The Bible Story, Volume 5: Great Men of God 0828007993, 9780828007993
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^' VOLUME
By
ARTHUR
FIVE
MAXWELL
$.
\.
i^,
.-?»"
I
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2009
http://www.archive.org/details/biblestory05maxw
THE BIBLE STORY VOLUME
Great {From
Men
V
of God
Elijah to the Fall of Jerusalem)
SWWpUlfo*..
'^ip
Great Men of God/Volume 5 ArthurS-Maxwell Published jointly by
PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Mountain View,
Calif..
Omaha, Nebr., Oshawa. Ont.
REVIEW AND HERALD PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Washington,
DC.
SOUTHERN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Nashville. Tennessee
^:^^
.tm..
,,»?,.
V4
I 1 rlliJ
DwL/K.
IS
COPYRIGHTED,
1955,
by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. All
No part of its literary or pictorial contents may be reproduced without permission from the publishers. tights are reserved.
Illustrations without credit lines are by Fred Collins, Kreigh Collins, Clem Gretter, Russell Harlan, Iris Johnson, Manning de V. Lee, Paul Remmey, or Herbert Rudeen. OFFSET IN U.S.A.
IS-
CONTENTS Part I
—
Stories of Elijah
Kings
1
17:1-2
page
Kings 2:15
Name
1.
Boy With
2.
God's Messenger
3.
Fed by Ravens The Never-Empty Barrel Fire From Heaven A Cloud Like a Man's, Hand
4. 5.
6.
Wonderful
The The
9.
Elijah's
Small Voice
Still
9 12
,
8.
7.
a
Stolen Vineyard
Prophecy Comes True
16 21
26 35 38 44
48
10.
Fate of the Three Captains
51
11.
Heaven's Fiery Chariot
55
—
Part II
2
Stories of Elisha
Kings 2:16-13:20
Bad Boys and the Bears Red Ditches
63
2.
Valley of
66
3.
Mother's Mysterious Oil Pots
69
4.
Kindness Repaid
5.
Faithful Little
6.
Greedy Gehazi
7.
Elisha's Secret
8.
Four Surprised Lepers
93
9.
Making
Iron Float
98
Arrows
of Deliverance
1.
10.
^
PAINTING BY RUSSELL HARLAN
Under
©
74
Maid
86
Army
1955, BY REVIEW
AND HERALD
synagogue schools boys and girls of the Jewish nation received moral instruction and training in useful arts that would make them leaders of their people. -wise teachers in the
79 89
102
THE BIBLE STORY
—
Part III
Stories of Conflict
and Blessing
2 Kings 13:21-16:20; 2 Chronicles 17:1-31:21
107
4.
The Choir That Won a Battle Baby Hid in the Temple Boy With a Money Box The King Who Became a Leper
5.
Captives Set Free
123
6.
Two
7.
Great Joy in Jerusalem
133
8.
Heaps and Heaps
137
1.
2. 3.
Part
page
IV
—
111
115 119
Wonderful Weeks
Stories of
127
of Blessings
Kings and Prophets
2 Kings 17:1-25:30; 2 Chronicles 32:1-36:21; Isaiah; Jeremiah;
Lamentations 1.
Why
4.
Youth With a Vision Angel to the Rescue The Sun Turns Back
5.
Visitors
6.
8.
The Bad Boy King The Good Boy King The Call of Jeremiah
9.
Judah's Last Chance
2. 3.
7.
143
Israel Fell
From Babylon
From
Dungeon
10.
Escape
11.
Jerusalem Captured
a
147 -
154 160 163 167
-- 170 177 180 184
190
I
PART
I
Stories of Elijah (1
Kings 17:1-2 Kings 2:15)
:
>
in
a]
PART ONE
STORY
1
Boy With
NOT
Wonderful
a
long after King Solomon died, a
born in the land of Gilead,
The
Bible does not
which means
What
No birth,
"My God
a wonderful
doubt
that
us anything about his
little
son Elijah,
Jehovah."
name
for a boy!
him he would grow up
his parents
and prayed
boy was
east of the river Jordan.
called their precious is
little
But they must have been very
parents, not even their names.
good people, because they
tell
Name
dedicated
to
God from
his
and
to be a brave
noble champion of truth and right.
From
time to time, in their
little
home
far
from
Jeru-
salem, they heard about the dreadful things going on in the
holy city
—how
the idols that Solomon's wives had
were now being worshiped
up
their
true
to
minds
all
that whatever
Jehovah, the
God
of
David.
-^
PAINTING BV RL'SSELL HARLAN
©
1955, BY REVIEW
In the midst of the idolatry
!
AND HERALD
and wickedness
the parents of Elijah taught him to worship the true God, and God called him to be one of the great prophets to His people.
lof Israel
over the place
set
up
—and they made
happened they would remain
Abraham,
Isaac,
Jacob
—and
THE BIBLE STORY By and by news reached them that Jeroboam, the new king of Israel, had even made golden calves and told the people that these were the gods that brought them out of Egypt!
