pled with him forsome help to ease their suffering. Immediately theLord brought to mind the Scripture, “Give to himthat asketh of thee.” Realizing that God wassovereign and He would be faithful, the studentobeyed, slowly drawing the half crown out of hispocket and handing it to the father.

The medical student explained to the needyfamily that the God of Heaven could be trusted.Later, as he reflected on the experience, he wrote,“The joy all came back in full floodtide to myheart. . . The hindrance to blessing was gone-gone, I trust, forever.”

511

The next morning brought an unusualoccurrence with it. The student heard a knock at thedoor and was surprised to find that it was thepostman. He was quite unaccustomed to receivingany mail on Monday. However, on this Monday hewas handed a letter with blurred writing on theoutside. Inside was a folded blank paper and a halfsovereign-a four hundred percent increase on hishalf crown given to God the day before!

That youngmedical studentbecame knownas the “Father ofFaith Missions.”His name wasHudson Taylor.

J. Hudson Taylor1832-1905

Men tend to discount the early preparationand refinement of a life. But God places great valueon this time of making His servants ready for theministries to which He calls them.

The home intowhich Hudson Taylorwas born was blessedwith a rich spiritualheritage. His greatgrandparents, Jamesand Betty Taylor, cameunder the saving influ-ence of the MethodistRevival. They evenhad John Wesley him-self stay with them intheir home in Bamsley.

we&y. PIis Oiun t3logrophei

John Wesley visitedin the Taylor home.

James and Betty Taylor saw to it that the lightof God’s Truth was passed faithfully to the secondand third generations of the Taylor family. Both ofHudson’s parents desired that their family wouldhonor God and walk in His ways.

Hudson Taylor was educated at home, wherehis mother gave him a tremendous background inEnglish and his father introduced him to the writingsof great men. His mother’s careful attention to details

512

of correct pronunciation proved invaluable to Hudsonwhen he later tackled the complex Chinese dialects.

Mr. Taylor was deeply impressed with God’s ,claim upon the firstborn; thus, he and his wifecarefully dedicated Hudson to God.

God placed a vision in the heart of Mr. Taylorfor the deep spiritual needs of China. He frequentlyprayed that God would give him a son who woulddevote his life for China. His prayers were answeredwhen five-year-old Hudson announced, “When Iam a man, I will be a missionary and go to China.”

PI street scene in Peking, China-the land thatattracted the heart of Hudson Taylor

James Taylor took the matter of his children’straining very seriously. He spent a great deal of timewith them and often took them into his prayer closetwith him so that they would be able to witnessfirsthand the reality of God’s faithfulness.

A special devotional time for each child was arequired part of the Taylor home schedule. JamesTaylor encouraged reading aloud, and books ofhistory, travel, and creation were frequentlydiscussed. When Hudson was eleven years of age,he was especially captivated by the book PeterParley’s China.

Hudson’s enthusiasm for spiritual things andhis growing burden for China were enlarged by thefrequent visitors invited into the Taylor home. But itwas not until he was fourteen that God opened hisheart to the claims of the Savior.

While alone one day in his father’s study, hecame across a Gospel tract. He did not know it at thetime, but at that precise moment his mother, milesaway, was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for herson’s salvation. He gave his heart to God and later atage seventeen surrendered his life for God’s service.

Having God’s direction for his future ministryfirmly in mind and with foresight uncommon for hisage, Hudson began to discipline himself mentally,spiritually, and physically for the challenges heperceived would face him in China.

History Resource C (Booklet 1%Preliminary Edition)

His parents gave him strong encouragement.“They advised me . . . to use all the means in mypower to develop the resources of body, mind,heart, and soul and to wait prayerfully upon God.”

He began a rigorous program of self-denial.He took away his feather bed and accustomedhimself to sleep on a hard surface. He restricted hisdiet to oatmeal, rice, bread, and some fruit. He spenttime exercising his body, anticipating the long travelson foot he would take.

As for ministry, he poured himself into tractdistribution, Sunday School teaching, and visitingthe poor and sick as God gave opportunity. Godblessed his soulwinning efforts with many con-versions to Christ.

North Pacific

Indian Ocean

He read everything he could find about China.During this period a local minister gave him a copy ofMedhurst’s China, which introduced him to theconcept of medical missions.

On his nineteenth birthday in the year 1851,Hudson began his medical studies working withDr. Robert Hardey in Hull. In keeping with his goal oflearning to trust God alone for finances, Hudsonpurposed not to remind Dr. Hardey when his wageswere due. Dr. Hardey was an extremely busy manand often forgot these pay periods. Thus, Hudsonhad many opportunities to exercise the discipline ofhis resolution.

One incident in particular cemented inHudson’s mind God’s ability to provide for his needsand his confidence in moving men through prayer.Rent was due Saturday night to his Christianlandlady, who was in real need of the payment. Thedays of that week finally closed. On Saturdayevening, Hudson anxiously considered how Godwould supply. More than once, he was tempted toHistory Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminary Edition)

remind the kindly doctor of the overdue wage. Yet todo so would be for him to admit that he was unfit formissionary service.

At 1O:OO that evening as he prepared to gohome from the office, Hudson heard the familiarsteps of the doctor. The laughter of the doctor soonrevealed the occurrence of a most unusual incident.At that late hour a wealthy patient came to the officeand insisted on paying his bill-in cash! Thus thedoctor remembered to pay his employee his de-served wages. Hudson wrote this entry in his diary,“Again I was left-my feelings undiscovered-to goback to my own little closet and praise the Lord witha joyful heart that after all I might go to China.”

God designed Hud-son’s time at Hull to furtherprepare his life for his call toChina. Here he came in touchwith the Plymouth Breth-ren and subsequently withGeorge Mueller of Bristol.

While visiting Lon-don, he also met GeorgePearse, the Secretary of theChinese Evangelization So-

George MuellerU-305-1898

ciety, and was introduced to a circle of friends whichwere to be his staunch and generous helpers for hislabors in China.

The next step on Hudson Taylor’s way toChina was London, where a rigorous trial of his faithawaited him. While preparing for the next day’slectures and laboratory work, Hudson pricked hisfinger with a needle. Thinking nothing of the inci-dent, he proceeded to class.

He and the other students had been dissectingthe contaminated body of a person who had recentlydied of fever. They were trying to be especiallycareful during the dissection, knowing that theslightest scratch could cost them their lives. Thatmorning prick of the finger proved very costly toHudson, as he became seriously ill.

The super-visor took onelook at himand told himto return homeas fast as hecould to “ar-range [his] af-fairs forthwith.‘For,’ he said,‘you are a

The Bernnan” Archive dead man. ’ ”

513

Hudson was so certain, however, that Godwanted him to go to China that he cried out to theLord to raise him up. God answered his prayer with along and slow recovery. Hudson later learned thatseveral other students had died as a result of beingcontaminated.

The lhrary Of Congrers

Hudson first sailed to China in 1854.

Hudson Taylor’s first trip to China was markedwith several points of opposition by which Godfurther refined His servant. These events began tostir in 1850. A professed convert to Christianity,Hung Siu-tsuen, began a crusade against idolatrywhich came to be called the Taiping (Great Peace)Rebellion.

Immense interest was awakened in Englandby this movement. Thus, in June of 1853, theChinese Evangelization Society contacted HudsonTaylor to request that he leave for Chinaimmediately to take advantage of this open door.After receiving his parents’ final blessing, Hudsonconsented to go. He landed in Shanghai on March 1,1854.

514

But Hudson did not find an open door, forChina had always been hostile to Western influence.Hudson not only found coldness and unresponsive-ness in the Chinese people, but also faced politicalupheavals which brought Christianity under suspi-cion. The Taiping Rebellion hit its peak one yearafter his arrival.

