Tag Archives: Generosity

Blind Soldiers

138 – Blind Soldiers

II Kings 6:8-23

The king of Syria invaded the land of Israel. He brought in his military leaders and told them his plans—where he was going to set up camp and how he was going to attack the Israelites. As soon as he spoke the words, Elisha went and told the king of Israel exactly what the Syrians were planning. The army of Israel made preparations and won the battle.

This happened several times until the king of Syria finally realized that the Israelites always knew exactly what he was planning. He said to his commanders, “Which one of you is a spy for Israel?” 

One of them said. “My lord, we’re all loyal to you. It’s Elisha, the prophet. He is the one telling his king about your plans. He knows what you say, even when you’re in your bedroom.”

“Where does this prophet live?”

“He lives in Dothan, my lord.”

So the king sent a large army with horses and chariots to Dothan. They arrived at night and surrounded the city.

Elisha’s servant got up early and stepped outside. Suddenly he saw this massive army. Running back inside, he yelled, “The Syrian army has surrounded the city. What are we going to do?”

Elisha was surprised. “Why are you afraid? Our army is much bigger than theirs.”

Then he prayed, “Lord, open this man’s eyes so he can see.” So the Lord opened his eyes. He looked out and saw that the mountain was covered with horses and chariots of fire. All of them were for Elisha.

At that point, the Syrians started moving in on the city. The prophet prayed, “Lord, please make all these men blind.” Suddenly the Lord struck them with blindness.

The prophet walked up to them and said, “Somehow you’ve gotten on the wrong road. You’re at the wrong city. I’ll guide you and take you to the right place.”

He then led them to Samaria, the capital of Israel. Once they were inside the gate, he prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” The men looked around and realized they were in Samaria.

The king of Israel saw this and said to Elisha, “Should I kill them? ”

“No. You can’t kill these men. You didn’t capture them in battle. They’re your guests. Give them food and drink, and let them go back to their master.”

So the king prepared a great feast for his guests. When everyone had had enough to eat and drink, they went back to the king of Syria. It was a long time before Syria invaded Israel again.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Gehazi

137 – Gehazi

II Kings 5:15-27

After Naaman was healed at the Jordan River, he and his men went back to the prophet’s house and stood before him. Naaman said, “Today I’ve learned, and now know, that there’s no god on earth except the God of Israel. Please accept my humble gift.”

Elisha said, “As sure as God lives, I won’t take a gift from you.” Naaman insisted, but the prophet still refused.

Then the commander said, “Please let me have as much dirt as two mules can carry. I’ll no longer worship any other god. Instead, I’ll kneel on this dirt from Israel and worship the Lord God.”

He then asked for something else. “When my king goes into the temple of his god, I’m required to go with him because I’m his commander. While I’m there, I have to kneel down in front of the idol. I ask that the Lord will forgive me for doing this.”

Elisha said, “Go home in peace, and don’t worry about that situation.”

Shortly after Naaman left, Gehazi started thinking. “My master let this Syrian off too easy. He should’ve paid something. I’ll go catch up with him and ask for a gift for myself.”

So Gehazi went after the Syrian commander. Soon, Naaman saw him coming and stopped his chariot. He got off and greeted the servant. “Is everything all right?”

Gehazi said, “Oh yes, everything is fine. My master just found out that he’s having two young guests staying with us tonight. They’re from the school of the prophets. He was wondering if you would like to help with the expenses – possibly 75 pounds of silver and a couple of sets of clothes.”

“Certainly! Here, I’ll give you 150 pounds of silver in two bags, as well as two sets of clothes.” The commander gave all of this to a couple of his men so they could carry it back for the servant.

Gehazi had the men take the silver and clothes to his own house. Once everything was put away, he sent the men away. He then went and stood next to his master.

Elisha said, Gehazi, where did you go?”

“I didn’t go anywhere.”

Elisha said, “Oh my dear friend. My spirit was there when Naaman stopped his chariot and stepped down to greet you. It wasn’t your place to accept money, clothes, olive trees, vineyards, animals, or slaves. Therefore, Naaman’s leprosy is now attaching itself to your skin.”

With that, Gehazi turned and left the house. He looked down at his arms, and they were already white with leprosy.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Elijah and the Widow

124 – Elijah & the Widow

1 Kings 17:1-24

Israel had many wicked kings. They all followed the example of Jeroboam.
 
While Asa was still king of Judah, Ahab became king of Israel. He was extremely evil, more than any of the kings that were before him. He married a woman named Jezebel, who worshiped Baal. Through her influence, Ahab built a temple of Baal in the capital city of Samaria. 

