In step

[RiverOL]

Still Waiting for Miss Right
(a lesson in contentment)
Text written and copyrighted © 2002 by Manfred Koehler. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

I was twenty-two, on my way to reach tribal people with the gospel—and still painfully single. High school had seen one serious-but-wasn't-meant-to-be relationship. Bible school gave me a similar lesson or two in heartbreak.

And now I was in missionary training, where the three single ladies who sat with me in class had no intentions of breaking my heart. They were all older than I. One of them was sixty-seven.

So I spent many a spare moment gazing at the training center's bulletin boards, checking out photos of all the missionary babes spread throughout the world and wondering where God would send me.

I think one of them was named Pamela. Nice hair, cute face. I clearly remember that she worked in Papua New Guinea. Wow, did I feel divinely guided to go to Papua New Guinea.

The need for new missionaries in PNG was indeed urgent.

Fifteen months later, still single, I was getting desperate. I still had visions of going to PNG, but a dose of reality had knocked Pamela clear off my radar screen. In fact, my screen was completely empty. I knew without a shadow of doubt that God wanted me in missions, but I was shedding torrents of tears at the thought of going it alone.

It didn't help that I had just wasted three months chasing a relationship with a pretty girl who sort of loved Jesus and had no interest in missions. What was I thinking, asking a wannabe stewardess on a date? She sure was nice to be around, though. Walking away from that one almost disemboweled me.

One day I was hobnobbing with a bunch of missionary candidates, all of them married and with a gaggle of kids. Suddenly there she was, standing in the hallway. Single. Tall. Blonde. Cute nose. A voice that purred. Big eyes. Blue—both of them. And like the others, she was preparing to go to the mission field.

I shook her hand. We talked. I asked her name, offered mine. She smiled. I died. We exchanged another sentence, then checked our watches. She said bye. So did I.

It was over.

The forty-five-second encounter was too far from home to casually pursue, too short to follow up at a distance. I didn't even know her last name. That girl popped into my life only long enough to torture my already bleeding soul.

It was midnight—in more ways than one. And I had a three-hour drive ahead of me.

Her face stared at me the whole way home. Snow swirling around my vehicle, tears gushing out of my eyes, I beat the steering wheel in agony.

"Father! Why?" I screamed into a cold windshield that didn't seem to care. "Why did you even let us meet? That was so mean. What are you doing to me?" I beat the steering wheel some more, my palms aching, my deranged thoughts surprised I hadn't snapped it in two. "Do I have to be a wretched eunuch the rest of my life? Is that what it's going to take to make you happy? Oh, God, you're killing me!"

My rantings threw me into a fit of coughing and weeping. With slush piling on the road and emotions exploding in my soul, I was in a dangerous way. I didn't care. Right now, the dead end of a snowplow seemed like a great place to be.

Somehow I survived that night, but the questions kept coming: Is there just one girl out there for me? What if she died at birth? What if she lives in the Ukraine? If not, where is she? Show me! Point me in the right direction. You know I can't go this alone. Send her my way. Throw me at her feet. Please, God, I'm dying.

The answers I demanded simply wouldn't come. Finally, my heart too weary to rant, I was ready to listen. I think the conversation went something like this:

Child, is my love not enough?

I had to chew on that one. "I'm not sure, Lord. I know it's supposed to be, but every time I imagine myself single for the rest of my life, I want to die. So, no, it's not enough."

I'm not asking you to be single for the rest of your life. You're the only one asking that question.

"You mean I don't have to be willing to be forever single to make you happy?"

That's right. I've never demanded that willingness from anyone.

"Well, then, what are you asking?"

I'm only asking you to be single for the rest of this day.

"You mean, you'll throw me at her feet tomorrow?"

Forget about tomorrow. Just enjoy my love today. That's all you need to worry about.

"In other words, no promises about the future."

Not on this subject, no.

"Hmmm."

That thought needed digesting. Taking the time to accept it, I made another cautious step.

"Okay, let me see. I've tortured myself worrying about tomorrow, envisioning the existence of an unhappy old man who's never known a woman—rather than simply enjoying your love today. Is that what you're saying?"

You're catching on. Now try putting it another way.

It didn't take me long. "I've been asking you for a lifetime of singlehood grace, when you only dole it out in one-day doses."

Exactly. You're there. So, how about it?

"How about what?"

Can you handle being single until the end of today? I ask no more.

To accompany the burst of understanding that flooded my soul, God overwhelmed me with an assurance of his love. Sweet tears in my eyes, I nodded and smiled.

Take a long look at Matthew 6:34. Chisel it in stone. It's the principle you've just come to appreciate. I love you, Manfred.

Opening my Bible, I read these words: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." My mind had seen that line many times, along with the verses that surrounded it. Now it was my heart that was looking.

I was still single, with no guarantees. But the tomorrow questions were gone. Really. The tears didn't stop completely, but the ones that followed were a mere trickle. Jesus replaced the rest by taking me to a whole new level in my relationship with him.

His love is enough. Really. One day at a time.

 

[RiverOL]

Greater Expectations
(When your dreams die young)
Text written and copyrighted © 2002 by Manfred Koehler. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

Celine D'Accord ripped a return down the line, sending her opponent sprawling after the ball in an increasingly vain attempt to stay alive. Break point. One more and Celine had game, set, match.

A quick look at Coach gave her some reassurance. He was all smiles and nods. She tried to smile back but failed miserably. That guy held the power of life and death in his face, it seemed. One frown from him, and her tennis scholarship was history. Instead she'd be busing tables to get through university on the quarters and dimes pitched to her by worn out waitresses. O Lord, no. Please don't let that happen.

Turning to face her opponent, she saw a fleeting grimace of all-or-nothing determination just before the ball was tossed. Taking a step back, Celine prepared for a hard serve.

This will end now.

The serve tapped the center line. Celine stretched, her forehand barely catching the ball, lobbing it high and deep. She was almost certain it would fall long, but it would be close.

Celine rushed the net.

Watching the ball land just inside the baseline, she rocked on the balls of her feet, ready to react to anything, her racket's shadow falling across the net. The hot passing shot sent her flying to her backhand. As the ball skimmed the net, she stabbed the air, desperate for six more inches, legs flailing behind her. The ball caught the rim of her racket, thudding with a dull smack.

Fighting to regain her balance, Celine watched the ball hop lazily over the net, seeing it bounce twice before passing from view. She vaguely heard the umpire call, "Game, set ...." After that, a white wall of pain covered her like a shroud as she wrapped herself around the umpire's chair.

When Celine opened her eyes, her vision was blurred. She could just make out the clock on the mustard-yellow wall of her hospital room. Her racket arm felt heavy, immobile. Blinking back the fog, she fought to recognize the dark figure that hovered nearby. O Lord, no. Please don't let this happen.

It was Coach, gazing at the bent cast before her. He wasn't smiling.

Unclenching the Fist
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

It's completely natural for you to have aspirations for the future. If you didn't, you'd be a boulder. The issue is not about not having plans.

It's all about how you hold them.

If you hold them tight, they could be torn from your hand in the most painful way. That's particularly true if you allow your plans to swell your head with pride (James 4:13-16). God is a humble God. He simply cannot allow pride to rule in the hearts of his children.

Hold your plans toward heaven on an open palm. When your sovereign God sees fit to change them, it won't be nearly as painful. Proverbs 3:5-6 describes an open-palmed approach:

"Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

You've got to believe that God is not a killjoy. Read that again. He wants to fill your heart with more joy than you could imagine. But his way of getting you there often takes a different road than you'd expect:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither your ways my ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

An open palm willingly accepts the higher road. Time to unclench the fist.

Too Many Expectations

When moving into new situations, you probably have the tendency to picture in your mind how you expect things to be. We all do. But rarely does your imagination come anywhere close to reality. With everything from wishing for a spacious bathroom in your dorm to determining the color of your future spouse's hair, expectations have a way of creeping into your soul by the hundreds. Ouch. Not only do you narrow your opportunities—what happens if you meet a lovely redhead?—but also you set yourself up for constant disappointment.

This gets really complicated when you start having expectations of people's actions. If you expect Frank to buy lunch because you bought last time, what happens if he forgets? Depending on the intensity of your expectation, you may decide never to have lunch with him again. The mooch. Or what if Caroline doesn't come to the Bible study you prepared so hard for? Will your expectations drive you into coercing her to come the next time? Is that what you want?

Your expectations will be unwanted weights if heaped on people's heads. They'll make you a heavy person to be around.

A less painful, less limiting, less alienating approach is found in Psalm 62:5:

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him" (KJV).

Rather than harboring a host of foolish expectations, a personal agenda that is way too long, expect Jesus to give you the grace to face life as it comes.

Let him teach you flexibility and patience, filling your life with open acceptance, quiet approachability, and smooth transitions.

That's the life Jesus himself enjoyed. Think of all the people who clamored for his time, his healing touch, or his wisdom. He calmly handled it all as it came, person by person, with no selfish agenda. He never manipulated, never flew into a flap. He was so approachable that children loved to hover around his knees. His only expectation was to please his Father—wherever that took him (John 8:29).

That's the life Jesus wants you to enjoy—a life of simple but great expectations.

 

[RiverOL]

Making Sense out of Suffering
(When hard times won't quit)
Text written and copyrighted © 2002 by Manfred Koehler. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

Looking back, my early Christian years—Bible college included—were lived on a rather superficial plane. As long as things went smoothly, I felt great, Jesus was cool, church was wonderful, ministry rocked, and the whole anguished world smiled because I was so happy.

That was a rare feeling.

The spine-jarring bumps in the road of life were far more common. With few exceptions, they all knocked me flying, leaving me an emotional basket case tumbling into the ditch of disappointment, disillusionment, and discouragement.

At the admittedly ancient age of thirty-three, I finally learned some huge and indispensable truths, things that now enable me to more wholesomely process life's inevitable hard spots. It's my simple prayer that God gives you the grace to learn these things far sooner than I did. I wouldn't want anyone to be as slow on the uptake as I have been.

My Story of Suffering

It started with the rats and constant lack of water. Beth and I were now full-time missionaries living in a desert mountain town where the rodents thrived a whole lot better than we mere humans—they didn't need as much water. Our days seemed filled with nothing but sloshing buckets and filthy traps. Sleepless nights were spent to the sound of our Tupperware being chewed to shreds. Those nuisances soon became the least of our worries.

The wild gunfire really caught us off guard. Our next-door neighbors loved the sound of machine guns—at about 2:00 A.M. every other night. One time, in the middle of the day, several stray bullets ricocheted in our direction—we heard them buzz by. On another occasion, someone shot over my head—his way of warning me he was not in a visiting mood.

Then came the suspicious, callous nature of the people to whom God had called us. Abused for centuries by outsiders, the Pima had grown a thick shell of cold stoicism. Even among themselves they were unfriendly. Deep conversations consisted of the weather, the new red truck in town, or what day of the week it was.

I once asked a Pima, "Do you enjoy hunting?" He took two steps back and growled, "What are you asking me that for?" I had crossed the threshold of "too personal." Another time I chatted with a friend, meeting all the small-talk requirements before venturing, "You have a Bible, don't you? Have you ever read the Gospel of John?" His response: "It sure is cold these days, isn't it?"

In the midst of all these adjustments, one bright moment filled us with joy. Beth was pregnant, the answer to seven years of prayer. We talked about names and did all the things that expectant parents do. We envisioned the child being used by God to open Pima hearts. Before the end of the first trimester, the good news turned to tragedy. Our hopes of a child vanished.

Our despair and confusion were absolute. We went the gamut of self-pity, anger, and remorse. We asked "Why?" a thousand times without a single, solid answer. Although we never entertained specific thoughts of leaving the mission field, we wanted to quit. We didn't even consider quitting our ministry to the Pima—we wanted to say good-bye to Christianity altogether.

I remember praying, tears pouring down my face, "Lord, you promised us abundant life. Well, this isn't. It's pure misery."

