Death of Sarah

17 – Death of Sarah

Genesis 23:1-20

Sarah died when she was 127 years old. Their encampment was near Hebron at the time, so Abraham went to the Hittites and said, “We both live in this land together. Please allow me to buy a place where I can bury my dead.”

They said, “You are God’s chosen, and we think of you as a mighty prince. Take the best of our tombs and use it to bury your dead. No one will keep you from using it.”

Abraham got up and bowed down before them. “One of you owns a particular cave at the end of a field. Talk to him and persuade him to sell it to me at full price.”

That man was sitting among them. He immediately stood up and stepped forward. He said, “I am that man, and I can tell you that you’re free to bury your dead there at no charge.”

Abraham answered him, “Please allow me to buy this cave at full price.”

The man said, “Listen, the cave is worth 400 shekels of silver, but what is that between you and me? Bury your dead freely in the cave.”

So Abraham weighed out 400 shekels and paid it to the man in front of everyone. So Abraham buried Sarah in the cave of Hebron, and it became his possession from that day on.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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

Fifteen Years

155 – Fifteen Years

II Kings 20:1-21 II Chronicles 32:24-33

King Hezekiah became extremely sick. The prophet Isaiah went to him and said, “God told me this sickness will kill you. So prepare to die.” He then turned and left the room.

Hezekiah cried out to God. “Oh Lord! I’ve walked with you and lived according to your commandments. Please spare my life.” He turned his head to the wall and cried bitterly.

Once again, God talked to Isaiah. “Go tell King Hezekiah I’ve heard his prayer and have seen his tears. Therefore I’ll add fifteen years to his life. I’ll also give him a sign so he’ll know that this promise is true. I’ll cause the shadow on the sundial to go backward ten degrees.”

Hezekiah watched the shadow on the sundial and saw it move back ten degrees. Immediately his sickness began to leave him until he totally recovered. He sang before the Lord and gave thanks.

After he recovered, a delegation came from Babylon with gifts. They gave him a letter from their king saying he was glad about Hezekiah’s recovery.

Hezekiah was pleased with this, and honored the delegation with a tour of his palace and government buildings. He took them to the treasury house and showed them all of the nation’s treasures—including gold, silver, spices, and precious oil.

After the men from Babylon left, the prophet Isaiah asked, “Who were those men and what did they say to you?”

The king said, “They’re from a far-off country, a place called Babylon.”

“What did you show them?”

“I showed them everything. I didn’t hide anything of value from them.”

The prophet said, “Listen to the words of the Lord. ‘A day will come when Babylon will invade Judah and take everything they’ve seen back to their country. Your descendants will become personal slaves to the king of Babylon.’ ”

Hezekiah bowed his head, and finally said, “This message from the Lord is good. None of this will happen in my lifetime. While I live, there will be peace and security.”

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Uzziah

149 – Uzziah

2 Chronicles 26:1-27:9 & 2 Kings 15:1-7 15:32-38

When Amaziah died, the people made his son, Uzziah, king. He was 16 years old and served as king for 52 years. God gave him great success because he followed the Lord and wanted to please him.

Uzziah did many wonderful works. He defeated the enemies of Judah and was known far and wide as a powerful king. He restored Jerusalem and strengthened the other cities of Judah. He loved the soil, so he excelled in farm activities. He provided for his army so that every man was well equipped for battle. He invented the catapult, so he could throw large stones from the walls of Jerusalem.

One day, King Uzziah was feeling proud of his accomplishments and his dedication to God. He decided to go into the Temple and burn the incense himself, instead of letting the priest do it. The high priest suddenly realized what he was about to do. He got 80 other priests and went in the Temple so they could stop the king from doing this.

He said, “Uzziah, this is wrong! God made it clear that only a descendant of Aaron is allowed to offer incense to the Lord. Please, leave right now! You’re not honoring God in this.”

Uzziah became angry as he stood next to the altar with the censer in his hand. He couldn’t believe all the priests were so bold as to confront him on this. Suddenly leprosy appeared on his forehead. All of the priests saw it and rushed him out of the Temple. He willingly went with them because he knew the Lord was punishing him.