The prophet Elijah stood before the king and said, “I have a message from God. There will be no dew or rain until I say so!”  

The Lord said to Elijah, “Leave here and go to a certain brook. It will provide you water, and I have already told the ravens to bring you food.” 

So Elijah went and lived next to that brook. And just as the Lord said, the ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. But in time, the brook dried up because there hadn’t been any rain. 

The Lord said, “Go to a Gentile town called Zarephath. I have selected a widow to provide for you there.” When Elijah entered the village, he saw a woman gathering wood. He said to her, “Please bring me a little water.” As she went to get it, he said, “And also bring me some bread.” 

She turned and looked at him. “I don’t have any bread. All I have is a handful of flour in the jar, and a bit of oil in the jug. I was gathering these sticks so I could make it into bread for my son and myself. We were going to eat it and then die.” 

The prophet said, “Don’t be afraid to do what I say. Go and make your bread, but when it’s done, give some to me first. The Lord God of Israel has said, ‘The jar will always have flour, and the jug will always have oil until the day God sends rain.’”

Again, she looked at him, and then went and did as he asked. She made the bread, and gave some to him first. Sure enough, from that day on, the jar always had some flour, and the jug of oil never ran dry. 

She prepared a place for the prophet in the upper room of her house. 

Sometime later, the woman’s son got sick. Soon his illness was severe, and finally he died. The woman went to Elijah and said, “Man of God, why did you come in to my house? Was it to expose my guilt, so you could kill my son?” 

Elijah said, “Give me your son.” He took the boy to the upper room where he was staying. He laid him on the bed and then prayed, “Oh Lord God, why did you bring me into this woman’s home, and then kill her son? 

He then stretched out over the boy and prayed, “Oh Lord my God, please bring life back into this boy!” 

He stretched out over the boy a second time. “Oh Lord my God, please bring life back into this boy!” 

He stretched out over the boy a third time. “Oh Lord my God, please bring life back into this boy!” 

Suddenly the boy started breathing. Elijah took him back down into the house, and gave him to his mother. He said, “Here is your son. He’s alive.” 

The woman fell down before the prophet and said, “Now I know you are a man of God, and his word is in your mouth!”

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Char
Kings-of-OT

Queen of Sheba

118 – Queen of Sheba

I Kings 10:1 – 11:25; 11:42-43 II Chronicles 9:1-31

The queen of Sheba heard about the great wisdom of King Solomon. She couldn’t believe it was true. So she decided to go and test him with a list of hard questions. She organized a large band of servants to travel with her and selected presents to present to the king. She arrived in Jerusalem with a great caravan of camels loaded with gold, jewels, and spices.

She met with the king and asked him her list of questions. He was able to answer every single question. None of them was too difficult for him to explain to her. She was amazed to see the palace he had built, the variety of food at every meal, the way his servants were dressed, and the burnt offerings he made at the Temple. She said, “Everything I heard about you is true, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Now I find that I wasn’t told half of what is true about you. May your God continue to bless you as you carry out justice and righteousness.” 

She gave him a half a ton of gold, and more spices than had ever come to Jerusalem. Solomon also gave her many gifts before she and her servants returned home.

Every year, Solomon received 25 tons of gold in addition to normal trade. Because of this, he covered many things with gold—ornaments, drinking cups, dishes, and his throne. He didn’t use silver because he didn’t think it was valuable.

Solomon crafted 200 large shields, each made with 15 pounds of hammered gold. He also made 300 smaller shields with 4 pounds of gold in each one. No other king in the world was as rich and wise as Solomon.

He accumulated a large herd of horses for his military. These were imported from many countries around that part of the world.

Unfortunately, Solomon also accumulated many women, which was a direct violation of God’s law. He had 700 wives, all daughters of kings. Each one worshiped the gods of her country. He also had 300 concubines.

When Solomon got old, these women convinced him to build a shrine for each of their gods. Eventually, every hill around Jerusalem had a shrine on it, honoring their many gods. Solomon started burning incense at these places and offering sacrifices. Finally, he departed from worshiping the Lord and joined his wives in worshiping their gods. Wickedness filled his heart.

God was angry with Solomon because he departed from following the ways of David. The Lord said, “I’m going to tear your kingdom in two, and give one part to a servant of yours. But I won’t do this in your lifetime because of my promise to David. Your son will lose most of your kingdom.”

Then God allowed the enemies of Solomon to organize against him, so there was no longer peace in the land. Finally, Solomon died. He had been king of Israel for forty years.