Disappointed, disillusioned, and discouraged, I could make no sense of my suffering.

The Sooner Accepted, the Better
In seeking to process my misery, I realized that a certain unfulfilled expectation lurked within me: I wanted life to be hassle-free. No problems allowed, God, thank you. Theoretically I knew that was a silly wish. Even Jesus made it clear that my desires were pure fantasy, something to be reserved for heaven alone: "Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" (John 16:33, NLT). But those were words I wasn't willing to consider on anything but the most superficial level.

Deep down where it counts, I demanded smooth sailing. When I didn't get what I wanted, my soul threw a royal, spitting, red-faced tantrum. Disgust, disrespect, and disobedience would fill me.

Something had to give. It certainly wasn't God who needed to change. His Son had done everything possible to prepare me for the reality of life on earth—"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows"—but it took quite a while for me to accept it. When I finally faced truth squarely, it was time for my next lesson.

Not God's Fault
It slowly became clear to me that every bump in the road caused me to question God's goodness. There he goes again, zapping me. Can't that Old Man with the lightning bolts in his hand give it a rest?

Satan had used my trials to paint an ugly picture of the God who loved me. It was a picture so hideous that I wasn't willing to admit it was there, lurking in my heart. I was a missionary. Missionaries aren't supposed to have bad ideas about the God they serve. It took a dear friend to show me how twisted my thinking had become.

Realizing my need for a fresh view of God, I humbly but openly confessed the distorted image I had carried so long: You know, God, I really think you're an ogre. I know that's wrong but that's just where I'm at. If this is going to change, you're going to have to help me.

I never sensed God's censure, never felt like, Oops, he's really taking this personally. He knew the enemy had pulled the wool over my eyes. And he was most gentle in pulling it back, allowing me to agree with the psalmist's view of God: "You are good, and what you do is good" (Psalm 119:68). With tiny baby steps, I inched toward the truth of that verse. God is all good, no bad. I needed to believe that in a place where it really mattered.

Part of what helped get me there was understanding the true fountainhead of all the bad things that happen in this world: sin. You would think that a Bible school graduate would have been able to figure that one out far sooner. But I hadn't—at least not where it could touch me.

Sin is not God's fault. It was never his will to see sin enter the world, nor does he enjoy seeing mankind suffer under it (Ezekiel 18:23).

Sin hurts everyone, even the "good guys"—God's children. Sin's consequences attack us from every side, from within and without. What we suffer is not merely the result of our personal sin. The sin of others can reach out and slash us in the most devastating ways. Drunk drivers kill families, then walk away. HIV tainted transfusions infect innocent people, giving them an unjust death sentence. And little babies miscarry, simply because Adam and Eve couldn't resist.

Sin is a horrible thing. Sin is at fault for all our suffering (Romans 5:12). Sin is the ever-present ogre in our every waking nightmare.

Not God.

It was about time I pointed my accusations in the right direction.

Tough Times Pay
Having accepted that trials were inevitable this side of heaven, that God was truly good, and that sin was the source of all my hurts, I still needed more hope. Even though God wasn't at fault, suffering just because I had to wasn't in the least appealing.

The next lesson was straightforward:

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

Wow! Suffering now had purpose and meaning. It gave me the opportunity to win something truly valuable. All I needed was a God-loving perseverance, something Jesus would gladly give me if I looked to him (Hebrews 12:1-3). It was time to stop muttering and start suffering graciously.

With more study, I discovered the dividends of suffering get even better:

"If we suffer, we shall also reign with him" (2 Timothy 2:12, KJV).

Those words were written by a man who was within hours of having his head chopped off. Paul knew what he was talking about. He willingly suffered as a courageous missionary in a host of ways (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). He now will enjoy the great privilege of reigning with Jesus as one of Christendom's chief statesmen. I realized that the same opportunity could be mine—if I learned to handle suffering as God would have me.

I know this will sound bad, but I still wasn't satisfied. A big crown in heaven and a chance to reign with Jesus wouldn't do much for me here on earth. Wasn't there something that could make suffering pay dividends right now?

Better believe it.

Suffering Gives a Person Depth
The conclusion seems inevitable: There is something shallow about a soul that has never really suffered. If there are deep souls out there who haven't been greatly wounded by life in a sinful world, I haven't met them.

I've met a lot of people.

The ones that strike me as sincere, God-fearing, Jesus-loving, Spirit-filled people invariably have suffered deeply in some way. I know because I ask a lot of questions when I meet those kinds of people. The details are different, but the conclusion is always the same: "We've learned to accept suffering as something God uses in our souls."

Most of the time, there's one passage that arises in that kind of conversation:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Translation? Until I've suffered myself and allowed God to comfort me in it, I'm not going to be much comfort to anyone else. Allowing God to comfort me is key. If I go through suffering without enjoying God's comfort, I'll come away bitter. A bitter soul is no comfort to anyone.

But having enjoyed God's comfort, I can pass that comfort on to the many around me who also suffer. In the wake of a shattered World Trade Center—and the events that followed—there will be no shortage of people to comfort.

"Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows."

This once-shallow soul is no longer so afraid of suffering. I want to encourage people in the midst of hard times. If hard times are what it takes for me to learn true encouragement, I'm ready to pay the price.

Suffering finally makes sense.

 

[RiverOL]

Jesus, Your Major for Life
(Entering into abundance)
Text written and copyrighted © 2002 by Manfred Koehler. Used by permission. All rights reserved.)

You've chosen the right road, of that you're sure. It's a narrow one, with deep ditches lining both sides, but the sky shines brightly, and road signs mark the way, so you're fine. You walk along joyfully, enjoying the scenery, reading the signs. This is a great road.

But the signs begin to multiply.

It's gradual at first—an extra sign here or there, full of directions on how to walk the road before you. You pause to read each sign, then move forward, determined to follow the growing list of guidelines. You really want to travel this journey well.

But the signs keep coming.

You watch little men feverishly constructing large billboards, all in a rush to finish before you pass by. Where the billboards stand completed, men in gray suits frantically beckon, each pointing to his sign. Some begin to yell, insisting their notice, their warning, is more important than the rest.

You listen, you read, but you can no longer absorb.

Where the signs once stood well back from the road, they now hover close, leaning with menace, muscling each other for more space. The shadows they cast block out the sun. Once lovely scenery is now smothered in a web of posts, arrows, and broken-down placards.

You're still convinced this is the right road, but the journey is no longer joyful. You sit down, one foot dangling into the ditch. You cover your ears and close your eyes. You need a rest.

At the very best moment, his hand touches your shoulder. You open your eyes. His smile greets you. His other hand offers to lift you to your feet. You feel the scars as you stand, convinced you know this Person, suddenly most aware that you want to know him more.

You continue your journey with him beside you. You ask him about all the signs.

One by one, he points out the necessary ones, the ones he himself ordered. He explains their meaning, the good things each sign holds in store. These few road markers move back to their proper place. And as he speaks, the other signs—the useless ones, the scary ones—slowly fade away.

The sun shines again. The scenery is more beautiful than ever. Your joy returns.

This is a great road.

Rules Versus Relationship
What comes to your mind when you think of the Christian life? If the answer is, Rules, rules, and more rules, you're not a happy person. If, on the other hand, your heart's response is, Abundant life through a relationship with Jesus, you'll be enjoying the journey.

In all likelihood you're somewhere between the two—right there with the rest of us. Some days the Christian life appears difficult, seemingly not worth the effort. On other days you're excited about Jesus, ready to go wherever he sends you and to do whatever he asks.

Here are a few things to consider so that those hard days are kept to a minimum:

Jesus' expressed goal is to give you abundant life.

"I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10).

When you consider that Christ created the universe, it is an awesome thought to realize that his current great purpose is to enable you to enjoy real life.

One of the best things you can do to join him in that effort is be quick to admit when life is miserable. Jesus, I know you want me to enjoy life to the full but it's not working right now. Can you give me a new perspective? Where have I taken a wrong turn? Bring me back to abundance, please. A sincere prayer like that is something Jesus never tires of. It's his job to answer those prayers.

Jesus himself is your life.
"When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory" (Colossians 3:4).

It is wrong to think of God sending down one-a-day multivitamin dosages of "life," as if life were an entity in itself, dispensed in little bottles. Jesus is your life. When you ask for more reality in your spiritual life, God will respond by giving you more of his Son. So every time you pray, God, I'm not experiencing abundant life, expect to receive a fresh view of Jesus.

Death opens the door to more of Jesus' life.

"We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10).

God uses the difficult things in life to reveal where ugly self still takes center stage. While taking you through the sometimes painful process, God reminds you that self has no right to call the shots, that you're dead, and that true life is in Jesus.

Don't resist or try to escape what God seeks to do. Allow God to teach you what your death with Christ means, so that you may enjoy more of his life (Galatians 2:20).

Obey Jesus as a friend.
"You are my friends if you do what I command" (John 15:14).

Don't divorce Christ's commands from your relationship with him. Cold obedience to a list of written rules is a joyless existence. See yourself doing what you do because your best friend has asked it of you. Then do it with your whole heart. There's no better way to say, "I love you, Jesus" (1 John 5:3).

For true freedom, shackle yourself to Jesus.
Satan continually pawns the lie that freedom is found only through complete independence from others. In the ears of many a college freshman, he whispers, "You're away from home now, so the chains are gone. You're free to do what you want. Have at it." But true freedom is found in these words from Jesus:

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Whatever your major in university or college, your major for life is Jesus.
"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11).

If you wholeheartedly walk the road with him, Jesus will take you from infancy to maturity, from mediocrity to excellence, from folly to wisdom, from sin to service, from misery to joy.

From Death to Life
If you'll let him, Jesus will take you from death to life. This isn't about the body and breathing. This is about your spirit and the quality of your earthly existence. It's about abundant life.

I want to know Christ. Study him long. Learn from him well.

 

[RiverOL]

NOAH AND THE ARK


(Genesis 6:5 – 9:17) Purpose: To show the folly of ignoring God. In the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament of the Bible, we read of a time when the wickedness of man was very great indeed. The world had become a place where the people lived as though there were no God. And as a result of this, there wasn’t any such thing as decency or respect. Might was right. And the people even killed each other and thought nothing of it. When God looked down on this bloodshed and wickedness, He knew that before long... ...man would destroy not only his own body, but his soul. In all the world, there was only one man, and his family, who were living the way God wanted them to. That man was Noah. Noah believed in God, and he was thankful for whatever God gave him.

And the faith of this man caused him to find favour in the sight of the Lord. One day God told Noah to go and warn the sinful people of the world that unless they lived differently, they were going to be punished. Noah did as God had told him to do. He told the people what God had said, and he pleaded with them to get on their knees and to ask for God’s forgiveness. But the people of the world just laughed at Noah. So what if there was a God? God never did anything to anyone. But Noah rebuked the people. God had given Noah a job to do, and Noah knew that if God was with him, no man could stand against him. So he spoke out, bravely and earnestly, to the people of the world. But the reaction of the people was always the same. No one was going to tell them what to do ... not even the God that made them.

One day Noah heard God say that the time had come for the earth to be destroyed. Every living thing was to perish except Noah and his family, and a certain number of the animals that were living upon the earth. A huge boat was to be built. God had told Noah exactly how to build it. And since Noah and his sons believed in God... ...they lost no time in doing what they had been told to do. Now the building of the ark was no secret, and the framework of the huge vessel attracted a lot of attention. The people began to be curious. What was this crazy old man up to this time?

When Noah told them there was a flood coming to destroy every living thing on earth, except those that were in the ark... ...the unbelieving people were certain the old man had lost his mind. And there was nothing Noah could say that made any difference. The people of the world refused to listen. And they went back to their sinful ways of living. Well, the day finally came when the ark was completed. And then Noah set about doing the other things God had told him to do. The pairs of all the different kinds of animals were taken into the ark. And food and other supplies were taken aboard, enough to last for a long, long time.