In 1856, relations between China andEngland erupted in the Second Opium War, whichfurther confounded Hudson’s missionary efforts andeven brought his life into danger.

During these early years on the field, Hudsonexperienced miserable living conditions, intenseloneliness, and the horrors of war. He wrote, “Allthings are against me.” But he testified that God hadproven Himself true to His promises, “They weretimes, indeed, of emptying and humbling, but wereexperiences that made not ashamed, and thatstrengthened purpose to go forward as God mightdirect, with His proven promise, ‘I will not fail thee,nor forsake thee.’ ”

The more Hud-son Taylor movedamong the Chinesepeople, the moreaware he becameof their reaction tohis Western dress.

Being sensitive to the spirit of others, Hudsonrealized that his Western dress was a source ofoffense to his Chinese hosts. Therefore in 1855, inspite of the disdain and jeers of his fellowmissionaries, he put on the traditional dress of aChinese man, even to the point of dying his hair andconstructing a makeshift pigtail.

A British sea captain begged for someone tocome to the troubled city of Swatow to preach theGospel. Being deeply impressed by the Spirit of Godthat he should go, Hudson changed his previousplans and went to the city.

“Foreign devil!” “Foreign dog!” These cursesdeeply pained Hudson Taylor’s heart. The intensehatred of the Cantonese toward all foreign influencemade ministry there very dangerous. In his travels hewas at the mercy of the people; the many walledcities could easily become his prison. But Hudsonsaw these trials as an opportunity for deeperfellowship with the sufferings of Christ.

History Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminay Edition)

A seemingly adverse and frustrating series ofevents followed Hudson’s next attempts to return toSwatow. He was robbed of his scarce and preciousfew belongings and narrowly escaped death. Godused these events, however, to direct him to the nextmajor turn in his life.

He returned to Shanghai from Swatow only tofind smoldering embers where his apartment hadonce stood. Recognizing that his only source ofaffordable medical supplies was in Ningpo, one ofthe more influential cities in China, he took his fewremaining possessions and traveled there.

From J,,“S,h to inan Jay0

Maria Dyer

Histoy Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminary Edition)

The loss he suffered in the fire at Shanghaiturned out to be a cause of rejoicing, becausethrough it God led Hudson Taylor to Ningpo, wherehe met Maria Dyer, who later became his wife.

It was in this lesson that he learned to think ofGod “as the One Great Circumstance in Whom welive, and move, and have our being; and of all lesser,external circumstances as necessarily the kindest,wisest, best, because they are either ordered orpermitted by Him.”

While in Ningpo, Hudson was moved byconscience to break entirely from the mission. Hewas increasingly concerned over its lax use offinances and unconcern over debt. He greatlydesired to trust God for his physical needs and felt itwas unwise to borrow money to finance God’s work.He wrote, “It seemed to me that if there were anylack of funds to carry on work, then to that degree, inthat special development, or at that time, it could notbe the work of God.”

“Depend on it. God’s work done inGod’s way will never lack God’s supplies.

“He is too wise a God to frustrate Hispurposes for lack of funds. And He can just aseasily supply them ahead of time asafterwards, and He much prefers doing so.”

Hudson Taylor

It was his understanding that by trusting inGod’s loving and faithful provision for a ministry,three things would occur. First, God would be glori-fied for His answer to the specific prayers of His people.Second, unwise financial policies that increase debtwould be avoided. Third, God’s provision wouldaccredit the ministry with which He was pleased. IfHe were not in it, it should then die its own death.

God rewarded Hudson Taylor’s faithfulnessby supplying all his financial needs in the mostunusual ways. On January 20, 1858, God suppliedanother need of Hudson’s heart when he and MariaDyer were married.

For six years Hudson labored in China. Thegreat trials and initial discouragements began to berewarded with success. In 1860, he published his firstappeal for workers, asking for four or five. But thenext series of events again plunged Hudson deepinto the mind and ways of God.

Tragedy first struck with the death of thewife of the doctor who had been in charge of thelittle hospital Hudson served. The head doctor thenleft the field, and the hospital was placed under

515

Hudson’s supervison. The heavy demands of thiswork gradually wore down Hudson’s health.

With great sorrow, Hudson had to close thelittle hospital, and he was forced to bid farewell to thelittle church of thirty to forty vibrant ChineseChristians. On July 1, 1860, he experienced thedeath of his vision for China as he returned toEngland a gravely ill man.

From the human perspective, Hudson’s illnessand return to England seemed the death blow to hishopes and nothing short of a great calamity. To addto the hopelessness of the situation, Hudson was toldto abandon thought of ever returning to China.

However, while hewas home in England,Hudson completed med-ical school in 1862.With a map of China onhis wall ever before hiseyes, he revised theNingpo New Testament.The end product of hisefforts was not only arevision, but a renewalof his burning desire forChina and the forma-tion of a new missionagency, the China In-land Mission (CIM).

God had set Hudson Taylor apart to cause himto saturate himself with the New Testament patternof evangelism and methods. This period of intensestudy formed the basis of the operating policies ofthe CIM. God also used the map of China to revealto Hudson something he had missed while in China,the unreached inland provinces of that vast land.The spiritual need of the countless millions livingthere now began to burn in his heart.

516

Canquerts 0, Ihe Cross

Chinese ceremony of the kotow

Only one key lesson remained for Hudson-the key to the principle of spiritual leadership. Hisdeep brooding over the resolution of this questionagain almost broke his health. He wrote, “I had nodoubt that if I prayed for fellow-workers they wouldbe given me . . . But I had not then learned to trustGod fully for KEEPING power and grace for myself,so it was not much to be wondered that I founddifficulty in trusting Him to keep any others whomight be led to go out with me.”

One Sunday morning in 1865, on the seacoastin Brighton, God met the deep concern of his heart.Hudson stated it this way, “If you are simply obeyingGod, all the responsibility must rest with HIM, andnot with you. . . . Thou, Lord, shalt be responsiblefor them, and for me, too!”

With this assurance he surrendered himself toGod for the service of leading other missionaries toChina and lifted up his heart in prayer for FELLOWLABORERS. While still standing on the beach, heasked God to send him twenty-four laborers forChina and Mongolia.

“ . . . Without those months of feeding andfeasting on the Word of God I should have beenquite unprepared to form . . . a mission like theChina Inland Mission. . . . I learned that toobtain successful labourers, not elaborateappeals for help, but, first, earnest prayer to Godto thrust forth labourers, and second, thedeepening of the spiritual life of the Church, sothat men should be unable to stay at home. . . .

As another God-given fruit of this seemingdisaster and a confirmation of the vision, Hudsonand his wife wrote and published the extremelyinfluential booklet, China’s Spiritual Need a n dClaims. God used this little booklet to make theappeal to many believers to enter the harvest field oflost souls.

“rf thou forbear to deliuer them that aredrawn unto death, and those that are ready to beslain; Zf thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; dothnot he that pondereth the heart consider it? Andhe that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it?and shall not he render to every man accordingto his works?” (Proverbs 24:l l-12).

J

With the sailing of the first party of CIMmissionaries aboard the Lammermuir on May 26,1866, the extension of the influence of HudsonTaylor to his native England began. The spiritualthirst for China God had first planted in a concernedfather was beginning to be realized in his son.

Hlstoy Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminay Edition)

Charles H. Spurgeononce made the comment,“China, China, China isnow ringing in our ears inthe special, peculiar, musi-cal, forcible, unique way inwhich Mr. Taylor utters it.”