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Char
4-David-Family-Tree

David’s Kingdom Restored

110 – David’s Kingdom Restored

II Samuel 19:9 – 20:13

The king was cut to the heart when he heard of Absalom’s death. He went up to the gate chamber and cried out in anguish. “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”

News of this got back to the army. Suddenly their joy of victory turned to sadness. It was as if they had lost the battle. 

Joab went to David. “Your men risked their lives for you. They not only saved your life, but they saved the lives of your family. Now they’re ashamed of what they have done. They think you wanted them to die instead of your son.

“Get up right now. Go out and encourage your men. If you don’t, they’ll all leave you and your troubles will be worse than ever.”

So David got up and went to sit at the gate. Soon all of his men came and sat with him.

After Absalom was killed and his army defeated, his men ran from the battlefield and went back to their homes. At that point the people of Israel started remembering all the good things David had done for them through the years. Together they issued a call to David, asking him to once again be their king.

The tribe of Judah wasn’t represented in this call, so David sent them a message. “Why aren’t you asking me to come back? After all, I’m one of you.”

They immediately sent him a message, “Come back and be our king.” They then rushed to the Jordan River and escorted him and his family across. 

As soon as David crossed the river, Shimei ran up and fell down before him. He said, “I know I sinned against you when you left Jerusalem. Please don’t hold that against me. As you can see, I’m the first one to welcome you back.”

Joab’s brother stepped forward and said, “Let me kill him. You’re the Lord’s anointed, and he disgraced you.” 

David said, “Put away your sword. Today is a special day. I’m once again king. No one will be killed in Israel today.” He then turned to the man before him. “Shimei, you’ll not die for what you did.”

Immediately, there was an argument between the tribes of Israel. The other tribes said to Judah, “Why didn’t you include us when you brought the king across the river?”

Judah said, “We’re his relatives.”

The others said, “He’s king over all of Israel, not just Judah. So he’s ten times more our king than yours.” This once again divided the nation and the fighting between the tribes became intense.

A man named Sheba stepped forward and blew a ram’s horn. He said, “David isn’t king over Israel. Let Judah have him. Let’s go home.” 

With that, the people of Israel left. Only the tribe of Judah took David to Jerusalem.

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Charts
Tribes-and-Neighbors

Kings-of-OT

Building an Empire

102 – Building an Empire

2 Samuel 7-8 4:4 I Chronicles 17:1-18:34

David established his kingdom and defended it from the nations around him. Finally, there was peace in Israel. He then started thinking about building a Temple for the Lord. One day he said to the prophet of God, “I live in a beautiful palace, while the Ark of God remains in a tent!”

The prophet agreed, “Go ahead and build the Temple. God will be pleased.”

That night God spoke to the prophet and gave him a message for David. The Lord said, “You were following sheep when I made you king of Israel. I’ve been with you all these years, and I’ve given you victory over your enemies. Now I’ll establish your name among the greatest men who’ll ever live. Your royal family line will last forever.

 “Still, I won’t allow you to build my house. I’ve made you a man of war and many have died because of you. Your son will be a man of peace, and he will build my house. I’ll be a father to him and establish his kingdom.”

King David was content when he heard this message, and humbled himself before the Lord. From that day he started looking at the nations around him. He invaded the Philistines and took back the cities and lands they had taken from Israel. He then turned to the Moabites and Edomites and brought them into submission to Israel. 

He turned his armies north and defeated nation after nation. Jerusalem became prosperous as gold, silver, bronze, and horses were brought to the city. David set up garrisons in all of these countries to maintain control over them. He used their men to build up his army. His name became feared and honored throughout that part of the world. 

David dedicated to the Lord all that he gained. He brought justice to the people, and taught them righteousness. 

One day David asked his servants, “Are there any members of Saul’s family still alive? I want to show them kindness just like Jonathan showed kindness to me.” 

A servant named Ziba spoke up and told him about Mephibosheth, who was Jonathan’s son. He was five years old when his nurse heard about the death of Saul and Jonathan. She panicked and ran with the boy on her shoulders. He fell to the ground and his feet were hurt. Ever since, he had been lame in both feet.

David sent for him. He came in and bowed down on the ground. He said, “I am your servant.”

David said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m returning to you the kindness that your father gave to me. I’m giving you all the fields that belonged to Saul. Also, from now on, you’ll eat at my table.”

Mephibosheth once again bowed down and said, “I’m nothing but a dead dog. Why should you care about me?”

The king said to Ziba, “You and your sons are to work the lands that I have just given to Mephibosheth. You’re now his servants.”

So Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem and ate at the king’s table. He became like one of David’s sons.

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Chart
Tribes-and-Neighbors

David’s Mighty Men

100 – David’s Mighty Men

2 Samuel 5:1-25 23:13-23 I Chronicles 11:1-23

David had developed a group of 30 men that were the core of his fighting force.  Joab’s brother, Abishai, led the group because of his bravery.