When all of this was done... ...Noah, his sons and their wives, all went into the ark. We read in the seventh chapter of Genesis: “The Lord shut them in.” The people of the world paid little or no attention to Noah and his ark. They were too busy pursuing their own ways to even think about the matter anymore. The days went by ...one ...two ...three ...four ...and all this time, Noah and his family simply waited on the Lord. Five days went by ...then six ...and still nothing happened. But on that seventh day... ...the thing that Noah had warned the people of for 120 years came to pass. Rain poured from the sky. Flood waters rose higher and higher.

The Bible says the windows of heaven were opened... ...and the fountains of the great deep were broken up. The people knew not until the flood came and took them away. According to the Word of God, it rained for forty days and forty nights. And when it finally stopped raining, water was 22½ feet [almost 7 metres] above the top of the highest mountain, and the people and the animals outside the ark had perished. Week after week went by ...even months... ...and the water remained upon the earth. Then one day... ...God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters began to go down.

The ark began to settle, somewhere high among the mountains of Ararat. And not long after that, Noah sent forth a raven and a dove. The dove returned, so Noah knew that the waters were not yet gone. Seven days went by and Noah sent forth the dove the second time. This time she returned with an olive twig and Noah knew that before long he and his family could leave the ark, and live once more upon the earth. Sure enough, shortly after that God told Noah to take his family... ...and all the living things that were in the ark, and live once more upon the earth. Noah and his family were thankful to God for saving them.

And God was pleased with their thanksgiving. God set a rainbow in the clouds as a promise that He would never again destroy the earth with a flood. But the Bible tells us, because of the sinfulness of man, there is another judgment which none can escape. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” There are folks today who are laughing at God, just as they did back in Noah’s time. But the fact remains, “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” So you see, we have a place of refuge the same as Noah did ...but we too must believe. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36)

 

[RiverOL]

JOSEPH IN EGYPT

(1 Corinthians 2:9)

Purpose: To show how troubles can make us strong.

Long ago in the land of Canaan there lived a family of shepherds – Jacob and his twelve sons. Joseph was next to the youngest. Of course Jacob loved all his children but something about this younger son touched his father’s heart in a special way. Joseph loved to hear about God. He would sit for hours at his father’s knee asking again and again for the story of how God had called his great-grandfather, Abraham, to serve Him; and had chosen their family for a very special purpose.

Joseph’s family was to be called God’s people, his appointed witnesses to all the world! As the story grew familiar, the Lord became very real to Joseph and he wanted to serve Him with all his heart. How different his brothers were! They only wanted to please themselves, and the things they did brought shame to the name of their family. As Joseph grew up, his father loved him more and more, for Joseph was all that a son should be – good, obedient, honouring his father in everything he did.

He became his father’s trusted servant and that made the other sons angry. They were jealous that Joseph was loved and trusted more than they were. They never missed a chance to be mean to Joseph, and they despised all the good things he did. But God’s loving care was so real to Joseph that he talked to the Lord about his problems, and the Lord never failed him. With God’s help, Joseph found he could even forgive his brothers and go on loving them, no matter how unkind they were. When Joseph was 17 years old, his father gave him a beautiful coat. It was a mark of honor, to show that Jacob was pleased with his younger son. Wearing this coat set Joseph in a place above his brothers.

And Joseph deserved the honor because he had served his father better than the others. But of course the brothers didn’t see it that way. They envied Joseph so much that they hated him. It was even worse when they heard of a strange dream Joseph had. And as they talked about that dream, their hatred grew and grew. They jeered at Joseph and tried to make it seem he was lying, pretending to have a dream like that just to make himself big and important! Then Joseph told his family about a second dream he’d had. This time the sun and moon and eleven stars seemed to come and bow down to him. Now even Jacob rebuked his beloved son.

“Do you mean that I and your mother and your brothers will bow down to you as if you were a king?” As much as he loved and trusted his son, Jacob hardly thought of him as a king. But as the days passed and he saw how humble, good and faithful Joseph was, Jacob began to think that the dreams must have been sent by God. But not the brothers! Dreams or no dreams, they weren’t going to have Joseph telling them what to do. And so in their hearts an evil purpose began to grow. One day they were out on the hills tending their father’s sheep, and away in the distance they saw Joseph. “Here comes that dreamer. Now’s our chance to be rid of him for good!” Quickly they plotted together. “Come on, let’s kill him. Then we’ll see what becomes of his fine dreams!” So without any warning they seized Joseph.

They stripped off the beautiful coat that had made them so envious and were ready to kill their own brother! Just then Reuben, one of the older ones, saw a deep hole nearby and had an idea. Instead of killing Joseph… …they would cast him into the pit. It might mean slow death for Joseph, from starvation and exposure, but actually Reuben intended to come back later and help him escape. Then, before Reuben had a chance to do anything about it… …a caravan of traders came along on their way to Egypt. The brothers decided that here was an even better way to get rid of Joseph! For twenty pieces of silver they sold him as a slave.

Now the traders would take him far away. The brothers thought they would never see Joseph again. Some animal’s blood spread on Joseph’s coat would make Jacob believe that a wild beast had killed his dearest son, and he would never guess what really had happened. The plot against Joseph seemed to work without a flaw! Poor Joseph! – a slave in a foreign land, despised and forsaken! The faithful and obedient son, who loved and served God with his whole heart, had come to the lowest depths of suffering and shame!

But Joseph knew his heavenly Father would never forsake him. And his faith grew stronger as his trials grew worse. Joseph served as a slave for six years and then spent seven years in prison for something he didn’t do. But at last, God rewarded his faith in a marvellous way. Suddenly… …Joseph was made a great prince of Egypt as a result of his interpreting one of the Pharaoh’s dreams. And because of Joseph’s God-given wisdom and ability he was made ruler over all the land of Egypt, second only to the king himself. Through seven years of bountiful harvests, Joseph stored up food in great storehouses for the Lord had told him that famine was coming. And famine came! In every land fields and pastures scorched under the hot sun. There was no food anywhere for the cattle, or for the people.

And Joseph’s brothers in Canaan were hungry along with the rest. But there was food stored up in Egypt! And when Jacob’s sons heard about it, they came all the long way from Canaan and waited in line to ask for help. They bowed before Joseph, the great prince of Egypt, without guessing at all that this was their brother. How strange Joseph must have felt when he recognized his brothers. The dreams that had made them so angry had actually come true! God himself had caused it to happen! And when Joseph finally told his brothers who he was and forgave them for the way they had treated him, the brothers could see that Joseph was blessed because he obeyed God. But this wasn’t something that happened overnight. Joseph’s whole life had led up to this… As a child, Joseph had loved his father and learned to obey him.

As a young man, God had blessed Joseph’s obedience and made him a favourite son. Even when he was in chains, Joseph trusted the Lord. And because of his unwavering faith in God, Joseph received honor and respect all the rest of his life. And if we today meet trial and trouble with the same trust and obedience to God, we can look forward with great expectations to that wonderful day of our reward. For God’s Word says: “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)

 

[RiverOL]

“ THE RED SEA (Exodus 4:29 – 8:32; 13:17 – 15:1)

Purpose: To teach the power of God, and His ability to free from the slavery of sin.

Years ago in the land of Egypt fantastic monuments were built by the kings – built with the labor of thousands of slaves. And these slaves were God’s chosen people, the children of Israel. Many times the Egyptians were cruel to their slaves. They beat them to make them work harder. The Israelites prayed that God would deliver them from this hard life, and God, hearing their prayers, prepared to take them out of the land of Egypt into the land of Canaan. First of all God chose a leader for his people, a man by the name of Moses. Moses was a man whom the Lord could trust, and a man who trusted in the Lord. Moses was to be used by God to deliver His people from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Moses appeared before the king and boldly began telling him what God had planned for the children of Israel. God wanted Pharaoh to let His people go. At first the king was scornful of Moses. God? Who was God to tell him what to do? After all, he was the great Pharaoh of Egypt! Moses warned Pharaoh that unless the children of Israel were set free God would send great plagues upon the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh refused to listen. On one occasion the Lord turned all the water in the land to blood. The air was filled with the stench of dead fish. And there was no water to drink anywhere. But Pharaoh refused to let the people go. Another time God caused the land of Egypt to be overrun with frogs – frogs in the streets, frogs in the houses, frogs in their beds, frogs everywhere!

But Pharaoh’s heart was as hard as before. On another occasion flies were sent by the millions to torment the Egyptians, and still the king would not give up. But God continued to deal with Pharaoh to let His people go. Finally the king had had enough. He called for Moses and told him to take the children of Israel, and get out of Egypt, and stay out. That was a happy day for the children of Israel! They were free at last! God had heard their prayers. For 430 years these people and their parents before them had been held in bondage in the land of Egypt. Now they gathered up their belongings and were ready to go. Soon they were following their leader out into the desert.

A hot, hard journey was ahead, but the people were happy. They were heading for a new life and a land of plenty. What a sight they were! A whole nation of people, hundreds of thousands of them with their cattle and all their belongings strung out across the desert. One day something happened that caused a murmur of fear to run down through the column of people. They pointed, and they whispered. What strange thing did they see? A huge cloud had appeared before them, and such a cloud they had never seen before. The people stood still in wonder. Then Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. The Lord God Himself is appearing unto us as a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night. And we know by the cloud that the Lord is with us and is leading the way.”

Up to now the Israelites had been headed directly toward the land of Canaan. If they went on that way they would soon come into the land of the Philistines. That would mean just one thing – war! The Lord knew that if His people should see war, they’d become discouraged and want to go back to Egypt. So one day God spoke to Moses and told him to change the direction of travel. The Lord wanted the people to turn south toward the Red Sea. Moses may not have understood why, but he trusted in the Lord. And so he gave the order for the people to turn toward the Red Sea. The people didn’t understand it either, but they did what their leader told them to do. Pharaoh had spies watching and of course they were ready to report every move the children of Israel made. When the spies told Pharaoh that the Israelites were changing their direction of travel, the king got to thinking about the matter.

He got out his maps and began to study the situation. Pharaoh was already sorry that he had freed all those slaves that had served him so long and now they were walking right into a perfect trap! Soon they would find themselves with no place to go. There would be mountains on each side, and in front of them would be the Red Sea. If he were to bring his armies in from the rear…! Well… That’s what he decided to do. And the armies of Egypt moved out across the desert and traveled as fast as they could. The Egyptians raised up quite a dust. When the Israelites saw the dust clouds far in the distance, they knew right away what that meant – the Egyptians were coming after them! The children of Israel were afraid, and they were angry with Moses for having brought them out into the wilderness. They forgot that God was with them.

The people cried out to Moses that they would rather have stayed in Egypt as slaves than to be slain out here in the desert by the Egyptian army. But Moses wasn’t upset. He was perfectly calm, and he said to the people, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Then something strange happened. Pharaoh’s soldiers saw it too but they thought it was a cloud – a great dark cloud moving in between their camp and the camp of Israel. On the side of the Egyptians the cloud made everything so dark that they thought they’d better wait till morning to recapture their slaves. But on the other side of the cloud it was different! To the children of Israel it was a pillar of fire. They could see everything very clearly, and the light showed… …they were trapped! Hemmed in by mountains and the Red Sea!

Any minute the Egyptians would come riding down on them and there was no place to go! Why had God allowed this terrible thing to happen to them? As the people watched, Moses their leader walked apart from them right up to the edge of the sea. Then Moses did something that God had told him to do. He lifted up his rod and a strong wind began to blow and the waters began to part. Before long the wind had cleared a path right through the middle of the sea. And though the children of Israel were frightened, they followed their leader in between those huge walls of water. All night long the children of Israel marched through the sea on the path that the Lord had made for them, and finally the last person arrived safely on the other side. When the Pharaoh, back in his camp, was told that somehow the Israelites were getting away, he shouted the orders to pursue them at once. In no time at all the entire Egyptian army was in pursuit, and they followed the Israelites right into the passage prepared in the sea. Just about then, the Lord cause all sorts of things to happen. The wheels came off the chariots, there was confusion and panic in the ranks of the Egyptian armies.