Thus
Elijah
between the
sides
As he
grew up
God
at a
when
time
of heaven
and the gods of the heathen.
say,
"We
like
Ashtoreth better; you should
worship Baal; he's the best god"; and others,
and
front of that idol";
say,
still
"We
exciting
Nothing could move him from
how much
the other boys
answer them
with the worship of
How
idols, the
How
burned
was
It
Jehovah."
is
stand.
then
No
matter
him, he would
was done
sure he
in connection
was
that he
was
could the people be so blind, so stupid, he won-
God was
pleased with
could they believe that
was done
as sacrifices, as all
more
And
Jehovah."
is
of the evil that
dered, as to think that ness.''
this
in
Moloch's
to
there."
girls jeered at
"My God
fearlessly,
The more he saw
and
go
my God
very bravely, "But
"We
what goes on
see
just
others,
much more
things are
would
Elijah
right.
some of them would
talked with other boys he knew,
temple;
people were taking
wrong,
so
to give himself, his
so very life,
wicked-
all this
He wanted
little
children
in the temple of Moloch.''
wrong, that
it
made him
resolve
his all, to teaching the people about
the true God.
Talking with other boys and ple in village
he would
tell
"My God
is
10
market
girls,
places, or alone
himself again and again,
Jehovah."
mixing with the peoon the mountainside,
"My God
is
Jehovah,"
BOY WITH A WONDERFUL NAME name became part of himself. And people came to know him as the strange lad who hated idols and worshiped the God of heaven. They said he was old-fashioned and out of date. They told him he wouldn't get anywhere in life So
if
his
he held on to such foolish notions. But God's eye was upon
him. Here was a boy
He
could use. Here was the champion
He was looking for! And what a destiny was
his!
Today, nearly three thousand years
Lord
still
in
the behalf of
Everywhere His
perfect toward him."
gerly for those precious
words of
hovah!" Blessed are the boys and love-filled hearts.
will
the eyes of the
run "to and fro throughout the whole earth,
shew himself strong
God
later,
do
What
a destiny
for them, here
—
You too can be a boy or a Just make the same decision as Jehovah," just now and mean
—
girls
is
"My God
who
before
is
Je-
utter
them from
them !
How much
hereafter!
girl
—with
a
wonderful name.
did Elijah. Say, it.
heart
ears are listening ea-
loyalty,
lies
and
them whose
to
"My God
is
PART ONE
STORY
2
God's Messenger
FAR
from the
cities
of Judah
and
out in the
Israel,
rugged, unsettled region of Gilead, Elijah grew to
manhood. Like John the place years afterward, he
was
scarce.
Baptist,
knew nothing
who Hved
of
life's
in the
same
comforts.
Food
Clothes were hard to get. His only luxury was talk-
ing with God.
Many
do something about
all
the wickedness in
he must have looked up into the
O
Lord,
how
Then
why God did not the land. Many times
times he must have wondered
skies
and
cried,
"How
long,
long.''"
at last
time has come.
God
He
spoke
—
as
told Elijah to
He go
when His Ahab, now king of
always does to
him that because of his sins a great drought would come upon the country; that there would be neither dew nor rain for years. Israel,
It
and
tell
was not
lessly Elijah set
12
a pleasant message to take to a king, but fear-
out to deliver
it.
Without
a thought of danger
GOD'S MESSENGER made his way over the mountain trails to Sawhere Ahab had set up his new capital and built a
to himself,
maria,
he
temple to Baal. Arriving in the
city,
on the
that led to the palace gate,
he walked up the busy main hill.
Passing the guards at the
he entered the hall where the king was
throne, with
many
street
on
sitting
his
around him.
courtiers
who had suddenly appeared in their midst. Who was this man dressed in What a rough garment of haircloth and a girdle of leather Quickly
all
eyes turned to the stranger
.^^
was he doing
in the king's court
Soon the prophet's
.f*
voice, strong
and powerful, rang upon
the ears of the assembly.
"As the Lord God there shall not be
my
of Israel liveth, before
dew nor
I
stand,
rain these years, but according to
word."
What happened have been quite a "Is the
man
next
is
mad.^*"
are not told.
But there must
Ahab may well have said. "Does he dew and the rain? Does he think his
stronger than Baal.''"
jeering at Elijah as he
peared.
we
stir.
think he can control the
god
whom
made
At his
this
way
the courtiers laughed, to the
door and disap-
THE BIBLE STORY But Elijah's warning was no laughing matter. The dry weather began,
he said
just as
would.
it
Day
after
day the
down upon the parched land out of a cloudless sky. There was no dew by night, nor rain by day. Soon the whole sun beat
Not a green blade of grass was to be seen anywhere. Cattle roamed far and wide looking for something to eat. Streams ran dry. The water level in wells dropped alarmingly as autumn failed to bring the rainy countryside took on a deep-brown hue.
season.
The
land was almost too hard to plow. Farmers sowed
seed they had saved
but
it
from the grain crop of the year
hardly began to grow before
Winter came and passed, and ple
watched the clouds
moisture.
Now
The
in vain.
shriveled up.
it
still
They
before,
there
was no
rain.
passed over and
Peo-
left
no
usual spring harvest failed to appear.
cattle
began
to die
by hundreds.
The
bodies of
bony
cows, sheep, and goats lay unburied for the crows and buzzards to eat.
Everybody was worried now, from the king to the
humblest shepherd on the
hills.