All 30 of these fighting men were proven warriors with skill and courage. But the mightiest of them were an inspiration to the entire army—they were called “the Three.”  One of the Three personally killed 800 soldiers in a battle. Another stood firm when the rest of the army retreated.  While they fell back, he turned and attacked the Philistines by himself.  He fought so hard and so long that his hand stuck to his sword. The others finally came back, but only to plunder the dead bodies around him.

Before David became king, there was a time when he and his men were in hiding. He became thirsty and said, “Oh, I long for the water from the well in Bethlehem!” At that time, Bethlehem was in the hands of the Philistines.

The Three heard David longing for that water. They slipped out of the camp and went to Bethlehem. They crept into the city and got water from the well. They were then able to get safely back out of the Philistine area.

When they brought the water to David, he was shocked at what they had done. He said, “I won’t drink this water! This is precious like the blood of the men who risked their lives to get it.” He stood before the Lord and poured it out as an offering to God.

 All of David’s men remained loyal to him after he became king. God was with him and established his kingdom over Israel.

Jerusalem was a walled city on Mount Zion controlled by the Jebusites. David said to his men, “Whoever is able to conquer this city will become the commander of my army.” Joab conquered it by getting inside the walls through the water tunnels. So he became the commander of the army. 

David renamed the town, “The City of David,” and from that time on it was the center of his government. 

When the Philistines heard about him becoming king of Israel, they decided to fight against him. David asked the Lord, “Should I go fight them?”

The Lord said, “Go. I will give them to you.” So David went and defeated them.

Later, they invaded Israel again. So he asked the Lord, “Should I go fight them?”

The Lord said, “Go, but this time circle around behind them. Put your camp in a grove of trees. Wait until you hear the sound of marching in the top of the trees. Then you’ll know that I have marched ahead of you.

David did exactly what the Lord told him to do. He defeated the Philistines and totally ran them out of the land.

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Map
Geography-of-Judean-Hill-Country

The Rephaim Valley connects Jerusalem to the Sorek Valley

Photo
Rephaim Valley aerial, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Ruth & Boaz

76 – Ruth & Boaz

Ruth 3:1 – 4:22

Continued from the previous story

At the end of harvest, Naomi said to Ruth, “I am going to make sure you’re cared for. Here’s what you’re to do. Take a bath and put on some perfume. Dress in your best clothes. Boaz and his men will be working late tonight at the threshing floor. When they’re done, they’ll eat and drink, and then sleep on the threshing floor to protect the grain.

“Go there, but don’t let the men see you. Watch carefully and note where Boaz lies down. Once everyone is asleep, uncover his feet, and lie down next to them. When he wakes up, he’ll explain what you’re to do.”

So Ruth went to where the men were working and hid in the shadows. She watched carefully until she saw Boaz and the others lie down on the threshing floor.  Their heads were towards the grain with their feet pointing out. Once they were asleep, she quietly uncovered the feet of Boaz, and lay down.

During the night, Boaz realized there was a woman lying at his feet.  He said, “Who are you?”

 She said, “I’m Ruth. Spread your protection over me, because you’re my closest relative.”

He said, “The Lord bless you! You didn’t come to our village looking for a husband, rich or poor. Instead you proved yourself to be a woman of integrity.

“Still, there is a next-of-kin who is closer than me. In the morning I’ll talk to him and give him an opportunity to redeem you. If he doesn’t, I will. For now, it’s not safe to go home in the night. I’ll send you there in the morning.”

She lay at his feet until morning, and then got up while it was still dark. Boaz gave her grain to take to Naomi.

Ruth told her mother-in-law everything that happened. Naomi said, “Now you’re to wait. Boaz won’t rest until this matter is settled.”

That day, Boaz arranged a meeting with the next-of-kin and the elders of the city. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling her husband’s land. You’re the closest relative. Buy it in the presence of these elders. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it.”

The man was quick to answer. “I’ll buy it!”

Boaz went on to explain, “Well, when you buy it, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the family name with the property.”

The man said, “I can’t marry this woman. It would ruin my own family name.  You have my permission to buy the property.” With that, the man took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz. That made the deal legally binding.

Boaz held the sandal out toward the elders. “You are witnesses that I just bought the property that belonged to Naomi’s husband and sons. And because of that, Ruth will become my wife.” 

People had gathered around and were watching all of this. The elders said, “Yes, we’ve seen the whole thing. May the Lord bless you, and may the Lord bless this woman who will become your wife.”

