Ezra

173 – Ezra

Ezra 7:1 – 10:44

Ezra was an expert in the laws of God. Therefore, it was decided he should go to the new Temple in Jerusalem and teach the people.

The king of Persia gave him letters authorizing him and his helpers to go to Jerusalem. The king sent along a large amount of gold and silver.

Ezra was also authorized to appoint judges who knew the laws of God. He was told the kingdom of Persia would punish anyone who disobeyed those laws.

Men volunteered to go with Ezra and move their families to Judah. They suddenly realized there were no Levites in the group. So Ezra sent out a plea, and several Levites volunteered to go.

Everyone knew going from Persia to Jerusalem was a dangerous trip. They had families, their possessions, and a large amount of gold and silver. Yet they didn’t have soldiers to protect them. Ezra didn’t ask the king for armed guards because he had said, “God is our protector. His strong hand is upon people who serve him.”

So the group prayed and fasted, asking God for his protection. They set out on their journey, and God protected them as they traveled. No one tried to ambush them along the way. They arrived safely in Jerusalem, and took all the gold and silver to the Temple.

Several leaders went to Ezra as he made preparations for his instructions about the laws of God. They said, “Many of our people have not separated themselves from the non-Jews that live in the area. They have married their women, and these wives have brought their pagan ways with them.

Ezra was shocked when he heard this. He ripped his clothes and went to the Temple and fell on his knees and spread out his hands to the Lord. He prayed “Oh God. We’re doing it again—just like our forefathers. You sent them into captivity because they took foreign wives and started worshiping idols.

“Now you’ve given us a brief moment, allowing us to come back here. And what did we do? We married foreign wives. Oh, God we’re not worthy of your blessing. You have the right to totally destroy this small group of people who live here.”

Ezra continued to cry, and pray, and confess sin. As he did, people came and sat and prayed with him. More and more came until there was a large crowd gathered around. They all cried and confessed their sins.

Finally the people said, “We know we’ve done wrong, but there’s still hope. We’ll make a promise before God. We’ll send away our foreign wives and their children. But you must help us if we’re to do this properly. Get up! Take action! Show us what to do and we’ll do it.”

So Ezra agreed to oversee this and make sure it was done properly. All the people sent their foreign wives away and turned from idols. They then totally committed themselves to the Lord.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Insights

Audio

Captain of 50

131 – Captain of 50

II Kings 1:1-18

After Ahab died, his son Ahaziah became king of Israel. A short time later, he broke through a wooden rail and fell to the ground from the second floor of his house. His was seriously injured, so he said to his servants. “Go ask the god Baal-zebub if I’ll recover from this.”

Elijah stopped the servants along the road and said, “There is a God in Israel. So why are you taking this question to Baal-zebub? Here is the Lord’s answer for the king. You won’t get up from your sickbed. Instead, you’re going to die.”

The servants went back and gave King Ahaziah this message. The king said, “What did the man look like who told you this?”

“He was a hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.”

“Oh, I know who he is. That’s Elijah.”

So King Ahaziah sent 50 soldiers to go get Elijah. When they got to where he was staying, the prophet was sitting at the top of an embankment. The captain of the men yelled up at him. “Man of God, come down! I have orders to take you to the king.”

Elijah said, “If I’m a man of God, fire will come out of the sky and kill you and your 50 men.” Suddenly a fireball fell from the sky and killed the captain and his men.

So the king sent another 50 soldiers to get Elijah. When they got to where he was staying, the prophet was still sitting at the top of the embankment. The captain of the men yelled up at him. “Man of God, come down! I have orders to take you to the king.”

Elijah said, “If I’m a man of God, fire will come out of the sky and kill you and your 50 men.” Another fireball fell from the sky and killed the captain and his men.

Once again, the king sent 50 soldiers to go get Elijah. When they got to where he was staying, the captain of the men fell on his knees in front of Elijah. He said, “Man of God, please show compassion on us. Spare my life and the lives of these 50 servants of yours.”

The angel of the Lord said to Elijah, “Go with them. You’ll be safe.” So he got up and went with them.