All
knew
in his palace
that they
were
God
they
facing starvation and ruin. But instead of praying to
turned to Baal, Ashtoreth, and Moloch. "Send us rain!" they cried to their idols, but
Another
blazing
no rain came.
summer
autumn, another winter of
^y^sj^"^
passed,
another
scorching
rainless clouds passing overhead.
GOD'S MESSENGER Would
there never be an
end
to this dreadful
drought?
people wondered. Must Palestine turn into a desert?
Many come
times
to see
him
King Ahab thought about in his palace
the
man who had
—the man who had
claimed to
be a prophet of Jehovah and said there would be no rain unless he said
Perhaps he did
so.
the weather. Perhaps he
was
know how
able to keep rain
from
Where was he? He must be found He must be made to break the spell he had put on
the earth.
So a price was put on that he
was
Elijah's head.
brought to Samaria
to be
or
to control
falling all
on
costs.
the country.
Orders went out
at once.
hnd him. He had disappeared. Growing more and more desperate,
at
dew
But nobody
could
the king sent mes-
sengers to Egypt, to Syria, to Mesopotamia, seeking Elijah.
There was,
in fact,
"no nation or kingdom" where they did
not go in search of him.
As the messengers returned they all told the same story. They had failed in their mission. There was no trace of Elijah anywhere. Nobody had seen him or heard of him. "Where can the man be?" fumed Ahab. "He must be somewhere. Find him!" But they couldn't hnd him. Yet he wasn't far away. Not very
where he was
all
the time.
far.
And God knew
PART ONE
STORY
3
Fed by Ravens
WHEN
Elijah
left
Ahab's palace,
God
said to
him,
"Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan.
And
it
shall be, that
thou shalt drink of the brook; and
I
have
commanded the ravens to feed thee there." He knew the brook Cherith very well. No doubt as a boy he had played on its banks. As for the ravens, he remembered them too, and where they nested. It
was
a long, tiresome journey,
back across the Jordan
and up one of the wild canyons over the mountains beyond, at the bottom of which ran the tiny stream.
Coming stopped to It
was
Not
at
rest,
last
to a cave, or
certain that
Ahab
an overhanging rock, he
could never find
here.
a sound broke the silence save the distant cawing
and the tinkling of the stream rocks and pebbles toward the Jordan. of the ravens
16
him
a lonesome, desolate spot.
as
it
cascaded over
•w^-.
There was no or
girl.
He was
trace of
man
or
woman, boy
alone, utterly alone, with
V
God.
Growing hungry, he wondered where he could
tind food.
But there was no food anywhere, and he dared not betray his
by.
hiding place by going in search of some.
Evening came. Then,
must go
to sleep
just
when
without a bite to
it
seemed
eat, a
and dropped something. Ehjah picked
The hours
it
as
slipped
though he
raven flew overhead
up.
It
was food.
How
thankful he was
Strange that a raven should act like just
an accident. But no;
\
it
this!
Perhaps
it
was
could not be, for here came another.
V
THE BIBLE STORY and another, each dropping some choice morsel it
would
As
itself
normally,
that,
have eaten.
up and saw the food
Elijah looked
falling as
from heaven, he remembered God's promise
to
it
were
command
the
ravens to feed him. His heart overflowed with thankfulness.
"My God
is
may
Jehovah," he
well have said. "Wonderful,
wonderful God!" In the morning the same thing happened. As the sun rose above the
canyon walls the ravens came flying in low
again, dropping their
man who
offerings of food to this
little
was a friend of God.
"And
the ravens brought
morning, and bread and
him bread and
flesh in the
flesh
in
the
evening; and he drank
of the brook."
Day
after
day
this
wonderful thing happened, and Elijah
marveled more and more after
him
at the
goodness of
God
in looking
so faithfully.
Much
of the time he spent
the cool water helped
him
down by
the brook,
where
bear the terrible heat. Gradually
he noticed the stream getting smaller and smaller, shallower
and shallower. Some nights he could any more. this
He knew
scarcely hear
its
then that he would soon have to leave
hiding place and find another. But where could he go?
Where would he no need
be safe from the anger of Ahab.? But he had
to worry.
God was
thinking of
him and planning
for him.
Finally,
when
disappeared and the
18
n^
tinkle
the
last
little
last little
trickle of
water had
pool in the bed of the
FED BY RAVENS brook had dried up,
which belongeth
commanded Elijah
God
understood
at
north of Samaria to a
up
Day steep
after
How
Weary,
Now
trails.
How
have
near the coast.
city
—
set
for he
and gathering
knew he would
find
out for Zarephath.
day he trudged on, over rocky
mountain
hungry!
—he
I
sending him far
the ravens farewell,
his friends
his journey
there: behold,
God was
once.
little
to Zarephath,
there to sustain thee."
their last little gifts of love
no food on
"Get thee
and dwell
to Zidon,
widow woman
a
Bidding
said to him,
tired
hillsides
he must have been!
and
How
very, very thirsty!
hot,
and
dusty, he
drew near
he could see the outline of the
he would have to enter.
How
at last to
city wall;
Zarephath.
now
the gate
glad he was that his long,
tire-
some journey was almost over! But how would he find the
woman who was to care for him.? God had not told him her name,
or where she lived.
Was
knew about her was that she was a widow and there must be many widows in Zarephath. How would he know the right one.f* With Ahab's soldiers looking for him everywhere, he must not make a she rich or poor, old or young.'' All he
—
mistake.
