Stories of the Bible - Daniel in Babylon

Many years went by in Babylon, and Daniel grew to be an old man. King Nebuchadnezzar, who came to believe in Daniel's God, died after he had ruled for forty years. While he was king, Daniel was given a great deal of power in the kingdom. He was always faithful and did his work well.

And always Daniel was true first of all to God. He remembered the prayer that Solomon had prayed when their beautiful temple was dedicated, 1 Kings 8:46-53. In it he had asked God to look upon His people when they were in captivity if they should repent and pray toward Jerusalem. All the years Daniel had been in Babylon he prayed three times a day, morning, noon and night, kneeling at his open window with his face turned toward Jerusalem.
 
Finally the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar became king. He knew that his grandfather had come to trust in the living God, but it made no difference to him. He kept on worshiping his idols.
 
About this time another nation was becoming very strong. Away over in Persia, far east of Babylon, a king by the name of Cyrus with his army was conquering every country just as Nebuchadnezzar had done years before. God was allowing this so that his purpose could be worked out for His people. Their armies had taken much of country of Babylon and marched against the city itself.
 
However, they could not conquer it because of its great strong walls. They were built three hundred feet high with one hundred gates scattered around the city. The soldiers could not break down these walls, and they could not climb over them. They pitched their tents outside the city walls and camped there. The young people and the king were not afraid. They thought that King Cyrus and his men would not get into the city, and they felt perfectly safe.
 
This young king did not come to Daniel for counsel and help as his grandfather had done. Instead he took some of the power away from him. But Daniel kept on praying and trusting God.

Stories of the Bible - Daniel and the King's Dream

God now had a man to stand for Him against the power of Satan in Babylon, Daniel. One night the king had a dream. He was very much troubled about it. In the morning he called for all the wise men of the kingdom to come before him. He said , "I have had a dream, and I want to know what it means."

The wise men answered, "O King live forever: Tell us your dream and we will tell you what it means." The king replied, "It is gone from me. I have forgotten it. You must tell me first what the dream was, and then what it means. If you can't do this, you will all be killed."   The wise men were very distressed. They knew that the king could cut off their heads in a moment if he wished to, and no one could stop him.

They trembled as they replied, "We can tell you the meaning of the dream, but no one can tell you what you dreamed except the gods." The king was very angry. He gave the order that all the wise men in Babylon be put to death.  

The soldiers went out to round up all the wise me in Babylon so that they might be killed. When Daniel learned about this, he came before the king and asked him to give them a little time and he would tell the king both the dream and the meaning of it.   Then Daniel went back to his three friends and they prayed together, asking God to show the dream. That night God showed Daniel what the dream was and what it meant. In the morning they had another prayer meeting and thanked God. Then Daniel went before the king.   King Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel, "Are you able to make known to me the dream and its meaning?" Daniel said,"There is a God in Heaven that reveals secrets. He has told me your dream." Then Daniel went on and told the king that in his dream he had seen a great image, very tall, with a head of gold, a chest of silver, a body of brass, and legs of iron.  

He had seen a great stone cut out without hands come down and strike the image and smash it. Then Daniel told the king what the dream meant. Each part of the image stood for a great Gentile nation that would be very strong and rule the world for a time. The head of gold stood for the king of Babylon himself and his kingdom. The stone which smashed the image stood for the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some day He will come and set up His kingdom, and it will fill the whole earth.   When the king heard this, he gave Daniel gifts and made him a ruler over the whole province. He said, "Your God is a great God who alone can reveal secrets." The king saw that Daniel's God was much greater than their god, Bel. Daniels' three friends were given important positions in the kingdom also. God had protected them from the king's anger.

Stories of the Bible - The Penalty

For Adam and Eve disobeyed God's word that had to be punished. God was the first to punish the snake, then Satan and then Adam and Eve. Genesis 3.14 to 19.

Snake verse 14: God said, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and every living being to crawl in the dust. There never be right again, but the will on the floor." A snake or serpent is now hated and feared more than any other animal. The Bible says (Isaiah 65:25), theis also the day when the Lord Jesus returns as King and everything nice again, the snake is still crawling in the dust on the floor.

Satan verse 15: And God said, Let there be enmity between thee and the woman. "This means war or conflict between Satan and those who trust in God and this is now. It means the conflict between him and the Lord Jesus

Eva verse 16, God told Eve that have a lot of pain and suffering. Youhe was obedient to her husband, and he would rule over them. She was to have a lot of suffering and want.

Adam verse 17-19: And God said, "Why do not obey me, the earth is cursed because of you around the plant protection products. Things you need to work very hard ot fruits grow .. And you know that you are suffering and need of. vegetables and thorns and brambles grow up, God said: "On the day that you eat from the tree will surely die." When Adam sinned he died inhis mind up. This is called spiritual death. And death began in his soul and his body work. Many years later, his dead body. If he did not live to disobey God, would be forever.