~Zharies Haddon Spurgeonl2?34-1892

Because Hudson was willing to see the handof his loving Heavenly Father in the trials anddiscouragements of past experiences, he developeda quiet confidence in God’s leading for the future.He stated it this way, “The meek do not possess byforce, but, as children, by inheritance. I do notbelieve that our Heavenly Father will ever forget Hischildren. I am a very poor father, but it is not myhabit to forget my children. God is a very, very goodFather. It is not His habit to forget His children.”

Mmtyred ,wwonanes 0, the Chzna inland Mmlon

Children won to Christ byHudson Taylor and his co-workers

In the beginning of 1867, Hudson sensed thatthe Lord would lead the Mission through a baptismheavier than they expected. He did not know thatGod’s waves and billows were to pass over him.

On August 23, 1867, his little daughter Graciedied. Hudson penned these thoughts about his greatloss, “It is an easy thing to sing, ‘I all on earthforsake.’ It is not very difficult to think, and honestlythough ignorantly to say, ‘I give up all to Thee, andfor Thee.’ But God sometimes teaches one that thatlittle word ‘all’ is terribly comprehensive.

“The Lord has taken our sweet little Gracie tobloom in the purer atmosphere of His own presence.Our hearts bleed; but ‘Above the rest this note shallswell-our Jesus hath done all things well.’ ”

History Resource C (Booklet 13-Preliminary Edition)

The conflicts among the missionaries alongwith increasing opposition and hostilities from boththe English press and the Chinese political situationleft Hudson in a dark depression. “I hated myself; Ihated my sin; and yet I gained no strength against it.”

H U D S O N T A Y L O R D I S C O V E R S T H ES E C R E T T O V I C T O R Y IN C H R I S T

God then prompted a concerned friend towrite in a letter a key to living that lifted the gloomand drastically changed Hudson’s life. “To let myloving Savior work in me HIS WILL. . . . Abiding,not striving or struggling. . . Not a striving to havefaith, or to increase our faith, but a looking at thefaithful one seems all we need. A resting in the Lovedone entirely.”

This truth about abiding in Christ enabledHudson Taylor to shoulder the otherwise impossiblesituations which God allowed to come upon him infuture years. In the final month of Maria’s carryingtheir fifth son, Noel, she was seized with cholera. Inone blow, the furnace of sorrow engulfed Hudson.He lost both his beloved Maria and his little Noel.

In the midst of this great sorrow, Hudson couldstill say, “My views are not changed, thoughchastened and deepened. From my inmost soul Idelight in the knowledge that God does ordeliberately permits ALL things, and causes all thingsto work together for good to those who loveHim. . . .

“I scarcely knew whether she or I was themore blessed, so real, so constant, so satisfying wasHis Presence, so deep my delight in theconsciousness that His will was being done, and thatthat will, which was utterly crushing me, was good,and wise, and best.”

Hudson Taylor and Jennie Faulding Taylor

The following years demonstrated to Hudsonthe sufficiency of his Father’s love and care for him inthe midst of great trials. In 1871, after his return

517

to England, he married Jennie Faulding, one of the“twenty-four” to sail on the Lammermuir.

The Lammermuir party that sailed from Londonon May 26, 1866 (from left to right) seated, thirdand fourth, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Nichol; fifth, JennieFaulding; sixth and seventh, Hudson and Maria Taylor;standing, fourth, Emily Blatchley

While on an advance into Western China in1874, Hudson slipped and fell. Gradually he felt thedevelopment of paralysis. The residual effects of thisaccident forced him to return to England in Octoberof that year, and he was faced with the possibility oflosing his ability to walk. But even while lying inweakness so great that he was unable to write hisown letters, Hudson prayed and planned for futuredevelopments in line with God’s vision for China.

He wrote in a little booklet entitled PrincelyService, “Nor is God’s work ever intended to bestationary, but always advancing.” And in 1876, inthe spirit of always advancing, he returned to Chinawith a group of lay workers.

Fatth and Facts

“Ebenezer,”The story of the Chma lniand Mlwo”

Gospel tract, withlarge character for

“happiness”

“Jehovah Jireh”

In July of 1875, the expansion of his ministrythrough literature began with the first edition of theperiodical, China’s Millions.

In 1881, he appealed to God for the “seven-ty” to come to China. In 1884, the “seventy” sailedfor China.518

A city street in Old Canton, China

In the winter of 1887, “one hundred” sailed forChina. Hudson received from America an urgentrequest that he come to share the vision. The sup-port of men like Dwight L. Moody, Dr. A.T. Pierson,Dr. A.J. Gordon, and others turned his attention tothe wider ministry God was opening for him.

His American tour was a springboard to amissionary-recruiting journey around the world. Ashe left Vancouver, Hudson Taylor took with him aband of fourteen willing co-workers.

In 1889, he visited Sweden, Norway, andDenmark. As a result of this visit, the German ChinaAlliance Mission was formed in 1890. The Scandina-vian China Alliance was formed in 1891. And in 1890,Hudson sailed for China with eleven Australians.

By the 1890s God had answered HudsonTaylor’s prayers with a total of 1,153 missionaries.All these came with no assurance of support and withonly the promises of God contained between thecovers of their Bibles.

Chang-Sha, the capital of Hunan, where Hud-son Taylor died. Dr. James Maxwell, editor of MedicalMissions at Home and Abroad, wrote, “It was espe-cially fitting that the capital of the province which heldout longest against the entrance of the Gos-pel . . . should keep the dust of the Mission’s founder.”

Mr. Taylor lived to see the fulfillment of hisdesire that all the inland provinces of China bereached with the Gospel.

Date completed __~ ~__ Eualuation

Histoy Resource C (Booklet 1SPreliminay Edition)

ACCURACY

H O W D O T H E C H A R A C T E R I S T I C SO F S A L T I L L U S T R A T E G O D ’ SD E S I G N F O R CHRlSTlAlUS?

The chemical name for salt is sodium chloride.Its chemical symbol is NaCI. Sodium chloride isproduced when a strong base (sodium hydroxide,NaOH) and a strong acid (hydrochloric acid, HCl)combine.

Both the base and acid are extremely powerfuland dangerous. But when combined in properproportions, these two poisonous liquids produce aharmless, neutral solution of salt and water.

Two dangerous op-posites are broughttogether as saltwater.

+

When heat is applied to the salt water and thewater evaporates, salt is left as a pure, solidsubstance with special chemical properties.

+ HEAT

1 S A L T I S T H E B O N D I N G O F T W OU N I Q U E E L E M E N T S .

The physical world, the things you see, andeven the unseen materials are made up of aninexpressible number of “building blocks.” Theseblocks, however, come only in about 105 varietiesand are called elements. (The names of the elementsare arranged in the periodic table on pages 150-151of Basic Science from BJU Press.)

8Oxygen

Compare the oxygen atommodel to the information on

0 oxygen shown here, whichwas taken from the periodic

16.00 table of the elements.2.6

8 is the atomic number and indicates the num-ber of protons in the nucleus. The number ofelectrons in an electrically neutral atom isequal to the number of protons.

Oxygen is the name of the element.

Author@ through Accuracy D lBooklet 13-Preliminay Edition) 519

Sodium and chlorine are the elements whichmake up salt.

Sodium is a very active metal that never existsby itself in nature. It reacts violently with many othersubstances, including water. The reaction with waterproduces hydrogen, sodium hydroxide (causticsoda), and heat.

Chlorine is a gas capable of bleaching clothingand paper. When chlorine combines with water, itforms hydrochloric acid, an acid which is able to“eat” through steel, plus oxygen.

How can such different elements combine toform salt? To answer this question, it is important tounderstand the structure of the atoms that make upsodium and chlorine.

The atom is the basic building block of theelements and consists of three types of particles:protons, neutrons, and electrons.