PART ONE
STORY
4
The Never-Empty
A
S
/A JL
Barrel
ELIJAH was wondering what to do next, woman gathering sticks not far from the
A^
"Water
!
" he called to her. "Fetch
a Uttle water in a vessel, that
Looking up, the and hurried
woman
may
felt
I
city gate.
pray thee,
drink."
sorry for the poor stranger,
some water
off to get
him
she heard
I
me,
he saw a
for him.
As
she did so
calling to her again.
me something to eat, too," he said. The woman stopped, and a great sadness came over her. "As the Lord thy God liveth," she said, "I have not a "Bring
an handful of meal
cake, but
a cruse: and, behold,
go
and
in
and
dress
it
I
for
in a barrel,
and a
little
am gathering two sticks, that me and my son, that we may
oil I
in
may
eat
it,
die."
Elijah could see she
was sorry
for her.
whom God
He
felt
was sure
had commanded
telling
now
him
that this
to sustain
the truth,
and he
must be the widow
him, a
widow
so poor
21
^~
PAINTING BY RUSSELL HARLAN
©
1955. BY REVIEW
AND HERALD
During the time of terrible famine in Israel a poor widow shared her last loaf of bread with the prophet Elijah and God honored her faith by keeping her jars full of oil and meal.
THE BIBLE STORY she had nothing in the world except a handful of meal and a
little
bound
In such case he
oil.
to
knew something wonderful was
happen, and soon.
"Fear not," he said kindly to the poor widow; "go and
do
make me thereof unto me, and after make for
as thou hast said: but
and bring
it
For thus
son.
meal
Lord God of
saith the
a
cake
little
and
thee
Israel,
The
first,
for thy
barrel of
shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until
the day that the
may have sounded
It
a cake
Lord sendeth
first,"
but
so great that to
it
upon the
rain
him
selfish for
earth."
"Make me
to say,
God was
really wasn't, for Elijah's faith in
him
the barrel of meal
the cruse of oil overflowing.
He was
was already
and
full
absolutely sure that
the
if
poor widow trusted God's promise enough to make him a little
cake
then
first,
many wonderful The widow
God would
never cease to bless her in
ways.
decided to trust God. She took
Him
word. Going to her house, she looked in the meal as she
had
bottom of
told Elijah, there it.
She scraped
to the oil jug.
Tipping
it
was only a handful
out into a
little pile.
His
barrel. Just
of meal at the
Then
up, she drained out the
it
at
she last
went drop,
or so she thought.
After mixing the to light the I
fire.
oil
and meal
Just then,
into a paste, she prepared
maybe, her son came running
can hear him saying, "Is that cake for me.
"No,
darling,
it's
for the
see us."
"But I'm hungry."
22
man
of
in.
Mamma.?"
God who
has
come
to
THE NEVER-EMPTY BARREL "I
know,
he has promised
dear, but
me
that
God
won't
us starve."
let
The
fire
bricks. It
blazed up.
began
to
The
little
cake was put on the hot
brown, and soon
filled
the lowly kitchen
with a sweet aroma.
"Mamma,
Suddenly there was an excited cry from the boy. I
thought you said there was no more meal in the barrel; but
there is!"
"No, just
darling, there can't be.
I
scraped the
last
of
it
out
now." "But there
is,
there
is!
See,
Mamma!
It's
new
nice,
meal,
too!"
The poor widow looked believe her eyes.
been for it
many
There was meal
days.
She turned
up. Oil flowed out.
heart.
She looked over
^^ '^^
^
in the barrel
It
there!
and could hardly
More than
to the cruse of oil
was too wonderful! Joy
at Elijah, sitting there
had
there
and tipped filled
her
waiting for his
fA.isL
THE BIBLE STORY There was
cake.
little
on
his tired face, a
God had honored
his faith so soon.
a beautiful smile
smile of sheer delight that
Not only Elijah ate that night, but the widow and her son. They had not enjoyed so good a meal in many days. And because the widow did "according to the saying of Elijah," it turned out that "she, and he, and her house, did eat
many
And
days.
the cruse of
oil fail,
the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did
according to the word of the Lord, which
he spake by Elijah."
What meal
wonderful time the angels must have had putting
a
in that barrel
and
filling
up
How
that cruse of oil!
happy they must have been watching the
surprise
on the
widow's face when she discovered what had happened! But
this
was not the only
blessing
God
sent to
reward
her for her kindness to His servant.
One day
her son became very
ill.
Lovingly she tended
him, but he became worse and worse. Feeling sure he was dying, she took
him
in her arms,
and there he breathed
his
last breath.
"Elijah! Elijah!" she cried.
from the
loft,
where he was
The man
living.
He
of
saw
God came down
at
once what had
happened.
"Give
me
thy son," he said to the widow, taking the
limp body from the sobbing mother.
Then he climbed up into the loft again and laid the boy on his bed. "And he stretched himself upon the child three times, I
and
pray thee,
24
cried unto the Lord, let this child's
and
said,
soul [breath]
O
come
Lord into
my
him
God, again.
"And
the
Lord heard the
[breath] of the child
Dumb as
v^'ith grief,
he clambered
and the
soul
him again, and he revived." poor widow scarcely noticed Elijah
came the
voice of EUjah;
into
down from
the loft again with the boy in
his arms.