Pharaoh’s soldiers were terrified. “The Lord is fighting against us,” they said. “Let’s turn back before it’s too late.” But it was already too late. God told Moses to stretch out his rod again over the sea… …and the chariots, the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh were covered. Not one of them escaped! So it was that all of Pharaoh’s armies – because they knowingly and wilfully acted against the will of God – were destroyed in the midst of the Red Sea. But Moses and the people sang a song of praise, and gave thanks to God for the miraculous way He had delivered them from their enemies. The story of the Red Sea doesn’t belong just to the past. It has a message for today. Egypt is a picture of the world, and slavery represents the bondage of sin.

The Bible tells us that it took the power of God to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. And it takes the power of God today to deliver people from the slavery of sin. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4,5)

 

[RiverOL]

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

(Galatians 3:24)

Purpose: To teach the true purpose of the Ten Commandments.

The mountain of Sinai will always be remembered by the people of Israel for a very important reason. It was here they heard the mighty voice of God...speaking the Ten Commandments! The nation of Israel had been chosen by God to be a kind of messenger between Himself and the world. And now, under the great leader Moses, God was taking them from Egypt to the beautiful land of Canaan. But the Israelites weren’t ready for the Promised Land. Like other people of the world they had sinful hearts.

They always wanted their own way, and when they couldn’t have it they were rebellious and disobedient. If these were to be known as God’s chosen people, they must learn to live in a way that would honor Him, and be obedient to His laws. And if Canaan was to be a place of peace and happiness for God’s people, then the law of the land must be His law, based on His holiness, truth and justice. So at the Lord’s bidding, the Israelites made camp on the broad plain at the foot of Mount Sinai. And Moses, their leader, went up the mountain alone to hear what God had to say to His people. Suddenly, Moses heard the voice of God speaking to him. As Moses listened, God said, “This is what you shall say to the people of Israel.

‘You have seen with your own eyes how I brought you out of the land of Egypt as though you were on eagles’ wings, and what I did to the Egyptians when they tried to take you back into slavery.’ “‘Now, if you will obey my voice and do as I command, you shall be a special people unto me, a holy nation.’” When Moses came back and told the Israelites what God had said, the people promised, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Then Moses told them God had said that in three days He would come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people, and they would hear Him speak. They must get ready for this tremendous event. So the people began to prepare. First they fenced in all the cattle, for God had warned that even the animals would die if they touched the holy mountain. Then they washed all their clothes to get them free from the dust and dirt of the desert. Finally they scrubbed and washed themselves as clean as they could possibly get, so they would be ready to meet with the Lord.

Then came the third day! Early in the morning a thick, black cloud appeared on the mountain. The people trembled with terror for they knew the moment had come to meet with God! Fearfully they followed as Moses led them outside the camp. And they stopped at the foot of Mount Sinai. What a sight was before them! The mountain smoked like a great furnace. It quaked and trembled in a frightening way, for the Lord descended upon it in fire! The people waited in fear and wonder. Then out of the smoke and fire God spoke! And the word were plain and clear.

“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage.

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.

“Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy.


“Honor thy father and thy mother.

“Thou shalt not kill.

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.

“Thou shalt not steal.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness.

“Thou shalt not covet.”

As they heard God’s voice and the words He spoke, the people began to act strangely. Would they be destroyed this moment by the fire and thunder, and the smoking, quaking mountain? The sin in their hearts made them afraid of God, so the people moved back, far away from the mountain. The chief men came to Moses and said, “If we hear God speak again we will surely die. You speak with us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, or we will die.” And the people promised again, “All the words that the Lord has said we will do.” So Moses went alone into the thick darkness to tell the Lord what the people had promised. And God said to Moses: “The people have spoken well. Oh that their hearts were like their words, that they would fear me and keep my commandments always, that it might be well with them and their children forever.”

So Moses stayed on the mountain for forty days and forty nights, while God talked with him, giving all His laws and judgments. Then in order to confirm the words He had spoken to the people, God gave to Moses tablets of stone on which God himself had written the Ten Commandments. But while Moses was up on the mountain... ...the people down below quickly forgot what they had promised. Just a few days after they had heard the mighty voice of God and seen His glory and power, they turned again to their wicked and deceitful ways. They even made an idol and began to worship the lifeless image of a golden calf saying, “This is the god who brought us out of Egypt.” Already they had broken the first commandment which they had so recently received: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Hearing the law from almighty God himself did not change these people.

They were still sinful and rebellious. The purpose of the law was to show the people God’s holiness and reveal to them His standard of righteousness. The law itself could not change their hearts. When we look at the law, we realize how holy God is and how sinful we are. And in order to be made acceptable to God we must turn in faith to His Son who paid the penalty for our breaking of the law. This is the real purpose of the Ten Commandments, for the Bible says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)

 

[RiverOL]

SERPENT OF BRASS

(John 3:14,15)

Purpose: To teach God’s remedy for “the poison of sin” is faith in Him.

There was once a time when a serpent made of brass made the difference between life and death to thousands of people! And this is the way it happened. The people of Israel were leaving the land of Egypt. God had just set them free from a life of slavery and bondage...and now He was leading them to a new home in the beautiful land of Canaan. Moses had been chosen by the Lord to lead His people and God promised to take care of all their needs along the way. Actually Canaan wasn’t far away, but if the people wanted to reach it there was one thing they would have to remember.

God had set before them a promise – to bless them if they obeyed Him, to curse them if they disobeyed. How important it was that they obey God and trust Him in this journey! When the people came to Kadesh-Barnea, they pitched their camp in the desert of Zin. A new life of freedom and plenty was almost within their reach. Then the people of Israel did something that cost them forty long years of delay. They refused to go on to the Promised Land! They even threatened to choose their own leader and go back to Egypt. Taking possession of Canaan looked like a harder job than they wanted to tackle, and they didn’t believe God’s promise to help them.

So because of their rebellion and unbelief... ...God spoke to Moses and said, “These men who have seen my glory and my miracles and yet have not listened to my voice, shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers. Only their children will I bring into the land.” Turning their backs on God multiplied the troubles of the people of Israel. For one thing, they couldn’t find water around Kadesh and both the people and animals were desperately thirsty. Of course, they tried to pretend it was Moses’ fault. They said, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Now we don’t even have water to drink.

Why, we’d rather be dead than in this terrible place!” Even then God was willing to help the Israelites. And when Moses came to the Lord with the people’s complaint God told him just what to do. “Gather the people together and speak unto the rock before their eyes and it shall give forth water so the people and their cattle can drink.” So Moses gathered the people together at the great rock outside the camp. God cause a sparkling stream of water to gush right out of the rock, enough to give all the people and their cattle all they wanted to drink! But water wasn’t the only problem that faced Moses and the Israelites as they tried to move on in the desert of Zin. Directly in their path ahead was the high, rocky stronghold of the Edomites, fierce warriors who swooped down on all who dared to come near.

Moses’ messengers went to the king of Edom saying: “Let us pass through your land, I pray. We promise not to go through your fields or drink water from your wells. We will go by the king’s highway.” But the king of Edom prided himself on his strength and power rather than his mercy and he gave the people of Israel a very rough answer: “If you dare set foot on my land, I’ll come out against you with the sword!” So Moses led his people away from Edom till they came to Mt. Hor.

Here they were faced with an even greater danger. This time the army of the Canaanites swarmed down on the Israelites. Helpless against so mighty a foe, the people turned to God in their need...and again God proved He was ready to help. A terrible battle was fought and God gave Israel a tremendous victory! Yet in spite of all the evidences of God’s mercy and goodness to them these people would not trust their lives to God’s care. And as they continued their journey around the kingdom of Edom the Israelites began to murmur. They grumbled bitterly to each other that they were tired of traveling, tired of searching for water!

They even complained about the manna which God faithfully sent from heaven, year after year, for their daily food. The people of Israel not only said mean things about Moses, this time they spoke right out against God! The time had come for God to each these people that rebellion is sin and the penalty for sin...is death! And suddenly... Serpents! Fiery serpents! ...swarmed in from the desert upon the terrified Israelites. The people tried to run away but the deadly snakes were everywhere! There seemed to be no escape! Many Israelites were dying from the fiery serpents’ sting, but God’s purpose was not to destroy. It was to show these people the terrible results of sin and to bring them back to trust in Him.

At last the people came to Moses saying: “We have sinned greatly, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee. Pray unto the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people and the Lord told Moses what to do. God said: “Make thee a fiery serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole, and it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live.” And it happened just as God said. Those who looked on the brazen serpent lived because they believed what God had said and turned to Him in faith for forgiveness. But those who turned away died because they did not believe God and rebelled against Him.

As God provided the way for those Israelites in the wilderness to be free from the penalty of their sins so God has provided the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and made acceptable in His sight. When Jesus died on the cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for our sin, the real meaning of the serpent of brass became clear. For Jesus said, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15)

 

[RiverOL]

SAMSON

(Judges 13:1 – 16:30)

Purpose: To teach the importance of surrendering our lives completely to the Lord.

Samson was born with a job to do, for God had called him and set him apart for a special work. God had chosen Samson to deliver the Israelites from their enemies – the wicked Godless Philistines. The length of Samson’s hair is an important part of our story, for it was a symbol to the people of Israel that here was a Nazarite, a man dedicated to God. And it was a symbol of the great strength God had given Samson to help him accomplish his task against the Philistines. The Philistines were afraid of Samson, and they hated him. Except for this one man, they had subdued the whole nation of Israel. And now Samson was becoming quite a problem. Somehow, the Philistines decided, they would have to capture this strong man of Israel, so they gathered together a thousand men for the one purpose of taking Samson captive. But when Samson found a jawbone nearby, that’s all he needed to take care of every single one of them.

Another time, when Samson had gone into the City of Gaza, the Philistines tried to capture him by locking the gates to the city. Samson simply tore down the gates and carried them twenty miles [32 km], to show his enemies how helpless they were against the strength that God had given him. Samson seemed unconquerable. But sad to say, Samson did have a weakness in spite of all his strength, and her name was Delilah. She was clever and she was pretty, but Delilah was a Philistine, and the Philistines were enemies of God’s people. Samson was on dangerous ground! The Philistine rulers watched every move Samson made, and when they saw how often he visited Delilah they realized that here was the opportunity they were waiting for. Everybody could see that Samson loved Delilah, and he wasn’t paying much attention to anything else.

Now the Philistines saw a way to trap their hated enemy. It didn’t take the rulers long to talk things over with Delilah. And when they offered her money, Delilah agreed to try to find out the secret of Samson’s strength. Of course Samson didn’t know that. He wasn’t even suspicious when Delilah asked him what made him so much stronger than other men, or when she wondered if there was any way his great strength could be taken from him. Samson was flattered by the questions and he didn’t take any of it too seriously. He made up a ridiculous story about how he’d be helpless if he were tied with some tough vines. He even fell asleep and gave Delilah a chance to tie him up that way.

But Delilah began to wonder. Had Samson really told her the truth? Well, there was one way to find out. She called out, “Wake up Samson! The Philistines are coming to take you!” And when Samson jumped to his feet, snapping the cords that bound him, Delilah knew she had failed to find his secret. Samson was just a strong as ever! Delilah pouted, and acted very hurt toward Samson hoping he would tell her the real secret of his strength. Samson felt sorry for Delilah, but he refused to tell her the truth. And he made up more stories just a far-fetched as the first. But Delilah was a very clever woman. She knew Samson loved her, and if only she would keep on trying, Samson’s weakness for her might betray his strength. Samson was strong, not because of his muscles, but because the spirit of God would come upon him.