OXYGEN ATOM MODEL

Nucleus

P r o t o n 0Neutron oElectron o

I “0 0,’

-. ,’-_____--

The protons and neutrons are clusteredtogether in a tiny region near the center of the atomcalled the nucleus. The electrons whirl at fantasticspeeds through the empty space outside the nucleus.Because the electrons have a negative electriccharge, they are drawn to the positively chargedprotons in the nucleus.

An atom has an equal number of electrons andprotons; thus, the electrical charges balance eachother and the atom is electrically neutral.

0 is the symbol for oxygen.

16.00 is the atomic mass. A proton and a neutronare each roughly equal to one atomic massunit. Thus, 8 protons and 8 neutrons = 16atomic mass units.

If the atomic mass were 18, how manyneutrons would there be?

276 is the layered arrangement of the electronsaround the nucleus. The layers are calledenergy levels or shells because theelectrons closest to the nucleus (of whichthere are two) are slower moving and haveless energy than the next layer of electrons(of which there are six), and so forth. Thereare a total of seven energy levels, the firstshell being the closest to the nucleus, thelast, the farthest away.

Using the information below taken fromthe periodic table of elements, draw the atommodel for sodium and chlorine. (Round off thenumber for the atomic mass. Instead of drawingthe protons and neutrons in the nucleus, simplyindicate the number of protons [PI andneutrons [N] on the blanks provided.)

11

Sodium

Na22.99Z&l

17

Chlorine

Cl35.452,8,7

--_ __--

MC/-- --__

/’ ,__--__:_.,, ,

// /

/ ,=-_---__ \\‘\

-\\ \‘\,I,‘/I’II: P-;I:\ ’ ‘,\ \ ‘, 0

“\ \ ‘,‘,\ :I\ I

N_ II’:I:I / I

\ \ \\

‘\ \ I’/,’ ,:

‘\ .‘1‘.- ___-H ,/ ,/

‘I_ ___cH ,/’--m-e-- r’

The special arrangement of the electrons ineach element draws sodium to chlorine in a strongbond to form salt.

Every atom which is not stable-meaning thatit reacts readily with other elements-strives forstability by seeking to have an electron arrangementin which the outermost shell has eight electrons. Inthe case of chlorine, only one electron is needed tototal eight in its outer shell. Sodium, however, hasonly one electron in its outer shell and thus tends togive it up to have a new outer shell which is alreadyfilled with eight electrons.

Na+ Cl - ,,/-*=-..,, _

Sodium ion

--_ __.__e-’

Chloride ion

An ion is an electrically charged atom.

Because sodium has one “extra” electronfloating around beyond its last completed electronshell, and because chlorine is one electron “short” offilling its outer shell of electrons, sodium and chlorineare perfectly suited to combine into the more stablecompound, salt.

Sodium gives up one electron, and chlorinetakes one electron. This leaves sodium with apositive ( + ) charge because it has one more protonthan it has electrons, and chlorine with a negative( - ) charge because it has one more electron thanprotons.

520 Authority through Accuracy D (Booklet 1ZLPreliminay Edition)

2 S A L T M O L E C U L E S A R E B O N D E DT I G H T L Y T O G E T H E R I N A N O R D E R L YM A N N E R .

The electrical attractionbetween the ions of positivelycharged sodium and negativelycharged chlorine clamps the

Basic molecule two ions together in what isof salt called an ionic bond.

The basic salt molecule joins with other saltmolecules in an alternating pattern of positive andnegative ions, forming a crystal.

The alternatingpattern of positive andnegative ions is calledcrystal lattice.

Since the positively charged sodium ion (Na + )is bonded to all of its oppositely charged neighbors(Cll) and vice versa, the salt molecules are heldstrongly in place, always resulting in the shape of acube.

Can you find the salt?

One of the crystals shown above is salt. Whichone is it?Can you explain your answer?

The city of Detroit

It is estimated that at least one-fourth of thecity of Detroit is supported by columns of salt thatwere left by miners. The strong electrical charges thathold sodium chloride together make the salt columnsvery strong. There is little danger of the city’s caving in.

3 S A L T M O L E C U L E S R E T A I N O R D E RA N D B O N D S W H E N B R O K E N , B U TN O T W H E N D I S S O L V E D .

g

1 Pour a few salt

4

crystals on a darkbackground and ex-amine them with amagnifying glass. Inmost cases, the crys-

Salt cubestals will be nicked orchipped from rubbingagainst other grains,

but a few grains should still be perfect cubes.The basic unit shape of salt is always the same

cubic structure. The crystal units of salt can clustertogether in different formations, just as tiny cubescan be stacked to form large towers or pyramids.Yet, the units have the same shape, so no matterhow they are stacked or broken up, the order of theions and the common bond between them is alwaysmaintained.

No matter how a salt cube is divided, itsmolecular arrangement is maintained.

The water molecule, however, can arrangeitself in such a way as to break the ionic bonds of thesalt crystal and dissolve its structure.

Authority through Accuracy D (Booklet 1~Preliminary Edition) 521

Some materials are attracted to magnets andare called ferromagnetic (fer-6-mag-net-ik) materi-als. Others respond mildly (paramagnetic) or not atall (nonmagnetic).

4 S A L T W E A K E N S A M A G N E T I C F I E L D . P R O J E C T 1

Grow your own salt crystals

Study the formation and shape of salt by“growing” your own crystals:

Label as ferromagnetic, paramagnetic, ornonmagnetic.

aluminumcan

/ironnail

Bplastic

CUP

However, salt is described as a diamagneticmaterial because it actually is repelled from themagnetic field of a strong magnet, just as identicalpoles of different magnets repel each other.

If you were to place salt in a magnetic field, thesalt would noticeably weaken the magnetic field. It isbelieved that the microscopic regions (calleddomains) in salt line up against the direction andstrength of force of the magnet.

RANDOM ARRANGEMENT OFDOMAINS IN SALT

Domains

Salt domains actingas tiny magnets

against themagnet’s force

1

2

3

4

5

Stir 3 teaspoons of salt into one ounce of water.

Fill a pan with water sothat the pan equals thelevel of the salt solutionin the glass.

Stir solution until thewater in the pan boils.

Spoon a little solutiononto a saucer. Leaveovernight.

Examine crystals withmagnifying glass or un-der a microscope.

P R O J E C T 2Answer the following questions by applying

your understanding of the analogies between saltand Christians.

1 How does God bring about a very unique andunlikely bonding in salvation?

2 In what way does the Holy Spirit bring stabilityto our lives when we are bonded with Him insalvation?

3 In what ways do being broken and being dilutedhave similar results in salt and in Christians?

4 How can Christians follow the example of salt inweakening the attraction of the world?

522 Authority through Accuracy D (Booklet 1ZLPreliminary Edition)

RESOURCE

H O W D O T H E U S E S O F S A L TI L L U S T R A T E T H E F U N C T I O N S O FC H R I S T I A N S ?

1, ‘t‘“,,:,

,,!,, I,;,1

I

A;11

q ~

o$/ .:._ ,‘4 ‘ii/f& _1_~ m-

Salt (sodium) is an essential ingredient inthe fuels that power rockets to outer space.

There are more uses for salt than for any othersingle compound on the face of the earth. Salt isused in more than 14,000 ways almost every day. Ofthe five leading raw materials used by industry, salt isat the top of the list. More salt is used than sulfur,limestone, coal, or petroleum.

The usefulness of salt in the manufacturing ofproducts is illustrative of the ministries that Christiansare to have in the world.

S A L T R E T A R D S T H E S P R E A D O FD E C A Y A N D M A I N T A I N S L I F E .