Uzziah had leprosy for the rest of his life. He had to stay away from other people, so he lived in isolation. Because of the leprosy, he wasn’t allowed to go into the Temple. He couldn’t even go into his own palace. His son Jotham lived there and ruled the people in the king’s stead.

Jotham became king after his father died. He followed the example of his father’s early years. He continued to build up the kingdom of Judah. He did what was right and became a powerful king.

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Thistle & The Cedar

148 – The Thistle and The Cedar

II Chronicles 25:1-28 II Kings 14:1-22

After Joash died, Amaziah became king of Judah. He started off as a good king, and followed the Lord for many years.

Eventually, he decided to attack Edom and bring them under his control. He organized an army of 300,000 soldiers. He then hired another 100,000 soldiers from Israel and paid them four tons of silver.

A man of God came with a message. “Don’t use soldiers from Israel. If you do, God will make sure you lose the battle.”

The king said, “But what about the money I already paid them?”

The prophet said, “Don’t worry about that money. God is able to give you much more than that.”

So the king told the soldiers of Israel to go home. They became angry. Along the way they raided several cities of Judah and killed over 3,000 people.

While this was going on, the army of Judah marched south toward Edom. They won the battle and regained control over them. Unfortunately, Amaziah brought the gods of Edom back to Judah. He set them up and started worshiping them.

The Lord became angry and sent a prophet to speak to the king. “Why would you worship gods that weren’t able to protect their own people from your army?”

Before he could say any more, Amaziah said, “Stop talking! You’re not one of my counselors. Leave or I’ll have you killed.”

The prophet said, “Because you won’t listen to God’s message, he is going to punish you.”

So the Lord put in Amaziah’s heart the desire to go to war against Israel. The king sent a message to king Jehoash saying, “Come out and face me in battle.”

Jehoash sent a story back to Amaziah. He said, “A thistle sent a message to the cedar tree. He said, ‘I want to arrange a marriage between my son and your daughter.’ Suddenly an animal accidentally stepped on the thistle and crushed it.”

“Don’t be like the thistle. You had a good victory with Edom. Enjoy it, but don’t let pride lift you up. Stay home, because if you come after me, Judah will fall.”

God made sure Amaziah didn’t listen to this. The two armies went into battle and Judah was totally defeated. Their army ran from the battlefield.

Jehoash captured Amaziah and then took Jerusalem. Israel broke down 600 feet of the wall of Jerusalem. They took all the gold and silver from the Temple and the king’s palace.

Jehoash left Amaziah in Jerusalem and went back to Samaria. A group of men tried to kill Amaziah, but he escaped to another city. They hunted him down, and killed him there.

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Elijah on Mt Horeb

126 – Elijah on Mount Horeb

1 Kings 19:1-21

Ahab told Jezebel what Elijah had done on Mount Carmel. He told her how all the prophets of Baal had been killed. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah. She said, “I am going to kill you! Mark my word. You’ll be dead before tomorrow night.”

This struck fear in the heart of Elijah. He ran away to save his life. He left Israel and went to the southern part of Judah. He left his servant there and went on into the wilderness. He walked for another day and finally stopped and sat under a juniper tree.

He cried, “What have I done! I’m no better than my fathers. Lord, take my life” Then he lay down and fell asleep.

After he’d slept a while, an angel touched him. “Get up and eat.” Elijah woke up and saw a jug of water and some bread baking over hot coals. He ate the bread and drank the water and fell back to sleep.

Later, the angel of the Lord woke him again and said, “Get up and eat. You have a long trip ahead of you.”

Elijah woke up and once again found bread and water. So he got up, ate the bread and drank water. He then walked 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb, the mountain of God, also called Mt. Sinai. Once there, he entered a cave and spent the night.

In the morning the Lord said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”

He said, “Lord, I’ve worked for you with all my heart. But Israel has forgotten their agreement with you. They’ve torn down your altars. They killed your prophets. I’m the last one, and they’re trying to kill me.”

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain.” Suddenly, a powerful wind hit the mountains and shattered rocks. But the Lord wasn’t in the wind.

Then there was an earthquake. But the Lord wasn’t in the earthquake.

After that, there was a blast of fire. But the Lord wasn’t in the fire.