And he knew that if he ever cut his hair – which was a symbol of his dedication to God – God’s blessing on his life would be taken away. Samson knew it was wrong, but to show Delilah he loved her, he told her about his hair. And Delilah seemed to know that Samson had finally told her the truth. The next time Samson fell asleep, Delilah had a man come into the room to cut the hair from Samson’s head. And as the Philistines watched nearby... ...the symbol of all Samson believed in fell softly to the floor. When Samson awoke this time, his great strength was gone. Samson was captured. He was treated cruelly and his eyes were put out, and finally... ...he was chained to a millstone and forced to grind their grain. Samson was treated like he was an animal. But Samson’s greatest hurt was in his heart.

He was tortured by the fact that he had failed in the mission God had given him... ...and blind and useless though he was, Samson gave himself again to God. He pleaded with God to forgive him. He prayed that somehow God would use him for the deliverance of His people. Finally there came a time when the Philistines gathered together to celebrate the capture of their hated enemy. They shouted praises to their god of stone for delivering Samson into their hands... ...and they called for Samson to be brought before them to be made to dance before them. Their taunts and jeers were as cruel lashes to Samson as he was led through the crowd by a small boy. He was chained to the pillars in the middle of the building.

And it was here Samson lifted up those blind, sightless eyes and cried out, “Oh Lord God, remember me only this once, and let me die with the Philistines!” And God heard Samson... ...and the spirit of God came mightily upon him, and Samson pushed against the pillars to which he was chained... ...and the stone began to crack and the massive walls began to shake... ...and there was confusion and panic as the balconies fell... ...and the roof of the temple came crashing down... ...and the lords of the Philistines, together with thousands of their people were buried beneath tons of stone, along with their heathen god. “So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life” and God’s purpose to deliver His people from oppression was accomplished. But what about Samson?

Samson had been called of God to be His servant. Samson’s whole life belonged to God, and God used everything that Samson gave Him, even to his last prayer. It was the part of his life that Samson tried to keep for himself that brought tragedy and death. How important it is that we surrender our lives completely to God! “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

 

[RiverOL]

THE CALL OF SAMUEL

(1 Samuel 3:19–20 )

Purpose: To show that it wasn’t enough to know about God, to serve in His house, or to have religious parents; we must know Him in our hearts, and give our lives to Him.

Long ago there lived in the land of Israel a little girl named Hannah. As she played with her doll, she looked forward to the day when she would have a real little baby all her own. As the years passed Hannah grew up to be a lovely young lady. And one wonderful day she married a fine young man named Elkanah, who loved her and was kind and generous to her. Both Hannah and her husband trusted in God and worshipped Him, and together they prayed that He would bless them with a little child. But as the years went by Hannah’s childhood dream did not come true. She did not have a baby of her very own. Some of the young mothers were unkind, and poked fun at her, pointing to their own children. Often she would become so sad that she would creep away by herself, great tears rolling down her cheeks. How she longed for a little child!

Each year Hannah and her husband made a journey to a place called Shiloh to worship God in His Tabernacle there. And this year Hannah had a special matter to take up with the Lord. She asked God to give her a baby and promised that if she had a son she would bring him to serve in God’s house. And not long after, God answered Hannah’s prayer. How happy they were when the baby was born! They called him “Samuel,” which means “asked of God.” As soon as he was big enough to go away from home, Samuel was taken to Shiloh just as his mother had promised. There at the temple they talked to Eli, the high priest.

“Take Samuel and train him for the Lord,” Hannah said. Now Eli was getting old and knew that he should begin to train someone to take his place some day, so he gladly took Samuel to live with him in God’s house. As time went by, Samuel was able to assume some important temple duties to help Eli. He opened and closed the doors and kept the lamps cleaned and filled and burning. How pleased Samuel was to see his parents when they made a visit to God’s house! Each year his mother brought him a new coat to wear over his simple linen gown.

It was hard for Hannah to leave Samuel at the temple and go back to her home in the country... ...but the Lord blessed her and soon there were other babies in her house, Samuel’s brothers and sisters. As Samuel grew older, Eli taught him to read the scrolls which contained the laws and history of God’s people, the Israelites. The people grew to love Samuel and were ready to listen when he read to them from the books of the law. But the Bible says, “Samuel did not yet know the Lord.” He was in God’s house and he knew about God, but that was all. One night, as Samuel was asleep in bed, he was suddenly awakened by a voice calling, “Samuel! Samuel!” He sat up quickly.

Who was calling? It must be Eli! He ran into the high priest’s room. “Here I am! You called me.” Eli was very surprised. “No, I didn’t call. Lie down again.” So Samuel went back to bed as he was told. Soon the voice called again, “Samuel! Samuel!” And again Samuel ran to Eli. And when Samuel said, “Here I am for thou didst call me...” Eli shook his gray head. “I called not, my son. Go and lie down again.” Samuel went back to his bed, but he was puzzled. Who could have awakened him? Who could have called him? It wasn’t long before the clear voice called the third time. “Samuel! Samuel!”

Again the boy ran into the aged priest’s room. This time Eli realized that something unusual was happening, and that it was the Lord Himself who was calling Samuel. Eli said, “Go and lie down, but if you hear the voice again, say ‘Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.’” This time Samuel couldn’t sleep. He waited in the darkness, his heart thudding against his ribs. Did Eli mean that the Lord Jehovah was calling him? That He would speak to him? Could the God who came in glory to Shiloh have a message for a little boy? Then came the wonderful voice: “Samuel! Samuel!” “Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.”

The Lord was there and talked to Samuel, and told him of many things that would happen in the future. The Bible says that after that “Samuel grew...and the Lord was with him...and all Israel knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord.” Samuel would be the one who would bring God’s message to the people. It wasn’t enough that his parents loved and worshiped God... ...or that he had been dedicated to the Lord and served in God’s house... ...or that he was familiar with the laws of God and was respected and loved by the people. ...Samuel had to know that the Lord Jehovah was his God; he had to give his heart and life to Him.

 

[RiverOL]

DAVID AND SAUL

(1 Samuel 16:14 – 26:25)

Purpose: To teach the strength of humility.

In the book of Samuel, in the Old Testament of the Bible, we read of a king who had done a very foolish thing. King Saul, the ruler of the land of Israel, had turned his back on God. Because of this, an evil spirit had come to dwell in the king. It tormented the king and made him very sad. King Saul didn’t want to eat, he didn’t want to sleep. His servants failed to please him. King Saul was a good example of how miserable a man can be when he chooses to leave God out of his life. The people of Israel were quite concerned about their ruler, and some of them felt that music might make the king feel more like himself again. Someone suggested David, the son of Jesse, who was known to make beautiful music on his harp. David was a shepherd boy, and much of his boyhood life was spent out in the fields, caring for his father’s sheep. David was brought before the king and sure enough, when David played on his harp, the evil spirit left King Saul and a feeling of peace came over him. The Bible tells us that Saul was refreshed and was well again. David became a great favourite in the court of the king.

David was also pleasing in the sight of God because he trusted in God, and sincerely believed if God was with him no man could stand against him. Remember the story of David and Goliath... ...how the giant from the Philistine army dared anyone from the land of Israel to come out and fight with him? And how David went out to meet that giant, armed with only a slingshot and his faith in God? The Bible tells us he took five smooth stones from a brook and put one of them in his sling... ...and sent the stone whirling through the air. The stone hit the giant right in the middle of the forehead. And the mighty Goliath, the pride of the Philistine army, fell to the earth and was slain. The Philistines had been very confident of their victory over the Israelite nation, but now their champion was dead and they no longer wanted to fight.

Yes, David had won a great victory – not in his own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. And the people of Israel loved the shepherd boy for the service he had done to his country. But King Saul was unhappy about David being so highly praised. He was jealous of such popularity, and the more the king thought about it, the more angry he became. The beautiful music was no longer a source of comfort to the king. His heart was filled with hate. One day the king decided all of this had gone far enough. He knew of a way to put a stop to it. And David narrowly escaped death when Saul hurled his spear at him with all of his might. Realizing now that King Saul hated him enough to kill him, David knew he must run for his life.

And he fled from the presence of the king before the guards could be told to stop him. But where? Where could David go to escape the ruler of the land? The wilderness might not have appealed to some people, but to a shepherd boy that was the place to go. And together with a few of his loyal friends, David hid from the king in a cave in a hillside. But King Saul had made up his mind that David would have to be slain, and preparations were soon being made to track the shepherd boy down. But finding David proved to be more than the king could do, and he returned to the palace empty handed. When the danger of the moment was past, David fell on his knees to thank God for protecting him.

And he asked his heavenly Father to guide and direct him in the days that were to follow. God told David to make certain preparations to form a little army. And David did as God had told him to do. He gathered together 600 men. The men were all sizes and shapes, and dressed in all kinds of armour. No one would ever have guessed that these men could stand against the army of King Saul. Saul’s army was well-armoured and highly trained. And the king’s army far outnumbered David’s 600 men. And Saul felt sure of victory as he viewed his troops. All the odds were in his favour. This time, David would not get away.

But in order to defeat an enemy, you must find him. And the king was having great difficulty doing that very thing. After a while the king was tired, and he wanted to rest. And he chose a cave to sleep in... ...the very cave that David and his men were hiding in. Imagine such a thing! The king walked right into their hiding place! The king was very tired, and before long he was sound asleep. Little did the ruler realize that David and his men were watching him. What an opportunity for them! Here was their enemy lying helpless at their feet. David’s men eagerly anticipated what was about to take place. They looked to their leader, who was already drawing his sword. It was only right that the honor of killing Saul would be his.

But to the amazement of his men, instead of killing Saul, David simply cut off a part of Saul’s robe. David didn’t want to kill Saul, but he did want the king to know that his life had been spared. On another occasion, David’s men informed him that Saul and his men were sleeping by an open campfire. And this time, they begged their leader to kill the wicked king. David searched his heart to know what the Lord would have him do. One of David’s men started to handle the matter himself. He knew what to do, even if his leader didn’t. But David stopped him, saying the king must not be slain. Instead of killing the king, David wanted Saul to know that once again his life had been spared. The king’s own spear and his water jug were taken so the king would know someone had been there.

When King Saul and his men awakened from the deep sleep God had caused to fall upon them, they heard the shouts of David’s men. Across the way, they saw David and his men mocking the king with the king’s own spear and his water jug. Saul was humiliated. What a soldier he had turned out to be! Once again, David could have killed him. But David had done what he felt the Lord would have him do. And we read in the book of Psalms how David felt in his heart: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2)

 

[RiverOL]

THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON

(Colossians 2:3)

Purpose: To teach that the greatest treasure we can have is God-given wisdom; and that all wisdom is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.

For forty years King David had ruled the people of Israel. When the time came for him to die, he called his son Solomon to his bedside, and he gave the rule of the kingdom into his hands. It was a heavy task for the young prince, for Israel was a great nation, but his father reminded him that the Lord would give him wisdom and understanding. David said, “There is much work for you to do, my son, but above all don’t forget to walk in God’s ways and obey His commandments.” It was a happy day for the people of Israel when Solomon was made king. Trumpets blew and the people shouted. Solomon was a good king, and remembering his father’s words, he asked God to guide him. One night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “Ask what I shall give thee.” Solomon was filled with wonder, but he didn’t hesitate. He told the Lord he wanted to be a good, upright king like his father David, but he didn’t know how to rule a great nation, so he asked God to give him wisdom to do what was right. God was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom rather than riches, and promised him great wisdom and an understanding heart.

God also promised to bless Solomon with honor and wealth if he obeyed His commandments. Solomon realized that truly the Lord had spoken to him, and he praised God. “Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and understanding,” he said. Soon Solomon’s new wisdom was put to the test. One day two women were ushered into the court and stood before the king. They were crying and quarrelling. One was holding a baby in her arms. The other woman pointed to her. “This woman has taken my child!” she said. “She rolled on her own son in the night and smothered him. Then she took my child and put the dead one beside me.” “That’s not true!” the second woman said. “This child is mine and the dead one is hers.”