More than two million tons of salt areproduced in the United States for food products. Saltis used as both a seasoning and a preservative. Itenhances the taste in food and is used to pickle someproducts. Almost all canned food contains salt. Manycereals, breads, and chips have sodium added tokeep them fresh.

Disease-producing bacteria can multiply veryrapidly on meat and other food products. A single

Science Resource E (Booklet lZLPre!iminary Edition)

Salt absorbs moisture.

bacterium can reproduceitself in less than half anhour. If this doublingprocess is allowed to con-tinue without interruption,there will be billions ofbacteria in just twenty-four hours!

Salt retards the spreadof bacteria by drawing themoisture out of them, thus

causing them to die. This process of dehydration canbe observed under high magnification.

The preservative power of salt is illustrated bythe fact that it can keep meat fresh longer than arefrigerator can.

When fresh meat is “cured” by working saltinto it, the meat can remain unspoiled for more thansix months. Meat without salt can begin to spoil inless than a week in a refrigerator.

The preservative power of salt makes it anessential ingredient in many of our food products.The following label lists sodium and salt in itscontents:

NUTRITION INFORMATIONPER SERVING

SERVING SIZE 1 OUNCESERVlNGS PER PACKAGE

PERCENTAGE OF U.S. RECOMMENDEDDAILY ALLOWANCES (U.S. ROA)

PROTEIN"ITAMlN A

K%cp;AVIN

CALCIUMIRONVITAMIN DVITAMIN B.WAMIN B>,PHOSPHOR"SMAGNESIUMZINCCOPPER

IWGREOIENTS: WHOLEOAiFLOUR WHEATSTARCHSUGAR CAtCiUM CAROONATE TRISODIUM

PiOSPHATE SODiUM ASCORBATE (VITAMIN Ci

R,DE (VITAMIN B.) RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN 81)THlAMlN MONONlTRATE ,"lTAMlN 8,) VITAMIN B,zAND VlTAMlN 0

Salt not only preserves the food we eat, but it isalso essential to our lives. It maintains the functionsof the heart, kidneys, and other vital organs.

Without salt, our bodies would experienceconvulsions, paralysis, and finally, death.

2 S A L T P R O M O T E S C L E A N L I N E S S .Soda ash is made from salt. This sodium

compound is used for the manufacture of soap and avariety of soap products.

523

DetergentsCleaners

AspirinSoap

Sodium reacts with water to form lye. Lye isalso called caustic soda or sodium hydroxide(NaOH). Concentrated lye helps to clean outclogged sinks. Less concentrated lye is used in themanufacture of soap.

Chlorine is used to kill bacteria in water.

Salt is the largest source of sodium andchlorine. These two elements can be separatedeasily through a process called electrolysis.

Electrolysis attracts the negatively chargedchlorine atoms to one electrode and the positivelycharged sodium atoms to the other. Once separated,the sodium and chlorine can be combined withmany other materials.

Chlorine kills bacteria in water; therefore, it isused in city water supplies, swimming pools, andother water sources that need to be disinfected.

Chlorine is also used as a bleach to makepaper white and as one of the materials in theproduction of polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-a plasticwhich is used to make pipes.

524

Rain gutters

Sodium and chlorine are used in photographs,batteries, paints, clothing, cosmetics, drugs, anddyes. They even find their way into the productionof mouthwash.

Imitation leathe

3 S A L T P R O D U C E S W A R M T H .Salt lowers the freezing point of water. Thus,

when it is sprinkled on ice and snow, it causes themto melt. This treatment works best when the temper-ature is only a few degrees below freezing (32°F).

Salt being spread on an icy road

More than ten million tons of salt are usedeach year to keep highways free of ice. Thistreatment helps to prevent accidents and reduces thenumber of traffic fatalities.

Sodium, in the form of sodium perch/orate(NaClOJ, supplies the oxygen for rocket engines in

Science Resource E (Booklet l&Preliminary Edition)

outer space. Pure sodium is even used to coolnuclear reactors. Melted sodium is pumped into thereactor, where it is heated, and then pumped outagain, where it heats water into the steam whichdrives electrical generators.

4 S A L T T A K E S A W A Y “ H A R D N E S S . ”

Almost twenty percent of the salt mined in theUnited States is used to soften water. Water is said tobe “hard” when it contains large amounts ofminerals such as calcium, magnesium, and ironcompounds.

These minerals leave unsightly deposits onsinks and toilets and may plug pipes. They alsoprevent soaps and detergents from “sudsing.”

Water softeners work by replacing the “hard”minerals with sodium. One substance, called zeolite,is used in many softeners to absorb minerals on itssurface. When its surface is saturated, the zeolitemust be “regenerated,” by being flushed with astrong concentration of salt water.

Because the sodium in salt is more chemicallyactive than the other minerals, it literally substitutesitself for the contaminants. This process makes thewater “softer” because sodium does not leave rings,nor does it affect soaps and detergents.

5 S A L T I S T H E P R O D U C T O F T H EL A B O R A N D P A T I E N C E O F P E O P L E .

Salt comes from one main source-the sea. Itis dissolved in ocean water or concentrated in closedbodies of water like the Dead Sea and the Great SaltLake in Utah. It also exists in underground deposits.

Seawater is composed of approximately twoand a half percent salt and about one percent otherminerals, mostly calcium compounds. There isslightly more than a quarter of a pound of salt in onegallon of seawater. Much higher concentrations existin the Dead Sea and the Great Salt Lake.

Salt water from the sea is transported byrailroad cars to empty ponds. When the waterevaporates, the salt remains.

San Francisco is a major supplier of salt takendirectly from evaporated seawater. Seawater is heldin large, open ponds. As the water slowly evapo-rates, it becomes more concentrated with salt.

Since the various minerals dissolved in sea-water crystallize and settle to the bottom at differentpoints, the minerals can be easily separated bymoving the water from pond to pond.

Salt from evaporated seawater

A salt mine one thousand feet below thecity of Detroit, Michigan

Science Resource E (Booklet 13-Preliminay Edition)

Salt in underground deposits is mined muchlike coal. It is broken loose with explosives ormassive drills and then carried to the surface throughshafts equipped with elevators.

_c-Concentratedsalt water

1’1Salt deposit

A relatively new way of mining salt is to forcewater into an underground salt deposit. The waterdissolves the salt and is then forced back up to thesurface through a second well as fresh water ispumped down.

Salt mined in this way produces salty waterseveral times more concentrated than seawater.Once the concentrated salt water reaches thesurface, it is evaporated to remove the salt.

6 S A L T I S M O R E P R E C I O U S T H A NG O L D W H E N I T I S S C A R C E .

Salt has always been abundant, but it has notalways been readily available to all people. Forthousands of years salt was mined by hand andcarried to market by camel caravans. Because saltwas necessary for life, it could be traded for gold orused as payment for services.

Salt crystals form nearly perfect cubes.

P R O J E C TSince Jesus made the clear analogy between

Christians and salt, we are wise to identify as manyrelationships between them as possible. Eachrelationship must be Biblically accurate. Only thenwill it be useful for practical edification in dailyChristian living.

To train yourself to make wise and accurateanalogies and to gain the fullest possible benefit fromChrist’s analogy of salt and Christians, look up atleast two verses for each of the following points. Useyour concordance to locate key words or relatedwords.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Is it the responsibility of Christians to hinder thespread of evil in the world? (sinner)Are Christians to promote cleanliness in theirlives, homes, and community? (cleanse)Should Christians express warmth and friend-liness to all those whom they meet? (greet)Are Christians responsible to remove “hard-ness” from other Christians? (bitterness)How is the conversion of more people toChristianity the result of labor and patience?(labor, travail)Are the spiritual treasures Christians possessmore precious than gold? (gold)

Indicate one specific way in which you canapply each of these analogies to your life.