Then he was
she heard the prophet speak to her.
What was
that
saying.^
"See, thy son liveth."
"What.? Impossible!"
She rushed across the room. It
Oh,
was
joy!
true, true
!
He was
alive
He was
breathing again
Tears of happiness and gratitude streamed
her cheeks as she cried, "By this of
!
I
know
that thou art
God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth
is
down a man truth."
25
PART ONE
STORY Fire
5
From Heaven
had THREEand announced
passed since Elijah stood in Ahab's
years
court
the
coming
of the great drought.
Part of this time he had spent by the brook Cherith, part with the
Many
widow
of Zarephath.
times during these lonely days he must have won-
dered what
God was
planning to do next for His people.
they learned their lesson their
idols.?
Someday
yet.?
Were
the drought
Had
they ready to turn from
must end, but how and
when.?
At last the word of the Lord came shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send
to
rain
Elijah set out at once for Samaria, a
miles or so to the south of Zarephath.
On
Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, for pasture for the horses
26
upon
the earth."
hundred and
the
way he ran
who was
that were
still
fifty
into
searching
alive.
This
man was one of the few leaders who remained loyal to God of heaven. He had shown his loyalty by hiding a hun-
good the
and mules
him, saying, "Go,
FROM HEAVEN
FIRE
when
dred of God's prophets in a cave kill
tried to
them. Recognizing Elijah, he dropped to his knees and
"Art thou that
cried,
"I is
had
Jezebel
am," replied
my
lord Elijah?"
Elijah.
"Go,
tell
thy lord. Behold, Elijah
here." "I can't," said Obadiah.
He was
had been searching everywhere
many
false reports as to
make
served but to said
Obadiah,
for Elijah.
where he had been
the king
"if I tell
the
Lord
Ahab you
kill
servant
had
Ahab went
said he
would
and
these
had
at
and he
finds you
me."
whom
shew myself unto him
Obadiah believed him, and rode hearing the news,
said,
There had been
seen,
are here,
of hosts liveth, before
Elijah, "I will surely
Ahab, he
more and more angry. "Now,"
have disappeared again, he will
"As
afraid.
I
stand," said
to day."
off to find the king.
On
once to the place where his
find Elijah.
The prophet was
still
there.
"Art thou he that troubleth as
he drew up his horse
Israel.?"
close to Elijah.
he demanded angrily
THE BIBLE STORY "I have not troubled Israel," replied Elijah without flinch-
and thy
ing; "but thou,
saken the
commandments
have
father's house, in that ye
of the Lord,
for-
and thou hast followed
Baalim."
Something he
made
said, If
in the tone of the prophet's voice, or in
a deep impression
on the king.
He was
speechless.
he talked about the terrible drought, or the need of
the Bible does not say. But Elijah certainly told
rain,
what
what he must do
if
he wanted to
know
the blessing of
him
God
again.
"Now
therefore send,
Mount Carmel, and
to
me
all
Israel
unto
the prophets of Baal four hundred and of the groves four hundred,
and the prophets
fifty,
and gather
which
eat
at Jezebel's table."
No ing
—
doubt Elijah explained
so that the people
idols
had been
The king
he wanted such a meet-
might decide once and
they were going to serve the
whose
why
set
up
God all
for all
whether
of heaven or the false gods,
over the land.
agreed to the plan, perhaps as the only hope
of getting rain
and breaking the dreadful drought.
When
he
returned to his palace he sent out messengers calling the people
Mount Carmel. Soon thousands of men, women, and children were streamtoward the place of meeting. None were quite sure why
to assemble at
ing
they were going there, only that the king had told
There was
a
rumor
nobody believed
it.
that Elijah
was going
Similar tales had
them
to.
to be there, but
been told about the
prophet for the past three years, and he had never shown up.
FROM HEAVEN
FIRE
Hadn't the king himself been looking Pushing and
jostling
him
Mount Carmel
were covered. All night long they stayed
for the
time?
all this
one another, the people trudged and
stumbled up toward the top of slopes
for
until all the
there, waiting
dawn.
Early in the morning somebody cried, "There he
can see him! Elijah Instantly the
Men and women
is
is!
I
here!"
word swept through
the waiting throng.
strained their necks to see the
dared to defy the king, while boys and
girls
man who had
shoved their way
to the front to get a better view.
"Hush!" is
cried someone.
"Hush! He's speaking.
Elijah
speaking." Silence
of the in
fell
upon
the milling crowd.
Then from
the top
mountain came that deep, powerful voice once heard
Ahab's court.
"How
long halt ye between two opinions.'^" cried the
prophet. "If the Lord be God, follow him: but
if
Baal, then
follow him."
Nobody
spoke.
"The people answered him not
Elijah continued, "I, even the
Lord
;
I
only,
a
word."
remain a prophet of
but Baal's prophets are four hundred and
fifty
men.
THE BIBLE STORY Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and
one bullock for themselves, and cut
wood, and put no
and
lock,
lay
on the name
of your gods,
God
and
I
I
were
From now on
them choose and
lay
on
it
will dress the other bulfire
will call
that answereth
said; that's fair
to learn that they
gods.
under: and
on wood, and put no
it
Lord: and the
"Well
fire
it
let
in pieces,
by
under: and
call
ye
on the name of the
fire, let
him be God."
enough," cried the people, thrilled
to see such a test of the
powers of
rival
they watched and listened with tenfold
interest.
