Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court (27 page)

1. It is important that parents implement biblical principles in their homes and that they model those principles for their
   children. When this is compromised, the children usually respond as Braith did, and often to a much greater degree. It is also important for parents to have strong relationships with their children, for rules without relationship breed rebellion.
   

1. See John 14:30; Ephesians 2:2; and Colossians 2:13–15.
   

1. Jesus is recorded in the gospels as telling His disciples that things that are impossible with men are possible with God. See Luke 18:27 for one example.
   

2. Some verses include Psalms 18:28; 107:10–16; Isaiah 9:2; 42:16; John 8:12; Acts 26:18; 2 Corinthians 4:6; and 1 Peter 2:9.
   

3. Avarice is excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain-greed. The Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. People who immerse themselves in greed and materialism eventually find themselves pierced through with many sorrows, just as Kingsley was pierced through with Avarick's sword.
   

1. The biggest sorrow that greed and materialism caused Kings-ley's family was broken relationships (Braith thinking that Avarick loved him more than Kingsley did, Eirwyn having to live with her family's embarrassment about her, the deaths of Kingsley and his daughter, Braith's abandoning his sister, his home, and his people). The character and integrity of most of the family members were also significantly—and very negatively-affected by Kingsley's greed. In terms of the sorrows of Kings-ley's people, there was great physical suffering (malnutrition,
   illness, injury, and death from the Lucrum raids) and emotional suffering from dealing with the physical effects of the oppression that Kingsley's greed caused them.
   

   Today, greed and materialism cause many of the same consequences. The love of money can become an idol and replace God as a priority. Focusing on the accumulation of wealth and earthly treasures (stuff) will negatively affect our relationships with other people and especially with children. It is tempting to replace time and affection with material objects. This dangerous attitude is easily “caught” by children and can be passed on for generations. Families can be completely torn apart over attitudes about money and especially inheritances.
   

2. The arrival of the Knights of the Prince symbolizes Christians uniting in Christ in order to reach the lost and to stand against evil. We battle against evil not with worldly weapons but with the Word of God and the power of prayer in the authority of Jesus’ name. Personal and corporate prayer is one of the most powerful and effective weapons to use against Satan. Acts 2:42–47 is an excellent example of the power of prayer, fellowship, and unity in the cause to further God's kingdom.
   

3. The vices portrayed in
   Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
   are greed (avarice) and fear, while the virtues are mercy and courage. Lord Kingsley Sir Avarick, and the Lucrums represent greed. The Ashen Knight, his Lucrums, and the Yagormoth represent fear. Sir Bentley and Lady Eirwyn represent both mercy and courage (Eirwyn, the Mercy Maiden, represents mercy more strongly, while Bentley more strongly represents courage). Kingsley already had a weakness toward greed, which Avarick then fed and grew into a stronghold. Sir Avarick trained his Vincero Knight, the Ashen Knight, to be a fierce and ghastly warrior, who in turn capitalized on the Lucrums’ lust for gain by
   training them to be greatly feared warriors, able to raid villages and paralyze the people with fear. Eirwyn's mercy was developed in opposition to her fathers greed, with the help of the gardener (who was actually the Prince). Bentley's courage was borne out of his quest for truth and developed both by Demus's example and by his being thrust into situations that required courage for success.
   

4. Answer based on personal experience.
   

Unlike the Kingdom Series allegory, whose characters and events are based on people and events taken directly from Scripture, The Knights of Arrethtrae is a set of allegorical stories based on biblical principles. Each book attempts to teach about virtues and vices conveyed through the truth of God's Word.
Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court
teaches about the virtues of courage and mercy and warns against the vices of greed (avarice) and fear.

Today we are immersed in a culture of materialism. Never before have so many had so much. However, the love of money—avarice—is no respecter of persons, for it can become a stronghold in the hearts of the poor and the wealthy alike. It is a very dangerous stronghold that can easily seize youth unless they learn to carefully guard their hearts.

The antithesis of avarice is mercy, for the greedy think only of themselves, whereas the merciful put others before themselves. It is the power of the Holy Spirit alive in our hearts that helps us to put away our sinful—and greedy—desires and live victoriously in away that yields fruits of the Spirit and reveals the gifts of the Spirit, such as mercy.

The courage that spurred Sir Bentley to abandon the comforts of his life and seek the truth is one of the loftiest pursuits a man or woman can engage in. It is the essence of God's desire for each of us. He asks us to seek Him, and we shall find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). It is my hope that all who read this story will find the courage to do the same by exploring the unchangeable truth of God's Word.

S
IR
B
ENTLEY AND
H
OLBROOK
C
OURT
P
UBLISHED BY
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ULTNOMAH
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OOKS
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (
KJV
) are taken from the King James Version.

The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

eISBN: 978-1-60142-262-0

Copyright © 2009 by Chuck Black
“Eirwyn” music and lyrics copyright © 2008 by Emily Elizabeth Black
Illustrations by Marcella Johnson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of The Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House Inc., New York.

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ULTNOMAH
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Black, Chuck.
   Sir Bentley and Holbrook Court / Chuck Black; [illustrations by Marcella
Johnson].—1st ed.
      p. cm.—(The knights of Arrethtrae; bk. 2)
   Summary: Newly knighted, young Sir Bentley embarks on a quest to give up the pleasures of men and follow the path of the Prince, finding kindred spirits along the way who help him restore hope to the people of Holbrook.
[1. Greed—Fiction. 2. Knights and knighthood—Fiction. 3. Christian life—Fiction.
4. Allegories.]
I
. Johnson, Marcella, ill.
II
. Title.
  PZ7.B528676Si 2009
  [Fic]—dc22

2008036022

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