1. How can I hinder the spread of evil?2. How can I encourage cleanliness around me?3. How can I communicate warmth to others?4. How can I remove hardness in others?5. How can I demonstrate diligence and patience

in witnessing to others?6. How can I demonstrate the value of Christianity

by my priorities?

A salt caravan in the East Date completed Evaluation

526 Science Resource E (Booklet 1LLPreliminay Edition)

I

\

W H A T I S T H E R E L A T I O N S H I PB E T W E E N S A L T A N D L E G A LA G R E E M E N T S ?

‘7hro”gh Somana” to Gailiee and he Jordan

The Jordan River Valley

Scottish adventurer John MacGregor wastaken captive by Arabs while exploring the JordanRiver in his canoe, Rob Roy. As he parleyed with anold sheikh, he opened a tiny box of fine salt andoffered it to his captor.

The Arab had never before seen salt so whiteand refined, and thinking that it was sugar, he tasted it.

Immediately, MacGregor put a portion into hisown mouth, and with a loud laugh exclaimed, “Wehave now eaten salt together in your own tent.”

Law Resource F (Booklet 1%Preliminay Edition)

The old nomad found himself bound by thestrongest tie he knew. The result was that theScotchman and his canoe were ceremoniouslycarried back to the banks of the river.

As he departed, the Arabs shouted “Salaam!”(peace) to their new brother in the covenant of salt.

Like many English words, covenant fails toexpress the fullness of the meaning behind it. In ourlanguage, covenant simply means “a comingtogether.” It is often used interchangeably withwords such as agreement, treaty, compact, andpromise. Only the context of its use gives any clue tothe particular sacredness of the word.

The Hebrew and Greek words translatedcovenant in the English Bible make obviousreferences to “establishing,” “binding together,”and “eating.” These words denote a permanent orunbreakable agreement in which one person giveshimself and all his possessions completely to anotherin the sight of God.

Among all the forms of covenants throughouthistory, the salt covenant has been the most widelyhonored. Religions and governments alike haveused this valuable substance as the symbolic bond ofan enduring accord.

Some covenants were confirmed when twopersons cut themselves and mixed their own blood.The eating of a common sacrifice also marked thelife-sharing union of a covenant. This was called“cutting covenant.”

Covenants sealed in blood, marked by acommon meal, or confirmed by an exchange of giftsand weapons are frequently mentioned in the Bible.Covenants of salt are recorded only three times.Each instance is uniquely accompanied by sacredsignificance.

First, God commanded Moses to instruct thepeople of Israel to use salt as a symbol of the purityand vitality of their sacrifices.

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“And every oblation of thy meat offering shaltthou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer thesalt of the couenant of thy God to be lackingfrom thymeat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offersalt” (Leviticus 2:13).

Second, to emphasize the permanence of Hispriestly covenant with Aaron, God confirmed it insalt.

“All the heave offerings of the holy things,which the children of Israel offer unto the Lord, have1 giuen thee, and thy sons and thy daughters withthee, by a statute for ever: it is a covenant of salt foreuer before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed withthee” (Numbers 18:19).

The final reference to a salt covenant focuseson the rights of royalty. Abijah, the king of Judah,challenged Jeroboam, the king of Israel, concerninghis claims to the throne.

“Ought ye not to know that the Lord God ofIsrael gave the kingdom ouer Israel to David for ever,euen to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?”(II Chronicles 13:5).

In all three cases, God demanded the use ofsalt to assure man’s understanding of worship andauthority. The word covenant appears in the Bibleover 250 times, but a special sense of permanenceand immutability is attached to the three instanceswhere a covenant of salt was required.

During Old Testament times, salt was con-trolled by the king as an important source of life. Byreceiving salt from the king’s palace, his subjectsrenewed their pledge of loyalty. This custom wasfollowed during the rebuilding of the Temple inJerusalem under the Persian king Artaxerxes.

To strengthen his covenant with the Jews,Artaxerxes sent Ezra materials for temple sacrifice.

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The supply list from the Persian treasury isinteresting.

“Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to anhundred measures of wheat, and to an hundredbaths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, andsalt without prescribing how much” (Ezra 7:Z’).

Enormous amounts of salt were necessary forJewish sacrifices, and the more salt they received,the more firmly they bound themselves to the king’sauthority.

A covenant of salt is still considered unbreak-able by many cultures. Because salt is a commoningredient in most bread, the eating of bread withanother carries the same binding power in most partsof the world.

The Syrian proverb, “Their bread had no saltin it,” is often used to describe an act of treachery ora broken promise.

The famous Arabian tale Ali Baba and theForty Thieues tells of the captain of a band of robberswho was unwilling to eat food containing salt as hesat at Ali Baba’s table. Morgiana, a faithful slave girl,noticed his nervous hesitations and uncovered theplot to murder her master.

During his travels across three continents,English explorer Stephen Schultz heard an inter-esting account about the binding power of sa1t.l

“On the thirteenth of June [ 17541 the deaconJoseph Diab, a custom-house clerk, was at table withus. Referring to the salt which stood on the table, hesaid that the Arabs make use of it as a token offriendship. While they are fond of it, they do not liketo place it on the table.

“On one occasion, when he was with a cara-van traveling to Babel [Bagdad], they came into aneighborhood where Arabs were encamped. In thecaravan was a rich merchant. Seeing that one of theArabs was making ready to come to the caravan, heburied his money in the ground, built a fire over it,and then sat down to eat with the others near the fire.

“When the Arabs arrived, they were welcomedpleasantly, and invited to eat. They accepted theinvitation and sat down at the table. But when theirleader saw the salt on the table, he said to the mer-chant, ‘My loss is your gain; for as I have eaten at atable on which is salt, I cannot, must not, harm you.’

“When that caravan started on its way, theArab leader not only refrained from taking what hehad intended to demand, but he escorted themwithout reward as far as the Euphrates.”

1. Quotations taken from H. Clay Trumbull, The Covenant of Salt(New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1899), pages 28-29, 31,111, 112.

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Bedouin tribesmen in the market

Historian Don Raphel related a similar customin his book, The Bedouins of the Desert.

“One kind of these conventions is made bytheir putting some grains of salt with pieces of breadinto each other’s mouths, saying, ‘By the rite ofbread and salt,’ or, ‘By this salt and bread, I will notbetray thee.’ ”

In his notes from a visit to Egypt in1819-1820, Sir Frederick Hennicker records anencounter with an Arab chieftain on his way toMount Sinai.

After Hennicker had requested safe passagethrough the desert kingdom of the local sheikh, theArab ruler drew his sword, placed some salt on theblade and put a portion of it in his mouth. Heencouraged the Englishman to do the same.

“Now your life is as sacred as my own,” hesaid. “Your head is upon my shoulders.”

Respect for salt is not confined to the MiddleEast. Its symbolic quality transcends the confines ofArab customs.

The most solemn oath among the Battas ofSumatra illustrates the importance of salt to thesenatives. “May my harvest fail, my cattle die, and mayI never taste salt again if I do not speak the truth.”

Within a Hungarian wedding ceremony, saltbecomes a symbol of lasting unity. The Vajda (ruler)breaks an earthen vessel, bringing a symbolic end tothe former lives of the bride and groom. The coupleis then sprinkled with salt to picture the loss of theirseparate identities in a common life.

It is still a custom among Orthodox Jews toobserve the rite of the covenant of salt at the familytable before each meal.

After asking the blessing with these words,“Blessed be Thou, 0 Lord our God, King of the

universe, Who causes bread to grow out of theearth,” the head of the house breaks up a loaf ofbread. Each piece is dipped in salt and distributedamong the family members as a reminder of theirresponsibilities to God.

