2 Corinthians 6:17

Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says the Lord.

“AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN.’’

Homogenize – [huh–moj–uh-nahyz]

1. To form by blending unlike elements.
2. To prepare an emulsion, as by reducing the size of the fat globules in (milk or cream) in order to distribute them equally throughout.
3. Emulsion – 1. a smooth mixture of two or more liquids that do not normally stay mixed together.

Mary Rose and her classmates thought it was most interesting to see 2 different kinds of milk their teacher had brought to Bible class that morning in her ice chest. One kind had been homogenized. That meant the fat or cream in that milk had been blended together so much that it would no longer separate. The milk that had not been homogenized or blended together still had the cream separated from the milk and you could actually dip it off the top and still have the good pure milk to drink but without all the fat. “The milk and cream tastes good together but all that fat is not good for our bodies.”  They listened and watched closely as their teacher talked about the differences of the 2 kinds of milk. After putting the milk back into the ice chest the teacher pulled out a bottle with 2 different kinds of liquid in it. One was oil and the other water. They were separated just like the milk and cream.

Oli and Water

Then she began to tell them a about a man who lived on the earth during the Mosaic Age and they could begin to learn about him in 1 Samuel 9:1. This man was an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin. He was very tall and handsome. He had been chosen by God for a VERY special job. He would be the 1^st King of Israel! When the Prophet Samuel announced Saul as their King, all the people shouted and said, “Long live the King!” 1 Samuel 10:24. A good King follows God and His rules. Samuel helped King Saul know God’s messages and tried to help him be a good King. Saul was a brave leader and fought in many battles against their enemies. Saul also gave God credit for delivering Israel from their enemies. 1 Samuel 11:13. King Saul enjoyed being in charge and there were times when he became fearful that those he ruled would not follow his lead. Sometimes because of God’s rules Saul and the people had to wait for certain things to happen and if the waiting seemed too long King Saul thought it was better to change the rules and not have to wait. So he began to take charge and do things his way instead of God’s way. 1 Samuel 13:1-14.

The teacher took the bottle. She said, “The oil represents evil/sin, and the water represents good/obedience to God. When she shook the bottle the liquids became all sparkly together. Very pretty.

Sin can be so captivating.

Even though King Saul knew better it seemed the only thing to do was to mix things up and change the rules. King Saul had sinned by changing things.  He still wanted to be ruler of God’s people but was not following God. He had even convinced himself that he was still doing good when really he was doing evil.    1 Samuel 15:10-24. 

The bottle was passed around and each one took their turn really shaking up the “good and evil” together. Soon it didn’t look so pretty anymore. And just like when the fat is blended in with the milk, you could not tell the “good/water from evil/oil”. If we continue in that homogenized state trying to combine good and evil, we will end up not knowing right from wrong!  It’s not good for us spiritually.

When Samuel saw that King Saul was acting by his own rules instead of God’s rules he scolded Saul and told him that his kingdom was going to be given to his neighbor who was better than him. 1 Samuel 15:28. God was sorry that He had ever made Saul King over Israel because he had turned from following God. 1 Samuel 15:10-11. It wasn’t until Saul heard that God had rejected him as King that Saul actually admitted his sin. 1 Samuel 15:23-24. King Saul stayed on the thrown until his death, but while he was reigning God had departed from him and had sent him an evil spirit that troubled him.

Mary Rose had been so engaged in what happened to King Saul that when she finally looked over at the bottle the oil and water had completely separated. Kind of like what happened to King Saul. He had let sin rule him for so long, over and over again until it became a way of life for him. Romans 1:28-32, And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper…

Their teacher reminded them that everyone needs to be careful and think seriously about following God. We need to stand apart and be separate from sin. 2 Corinthians 6:17We do not want to be separated from God like Saul was. God wants be Holy for He is Holy. 1 Peter 1:14-16,  As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

That day in Bible class  Mary Rose and the others had a special surprise project. They all got to make their own good and evil don’t mix bottles! They used clear 8oz plastic water bottles. What a good take-home reminder. Mary Rose was very excited to tell her parents all about the meaning of the contents of this special bottle.

If God does not rule us, sin and Satan will have possession of us. (From Matthew Henry’s Commentary)

Greetings! To my Sister Bible class teachers,

I do not know all the ins and outs of homogenizing milk or the pros/cons thereof, but I do know that good and evil do not mix! Being mixed up in sin is serious business and the sooner we learn and teach others it is not a game the better. Today our world wants us to coexist with and accept sin as a way of life, but God wants us to be separate, holy, for His pupose. Ah the age old battle of flesh and spirit. Galatians 5:16-17.  We know it well, do we not?

The visual aid I have shared with you today is one you should be able to use again and again. My students think it is a pretty neat concept. I used a clear plastic juice bottle and added half water and half oil. I also taped the lid onto the bottle with clear box tape. After a couple of years I like to change out the contents so it stays fresh looking.

Click here for lesson visual aids about King Saul.

Click here for more pictures of the bottle used.

My prayers and encouragement go with you.

Serving in Christ,

Gwendolyn Schnell

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Gwen Schnell

Gwen is the author of Mary Rose and Me (Available at Amazon.com). She has been married to her devoted husband Dan for over 41 years. He has been the pulpit minister for the Owasso Church of Christ for over 25 years and they both love working with the this outstanding congregation. Dan and Gwen are richly blessed with 3 faithful children who are married to faithful spouses, and are even further blessed to have Jonathan, Matthew, Micaiah, and Lydia join the ranks making them Grandma/Nina, and Opa! Gwen has had the pleasure of putting the Word into the hearts of children for over 30 years, and 4th and 5th grades are her favorite children’s Bible classes to teach. On occasion, Gwen has opened the Word with teen/adult ladies classes and has had the pleasure of speaking for couple of ladies days, but personal home Bible studies are among her favorite ways of opening the Word with others.

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