“No! The child is mine!” the first woman said to the king. King Solomon looked at them – and they stopped arguing. Everybody in the court was quiet, waiting to hear what Solomon would say. “Bring me a sword!” The women and all the people looked at him in surprise. Quickly a soldier sprang forward, his sword bared. Then the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.” Then he watched the two mothers closely. The first woman shrugged. “That’s fair enough...then the child will be neither mine nor hers.” But the other woman threw herself at the king’s feet. “O my lord king, do not kill the child! I’d rather you gave him to the other woman than kill him.” Then Solomon knew the answer. He said, “Give her the child!” For the king knew that she was the real mother.

King Solomon was talked about in all the land, because he was kind and just, wiser than any king before him and all his people were happy. Solomon built a magnificent temple for the praise and worship of God. He also built courts and palaces in Jerusalem. His fame spread far and wide. In the distant court of Sheba, in southern Arabia, merchants told their queen of the wealth and wisdom of Solomon, but she could hardly believe their stories. She wanted to see for herself... ...so she travelled a thousand miles across the harsh desert, followed by camels bearing gifts for the king – gold, spices and jewels. At last she stood in Solomon’s magnificent court! There were many things she wanted to see, many questions she wanted to ask this wise man.

Solomon showed her the temple where his people worshiped God and took her to see his palace. As the Queen of Sheba sat at Solomon’s table and listened to him, she realized that his people loved and served him because he was a wise and good king. She said, “Happy are thy men. Happy are these thy servants that hear thy wisdom!” But Solomon knew that his wealth and earthly possessions would not last forever, for he said, “Riches make themselves wings...” Solomon knew that his magnificent temple, which had taken thousands of men seven years to build... ...his great palace with columns of carved stone, the jewelled courts, the ivory throne, all the riches of his great kingdom...would pass away some day.

The glory of Solomon has long since departed. But the wisdom God gave him survived the passing years, and has been strengthened with each test of time. And today, we can find blessing in the wisdom of God, as spoken by His servant Solomon, wisdom recorded in the Book of Proverbs: He “that hath friends must show himself friendly.” “A wise son heareth his father’s instructions.” “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.” Solomon’s greatest treasure was the wisdom which God had given him. The Bible tells us that we can find the treasure of real wisdom too by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and following Him. For we read that He is the One... ... “in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3)

 

[RiverOL]

AHAB – THE POUTING KING

(Romans 6:23)

Purpose: To show that God is not willing that men should perish, but calls them to repentance.

One day King Ahab, the ruler of Israel, was visiting his summer palace in Jezreel. As he looked out at his garden he admired all the beautiful things he possessed. Where in all the world was a garden as lovely as this? A garden to be treasured and it was his, all his! As the king stood there admiring his garden he tried to think of some way to add to its beauty. Suddenly he noticed something. Right next to his own garden, just on the other side of the wall, was a fine vineyard. The vines were heavy with fruit, and the king could see that the land was good. Right away King Ahab wanted that vineyard.

Why, it was just what he needed to enlarge his garden! He could tear out the grape vines and plant whatever he wanted to. Greatly excited by his new discovery, King Ahab went to see the owner of the vineyard – a man by the name of Naboth. The king told Naboth how he wanted the vineyard because it was near his own garden, and he was ready to buy it at whatever price the land was worth. But Naboth didn’t want to sell. He explained to the king that this vineyard had been in his family for many years. To Naboth, this land was something to be guarded with care because God had given it to his family as their inheritance. According to the law, Naboth’s inheritance was his very own. Not even the king could take it away. Here was something the king wanted and couldn’t have. And that made Ahab very angry. How dared Naboth refuse him – the king!

Especially when he was willing to pay any price for the vineyard! When Ahab returned to his court in Samaria he thought about his disappointment and the more he thought, the more miserable he felt. All his great palaces, his riches and his power were nothing to King Ahab now. What was the use of being king if he couldn’t have what he wanted? King Ahab was so unhappy that he went to bed and he wouldn’t talk to anyone. The servants became alarmed when the king lost his appetite and refused to eat, and they decided they should go tell the queen. Queen Jezebel was a very wicked woman, cruel and selfish, and she was powerful too. King Ahab ruled Israel, but Queen Jezebel ruled the king. When the servants reported that the king was sad and wouldn’t eat his food, Queen Jezebel prepared to take care of the matter right away. “Is that all that’s wrong?” she laughed as she soothed the king. “Come, get up and eat and be happy.

I’ll get the vineyard for you.” So Queen Jezebel wrote letters to the rulers of Jezreel, the city where Naboth lived, which was quite a distance from the king’s palace in Samaria. And she signed the letters with the king’s name and stamped them with his seal, so the rulers of the city would be forced to obey. The letters commanded that Naboth be brought before the people and that two wicked men be found who would swear that Naboth had spoken against God and the king. And the letter went on to say, “Then carry him out and stone him, that he may die.” And with the king’s signature on the letter and the king’s seal, what could the rulers do but follow the orders? Of course when Naboth was put on trial he tried to tell the people he was a God-fearing man and that he would never talk against God or the king. But the two false witnesses swore that Naboth was guilty and the people believed them. Naboth was carried outside the city walls and stoned to death.

When Queen Jezebel received the report that Naboth was dead, she said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard that Naboth refused to sell you, for now Naboth is not alive, but dead.” Ahab was delighted with his clever queen. She not only gave him what he wanted, but now it wouldn’t cost him a penny! So the king lost no time in getting on his way. He was already excited at the thought of standing in that vineyard and saying, “It’s mine, all mine!” Of course, with Naboth dead there was no one to stand in the king’s way. No one, that is, except God. Ahab had forgotten God, but God hadn’t forgotten Ahab. Elijah was a great prophet, and God spoke to him and told him to meet Ahab, King of Israel in the vineyard of Naboth, and the Lord told Elijah what to say to the wicked king. So King Ahab stood in the vineyard. But what he saw made his heart stand still! There stood Elijah – the stern prophet of God!

And Ahab cried out, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” And Elijah answered, “I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the Lord.” And Ahab heard from the lips of Elijah the terrible price he would pay for his sin. Ahab’s heart was melted with fear as he heard that his whole house would be wiped out – himself, his queen, all his sons – and there would be no one left to carry on his name. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death”. And with that fearful warning God seeks to turn us from our own way of destruction to a way of life. For God offers hope with a wonderful promise to all who are willing to hear: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

 

[RiverOL]

ELIJAH AND THE PROPHETS OF BAAL

(Acts 3:19a)

Purpose: To show that God is not willing that men should perish, but calls them to repentance.

When Ahab became king of Israel, he did more evil in the sight of the Lord than all the kings of Israel before him. King Ahab not only turned away from God himself to worship Baal, he led the entire nation of Israel to do the same. People who refused to worship Baal were persecuted or driven out of the country, and every prophet of God that could be found was put to death. Suddenly, one day the king heard a voice burst forth like a thunder-clap! And there before him stood a stranger. “As the Lord God of Israel lives before whom I stand there shall not be dew or rain until the time I call for it!” Elijah the prophet had come to call Israel back to the Lord God! The people stood in stunned silence as Elijah turned to leave. No prophet of God had spoken for a long time. Still the people paid little attention to Elijah’s message or to its real meaning. Elijah had uttered a warning! Hunger was coming to the land of Israel, for drought and famine go hand in hand. Elijah was going to show Israel that they were serving a dead god. Only the Lord could send rain.

For three years no rain fell in the land of Israel. The grass disappeared from the hills. The cattle became lean and thin. Nothing grew in the farmers’ fields, and day by day the people had less to eat. In every home in the land people suffered from hunger. Unless rain came soon there would be no food at all! But day after day passed, and no rain came. People began to think more and more about what Elijah had said. Elijah must be a great prophet! Only a prophet with mighty power could hold back the rain. And when the king saw his land turning to desert, his animals dying of hunger, even the king believed Elijah’s words and sent messengers to find the prophet. The messengers always returned with the same answer:

“Elijah is nowhere to be found.” King Ahab grew so desperate that he sent to every city and country around, and made people sear they were not hiding the prophet. Messengers came to fear for their very lives, for the king was furious at their failure to find Elijah. And as the famine increased in the land the king’s fury increased with it. The Bible tells us that after many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, saying, “Go show thyself to Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.” So Elijah suddenly appeared again. He stood in the path before Obadiah, the king’s servant, and said, “Go tell your king that Elijah has returned.” And Obadiah hurried to obey. King Ahab listened to Obadiah’s report with a grim silence. Elijah would find it was a serious matter to stand in the way of the king!

But Elijah was not afraid. He waited calmly for the king to come, and when the king cried angrily... ... “Are you the one who’s been troubling Israel?” Elijah answered, “I have not troubled Israel. It is you and your father’s house because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord! “You have worshipped Baal, the god of the heathen!” Elijah boldly accused the king. And King Ahab found he couldn’t answer the prophet of God. The king had no authority before the word of God as spoken by Elijah. If Ahab wanted rain, he would have to do the listening. So the king listened as Elijah told him to gather all the people of Israel and all the prophets of Baal and bring them together on Mount Carmel. And the king did all that Elijah said to do. From every corner of the kingdom the people came, wondering what this strange and terrible prophet would do now.

Would Elijah bring back the rain? But Elijah had something to do first that was more important to the lives of these people than rain. Elijah must show Israel they were serving a dead god – that only the Lord could bring rain. Elijah came straight to the point. “Why do you follow first one god and then another?” he asked. “If the Lord is God, follow the Lord. If Baal is god, then follow him.” And the people answered him not a word! Famine and hunger had made them willing to listen, but sin had blinded their eyes and made their ears slow to hear. Then Elijah spoke again. “I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord. But Baal’s prophets... ...are 450 men. Let them prepare a sacrifice.

I will do the same. Then we’ll call upon our gods. And the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God.” And all the people answered and said, “It is well spoken.” Elijah just stood by as the prophets of Baal prepared their sacrifice, and called on their god from morning even until noon: “O Baal, hear us!” The prophets leaped and danced about their altar. But there was no sign from Baal. Baal did not answer. At noon Elijah mocked the prophets, and said, “Cry louder! For Baal is a god! He may be talking, or away on a journey. Maybe he’s asleep and needs to be awakened!” Then the prophets of Baal cried louder than ever. They leaped about in a wild frenzy and begged their god to answer. They even cut themselves with knives, that Baal might take pity on them. And all the time the people watched, and waited.

Then Elijah called the people to come near him as he prepared a sacrifice. First, Elijah took twelve stones and built again the broken altar of the Lord. He put the wood in place and laid the sacrifice upon the altar. And Elijah made a great trench all around the altar of the Lord. Then he did a very strange thing. Elijah told the people to bring barrel after barrel of water... ...and pour them over the altar, until all of it was soaked, and the trench was filled to the brim. If fire consumed this sacrifice nobody could say it started by accident! In tense silence the people watched as Elijah came to the altar and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word

“Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and Thou hast turned their heart back again!” And suddenly... ...the fire of the Lord fell! And the sacrifice, the altar, the water, even the dust of the ground was consumed before the eyes of the people! And they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God!” The whole nation of Israel turned again to the Lord and worshipped Him as the only living God. Only then did Elijah begin to think about rain. The Bible says that Elijah went up to the top of Carmel and cast himself down upon the earth to pray.