When he saw King Ahaziah, he said, “This is a message from the Lord. ‘You could have asked me anything you wanted and I would have answered. But no! You sent your messengers to Baal-zebub. Therefore, you’ll not get up from your sickbed. Instead, you’ll die.”

It happened just like Elijah said. King Ahaziah died. He didn’t have children, so his brother Joram became king of Israel.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Insights

Audio

Twelve Years Old

180 – Twelve Years Old

Luke 2:40-52

When Jesus was twelve years old, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. When it was time to return home, Jesus stayed behind at the temple, without his parents knowing. They traveled a whole day, thinking he was among the crowd..

That evening they realized he was missing. They went back to Jerusalem and searched for him for three days. Finally they found him in the court of the temple, sitting among the teachers. He was listening to them and asking questions.

Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his ability to answer questions.

His mother ran up and said, “Son, how could you do this to us? We’ve been searching for you.”

He said, “Surely you knew I’d be here in my Father’s house—doing his business.” They didn’t understand what he was talking about.

Jesus went back to Nazareth, and lived in submission to his parents. He grew, and matured, and was respected by all that knew him. God’s blessing was on his life.

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Drama
Poem
Storyboard

Story Told

Story Telling by Phyllis Hostmeyer

Insights

Audio

Drama

D180-Growing-Up-Years

Poem

P180-Growing-Up-Years

Storyboard

Esther Saves Her People

176 – Esther Saves Her People

Esther 5:9 – 10:3

Continued from the previous story

The king and Haman attended Queen Esther’s banquet. Afterwards the king said, “Now tell me your request so I can give it to you.”

“Oh king, if it’s true you want to grant my request, please bring Haman and come to another banquet tomorrow. I’ll tell you my request at that time.”

Haman was proud as he left the court that day. He had been invited to the queen’s banquet two days in a row! Suddenly his joy turned to anger as he noticed Mordecai once again not bowing before him. He was with friends that evening and told them how this Jew had ruined his joy.

They said, “Build a 75-foot gallows. Go to the king early in the morning and ask him to order Mordecai’s death. Hang him on the gallows right away so you can enjoy the queen’s banquet.” Haman sent for a servant and ordered the gallows to be built.

The king couldn’t sleep that night. So he had someone come to his bedroom and read official records. The servant read how Mordecai had saved the king’s life by revealing a plot to kill him. The king said, “How was this man rewarded?”

The servant looked back at the records, then said, “He wasn’t, my king.”

“Nothing was done to reward this man?! Go into the court and see if anyone is there.”

The servant found Haman waiting to see the king. The king said, “Bring him in.” Before Haman could talk, the king said, “What should I do for a man I want to honor in a special way?”

Haman immediately thought of himself. He said, “Oh, my king. You should honor this man by putting your royal robe and crown on him. Place him on your horse and have your most noble official lead him through the streets yelling, ‘This is what the king does for a man he wants to honor!’”

The king was pleased. “Excellent. Go and find Mordecai and do everything you’ve said. Be careful not to leave anything out.”

Haman stood there in shock, but he had to fulfill everything he had suggested to the king. He put the royal robe and crown on Mordecai, placed him on the royal horse, and led him through the city yelling, “This is what the king does for a man he wants to honor.”

When it was all over, Haman went home in humiliation, but his summons to the queen’s banquet was waiting for him. So he had to rush to get there.

After they had eaten, the king asked Esther, “Tell me what you want so I can give it to you.”

“Oh king, if it pleases you to grant my request, spare my life and the lives of my people. A man has plotted to have my entire race destroyed.”

The king was shocked, “Who is this man and where is he?”

Esther pointed at Haman. “Our enemy is this wicked man.”

Haman was terrified. He couldn’t even speak. The king looked at him and became angry. He got up and walked into the garden so he could think.

Haman ran over and fell down next to Esther to beg for his life. The king walked back into the room and saw Haman lying next to the queen. He said, “Are you going to rape the queen with me standing right here?”

As soon as he said this, servants rushed over and put a hood over Haman’s head. One of them turned to the king. “Haman has built a gallows to hang the man who saved your life.”