Turning
to the prophets of Baal,
Elijah said to them,
"Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress for ye are
no
fire
call
first;
on the name of your gods, but put
under."
Glad god on
many; and
it
for the chance to prove that Baal
was the
earth, his prophets seized their bullock, cut
it
greatest
up,
and
placed the pieces in order on the altar they had built.
Then
they began to implore their god to send
fire to
burn
the sacrifice.
"O
Baal, hear us!" they cried.
But "there was no
voice,
nor any that answered."
"^Nk
§
FROM HEAVEN
FIRE
They ing,
"O
up and down around the
started to leap
Baal, hear us!" but
still
no
fire
altar, cry-
came.
All morning long they kept up the wild dancing and shouting.
At noon "Elijah mocked them, and
for he
a god; either
is
is
he
is
talking, or he
is
said.
Cry aloud:
pursuing, or he
in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth,
and must be
awaked."
At
this they cried
with knives It
"till
still
louder and began to cut themselves
the blood gushed out
Midday
did no good.
passed.
upon them."
Afternoon came. The
sun began to sink toward the gray-green
"there was
sea. Still
neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded."
who were
Presently Elijah spoke again to the people, tired
and disappointed
"Come
in the failure of the prophets of Baal.
near unto me," he cried, and the crowd surged
forward.
Then
they watched
him
repair the altar of the
Lord
that
used to stand upon this mountaintop but had been forgotten
and had broken down. Taking twelve
stones,
one for each
of the twelve tribes of Israel, he rebuilt the altar, then a trench
around
it.
Next he "put the wood pieces,
and
Then,
laid
dug
him on
in order,
in
the wood."
to everybody's surprise,
with water, and pour
and cut the bullock
it
he
said, "Fill
on the burnt
sacrifice,
four barrels
and on the
wood."
The water was brought springs
had
all
dried
up
—maybe
from the
—and poured upon the
sea,
for the
altar.
31
Some on
it?"
said,
But
"Do "Do
if
"Does he expect
it
to burn,
Elijah heard, he took
no
with
all
that water
notice.
it
the second time," he said,
and they
it
the third time," he said,
and the
did. sacrifice
soaked again until water poured into the trench and it.
Now
nobody could say he
Suddenly a hush
fell
raised his voice in prayer.
set fire to
was filled
the sacrifice himself.
over the great assembly as Elijah
Everybody
listened,
even the prophets
who had "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel," he cried aloud, "let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, of Baal,
ceased their shouting.
THE BIBLE STORY and at
that
I
am
thy servant, and that
Hear me,
thy word.
may know
O
I
have done
all
these things
Lord, hear me, that
that thou art the
Lord God, and
this
people
that thou hast
turned their heart back again." Scarcely of flame
had he
from the
sumed the burnt the dust, It
finished praying
when
skies as "the fire of the sacrifice,
and
the
and licked up the water
there
Lord
was
the people
fell
on
their
a flash
and con-
stones,
and
in the trench."
was a marvelous, never-to-be-forgotten
Terrified,
fell,
wood, and the that
was
faces,
sight.
crying,
"The
God; the Lord, he is the God!" They saw what a mistake they had made in worshiping the worthless idols of Baal. From now on they would serve Jehovah, the God of Elijah. With their own eyes they had
Lord, he
is
the
seen His power. Never again
would they
forget
Him.
I»ART
STORY
A
SEEING
6
Cloud Like
on
the people
ONE
a
Man's Hand
before God, EUjah
their knees
gave orders that the prophets of Baal,
who had
led
them
much wickedness, should be seized and put to Nobody lifted a hand to save them. Quickly he led them
into so
death.
down to the brook Kishon and killed them all. Then he turned to King Ahab, who had watched
every-
thing that had happened that day, and said, "Get thee up, eat
and drink;
Ahab was up
to the
upon
for there
is
a
sound of abundance of rain."
glad for the chance to
summit
the earth,
of
eat,
Garmel again and
and put
his face
between
but Elijah climbed "cast himself
down
his knees."
There was nobody on the mountaintop now except the prophet and his servant. stillness
and
gone, leaving a great
loneliness.
Bowing low for this
The crowds had
before
day of victory
the flash of fire
—
God, Elijah poured forth for the swift
from heaven,
answer
his
thanks
to his prayer, for
for the defeat of the prophets
35
of Baal, and, most of
for the turning of the hearts of the
all,
people back to God.
What
a
wonderful day
it
had been,
like to that
when
Red Sea opened, or when the Jordan dried up before Israel Not for many, many years had God revealed His power so the
gloriously.
But now, thought Elijah,
The
it
people were sorry for their
was time sins.
Baal and had helped to get rid of
God
could bless them again,
if
He
for the rain to come.
They had turned
all his false
against
Now
prophets.
would.
"O God!" cried Elijah, "send the rain." He knew it would come. He was as sure of the rain as had been of the fire. Had he not already told Ahab that
he
he had heard the sound of
it.?
Yet he prayed.
Raising his head, he said to his servant,
"Go up now,
look toward the sea."
The is
servant obeyed, but soon returned, saying, "There
nothing."