3:21-24 mercy of God of Genesis is shown: this God does not cease to love. He had to punish them and to keep his word, but he loved her. He showed his love in some simple details. He gave them coats of skin. Adam and Eve had tried to fig leaves Coats.But this would not last. God gave them coats made from animal skins. To do so, was the small animal its life. He had done nothing wrong, but he died to give them a blanket. This is a beautiful image of the Lord Jesus who gave His life that we in the presence of God for him.

He promised a Savior Genesis 3:15: This was the first promise of the coming of the Savior. He is called the "seed of the woman." That means that the child or the childthe woman. This means that the Savior would come as the son of a woman of the human family of Adam and Eve. It is not "seed of man," because the Lord Jesus is the son of a man. His father was and is God. "This promise is said that Satan would try to defeat Jesus. This is what is meant by" bruising his heel. "It seemed like a victory for Satan, when Jesus was nailed to the cross, but he got up and showed that the power of Satan was broken. He crushed the head of Satan. One day the Satancast into the lake of fire are eternal.

Protected them from Genesis 3:22-24: Then God sent Adam and Eve from the garden. He placed Cherubim (angels) to the garden. They had the flaming sword which turned every way, so that Adam and Eve could not return to the garden. God said, ".. Now that he knows good and evil, should not return to the garden and eat from the tree of life, if he does, he will live forever." God knew that Adam, if it is to livealways with a sinful heart, it would be a terrible thing.

Bible Stories - King Josiah Disobeys the Lord

God blessed Josiah because he was obedient to His Word. We read, "Like unto him was there no king before him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses; neither after him arose any like him," 2 Kings 23:25.

I wish we did not have to tell about the one thing in which Josiah disobeyed Him but we cannot leave out what God has put in His Word for our learning. There were two countries with great armies tin that day, Egypt and Assyria. They were enemies and often fought with each other.

The land of Israel was between them so that they sometimes marched through Israel going to and from their battles. One time the King of Egypt with his army started toward Assyria and came through the land of Israel. Josiah wanted to fight with the Egyptians, and he got his army ready to go out to meet them.

The Egyptian king sent a message to Josiah. He said, "I do not want to fight with you. My enemy is Assyria, and I am going to fight with them. God has commanded me to fight with them and to do it quickly. Do not meddle with what God is doing, or He will destroy you."

This was a message from God to Josiah, even though it came from a heathen king. God was using the Egyptian king to fulfill His purposes in destroying the Assyrians. But Josiah would not listen to this message. He wanted to fight the king of Egypt, and in this one thing he was not willing to listen to the voice of God.

He disguised himself as an ordinary soldier and went with his army into the battle. There he was wounded by one of the Egyptian archers. His servants drove him back to Jerusalem in a chariot. There he died.

All the people mourned for him. Jeremiah, the prophet, mourned because of his death. He was only thirty nine. If he had listened to the voice of God in this one thing, he might have lived to rule his people for many years. But the Bible says there was no king like him, because he believed God's Word and obeyed it in every other matter.

Stories of the Bible - the sin of Adam and Eve

In the brave new creation of God there was something wrong still a sad thing. Adam and Eve were perfectly happy and well. Every evening in the cool of the day came to God and to go and talk with them. Because he lived in their minds, he was very close to them and very real.

Adam and Eve lived in a beautiful garden that God had given them. In this garden were two special trees. One was called the tree of life, was right in the middle of the garden. Who eats thisTree would live forever. The other tree was the tree of knowledge of good and evil means. God told Adam not to eat of this tree. Adam knew only about the good, and God did not want him to know evil.

Adam heard the word of God and understand that Eve would certainly understand. God had allowed them to be tested to see if she would vote her own way street, be.

One day, when Adam was away from home, Eva had a visitor. If a visitor should beto see us today, we would be very shocked, but Adam and Eve knew nothing of fear, and even for animals. The snake who came to speak to Eva was the most subtle of all animals. This means that he was very intelligent, smart and intelligent. He did not want to do on the floor because all the snakes crawling now, but has been kept and beautifully colored.

But as the serpent came to Eve, there was another guest there, that Eva could not see. Satan, the enemy of God speaking through the snake. Satan has no bodyher, and wants to use his lips and bodies of living creatures to do his will. The serpent said to Eve: "God said you must not eat from every tree in the garden?"

Eva said: "God has said he can eat all the fruit trees in the garden, but the fruit of the right tree in the garden, God said," You shall not eat or touch or die the death. '"Satan said," You will not die. "The Lord Jesus said many years later, that Satan is a caveand the father of lies, John 8:44.