Then Elijah heard a soft whisper. He wrapped his mantle around his face and went out of the cave and stood at the entrance.The voice said to him, “Elijah, what are you doing here?”

“Lord, I’ve worked for you with all my heart. But Israel has forgotten their agreement with you. They’ve torn down your altars, and killed your prophets. I’m the last one, and they’re trying to kill me.”

The Lord said, “Oh Elijah, go back home. I have 7,000 men in Israel who haven’t bowed to Baal.” He then gave the prophet detailed instructions of what he was to do, which included anointing Elisha to replace him and selecting a new king for Israel.

Elijah went back to Israel where he found Elisha plowing a field. The prophet walked up to him and threw his mantle over him and walked on. Elisha left the oxen and ran to catch up with the prophet. He said, “Please, let me say good-bye to my father and mother. Then I’ll follow you.”

Elijah turned and said, “You may go back, but don’t forget the calling that is now yours.”

With that, Elisha took the wooden yoke and plow and built a fire. He killed the oxen and made a meal for his family. When they were done eating, he left them and followed Elijah.

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The Old Prophet

121 – The Old Prophet

I Kings 13:11-32

There was an old prophet living at Bethel. His sons told him about the young man of God from Judah, and what he had done at Jeroboam’s altar. The old prophet said, “Which way did he go?”

He then told his sons to saddle his donkey. He rode down the road until he found the man of God sitting under an oak tree.

“Are you the man of God from Judah?”

“Yes, I am.”

The old prophet said, “Come home with me and I’ll serve you a meal.”

“No, I can’t go with you. The Lord told me not to eat or drink anything while I’m here.”

The old man said, “Yes I know. I’m a prophet too, just like you. The Lord sent an angel to me who told me to come get you and provide you food and water. So, come to my house.”

This was a lie, but the man of God went with him and ate bread in his house and drank water. While they were sitting at the table, the Lord spoke through the old prophet, saying, “You’ve rebelled against my command. I told you not to eat or drink anything at this place. Because you disobeyed me, you’ll die and you won’t be buried in your family’s grave.”

After the two men were done eating, the old prophet saddled the young man’s donkey. He left, and along the way a lion jumped on the man of God and killed him. His body fell to the ground, but the donkey didn’t run away. He simply stood by the body of the young prophet. The lion stood on the other side.

Some travelers saw this and told the people in the town about it. When the old prophet heard it, he said, “I know who that is. It’s the man of God who disobeyed the Lord.”

He told his sons to once again saddle a donkey for him. He went and found the body. The lion was still standing next to it, as well as the donkey. Yet, the lion hadn’t eaten the corpse nor attacked the donkey.

The old prophet put the body of the man of God on the donkey that was standing there. He took it back home and buried it in his own grave. He mourned the young man’s death saying, “Oh my brother.”

He then told his sons. “When I die, bury me where this man of God is buried. Put my bones beside his bones. He spoke God’s words against these idols and Israel’s sin. Everything he said will come true.”

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Death of David & Joab

115 – Death of David & Joab

I Kings 2:1-46

Before David died, he gave Solomon instructions on how he should rule as king. He said, “To be successful, you must be strong and brave, and always walk in the ways of God’s commandments.

“Kill Joab when the time is right. He murdered two commanders of Israel—Abner, Saul’s commander, and Amasa, his cousin. He didn’t kill them on the battlefield. Both of these men trusted him because it was a time of peace. Don’t let him grow old peacefully.

“Remember that Shimei cursed me when I was running from Absalom. He begged for mercy and I said he could live. It’s up to you to punish him. Deal with him according to your wisdom.”

Soon after that, David died and they buried him in Jerusalem. He had been king for forty years.

Later, Adonijah went to Bathsheba and said, “You know that all of Israel expected me to become king. I accept Solomon as king, because it’s God’s will for Israel. I just have one request.”

“What is it?”

“The king won’t refuse anything if you ask for it. So please, go and ask if I can have David’s nurse as my wife.”

So Bathsheba went to Solomon. He stood and greeted her and called for a throne to be set at his right hand.

She sat down and said, “I have one little request. Please don’t turn me down.”

“Mother, ask and I’ll give it to you.”