Again Elijah bowed that the rain
in prayer, asking even
might come. Then he
time to look over the
sea.
When 36
earnestly
sent his servant a second
But the sky was
Six times this happened, and yet there his prayer
more
still
cloudless.
was no sign
that
had been heard. the servant
went the seventh time
to look,
he
re-
A CLOUD LIKE A MAN'S
HAND
turned excitedly, saying, "Behold, there ariseth a
little
cloud
out of the sea, like a man's hand."
That was enough
—only the heaven— he was
Small as the cloud was great vault of
He
for Elijah.
needed no other token.
size of a
sure
it
man's hand in the
was God's answer.
He
Ahab and
say
could almost feel the rain already.
"Hurry!" he to
said to his servant.
"Go
to
him, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain
stop thee not."
As
down
Elijah followed his servant
grew
the tiny cloud
swiftly larger
and
the mountainside
larger,
till
was black with clouds and wind, and there was
The storm and
the darkness caught
fled in his chariot for shelter.
skin, the
The
"the heaven
a great rain."
up with Ahab
deluge soaked
him
as he
to the
wild wind tore at his clothing, the crashing thunder
frightened his horses as they dashed
onward through
the night.
Suddenly, as a flash of lightning threw a bright, swift glare across the storm-swept countryside, the worried king
saw
a figure
Another
was
still
horses.
running ahead of flash.
Now Ahab
effort,
"And
the
figure.
and
it
be.''
The man
as fast as the
The man of the and the rain! The man
man
of the fire
the dark!
hand of the Lord was on
Ahab
could
recognized him. Elijah!
God! Guiding him home through
ran before
Who
Again he glimpsed the
running, seemingly without
mountaintop! The of
his chariot.
Elijah;
to the entrance of Jezreel."
and he
.
.
.
PART ONE
STORY The
7
Still
Small Voice
ELIJAH must have been very ment all
being so
of that great day
that
tired,
way
tired after all the excite-
on Carmel,
to Jezreel in front of
besides
running
And
Ahab's chariot.
he wasn't ready for the shock that came to
him
next day.
He was still resting when a messenger arrived from Queen Jezebel, who had just heard from Ahab what had happened to the prophets of Baal.
she
had not seen the
She had not been on Mount Carmel;
fire fall
from heaven;
believe that the breaking of the
so she refused to
drought had anything to do
with Elijah or his God. Furious that her prophets had been killed, she sent this
more to
also, if I
make
morrow about Sudden
message: "So not thy
life
let
the gods do to me,
as the life
of one of
them by
this time."
fear seized
have cared for him
Elijah.
Forgetting that
just as well in Jezreel as
He
God
could
had by the
brook Cherith, or on the top of Mount Carmel, "he
38
and
arose,
and
went
for his
life,
and came
which belongeth
to Beer-sheba,
to
Judah."
Two
hundred miles he
fled
from
this
angry woman. In-
deed, not until he had crossed the boundary between Israel
and Judah did he begin
to feel safe again.
Then, leaving
servant in Beersheba, he
went on alone "a
day's journey into
the wilderness,
By so
this
and came and
sat
down under
a juniper tree."
time he was completely worn out. His
low that he even prayed that he might
his
die.
spirits
were
Then he
fell
asleep.
"And
as
he lay and
said unto him. Arise
God had
slept
and
... an angel touched him, and
eat."
not forgotten His weary servant, though he
had run away from danger.
Waking, Ehjah looked around him and saw "a cake baken on the
coals,
and
and drink, and
How
a cruse of water at his head. laid
long he
for hours, so tired
him down
slept
was
Then
he did eat
again."
nobody knows. he.
And
It
may
well have been
"the angel of the Lord came
39
THE
SMALL VOICE
STILL
again the second time, and touched him, and eat;
because the journey
Arise and
said,
too great for thee."
is
So Ehjah found a second meal awaiting him in the
desert.
As he ate he must have thought how wonderful it was that God knew where he was, and where he was going; that God knew he would find no food on the way; and that God knew that such a journey
was too great
for his strength!
Gratefully Elijah "did eat and drink, and went in the
Horeb
strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto the
mount
God."
of
All his
he had wanted to
life
wonderful things had happened
He knew
the long ago.
and he hoped
it
was
see
to the children of Israel in
called "the
might come
that perhaps he
many
Horeb, where so
mount
closer to
God,"
of
God
there
than he had ever been before.
"My God
is
Jehovah!" he whispered to himself
as
he
journeyed on from day to day over the trackless wilderness.
"My God mount;
At
is
will last
Jehovah! But will I
hear His
I
see
Him when
voice.''"
at last
!
Here, where Moses had stood
where God had spoken alone with His
that
reach His
he arrived, and stood in awe upon the historic
mountain. Horeb
Israel
I
came out
of Egypt!
faithful servant
But where was
God
Suddenly a great wind came up,
far greater
had brought the rain
It
to
Carmel.
and churned the dust of the great rocks as
if
!
roared
Here,
when
now.f*
than the one
up
the ravines
desert into clouds. Picking
with invisible hands,
it
up
dashed them to pieces
against the mountainside.
41
^
PAINTING BY MANNING DE
V.
