Psalm 118:12 They compassed me about like bees: they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. I. LOYALTY. They all love their queen. She is their ruler and their mother, and they are her subjects and her children. Without her, home would be nothing. She is queen, and must be obeyed. II. LOVING THE HOME. Bees are very much attached to their hive. No mother of a family loves her home more than a queen bee; and all the true worker bees take after their mother in this respect. Some people have a genius for helping; there are others who seem to have a genius for hindering. III. CLEANLINESS. The care with which they remove dirt of all kinds is something remarkable. Every boy and girl may well follow the example of these wise little philosophers, the bees, and keep everything clean in their homes. IV. SYMPATHY. I have seen a wounded bee carried at length, and laid on the bee-board in the warm sunshine. One bee would lick the sufferer from head to foot with his tongue, another would roll him over and over in the sunshine. After they had succeeded in doing this, they would carry him to his sick-bed. This shows us the sympathy of the bee, and sympathy is the most divine thing in the world. V. BEING HAPPY IN ONE'S WORK. "Place yourselves," says one who has written on this subject, "before a hive, and see the indefatigable industry of its busy toilers. Let the bee's hum inspire you with the honourable resolution to do all things cheerfully in the active duties of life. We ought to be happy and cheerful in our work." (R. Newton, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them. |
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