And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And when the servant looked and said, “There is nothing,” Elijah sent him seven times until the servant reported, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” Then Elijah sent his servant to warn the king that rain was coming. The Lord had called His people to repentance, and when they turned back to God, He blessed the people with a great rain. Through His Word, the Bible, the Lord still calls: “Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.” (Acts 3:19)

 

[RiverOL]

NAAMAN THE LEPER

(2 Kings 5:1–16)

Purpose: To teach the value of witnessing.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, we read the story of Naaman, the commander-inchief of the army of Syria. Naaman was highly respected by his fellow men and he was known by everyone to be a personal friend of the king. If being rich and having an important job had been all that was necessary to guarantee happiness, Naaman’s home would have been a wonderful place to live. But unfortunately, Naaman’s home was a place of sorrow. Naaman had leprosy, a dreaded sickness for which there was no cure. Naaman’s wife, and the other members of his family, were very sad in knowing that, day by day, Naaman was slowly dying. Even the servants felt sorry for Naaman and his wife, and one of the servants in particular wondered if she might not speak to them about their sorrow... ...if she might not tell them about the true and the living God, and about the prophet of God that lived in the land of her childhood. The servant girl felt sure that Naaman, if he would go to the place of the prophet, could be cured of his leprosy.

So one day she gathered up her courage and told her mistress about the prophet who lived in Israel, and what she felt could be done about this sorrow in their home. Naaman’s wife had never heard of God, and yet as she sat there and listened to the servant girl tell of the wonderful things that God could do, new hope came into her heart. Naaman’s wife ran to tell her husband of this wonderful thing that she had heard. As she ran toward him, Naaman watched her with puzzled eyes. What could have happened in their home of sorrow to make his wife so happy? When Naaman heard what the servant girl had said, he could hardly believe his ears. A God that could cure leprosy? Could such a thing be true? Surely the servant girl would never lie to them about such a thing.

So Naaman agreed with his wife that he would have to go and try to find the prophet. But where? Where would he find such a man? Perhaps the king would know. The king of Syria had never heard of a man called the prophet, but the king felt sure that the ruler of Israel would know, so he gave Naaman a letter... ...a letter of introduction for the captain of the Syrian army. And not only that... ...the king saw to it personally that a royal gift was prepared for whomever it might be that could cure Naaman of his dreaded disease. The king did everything humanly possible to show Naaman how much he thought of him... ...to indicate to his commander-in-chief that his only wishes were for his speedy recovery. It was a long journey, but finally Naaman arrived at the palace of King Jehoram, the ruler of the land of Israel.

And before long... ...Naaman was standing before the king. An important person like the captain of the Syrian army wasn’t someone to keep waiting. The king opened the letter of introduction and started to read, “Now when this is come unto thee, behold I have herewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.” Leprosy! Why, the king would hardly believe his eyes. The ruler of Israel was suddenly very much afraid. His hands started to shake. And yet he knew what a mistake it would be to let these strangers see how upset he was. So the king asked for time to...uh...consult with his advisors on this matter of great importance. But the moment the strangers had left the throne room, the king tore his clothes to show how upset he was, and he wailed and he moaned, and he cried out: “Am I God?

Can I cure a man of his leprosy? “I know,” the king said, “the Syrians are trying to start a quarrel! That’s the meaning of this.” The wise men of the kingdom studied the problem and tried their very best to find the answer. But because the letter had failed to mention the prophet, and because the king and his men were not right where God was concerned, their problem was without an answer. What were they going to do? One thing they knew... Naaman was to be shown every courtesy while he was there. He was to be given the best of everything. But all of this delay puzzled Naaman. Why should the king have to consult with his advisers?

The king was pondering the same problem, when lo and behold, a servant came to the king with a message concerning Naaman. Elisha the prophet had heard about Naaman’s visit to the king, and the message was a request that Naaman be sent to him so that the Syrians would know there was a true and a living God. The king, needless to say, was very happy to be relieved of his problem. Naaman was to be shown to the place of the prophet at once. And as the caravan left the royal palace, Naaman became more and more excited about being healed, about being well again.

But when they arrived, they found themselves standing in front of a place such as a poor person would live in, and that bothered Naaman. He was also bothered by the fact that no one was outside to meet him. After all... He was the captain of the Syrian army! Two of his men rode forward and shouted for someone to come out and meet their leader. But inside the house, an old man continued talking to his servant. Elisha was telling his servant what was to be said to Naaman. And when he had finished... ...the servant went out to tell Naaman that if he would go to a certain river, the river Jordan, and wash himself seven times, he would be completely healed of his leprosy. A river? Go wash in a river? These people were making fun of him.

And besides, were not the rivers of Damascus more beautiful than the dirty, muddy Jordan? They couldn’t do this to the captain of the Syrian army. He ordered his men to leave at once. But some of the men that were with Naaman tried to reason with him about it. They reminded their leader that had he been told to do a difficult thing, he undoubtedly would have tried to do it. Why not do as the servant had said? And Naaman knew in his heart that his men were right. If he was going to be helped by God, he must be willing to believe and obey.

So Naaman and his men made their way to the river Jordan. But even as he waded into the water, Naaman was probably thinking, “Why is it all so easy? It might be just a foolish waste of time.” But at least... ...his servants would have to say that he had done as he was told. Six times Naaman went down into the water and his body remained the same. When Naaman went down for the seventh time, the men on the bank moved forward. Was it possible for their captain to be healed? Was there a God that could do such a thing? And when Naaman came up out of the water... ...his shouts of praise gave them their answer, “My leprosy! It’s gone!” Oh, what a wonderful time it was. Naaman lifted up his head and sang for joy. In spite of the weakness of his faith, God had healed his body!

It was a humble group of men that returned to the small house where Elisha was. They told Elisha of the wonderful thing that had happened, and they tried to give the old man the many gifts they had brought. But Elisha didn’t want their gifts. He didn’t want their gold. Elisha was happy for the new man that he found in Naaman. A wonderful miracle had taken place. Naaman had been cured of his leprosy through simple faith and obedience to the will of God.

In the Holy Bible, we find that leprosy is symbolic of sin, and the story of Naaman’s faith and obedience is a guide to our own salvation. In the third chapter of Romans, we read of the leprosy of our souls: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” And because of this, man faces spiritual death, for God has said, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Naaman’s recovery was a miracle of God’s goodness and love. But the miracle that is ours is even greater... “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

 

[RiverOL]

ELISHA AND THE SYRIAN ARMY

(Romans 8:31b)

Purpose: To teach confidence in God’s power to deliver us from our enemies; and our obligation to show mercy and forgiveness.

Once there was a great prophet named Elisha, who lived long ago in the land of Israel. He taught the people to worship God and to obey God’s laws. In his house at Dothan, Elisha often knelt to talk to the Lord and listen to His word. There he prayed that the Israelites might be protected from their fierce enemies, the Syrians. For a long time Benhadad, the cruel king of Syria, had been at war with the people of Israel. Now he planned a surprise attack which he hoped would crush them once and for all. With his mighty, well equipped army ready to fight he was sure that this time they could wipe out Israel’s army. He called the captains of his army together and they carefully planned where they would camp and how they would trap the unsuspecting Israelite army. King Benhadad warned his men that not a word must leak out. The whole success of their plan depended on secrecy, and a surprise attack. While the Syrians secretly plotted, Elisha stood quietly by the window of his house.

Then he called his servant, and said to him: “Go at once to our king and warn him that the king of Syria is planning a surprise attack on our army.” Elisha was able to explain just where the Syrians would be lying in wait, for God had told his prophet Elisha of the Syrian plans. The young servant raced down the long, dusty road from Dothan to Samaria with the message for the king of Israel. He was allowed to see the king as soon as he arrived, because the king knew Elisha was a true prophet of God. And when the servant told him about the Syrian plot, the king sent orders to the captains of his army. In the meantime the Syrian army reached the place where they planned to hide. They moved cautiously as they hid among the shrubs and trees.

They thought that soon the king and the army of Israel would pass close by. But they waited, and waited, and nothing happened. At last the captain of the Syrian army sent a messenger back to Benhadad to tell him they had waited for hours without seeing a sign of the Israelite army. “Strange!” Benhadad muttered. So he made new plans, making doubly sure to keep them secret. Again the Syrian armies hid and waited, while their scouts kept a watch on the road, but there was no cloud of dust raised by approaching horses and chariots. The king was furious when their plans failed again and again. “There is a traitor in the camp! Which of you is giving our secrets to Israel?” The captains cowered in fear, but then one of the soldiers remembered about Elisha and his power to work miracles.

“There is a prophet in Israel named Elisha. Nothing is hid from him. Why, he knows everything that’s going on, even before it happens!” Now Benhadad had heard of Elisha and the God he served. He thought that if only he could take Elisha prisoner the prophet would be powerless, and they could carry out their plans. So he sent spies to the land of Samaria. Finally, one of them found Elisha’s house in Dothan, and stood outside the window. Was that the old man who knew all their secrets and told them to the king of Israel? Benhadad wouldn’t need an army to take him prisoner. But Benhadad ordered a great host of soldiers with chariots and horses to move under the cover of darkness and capture Elisha.

Very early the next morning Elisha’s young servant went to the window to open the shutters and he stared in wonder at the sight that greeted his eyes. A great army surrounded the city. The morning sun shone on an array of shields and spears. There were chariots and horses as far as he could see! It was the enemy, the Syrian army! Could it be that this time Elisha hadn’t known they were coming? “Alas, master, what can we do?” the young man cried. There wasn’t a chance of escape. The Syrians surrounded them, every road and gate was blocked. But Elisha didn’t even look worried. He said, “Fear not. They that be with us are more than they that be with them.” The servant stared at him.

What was Elisha talking about? They were just two defenceless men against a whole army! Then Elisha said, “With them is the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God.” Then Elisha prayed that God would open his servant’s eyes. “Go and look out of the window again.” The young man looked... The enemy was still there, but now he saw horses and chariots of fire standing ready to defend Elisha. Then, fearlessly, Elisha walked into the midst of the whole Syrian army. “Smite them with blindness!” he prayed. Suddenly a terrifying darkness fell upon the soldiers. They didn’t know where they were; they couldn’t see the city or the sky or the trees.

Men shouted in fear and bewilderment, their ranks breaking in panic. “You are going the wrong way. Follow me,” Elisha told them quietly. He led them right into the city of Samaria and then he prayed that their sight might be restored. The Syrians looked around in fear and terror; they were surrounded by the menacing spears of the Israelite army! Excitedly King Joram sent for Elisha. What an opportunity! The whole Syrian army his prisoners! But he didn’t dare act without Elisha’s consent. “Shall we kill them?” he asked. But Elisha would not permit the Syrian prisoners to be killed. Instead, he told King Joram to feed the enemy soldiers, and a great feast was set before them.

And when they were refreshed... ...they were sent back to King Benhadad, so that he would come to know about the power and wisdom and mercy of God. And Elisha’s young servant also learned a lesson that day. He discovered... “The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that Him, and delivereth them.” As we see the faith that Elisha had in the Lord, and his unfailing confidence in God’s power, we should remember that God never changes. He is just as able to protect us today. We should never be afraid, for the Bible says: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31b)

 

[RiverOL]

JONAH AND THE BIG FISH

(Jonah 1:1 – 3:10) Purpose: To teach that God is ready to forgive all who call upon Him in sincere repentance. In Biblical times Nineveh was the capital of a nation called Assyria, and the city of Nineveh was great in many ways. It was large in size and in population. And through the many years Nineveh had existed, the sins of her people had become very great indeed. The king of Nineveh was a powerful man of war. His armies were conquering first one country and then another. All the time they were coming closer and closer to the borderland of Israel. The people who lived in Israel were getting pretty uneasy about all of this. There had never been any friendly feelings between the Israelites and the Assyrians because there were great differences in the way they lived. The people of Israel worshipped God, and their faith was the very center of all they thought and believed in. The people of Nineveh were heathens. They worshipped images made out of stone. Living in the land of Israel was a man by the name of Jonah. Jonah was a prophet of God or, in other words, he delivered messages from God to the people. One day Jonah became quite concerned about something God had told him.