This angered the king even more. He pointed to Haman, “Hang him on it!”

Haman was immediately taken out and hanged on the gallows he had built. After this, the king replaced him with Mordecai.

So the Jewish people were saved from the disaster Haman had planned for them, and Mordecai became the highest-ranking official in the government.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Insights

Audio

Handwriting on the Wall

170 – Handwriting on the Wall

Daniel 5:1-31 & 9:1-27

King Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. He decided to have a feast with a thousand Babylonian nobles. He sent for the golden cups the Babylon army had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem. They were used to drink in honor of their many gods.

Suddenly … the fingers of a man’s hand appeared near a wall that was well lit by lamps. As Belshazzar watched, the fingers started writing on the wall. This made the king so terrified that he shook with fear.

When the hand was done writing, it disappeared. Belshazzar read the words on the wall, but didn’t know what they meant. He sent for his counselors and said, “If you can interpret what these words mean, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third ruler over Babylon!”

They looked at the writing but weren’t able to understand what it meant. This made Belshazzar even more terrified.

The queen mother said, “Don’t be afraid. There’s one counselor you haven’t called. His name is Daniel, and he’s a man filled with the spirit of the holy gods. Your grandfather always called on him whenever he had a problem he couldn’t solve. He’ll tell you what this means.”

Belshazzar called for Daniel and said, “I know you have the spirit of the gods in you. If you can tell me what this means, I’ll give you great riches and make you the third highest ruler in Babylon.”

Daniel didn’t hesitate. “You may keep your gifts and titles. I’ll read the writing and tell you what it means.

“The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar this empire and made him the most powerful man on earth. Yet he humbled himself before God and acknowledged that he was Lord of all.

“You know this, yet you’re proud and defy the Lord God. You used the golden cups from the Temple of God to praise false gods. You mock the God who holds your life in His hands. Therefore, He has sent you this message: NUMBERED, NUMBERED, WEIGHED, and DIVIDED.

“Here is the interpretation:

NUMBERED – God has numbered the days of your kingdom. Your time is up!

WEIGHED – You were weighed on a scale to determine your worth. You’re worth very little!

DIVIDED – Your kingdom is no longer yours. It’s been divided between the Medes and Persians.”

Immediately, Belshazzar called his servants and told them to put fine clothes on Daniel and expensive jewelry around his neck. He proclaimed Daniel to be the third highest ruler in Babylon.

That very night, the army of the Medes and Persians came into the city, killed Belshazzar, and took over the kingdom. Daniel became a respected counselor in the Persian court.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Years later, Daniel was reading how Jeremiah said the city of Jerusalem would lie in ruins for seventy years. Daniel prayed and asked God what was going to happen after that. God sent him an angel to explain what would happen.

The angel said, “An order will be given to rebuild Jerusalem. That order will begin a special 490-year period for your people. After the first 483 years, Messiah will come. He’ll be killed, and Jerusalem will be destroyed again. The last seven years will begin when an evil ruler makes a 7-year peace agreement with Israel.”

By telling Daniel this, God showed Israel what would happen before he set up his kingdom on earth.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Insights

Audio

A Furnace Filled with Fire

168 – A Furnace Filled with Fire

Daniel 3:1-30

Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue. It was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. He then gathered together all the officials of his kingdom. They came and stood before the statue.

One of the officials made a declaration. “When you hear the orchestra play, fall to the ground and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. If you don’t do this immediately, you’ll be thrown into a furnace filled with fire.” The orchestra started playing and the crowd fell to the ground in front of the gold statue.

This occasion gave some of the officials an idea. They thought this was their chance to get rid of some of the Jews that were among them.

They said to the king, “Your command was clear. When the orchestra played, everyone was to drop to the ground and worship the statue. You said if anyone didn’t do it, they’d be thrown into a furnace filled with fire. There are three Jews who ignored you, and they’re in high positions in the kingdom. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They don’t serve your god, and they didn’t worship the gold statue.”