From time immemorial, breaking a salt cove-nant has been viewed as a lowly and treacherousdeed. The ancient Persian word for traitor is namakhat-am, which means “untrue to salt.”

Treachery on the part of one who has eatensalt at a common table is an unusual and surprisingcrime, especially in Arab culture.

Don Raphel gives further insight into the Arabattitude toward faithlessness to salt.

“When they have eaten bread and salt withanyone, it would be a horrid crime not only to robhim, but even to touch the smallest part of hisbaggage, or of the goods which he takes with himthrough the desert. The smallest injury done to hisperson would be considered as an equal wickedness.

“An Arab who should be guilty of such a crimewould be looked upon as a wretch who might expectreproof and detestation from everybody. He wouldappear despicable to himself, and never be able towash away his shame. It is almost unheard of for anArab to bring such disgrace upon himself.”

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The artistshows anoverturnedsaltcellar atthe elbowof Judas.This is asymbol oftreacheryand betrayal.

When the nation of Israel entered into acovenant with the Lord, each person became anintegral part of the agreement. Therefore, oneperson’s sin affected every covenant member. This isdramatically illustrated in Achan’s transgression.Notice how God included the entire covenantfellowship in His judgment.

“lsrael bath sinned, and they have alsotransgressed my covenant which 1 commandedthem: for they have even taken of the accursedthing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also,and they have put it even among their own stuff”(Joshua 7:Il).

In the New Testament, Paul includes covenant-breakers among the most wicked evildoers ofpaganism. “Being filled with all unrighteousness,fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness;full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whis-perers . . . covenant-breakers. .” (Romans 1:29-31).

The significance of a salt covenant and the ser-iousness of breaking it reveal a whole new dimensionin the Lord’s Table which is regularly observed bymillions of Christians throughout the world.

When we eat the bread with other believers,we are entering into a salt covenant with them. Thismeans that we are committed to be lifelong friendswith every other Christian who partakes of thecommunion elements. Their welfare is our responsi-bility, and our welfare is their responsibility.

If we were to mistreat or harm anotherChristian, we would be guilty of breaking a saltcovenant. Since Christ physically partook of thebread and cup while He was on earth, He is anintegral part of the covenant fellowship. Thus, if we

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offend or benefit any other Christian, we are actuallydoing it to Christ.

Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 25:40:I‘ . . Verily 1 say unto you, inasmuch as ye havedone it unto one of the least of these my brethren, yehave done it unto me.”

It is for this reason that the consequences ofeating or drinking unworthily are serious. “For hethat eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth anddrinketh damnation to himself, not discerning theLord’s body. For this cause many are weak andsickly among you, and many sleep [have died]”(1 Corinthians 11:29-30).

P R O J E C TThink through the following questions and

discuss their legal implications.

1 How do we know that God honors the bindingnature of a salt covenant? (See II Chronicles13:5.)

2How is eating bread with another personestablishing a salt covenant with him?

3 Based on th’1s understanding, with whom are wenot to eat? (See I Corinthians 5:ll.)

4 Wha are the implications of entering into atsalt treaty with an atheistic nation? (SeeJudges 2: l-3.)

5 How does the Lord’s Table affect our ability tosue a Christian who has wronged us? (SeeI Corinthians 6: 7-8. )

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RESOURCE

H O W D O E S T H E E A R “ T A S T E ”W O R D S A S T H E T O N G U ET A S T E S F O O D ?

Salt plays a key role in the tasting process ofthe tongue. The tongue, in turn, provides richinsights into how the ear evaluates words.

These relationships have an important appli-cation to us as Christians, since our primary functionis to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thetesting of our words by the ears of our listeners willgreatly influence the results of our witness.

“For the ear trieth [tests] words, as themouth [palate] tasteth meat” (Job 34:3).

The surface of the tongue is covered with mil-lions of tiny taste buds, called gustatory cells. Thesecells are grouped into four types. Each is sensitive toone of the four qualities of taste: saltiness, sweetness,sourness, and bitterness. All taste sensations arecombinations of these four.

Gustatory cells react to chemical changeswhich occur when substances dissolve on thetongue. Since salt increases the flow of saliva in themouth, it naturally enhances the amount of flavorthe tongue is able to pick up.

Salt also seems to increase the sensitivity of thegustatory cells, allowing the tongue to “taste” deli-cate flavors that otherwise might go unnoticed.

The taste buds have a protective function aswell. They enable the body to test the compositionof food before it is eaten. Similarly, the ear shouldtest words and ideas before they are accepted intothe mind.

Surface of tongue

I Nerve fibers

Gustatory cells

A sirlgle taste bud

One reason tha tchildren may be more“vocal” about food isthat they have moretaste buds. At birth, aninfant has approxi-mately 250 taste budson each papilla of thetongue. These buds aregradually lost until few-er than 90 are leftby middle age. Adultscan no longer tastethe small differencesin food that theirchildren can.

HOW TASTE TRAVELS

Each taste bud does its “tasting” by means ofmicroscopic hairs in the gustatory cell. These hairsare attached to nerve fibers which carry the taste tothe brain. The fastest signals travel at about 427 feetper second. The slower ones travel at about 2 feetper second. Electrical impulses in wires travel at thespeed of light, 186,000 miles per second. Nerveimpulses, however, travel much more slowly.

THE FOUR SENSATIONS OF TASTE

Since the tongue discerns four tastes, and theear “tastes” words as the tongue tastes food, we canmake the following comparisons:

1 The tongue and the earfirst taste for saltiness.

Saltiness

The initial function of salt in our mouths is tobring out the true flavor of food and to create anappetite for it.

The first purpose of words is the same. Theymust immediately attract the interest of the listenerand create a desire for more information.

Thirst to the body is like curiosity to the mind.Both can be intensely powerful in motivating action.

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When the Lord Jesus Christ spoke in parablesto the multitudes, He created great curiosity. Thepeople asked questions and listened intently for longperiods of time to what He had to say.

Curiosity, in order to be effective, must berelated to the interests and needs of the listener.Christ spoke of “living water” to the woman at thewell. She was very interested in the water aboutwhich He spoke. “. . . Sir, gioe me this water, that 1thirst not, neither come hither to draw” (John 4:15).

Years ago, an insurance salesman becamediscouraged by his lack of results and decided toquit. However, he was able to learn how to createcuriosity in what he had to offer his potentialcustomers and later became one of the mostsuccessful insurance salesmen of his day.

On one occasion, he visited the busy presidentof a factory to deliver a free memorandum bookwhich the president had requested. When thesalesman mentioned buying insurance, the presidentreplied:

“Well, there are three men in my office, and 1’11be tied up for quite a while. Besides, it would be awaste of time to discuss insurance. I’m sixty-threeyears old. I stopped buying insurance years ago.Most of my policies are paid up. My children are allgrown and better able to take care of themselvesthan I am. There are only my wife and one daughterleft with me now, and if anything happened to me,they would have more money than is good for them.”

The young salesman gave a well-thought-outresponse and at the same time created interest inwhat he had to provide:

“A man who has been as successful in life asyou have been surely must have some interestoutside of your family and your business-perhapssome charitable or missionary work. Did you everconsider that when you die, your support will bewithdrawn? Wouldn’t this loss seriously handicap oreven mean the discontinuance of some splendidwork? Through our plan, you could guarantee ityour support, live or die.”

The busy presidentbetrayed his interest byasking the salesman, “Ifyou want to wait a littlewhile, I’d like to ask yousome questions.”