E 'was when Satan said to Eve: "God does not love or have everything you want He is not good to you .." Eve listened to Satan and began to believe lies and doubt the word of God Have you seen how good the fruit on the tree looked. He thought how nice it would be wise. Then he reached out his hand, took the fruit and ate it. This was the disobedience. It 'was the election of their own way rather than God's way

After Eve had eaten of the tree, tookmore from the tree and gave to Adam. He has even eaten. Why was the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened to see not only good but also bad. Adam disobeyed and he was a sinner. He had met only twice before. Now he knew evil.

Suddenly he was ashamed, because they were naked. They tried to get the clothes from fig leaves. Then they heard the voice of God calling to them as walking and talking with them came in the firstSera. Instead they run to meet, as they usually were afraid and went and hid among the trees.

God said, 'Adam, where are you? " Adam came and said to God. "I heard your voice and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself" God said to him: "Who told you that you were naked Have you eaten of the tree that I told you not to eat? " Because the heart of Adam's sin was now, rather than pure and good, he began to blame Eve. Since Eve is the fault of theSnake.

Bible stories - the preparation of Esther

King Xerxes was killed in the signing of a decree of Haman, orders for all Jews in his kingdom on a given day was done. When Mordecai heard of this decree, he tore his clothes, and how people should show their grief. Then he dressed in a sack of ashes on his head. Walked the streets screaming and wailing. Then he came and sat at the gate king, because nobody could get inside the gate dressed in sackcloth.

Queen Esther heard of this. YouMordicai sent with other clothes, but he would not wear. Then he sent someone to find out what was wrong. Mordechai said the servant to tell Esther about the plot to kill Jews. He said that Haman was behind. Then she sent a copy of the decree and said it should go to the king and claim the lives of their people.

The servant spoke to Queen Esther, Mordechai and soon came his reply. She said: "You know the law,Who is before the king, without feeling takes his life in their hands. If the king extends his golden scepter to him and its execution. I have not been called before the king for thirty days. It could mean my death. "

Mordecai then sent another message to her: "You belong to the Jewish people. If we shall die, you will die with us. If you do not do something, then we shall be saved by another way. But who knows if you do notQueen had been made at this time, allowing you to save our people. Esther sent another response: "Get all Jews together, and fast and pray for me for three days. My girlfriend and I do the same. Then go to the king, not the law, and if I die, I die. "

When Mordecai received this message, he rose and went, as Esther asked him to do. For three days Esther and the maids, who waited for their time spent in prayer. Eat at all, butgave himself to prayer for the people, by Esther throughout the country and for them, as planned to go before the king.

Mordechai through the town of Susa, his friends among the Jewish people and asked them to do the same. word spread through the city. For three, it says do not eat, but spent their time in prayer, asking God to save them, and Queen Esther preparation, making them the king's favor, when they went to face him.

The JewishPeople knew he could do a God of miracles. He knew, as he did for Daniel in the lion's den, and worked for three brave young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace. They believed that God would take care of them. But their hearts were sad when they have work to do in those three days left. If God to work for them? If he would rescue them from their enemies, as he had done many times in the past?

Stories of the Bible - King Josiah obeyed the Lord

God bless Josiah, because he was obedient to his word. We read: "How was king before him, turned to the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses, and after him were all like him," 2 Re 23: 25

I wish we did not say a thing, in which Josiah disobey Him but we can not omit, and share what God in His Word for our learning. There were two countries with large armies that tinDay, Egypt and Assyria. They were enemies and fought often with each other.

The Land of Israel was among them, so sometimes they marched for Israel and its struggles. Once started, the king of Egypt with his army against Assyria and came across the land of Israel. Josiah wanted to fight with the Egyptians, and got his army ready to meet them.

The Egyptian king sent a message of Josiah. He said: "I do not want to discuss with you my enemy.Assyria, and I will fight with them. God has commanded me to fight with them and quickly. Do not interfere with what God is doing, or I'll destroy it. "

This was a message from God to Josiah, even if it was a pagan king. God was with the Egyptian king to destroy its targets to meet the Assyrians. But Josiah would not listen to that message. He wanted to fight the king of Egypt, and hear in this one thing that was not ready to voteGod

It is disguised as a soldier and left with his army in battle. There was injured by one of the Egyptian archers. His servants brought him back to Jerusalem in a car. He died there.

All the mourners. Jeremiah, the prophet wept over his death. He was only thirty-nine. When he heard the voice of God in this thing, he could live to rule his people for many years. But the Bible says that there was no king like him,because he believed the word of God and keep it in any other way.