Nebuchadnezzar was furious. He sent for the three Jews and had them stand before him. “I’ve been told you don’t serve my god, and you didn’t worship the gold statue. I want to see if this is true. The orchestra will play, and when it does you’re to drop to the ground and worship the gold statue. If you don’t, you’ll be thrown into the furnace filled with fire. There’s no god that can rescue you from my power.”

The three men didn’t hesitate to answer the king. They said, “We would never argue with you, but please understand. Our God is able to rescue us from the furnace filled with fire. He can easily rescue us from your power, but if he doesn’t, let it be known, we still won’t worship the gold statue you’ve set up.”

Nebuchadnezzar became so mad his face was twisted with rage. He shouted to his guards, “Make the furnace seven times hotter! Tie up these men and throw them into it!”

The furnace was made hotter, and the three Jews were tied up and thrown into the fire. Since the furnace was so hot and the king wanted the execution to be done quickly, the flames killed the guards as they threw the men in.

Suddenly the king was shocked at what he saw. He got up and shouted, “Didn’t we throw three men into the fire?”

“Of course Your Majesty. We threw in three men.”

“But look! I see four men in there. The fire’s not hurting them, and they aren’t tied up. They’re freely walking around. And look! The fourth man is like a god.”

Nebuchadnezzar got closer to the furnace and yelled in. “Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, servants of the Most High God. Please, come out.”

The three men came out of the fire. Everyone gathered around and saw that the men and their clothes were totally unaffected by the fire. They didn’t even have the smell of smoke on them.

Nebuchadnezzar made a proclamation. “I give praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They chose to die rather than worship any god but their God. So he sent his angel to rescue them. No one is to say anything offensive about the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If anyone does, that person will be torn to pieces and their house made into a garbage dump.”

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Insights

Audio

@haileyjulia_
Find the real story in Daniel 3 #Christian #Christiancomedy #Biblestories #Jesus #God #Bible #Biblestudy
♬ original sound – Hailey Julia

Story Told

@haileyjulia_
Find the real story in Daniel 3 #Christian #Christiancomedy #Biblestories #Jesus #God #Bible #Biblestudy
♬ original sound – Hailey Julia

Valley of Dry Bones

165 – Valley of Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-28

Ezekiel was taken into captivity, along with many other Jews. He became a prophet of God.

One day the Lord took his spirit to a valley. He saw that it was filled with bones. They were so dry, they would turn to powder if you touched them.

The Lord said, “Son of man, can these bones become alive again?”

“Oh Lord, only you can give the answer to that.”

God said, “Stand among them and say, ‘Dry bones, hear what God says to you. Yes, the Lord is talking to you. He’s telling you he’s going to put breath back into you, and you’ll once again be alive. You’ll have flesh, and muscle, and skin … and life. Then, you’ll know he’s the Lord.’ ”

So Ezekiel stood and told this to the bones. Suddenly he heard the sound of rattling all across the valley. The bones had become solid, and were reconnecting themselves. Soon there were complete skeletons lying all over the ground.

As the prophet watched, tendons and muscles formed on the skeletons. And then skin stretched over the flesh. They were like dead bodies lying on the ground, all across the valley. But even with all of this, they didn’t have life.

The Lord said to Ezekiel, “Son of man, preach to breath. Say, ‘Hear what God says to you. Yes, the Lord is talking to you. He’s telling you to ride on the four winds and come and enter into these dead bodies.’ ”

So Ezekiel said this to breath. Suddenly the wind blew and breath entered into all the dead bodies, and they became alive! They sat up … and then got up. It was then Ezekiel realized they were a vast army.

The Lord said, “Son of man, these bones represent all twelve tribes of Israel. Right now they’re saying, ‘We’re no longer a nation. There’s no hope for us. Our bones are dried up.’

“Preach to them! Say, ‘Hear what God says to you. Yes, the Lord is talking to you. He is telling you that he’s going to open your graves of exile and bring you back to the land of Israel. He’ll put his Spirit in you, and you’ll live again. Then you’ll know that he is the Lord.’ ”

The Lord spoke to Ezekiel again. “Son of man, find a small piece of wood. Carve the word ‘Judah’ on it. Find another piece of wood and carve the word ‘Israel’ on it.”

