Rev. Fr. Ignatius Schuster - Bible History: Of the Old and New Testaments

Illustrated Bible History

of the Old and New Testaments

For the Use of Catholic Schools

Ignatius Schuster, D.D.

Nihil Obstat

Innocentius Swoboda, O.F.M. Censor Librorum

Imprimatur

Sti. Ludovici, die 21. Augusti, 1950 Joseph E. Ritter Archiepiscopus

Originally published by B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.

The typography in this book is property of TAN Books, and no reproductions therefrom are permitted according to law.

TAN Books
Charlotte, North Carolina
www.TANBooks.com

2014

CONTENTS

FIRST PART.

History of the Old Testament.

FIRST EPOCH.

From Adam to Abraham.

CHAPTER I.

The Creation of the World .

The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of His hands. Ps.18, 1 .

I N the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was void and empty, darkness was on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved over the waters. God said: "Be light made," and light was made. This was the first day.

2. On the second day God said: "Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters; and let it divide the waters from the waters." And it was so. God called the firmament Heaven.

3. On the third day God said: "Let the waters that are under the heaven be gathered into one place; and let the dry land appear." And it was so done. God called the dry land, Earth; the gathered waters, Seas. He also said: "Let the earth bring forth the green herb and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind." And it was so done.

4. The fourth day God said: "Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and for years." And it was so done. God made the sun, moon and countless stars, and set them in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth, and to rule the day and the night.

THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.

5. The fifth day God said: "Let the waters bring forth the creeping creatures having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth under the firmament of heaven." And God created fish and birds of every kind, and He blessed them, saying, "Increase and multiply."

6. The sixth day God said: "Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind: cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so done. At last God created man, and gave him dominion over all the rest. And God saw all the works that He had made, and they were very good. The seventh day God rested, and He blessed that day and made it holy.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God create in the beginning? In what condition was the earth at first? What moved over the waters? What was then made? 2. What was made on the second day? 3. What did God say on the third day? What did God call the dry land? The waters? What else did God then create? 4. What did God say on the fourth day? 5. What did God say on the fifth day? 6. On the sixth day? What did God give to man? What did God do on the seventh day?

CHAPTER II.

Creation and Fall of the Angels .

O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and exalt Him above all forever. Dan. 3, 58 .

B ESIDES the visible world, God also created an invisible world, namely, innumerable spirits called Angels. They were all good, happy, and endowed with excellent gifts of nature and of grace; but they did not all continue in that state, for, being possessed of a free will, a great many of them abused it, lost the grace of God, and became wicked.

2. They rebelled against GodLucifer, their leader, saying: "We shall be like unto the Most High; we will place our throne above the stars."

3. Then there was a great strife in heaven. Michael and the other angels who had remained faithful to God, fought against the bad and rebellious spirits, whose chief is now called Satan, or the Devil. The bad angels were conquered and cast from heaven down to hell. The angels who remained faithful were rewarded with everlasting happiness. They forever see the face of God in heaven.

QUESTIONS.

1. Besides the visible world, what did God create? In what state were the angels first? Did they all continue in that happy state? 2. What did they do? What did Lucifer, their leader, say? 3. What was there then in heaven? Against whom did Michael and the other good angels fight? Who were conquered, and how were the bad angels punished? How were the good angels rewarded?

CHAPTER III.

Creation of the First Man . Paradise . The First Commandment . Creation of Eve .

He that liveth forever, created all things together. God only shall be justified, and He remaineth an invincible king forever. Ecclus., 18, 1 .

W HEN God created man, He said: "Let us make man to our image and likeness, and give him dominion over all animals and over the whole earth." He then formed a human body of the slime of the earth, breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. At the same moment God added to the nature of man many favors, and, especially, sanctifying grace. Thus was made the first man, who was named Adam, that is to say, man taken from the earth. By his nature man was the image of God; by grace he was the likeness of God.

2. By a special effect of His goodness the Lord God created, expressly for man, a garden of pleasure, called Paradise. There were in it all sorts of beautiful trees, covered with delicious fruit; and in the middle of the garden stood the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A river, divided into four branches, watered the whole garden.

3. It was in this garden of delights that God placed man, that he might cultivate it for his own pleasure and occupation. God then commanded man, saying: "Of every tree of Paradise thou shalt eat, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat; for in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death."

4. Adam was still alone on the earth. Hence God said: "It is not good for man to be alone; let us make him a help like unto himself." Then God caused all the animals to come before Adam, that he might give to each its name. But for Adam there was not found a help like unto himself; therefore, casting a deep sleep upon Adam, God took one of his ribs and formed of it a woman. When Adam awoke, God brought to him his wife; and Adam rejoiced to see another being like himself. He called her Eve, that is, Mother of the Living.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did God say when He created man? How did He create man? What was the first man called? How is man the image of God, and how the likeness of God? 2. What did God, in His special goodness, create expressly for man? What was in the garden, and what stood in the middle of it? 3. What commandment did God give to man? 4. What did God say, seeing Adam still alone on the earth? Why did God cause all the animals to come before Adam? How did God create a helpmate for Adam? What did Adam call her?

CHAPTER IV.

The Fall of our First Parents .

He is a liar, and the father thereof. John, 8, 44 .

O F all the animals that God had placed upon the earth, none was more cunning than the serpent. Hence the devil, who was envious of the happiness of our first parents, made use of him in order to seduce them.

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