She said, “Please let Adonijah have David’s nurse as a wife.”

Solomon was shocked. He said, “This is the same as asking if he could be made king. This request will cost Adonijah his life. He’ll be dead before this day ends.” Solomon then gave the order, and Adonijah was killed.

The high priest had supported Adonijah, so the king took his job away from him. He was the last priest from the line of Eli. This fulfilled the prophecy given about him.

Joab knew that his time had come, so he went to the Tabernacle and grabbed the horns of the altar. Solomon heard about this and told a guard, “Go kill him.”

The guard went and told Joab, “Come out here.”

He said, “No, I’ll die here.”

The guard went back and told the king. Solomon said, “Do as he asked. Kill him there! He deserves to die for murdering two good men who were better than himself.” So Joab was killed at the altar and buried near his home.

Solomon then called for Shimei. The king said, “Build a house in Jerusalem and live there. You’re not to leave this city for the rest of your life. If you leave, you’ll die. So, your life is in your hands.”

Shimei said, “This is fair. I’ll do as you have said.”

He lived in Jerusalem for three years. One day, two of his slaves ran away, so Shimei went after them and brought them back.

Solomon had him brought in. “You ignored the command I gave you. Now you’ll pay for what you did to my father. You cursed him, yet his kingdom will last forever.” With that, Shimei was killed.

So Solomon established himself as King of Israel.

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David’s Tomb building from north, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

David’s Tomb cenotaph, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Transfer of Power

114 – Transfer of Power

1 Kings 1:1-53

When David became old and frail, he was always cold. Covering him with blankets didn’t help. Finally, they decided to provide him with a nurse that would sleep with him. They found a beautiful virgin and she was his constant nurse. She slept with him, but they didn’t have sex.

Adonijah was the fourth son of David, a younger brother of Absalom. He was just as handsome as his brother. David never disciplined Adonijah, or even corrected him.

Since David was old and bedridden, Adonijah said, “I’ll be the next king.” He hired 50 bodyguards to run before him as he rode through the streets in a chariot. He asked Joab to help him, and also enlisted the help of the high priest. Others refused to help, including Nathan the prophet.

Adonijah hosted a banquet and invited those who supported him. He also invited his brothers, David’s servants, and officials of Judah. But he didn’t invite those who opposed him, and he didn’t invite Solomon.

Bathsheba was Solomon’s mother. Nathan went and told her what was happening. He said, “The king doesn’t know what Adonijah is doing. If we don’t stop this, you and your son will die.” He then told her exactly how they should tell the king.

She went to David’s bedroom, where his nurse was serving him. Bathsheba said, “My lord, you said Solomon would be king after you. But now Adonijah has made himself king without you knowing it. All of Israel is looking to you to tell them exactly who should be king. If you die without telling them, Solomon and I will be killed as criminals.”

At that exact moment, Nathan came in and said, “My lord king, did you make Adonijah king? Today he’s having a banquet with the officials of Israel. They’re eating and drinking and saying ‘Long live the King.’ Many of us weren’t invited. I’m surprised you authorized this without letting me know.”

David said to Bathsheba, “As sure as the Lord lives, your son Solomon will be king after me. It will happen today.”

He then gave an assignment to certain priests, officials, and the prophet Nathan. “Have Solomon ride on my personal mule to the place where you’ll anoint him king. Afterwards, blow the rams horns and shout ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then have him sit on my throne. Tell everyone he’s the one I’ve selected to be king after me.”

The men followed David’s instructions. As soon as Solomon was pronounced king, the people flowed into the streets shouting, playing flutes, and celebrating.

The people at Adonijah’s banquet heard the noise and wondered what was happening. Men rushed in and told them. “King David has made Solomon king of Israel! Right now he’s sitting on the royal throne.”

Everyone quickly left the banquet and went home. Adonijah was terrified of what Solomon would do to him. He went to the Tabernacle and grabbed the horns of the altar. He sent a message to Solomon saying “I’m your slave. Please promise me you’ll not kill me.”

Solomon sent a message back. “I won’t kill you if you act like a man of character. But if not, I’ll have you killed.” So Adonijah went and bowed down before Solomon and gave him honor as the new king.