Ezekiel did this. Then the Lord said, “Hold them together as if they are one piece of wood. Carry them around until people ask you what it means.

“Tell them the Lord God is saying, ‘There’ll come a time when I’ll bring both nations together again. They’ll no longer be two nations, but one. I’ll give them their own land, the land I gave Jacob. They’ll have one king. David will rule over them. They’ll no longer corrupt themselves with idols. I’ll make them clean and they’ll be my people, and I’ll be their God.’ ”

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Story Telling by Phyllis Hostmeyer

Insights

Audio

Well of Mud

163 – Well of Mud

2 Chronicles 36:15-21 2 Kings 25:3-21 Jeremiah 32:1-33:26 38:1-40:6 52:1-34

Stories 159 – 164 happened during the life and ministry of Jeremiah, the prophet.

The Lord gave Jeremiah a message for the people. He said, “The choice is yours. You can have life or death. If you stay in Jerusalem, you’ll suffer hunger, disease, and death. If you surrender to the Babylonian army, you’ll live. I’ve given this city to them, and they’ll totally destroy it.”

When the officials of Judah heard this, they went to the king and said, “This man must die. He’s a traitor. He’s telling people to abandon us.”

So Zedekiah allowed them to do what they wanted with Jeremiah. They put ropes around him and let him down into an empty well. It didn’t have water in it, but instead the bottom was nothing but mud. Soon the prophet had sunk down into the mud.

Another official ran to the king and said, “This is wrong! The prophet will die in that well. He has no food or water.”

The king gave permission for the man to pull Jeremiah out of the well. So he got 30 other men to help him. They threw old rags down the well and told the prophet to put these under his arms to protect him from the ropes. They then pulled him out of the well and took him back to the palace prison.

The Babylonians kept the city under siege for two and a half years. Finally they broke through the walls and took the city. When Zedekiah heard this, he got out of Jerusalem during the night and tried to escape.

The Babylonians chased after the king and soon caught him. They brought him back to Nebuchadnezzar. He took Zedekiah and made him watch as they killed his sons in front of him. They then gouged out his eyes, put him in chains, and led him away to Babylon.

The Babylonians totally destroyed the city so it could never again resist them. They destroyed the Temple, burned all the houses, and broke down the walls. The city was totally demolished. The Babylon army took the rest of the people away to Babylon, leaving only a few to tend the land.

Nebuchadnezzar heard about Jeremiah, so he told his captain, “Find this man, and make sure he isn’t hurt. He’s to be cared for and given whatever he wants.”

The captain went and found the prophet. He was in chains along with the others who were being sent into exile. The captain took the chains off Jeremiah and said, “You’re free to go. If you come to Babylon with us, we’ll take care of you and meet your needs for the rest of your life. But if you want, you can stay here in Judah. The choice is yours.”

Jeremiah said he would stay in Judah, so they allowed him and Baruch to go back to their homes. The Lord also protected the official that had helped the prophet get out of the well.

The Lord said to Jeremiah, “The day will come when I’ll raise up a righteous Branch from the line of David, and He’ll bring justice and righteousness to the land. He’ll be called, ‘The Lord our Righteousness.’ ”

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Story Told

Story Telling and Questions by Mickie O’Donnell

Insights

Audio

Broken Pot

159 – Broken Pot

Jeremiah 1:1-19 18:1–20:18 II Chronicles 36:1-5 II Kings 23:28-37

Stories 159 – 164 happened during the life and ministry of Jeremiah, the prophet.

During the time of King Josiah, the prophet Jeremiah was called of God to preach to the people of Judah. The Lord said, “You’re to tell them they’re wicked, and Babylon will come and take them away. It’ll be useless to resist this invasion because I’m the one making it happen.”

Jeremiah said, “Lord, I don’t want this job. I’m too young, and I’m not good at public speaking.”

The Lord said, “I chose you for this job before you were born. I’ll tell you exactly what to say. Still, the people won’t listen, and they’ll try to kill you. But don’t worry. I’ll be with you and protect you.”

