Object Lessons

Slim and Fat

Objects: Two bottles filled with water, one tall and slender, the other short and wide; two corks; some black ink; a rubber band, and a piece of stiff wire. (Twist one end of the wire around the neck of the slim bottle, allowing the other end to project upward about three or four inches. Make a crook in the wire turning the end back toward the bottle. Fasten a rubber band, which has a cork attached to it, to the end of the wire. The rubber band must be tight enough to pull the cork out when the cork is inserted in the bottle. The cork should be loose-fitting.)

I want to introduce you to two of my friends: "Slim and Fat." These two are like you, in that they attend Sunday school. While they both have been attending Sunday school, still they are entirely different. "Slim" came to Sunday school just to have as much fun as possible. He did not care to hear and obey God's Word. This is the way he acted whenever his teacher, or the minister tried to teach God's Word to him. He refused to accept it. The cork comes out every time.

"Fat" remembered the words of the Psalmist, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psa. 119:11). He accepted Christ as his Saviour, and at every opportunity he accepted and obeyed the Word of God. I will place this cork marked "God's Word" in the mouth of this bottle to show how he was protected.

Now see what happens! This black ink, which represents sin, can be dropped easily into the slim bottle. The water is discolored. The ink does not reach the water in the other bottle.

"Slim" reminds me of King Uzziah, who sinned in intruding into the priest's work, and was smitten with leprosy. If he had hidden God's Word in his heart, he would have been kept from this terrible sin.