God had told Jonah to take a message to the people of Nineveh. Jonah was to go and tell the people that because of their terrible sins their city was to be destroyed. But Jonah didn’t want to go. Nineveh was far away, and the Assyrians weren’t very friendly. Why should they be warned? Why didn’t God just go ahead and destroy the city? So instead of doing what God told him to do Jonah boarded a boat that was sailing in the opposite direction of the city of Nineveh. Jonah thought to himself, “I’ll get so far away from Israel that God will forget about me. “This way I won’t have to hear any more about going to preach to those heathen people.”

And after a while Jonah felt so sure that it was all over with he simply quit thinking about it. He went down inside the ship... ...and soon he was fast asleep, never realizing that God was planning to teach him a lesson – a lesson he would never forget. While the prophet lay sleeping below the deck, God caused a storm to come up, the likes of which the sailors had never seen. They fell to their knees and cried out for their lives to be spared. But the wind blew all the harder. The captain knew that no boat could last through a storm like this one, so he awakened Jonah and told him to call on his God to save him. But Jonah’s position was awkward, to say the least.

How could Jonah call on God when he was trying to run away from Him? In desperation, the men on the ship drew lots to see who could be responsible for all of this, and it just so happened that... ...Jonah was found to be the guilty one. And the sailors demanded to know who he was, and what he had done to bring all of this upon them. Jonah could hide it no longer. He told them what he had done, and he begged them to throw him overboard before they were all killed. And because there was nothing else left to do... ...the sailors did just that. And right away... ...the storm was over. And the waves began to go down. As Jonah struggled to keep from sinking... ...a great fish appeared and actually swallowed this man who had tried to run away from God. ... “and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.”

Jonah had plenty of time to think about what he had done and he prayed to God for forgiveness. (Jonah 1:17) “And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” (Jonah 2:10) “And the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the second time, saying, ‘Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.’” (Jonah 3:1,2) “So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.” And the Assyrians were greatly surprised when Jonah walked boldly into their city and cried out, “Within 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed.” On and on he went, all through the great city, telling the people of the coming destruction. “Within 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed.” And everywhere he went, the people listened. They believed Jonah and God used the words of the prophet to bring conviction to the hearts of the people.

And when the King heard about it, he too was aware of the sin in his life. And the King was sorry for his sinful ways and he took off his royal garments... ...and dressed in sackcloth, and sat in ashes, and pleaded for mercy in the sight of God. And all over the city, the people were following the example set by their king. They begged God to forgive them. And because God is a God of mercy He forgave them for their sins. “The Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting.” In spite of the wickedness of man, in spite of man’s sinful heart, God is never willing for man to die in his sins. (Psalm 100:5)

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:9) “But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

 

[RiverOL]

THE FIERY FURNACE

(Daniel 3)

Purpose: To teach courage – through Christ.

Nebuchadnezzar was a powerful king of Babylon. The time of his reign was 600 years before the birth of Christ, and the size of his empire was very great indeed. Within the royal court were people of many different languages and customs, people that had been conquered by the king and then forced to help him rule. On one occasion, King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the various rulers of the provinces to gather in the court, and he watched them assemble from his royal pavilion. This was a special occasion, and no one would dare not to come. The king stood up. The great moment had arrived. By standing, the king was giving the signal that the court was to come to order. Trumpeters stepped forward and sounded a royal fanfare. And the herald, whose job it was to read the official announcements, stepped forth with a big scroll in his hands.

The captains and the princes and the governors all stood very quietly, waiting to hear what the message from the king would be. As they listened, they heard the herald read: “O people, nations, languages, hear ye the king’s command!” And the herald went on to tell them that the king had had a gigantic statue made in his own likeness. The statue was 90 feet [28 metres] tall, and made of gold. This was to be their god. At the sound of the musical instruments, everyone was to bow down and worship this golden image.

The next thing the people heard was enough to put fear in the hearts of even the bravest men: “Whoso falleth not down, and worshipeth the image of the king, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” So when the musical instruments played... ...the people fell down and worshiped the golden image, just as the king had commanded them to do. Two Chaldeans were worshiping close together when suddenly one of them saw something that made him tug at the other one’s robe, in an effort to get his attention. “Look!” the Chaldean said. “It’s just as we thought! The three of them, see? They’re not bowing down. They’re refusing to worship the golden image.” And the Chaldean was absolutely right. Three young princes, the rulers of the capital city itself, were openly disobeying the king.

These men had been brought as captives from the distant land of Judah. Their names had been changed, and because of their abilities they had been given high positions within the kingdom. Hananiah, “Beloved of God,” was called Shadrach, or “Circuit of the sun.” Mishael’s cherished name was changed from “One who is like God,” to the heathen name, Meshach, meaning “Sungod.” And Azarish, whose name meant “The Lord is my help,” came to be known as Abednego, “The god of commerce.” Nebuchadnezzar had changed the names of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, but their hearts remained the same. These men believed in Jehovah as the One, the Almighty God. To kneel down before an image was something God had told them never to do.

The two Chaldeans lost no time reporting what they had seen to the king. They were jealous of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And they slyly reminded King Nebuchadnezzar that these men that had refused to bow down before the image were the very men the king had placed over the affairs of Babylon. “How dare these men disobey me!” shouted the king. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were hurried to the royal pavilion. The king asked if it were true that they had refused to bow down and worship the golden image. And they told the king, yes, it was true. King Nebuchadnezzar’s pride was about the most important thing he had, and for these three young men to openly disobey him, even in the face of death, was a serious blow to a man of his importance.

So the mighty ruler of the vast Babylonian empire decided he would give the men another chance. If only they would do as they had been told, he would forgive them for their disobedience. But the brave young men replied, “Our God is able to deliver us out of your hand, O King. But even if He chooses not to, we will never serve your gods nor worship your golden image.” The king was furious! He commanded the furnace be made seven times hotter than it usually was. And he ordered that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be taken to the furnace and put to death for their wilful disobedience. It wasn’t long until the fiery furnace was made seven times hotter than it usually was.

The three young men from Judah were securely tied... And one by one they were thrown into the midst of the flames. Shadrach, who was Hananiah, “The beloved of God;” Meshach, who was Mishael, or “One who is like god;” And Abednego, the one whose real name was Azariah, “The Lord is my help.” And when the soldiers had thrown them in, they turned and ran from the terrible heat. But before they could escape, the flames leaped out of the furnace and burned them to a crisp. Then the king saw something that made him jump to his feet. He couldn’t believe it was possible. No! It couldn’t be! Forgetting about his dignity and his pride, King Nebuchadnezzar ran with the rest of the people to get a better look at the strange thing that had happened. “Look!” shouted the king. “Do all of you see what I see?” “Did we not cast three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? “I see four, and they’re loose and walking around, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

King Nebuchadnezzar knew in his heart that Jehovah was the true and the living God. And he called to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to come forth, to come out of the flames. The people were amazed as the three Hebrew boys walked out of the furnace, unharmed by all they had been through. Not a single hair of their heads was singed. They didn’t even smell of smoke. Nebuchadnezzar fell to his knees, and he lifted up his head and cried, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath delivered his servants who trusted in him.” Shortly thereafter, a new decree was read to all the nations under Nebuchadnezzar’s rule. No one was to speak against the God of the brave young men from Judah. And Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were promoted to even higher places within the kingdom. But their real happiness was in their freedom to worship God.

 

[RiverOL]

BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST

(Galatians 6:7)

Purpose: To show children that God judges and rules over their lives.

Long ago there was a beautiful city called Babylon. It was the capital of one of the greatest empires of the ancient world. More than a million people lived behind its towering walls and gates of polished brass. The Babylonians were pagans who worshipped great idols of gold, silver, wood and stone. And they were a war-like people – during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar, his cruel, fierce Babylonian armies conquered the surrounding nations. They took captive the strong young men and women to be their servants. Some of these were from the land of Israel. And among them was a young man named Daniel. In the court of King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel soon became a trusted adviser and was made chief of the wise men. Through Daniel, the King came to know that there is only one God, the Lord of heaven and earth. But the man-made idols were still worshipped by most of the people, and as the years passed God and His prophet Daniel were forgotten. Eventually, Belshazzar became king. He was a cruel, selfish man who thought only about having a good time.

Although he was Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar did not believe in God and under his rule the city of Babylon was full of wickedness and sin. As Daniel saw the foolishness of the people, his heart was sad and so he prayed and quietly waited for the time when he could again be of special service to the Lord. And that time was soon to come. For outside the walls of Babylon was the mighty army of Medes and Persians led by Cyrus, King of Persia. But Belshazzar just laughed at them – unafraid. Were not the walls of Babylon 300 feet [92 meters] high and 80 feet [25 meters] thick? Cyrus could never conquer this city. But Belshazzar didn’t know just how powerful the enemy was, nor how clever their plan to capture Babylon. Feeling safe inside the strong walls of the city, a great feast was given to honor the evil idols the people worshipped.

A thousand lords and ladies were summoned to attend the great banquet. Shouts of acclamation arose from the crowd when the king came into the banquet hall. “O King, live forever!” they cried, certain that the great Babylonian Empire would never end. As the king took his place at the table, servants brought in huge platters heaped with food. They filled the goblets with wine again and again...and the noise and shouts of revelry increased. Suddenly Belshazzar had an idea. He remembered the cups made of gold and silver which had been stolen years before from the temple of God at Jerusalem. “Bring the golden goblets here!” he ordered. When the temple goblets were brought, the king filled them with wine.

He would show that he didn’t believe in the God of Israel, even if his grandfather had worshipped Him. He held his cup aloft. “Let us drink to our gods of gold, silver, brass, wood and stone!” he cried. But just as Belshazzar lifted the cup to his lips...a strange thing happened. The goblet dropped from the king’s fingers. He stared at the wall before him. For a strange hand had suddenly appeared above the light of the candlestick. There were shrieks and screams of fear. Then... The hand began to write words on the palace wall: Mene...Mene...Tekel...Upharsin. An unearthly silence gripped the banquet hall as the people stared at the mysterious words spelling out a message no one could understand. The king’s face paled. “Send for the wise men! Find someone who can tell me the meaning of the writing on the wall.”

But none of the fortune tellers and magicians, the astrologers and soothsayers, could explain the meaning of the strange symbols written on the wall of the palace. Still shaking, the king sat down at the long table. Surely someone could tell him where the message came from...and what it meant! Then the queen mother came hurrying into the banquet hall. She reminded the king of Daniel, the man of wisdom and understanding, who years before had been able to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams. When Daniel was hastily brought to the king, he refused the great honor and wealth Belshazzar promised him if he could read the writing. Instead, he reminded the king of his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, who had come to realize that his great wealth and kingdoms were given to him by God...and who had worshipped the Lord in humility. “But you, Belshazzar, you are proud and vain. You have not humbled yourself before the God of heaven, but have defied Him!

“You have taken sacred vessels from God’s temple, drinking wine from them and praising your dead idols!” Daniel told the king that the message on the wall came from God. “And this is what God says to you, Belshazzar. God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it. You are weighed in the balances and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” And outside something was happening. The great enemy army of Cyrus which had been camped outside the city for two years quietly began to move. Soldiers crept into the city and opened gates. Soon the army swept down the streets. Guards were slain. But no sound of warning reached the banquet hall. Suddenly a terror-stricken guard appeared on the steps. “The enemy! The enemy is in the city!” Belshazzar fled in terror before the first wave of soldiers, who were already within the palace looking for him. For they knew that once the king was slain, the city would soon surrender.

As Belshazzar glanced behind him he could see he didn’t have a chance. The Medes were gaining on him. Cruel eyes glittered mercilessly into his own. Harsh hands gripped him. And perhaps then Belshazzar realized that his life was being cut short and his kingdom finished because he had dared to mock God. Long before that day, Belshazzar had made his choice to live for the pleasures of this world. He had turned away from God to worship idols of wood and stone. As Daniel reminded him, Belshazzar knew that God ruled over all, but the king had dared to defy the Lord. So the proud and beautiful city of Babylon was destroyed, and the king and people with it, for they had despised God, and His Word says: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7)