For years, during the time of King Josiah, the Lord told Jeremiah all the reasons why Judah would be punished and sent into exile. Jeremiah was burdened for the nation, so he cried and prayed for them. God said, “Stop that! These people are heading for disaster and there’s nothing you can do about it. I wouldn’t listen even if Samuel and Moses stood before me and pleaded for them! This situation is beyond religious acts and the giving of prayers.”

The Lord sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house. There he saw the potter working with a clay jar on the turning wheel. Suddenly he found a flaw in the pot. So he simply crushed the clay down and started over.

The Lord said, “Oh Israel, this is what I’m doing to you. You’re like clay in my hands and I’ll crush you so I can make you into that which will have my blessing and joy.”

The Lord told Jeremiah to buy a clay pot and go to the rulers of Judah. The prophet bought the pot and stood before the leaders of the people. He held it up in the air and said, “The people have forsaken the Lord to worship idols. Therefore, listen to what God is saying to you!”

He threw the pot down and it shattered into pieces! He said, “Jerusalem will be like this clay pot. I’ll totally destroy the city. Your enemies will slaughter the people. The city will lie in ruins just like this clay pot.”

One of the priests got angry and had Jeremiah beaten and put in stocks. The next day the priest went to release him. Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord has changed your name. It is now ‘Terror’. In terror, you’ll see your friends killed in the streets. In terror, you’ll watch the city be destroyed. You’ll be taken to Babylon where you’ll die; and there you’ll be buried.”

King Josiah was killed when he fought the army of Egypt. The people of Judah made his son king. Three months later, the pharaoh of Egypt captured Jerusalem and took the new king to Egypt, where he died. The pharaoh set up another son of Josiah to be king of Judah. His name was Jehoiakim.

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Storyboard

Story Told

Story Telling and Questions by Mickie O’Donnell

Insights

Audio

Storyboard

Josiah’s Reforms

158 – Josiah’s Reforms

II Kings 23:1-37 II Chronicles 34:32 – 35:27

King Josiah and the nation of Judah renewed their commitment to the Laws of God. The king then took all the false altars out of the Temple and had them burned. The people also went throughout Jerusalem and destroyed all the idols that were in the city.

Once that was done, the king personally went throughout the land of Judah and oversaw the destruction of idol worship in all the cities. Next he went throughout the land of Israel and destroyed all the idols and altars that were there. When he found a major pagan spot, he desecrated the altar so the people would never use it again.

He went to the altar Jeroboam had built at Bethel. Josiah totally destroyed everything that was around it. He saw some tombs nearby, so he sent men to get some human bones. He burnt them on top of the altar to desecrate it.

Then Josiah saw a monument nearby. He said, “What’s that?”

The men of the area said, “That’s the tomb of the prophet who came from Judah. The Lord sent him here to speak against Jeroboam when he dedicated this altar to his golden calves. He prophesied and told the people what you would do to this altar. Today you have fulfilled his prophecy. It is also the grave of an old prophet from Samaria.”

Josiah said, “Don’t disturb these bones.” He then returned to Jerusalem.

The king organized a Passover feast like no other. He and prominent men of Judah gave generously so everyone could have a sacrifice to give.

In the entire history of Judah, there had never been a king like Josiah, who loved and served the Lord with all his mind, heart, and strength. He totally followed the ways of God.

Still, the Lord planned to have Jerusalem destroyed. He was going to send the people of Judah into exile, just as he had done to Israel. But he didn’t allow it to happen until after Josiah died.

When the king was 39 years old, the pharaoh of Egypt led his army past Judah on the way to help Assyria. Josiah took his army out to stop them. The pharaoh said, “My battle isn’t with you. I’m going to fight someone else. Don’t interfere, or God will use me to destroy you.”

Josiah didn’t listen to this advice. He went into battle, but disguised himself so the enemy wouldn’t know he was the king. Suddenly an arrow hit him, and he slumped down in his chariot. His servants rushed him back to Jerusalem, and there he died.

All of Judah mourned Josiah’s death. The prophet Jeremiah wrote a song that was sung at his funeral.