Twenty minutes later,the salesman learned thatthe president was sup- .-- _porting three missionaries, .>and it had never occurred ‘A___ .%I- - :;

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to him to make provisions for them if somethingshould happen to him. The salesman walked out ofthe president’s office with a signed contract and acheck for $8,672.

A week later, this insurance salesman wasinvited to tell his story at a national sales convention.Following his talk, a veteran salesman came up toshake his hand and to explain why his sale was sosuccessful. He said,

“The most important secret of sales-manship is to find out what the other fellowwants and then to help him find the best way toget it. In the first minute of your interview, youwere able to find out what the presidentwanted. Then you showed him how he couldget it.”

We have all heard thestatement, “You can leada horse to water, but youcan’t make him drink.” Thatstatement is not entirelyaccurate-

YOUCANSALTTHEOATS!

The concept of “salting the oats” is referred toin Scripture as “ministering grace to our hearers.”(See Ephesians 4:29.)

Grace is the desire and the power to do God’swill. Thus, when our lips speak with grace, theymotivate others to do what will please the Lord. Theinstruction of Colossians 4:6, in fact, combines graceand salt, ‘Let your speech be a/way with grace,seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye oughtto answer every man.”

T h e t o n g u e a n de a r t h e n t a s t ef o r s w e e t n e s s .

t h e

Sweetness

The second taste zone on the tongue tests forsweetness. This principle is also true in the realm

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of hearing. If a listener is interested in what we haveto tell him, he will then be sensitive to the sweet-ness of our words. The psalmist emphasized thecharacteristic of sweetness in the words of Scripturewhen he wrote, “How sweet are thy words unto mytaste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”(Psalm 119:103).

Solomon goes on to explain the rewards ofcommunicating sweet words, “The wise in heartshall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the /ipsincreaseth learning” (Proverbs 16.21).

Sweet words are pleasant words. And,

ii”the words of the pure are pleasant words ”

rouerbs 15.26). Sweet and pleasant words arebeneficial both to the soul and to the body. “Theheart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addethlearning to his lips. Pleasant words are as anhoneycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to thebones” (Proverbs 16:23-24).

Honey is a quick-energy food. It containssimple sugars which canbe quickly digested andused by the body. Honeyalso contains mineralsalts. It is the only form ofsugar that does not needto be refined.

Our words should first prompt the desire to dowhat is right and then give the energy to accomplishit. Words of encouragement and praise are sweetand pleasant words because they energize theindividual receiving them.

3 T h e t o n g u e a n d t h e e a r

d e tee t s o u r n e s s .

Sourness

Both sides of the tongue have taste buds thatdetect sourness. A sour taste is produced by acids; itis pungent, tart, or tangy like lemon or vinegar.However, there is another category of sournesswhich occurs when food or drink is spoiled,fermented, or made rancid.

Words become stale and sour when they aresimply repeated from a previous occasion. A teacherhad a motto on his desk which stated, “The greatest

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offense to a student is to repeat the same thing in thesame way. ” God is a God of variety and freshness.When He gave the manna to the nation of Israel inthe wilderness, it became stale and corrupted if it waskept beyond the designated time.

Fresh words do not necessarily need to saynew things, but they do need to say the old things innew ways. Even old truths that are repeated can befresh when they sincerely express our experiencesand are given with new emphasis and meaning.

Whenever we express the working of God inour own lives, our words are fresh.

4 T h e t o n g u e a n d t h e e a r

a l s o d e t e c t b i t t e r n e s s .

BitternessThe back of the tongue is able to taste bitter-

ness. A bitter taste is acrid, caustic, sharp, and biting.When a person eats something bitter, he experiencesa disagreeable aftertaste.

In the same way that a tongue detects a bittertaste, the ear detects a bitter spirit. A person mayspeak with interest or sweetness, but behind thewords there may be a sharp cutting edge of anger orresentment.

Scripture instructs us to be watchful of a bitterspirit both in ourselves and in others. “Lookingdiligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lestany root of bitterness springing up trouble you, andthereby many be defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).

P R O J E C T

L e a r n h o w t o

“ s a l t t h e o a t s . ”

Since we have been commanded to havespeech that is “. . . alway with grace, seasoned withsalt . . .” (Colossians 4:6), it is vital that we learnskills which will accomplish this, especially sincewe are witnesses of the most important message inthe world.

“Salting” a listener is creating in him acuriosity and interest for what we have to saybefore we say it.

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1 ‘Salt” w i t h q u e s t i o n s .

The Lord Jesus Christ would often createcuriosity and interest by asking questions rather thanmaking statements. For example, instead of tellingPeter about His divine nature, He asked:

‘I Whom do men say that 1 the Son of manam?” &&hew 16:13).

A “salting” question must be one whichrelates to questions and concerns which the listenerhas been consciously or unconsciously considering.

If a friend is reporting an angry argument thathe had with someone else, you could ask thequestion, “Have you ever wondered how to calm anangry person?”

The tonal pattern and enthusiasm with whichyou ask the question should communicate the factthat you have an exciting answer to give.

2 W a i t f o r a r e s p o n s e .

doIf you receive no response to your question,

not give your answer; just wait. If the listener hasclearly heard your question, he has been “salted.” Itmay take time for the salt to work.

In fact, your listener may call you several dayslater and say, “When we were talking the other day,you explained how to calm an angry person. I forgotwhat you said. Could you repeat your answer?”

3 “ S a l t ” w i t h s u m m a r y s t a t e m e n t s .

God defines a wise answer as one that hasbeen carefully prepared in the heart from Scripture.“The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, andaddeth learning to his lips” (Proverbs 16.23).

Also, “The preparations of the heart in man,and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord”(Proverbs 16:l).

If you have thought through your answer, youwill be able to say, “There are three ways that I havediscovered so far to calm an angry person.”

This statement confirms that you havefollowed the Scripture, “The heart of the righteousstudieth to answer . . . ” (Proverbs 1528). It alsocommunicates that you can speak with the authorityof your own experience and that you will speak onlyto the limit of your experience.

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The statement further reveals that you do nothave all the answers, but that you are still learning.

There is another benefit in giving suchsummary statements. They prepare your listener forall you want to say. Thus, if a listener disagrees withyour first point, he will usually wait to hear your otherpoints before reacting.

The points that “hit home” usually open upmore questions and discussion.

4 “ Q u e n c h t h i r s t ” w i t h y o u r a n s w e r s .

The purpose of salting is to prepare yourlistener to give full attention to your answers. Thevery process involved presupposes that you havevaluable information, which if accepted and heededwill bring gratefulness from your listener.

Your answer on calming an angry personcould be as follows:

“First, give a soft answer rather than an angryor irritated reply. God promises, ‘A soft answerturneth away wrath: but grievous words stir upanger’ (Proverbs 15:l).

‘Second, give a quiet reward. Look for somecharacter quality or action by which this person hasbenefited your life, and reward it with praise or a giftof appreciation. ‘A gift in secretpacifieth anger: and areward in the bosom strong wrath’ (Proverbs21:14).”

(Note: Some have thought that the word“gift” used here refers to a bribe; however, in thecontext of a reward and wrath from assumedinjustices, the word could not mean “bribe.” A giftthat encourages right action is a reward. A gift thatencourages wrong action is a bribe.)

“Third, give direction on yielding rights. Angercan be traced to personal rights which have beenviolated. When these rights are given to the Lord, theyturn from rights to privileges, and we develop themind of Christ. He laid aside His rights to live a life ofobedience for our salvation.” (See Philippians 2:5.)

In your conversations, begin learning how to“salt” your listeners. Then follow up with “sweetwords” of God’s truth.

“Let no corrupt communication proceedout of your mouth, but that which is good to theuse of edifying, that it may minister grace untothe hearers” (Ephesians 429).

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