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and in the course of time, she gave birth to a son named Obed. He had a son named Jesse, who became the father of a shepherd boy named David. He became the great king of Israel!

Story Told
Story told with vintage photos
Insights
Audio
Chart
Judges-of-Israel

4-David-Family-Tree

Two Camps

26 – Two Camps

Genesis 32:1 – 33:20

Jacob and his family were going back to his homeland. Suddenly God’s angels met him. With that, he knew he was not alone, so he called the place “Two Camps.” 
From there he sent messengers to his brother Esau saying, “I’m coming home with all my possessions, and I’m hoping you’ll accept me.”  

The messengers came back and said, “Your brother is coming with four hundred men.” This struck fear in Jacob’s heart. He immediately divided everything into two camps, saying, “If Esau attacks one camp, the other can escape.” 

He prayed, “Oh, God of Abraham and Isaac, You told me to come back to my country. You said I’d prosper here. I’m not worthy of the kindness you’ve shown me. I left this land with only my walking stick. Now I’m two camps. 

“Please rescue me from my brother. You said my descendants would be as hard to count as the sand on the seashore.” 

He then prepared gifts for his brother, which included goats, sheep, camels, cows, and donkeys. He divided them into three groups and sent them ahead. He told his servants, “When Esau comes to the first group, say to him, ‘Your slave Jacob is sending these to you. Look, you can see him back there.’” He told the second and third the same things. He was hoping these things would help Esau be more forgiving. 

He then spent the night waiting for his brother’s arrival in the morning. Since he couldn’t sleep, he went off to be by himself. 

Suddenly a man appeared and grabbed him. Jacob fought back, and the two of them wrestled all night. At daybreak the stranger saw that Jacob was determined not to lose this fight. So the man struck Jacob’s side and dislocated his hip socket. 

He said, “I’ve got to go. It’s daybreak.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”

The man said, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Jacob!”

The man said, “No, that’s no longer your name. 

You’ll be called Israel, which means ‘wrestled with God.’ You’ve fought with God, and have lived to tell about it.” 

Jacob said, “What’s your name?” 

The man said, “I’m not telling you my name.” With that, he blessed Jacob. 

Jacob called the place “God’s Face.” He said, “I’ve seen God’s face and I’m still alive.” 

Jacob limped back to his camp. Off in the distance he could see Esau and his four hundred men coming. He put each of his families into different groups, and then he went out front. He bowed seven times as he hobbled toward his brother. 

Esau ran up to him and gave him a hug. Both men cried. Esau then pointed to the people standing behind Jacob. “Who are these people with you?” 

After Esau met Jacob’s family, he said, “Why did you put all those animals along the way?” 

“Oh, I gave those to you in hopes of winning your forgiveness.” 

Esau said, “No, no. I have enough. You keep them.” 

But Jacob insisted. “Please, accept my gifts. It would make me very happy.” So Esau agreed. 

Then Esau and his men went home that same day. Jacob went to an area near a city called Shechem. There he built an altar and called it “God, the God of Israel.”

Story Told
Insights
Audio
Click map to expand

The Well Digger

21 – The Well Digger

Genesis 26:12-33

Isaac was a farmer while he lived among the Philistines. The Lord blessed his harvest so much that he became more and more wealthy. Eventually, his wealth was so great that the Philistines became jealous. They decided to plug up some wells Abraham had dug. In time, Abimelech asked Isaac to leave their country. He said, “You’ve become too powerful. We feel you’re a threat to us.” 

Isaac moved to another valley, and his servants unplugged some of Abraham’s wells. They also dug some new ones. Suddenly they found precious spring water. The herdsmen in that area said, “That water belongs to us.” So Isaac’s servants went and dug other wells, and again found water. Again, the herdsmen said, “That’s our water.” 

They went to another area and dug some more wells. This time, no one argued about the water they found. Isaac said, “Finally! The Lord has made room for us. We can now prosper at this spot. He called that place, “Plenty of Room.” 

Abimelech and a delegation from the Philistines went to Isaac. When he saw them he said, “You sent me away in anger. So why have you come to me now?” 

Abimelech said, “It’s clear to us that the Lord has been with you all this time. We want a treaty with you. We were good to you when you lived among us. Yes, we sent you away, but it was in peace. Now, let’s agree that you’ll treat us the same way and won’t harm us.” 

So Isaac prepared a banquet, and they all ate and drank together. The next morning they each gave an oath that they would live in peace with one another. 

As Abimelech and his delegation left, servants came and told Isaac about their newest well. They said, “We’ve found water.” So he called the place Beersheba, which means, “Well of the Oath.”

Story Told
Insights
Audio

Click map to expand