LEE
©
1955. BY REVIEW
AND HERALD
Afraid of the threats of the angry queen Jezebel Elijah escaped into the wilderness and wished that he might die, but God sent His angel to encourage His faithful prophet.
lY v.Uf ^"^zW*
But "the Lord was not in the wind."
Soon the earth began
to tremble.
EUjah had never known such
earth.
was not
Cracks opened in the
a quake.
But "the Lord
in the earthquake."
Then
the sky
top. Elijah
glowed
on the mountain-
as fire burst out
remembered the
story of
how
fire
and smoke had
mount when God gave Israel the Ten Commandments; "but the Lord was not in the fire." Then where was He.''
covered the
Very near indeed, much nearer than Elijah dreamed.
As "still
the prophet sheltered in a cave, he presently heard a
small voice."
Could
this
be God."^
He
had thought the mighty God of
heaven might be in the hurricane, in the earthquake, or in the raging
Yet
as
fire,
but not in a voice so
he listened he
were spoken, for
felt
God
the
soft
and gentle
power of God
in the
as this.
words
asked him one simple question,
that
"What
doest thou here, Elijah.''"
He
had not expected
commune 42
with
this.
He had come
God and worship Him,
all this
way
to
not to answer questions.
I
THE
SMALL VOICE
STILL
God
But he knew what to
him,
that
"Why
He knew God was
saying
Me
before
you in Jezreel standing for
aren't
Why
wicked Jezebel?
meant.
away from her?
did you run
did you not stay and follow up the victory
Carmel? EUjah,
That
O
why
Elijah,
moved
small voice
still
did you
he had seen and heard on Horeb.
and
pity himself. "I, even
seek
my
life,
to take
"No," God
said to him. "I
way he was be king over as the
told
left,"
have
left
to excuse
he said; "and they
me
seven thousand
which have not bowed unto Baal."
him
to anoint Israel,
am
began
to return to his post of duty.
Hazael
and Elisha
On
king over Syria, Jehu to
—
Elisha— to take
yes,
his place
prophet of the Lord.
thought again and again of what had happened could he ever forget
louder grew the
still
.
.
.
The
it?
small voice, until
the roar of earthquake, wind,
turn!
his
to be
As he journeyed northward toward Damascus,
How
all
"They haven't run away."
suggestion was,
Then God
more than
away."
it
in Israel, all the knees
The
only,
He
gave you on
Me?"
the prophet
else
I
fail
I
Why
and Elisha
.
.
.
and
shalt
at
Elijah
Horeb.
farther he traveled, the it
fire.
seemed
to shout
above
"Go, return! Go,
re-
thou anoint to be prophet in
thy room."
Thus had God spoken. Humbly EUjah proceeded
to obey.
PART ONE
STORY The
KING AHAB
Stolen Vineyard
was
counted in his day. in
was known
8
a very rich
He owned
Samaria and one in
man,
at least
two
The one
Jezreel.
as the "ivory house,"
wealth was
as
palaces,
in
one
Samaria
walls being decked with
its
polished ivory carved from the tusks of elephants.
But with
many
all his
riches
Ahab was
not a happy man. Like
boys and girls today, he was always wanting more.
someone had something
better than
he possessed, he
If
felt envi-
ous and miserable.
One reel, his
day, looking out of the eyes
roamed over
the royal lands.
Going to give if
to the
occurred to
him
to the palace gardens,
that
it
would
and he made up
owner, whose name was Naboth, he offered
him another vineyard
in
exchange for
he preferred, to pay "the worth of
44
of his palace in Jez-
a beautiful vineyard that adjoined
The thought
make a fine addition his mind to buy it.
window
it
in
this one, or,
money."
THE STOLEN VINEYARD It sell.
was
The
offer,
but Naboth didn't want to
vineyard had been his father's, he said, and his grand-
father's. Indeed,
than he could
At
enough
a fair
this,
it
tell,
had belonged
to his family for
and he couldn't bring himself
Ahab was
much
very
back to his palace he behaved
upset,
more
to part
years
with
it.
and when he got
like a spoiled child.
Throwing
himself on his bed, he turned his face to the wall and refused to eat.
When Jezebel
he didn't come
went
"Why
to his
to
dinner that evening Queen
to find out
what was the matter.
are you so sad.''" she asked.
Then he
told her
vineyard and the
r^
room
down
how
man had
"Why
won't you
eat.''"
he had offered to buy Naboth's refused to
sell
it.
THE BIBLE STORY Jezebel scoffed. "That's a fine thing to be miserable about
Can't you do
she said, in other words. "Aren't you king?
what you
like.f'
vineyard,
get
I'll
Ahab
Get up! Eat and be merry!
She wrote
If
you want that
for you."
it
did as he was told, and Jezebel
the vineyard for
!
him
in her
heads of the
to the
and
to "proclaim a fast,
own wicked
set
about getting
set
way.
city council
and
them
told
Naboth on high among
the peo-
They were then to call in two false witnesses who would testify that Naboth had blasphemed God and the king. After hearing the evidence they were to find Naboth guilty and
ple."
have him stoned to death. It
was
officials
as simple as that,
and
as evil.
With
all
the city
already sold out to Jezebel, and afraid of their
lives,
poor Naboth didn't have a chance.
The
court
was summoned. The two witnesses came
and accused Naboth of blasphemy. In vain he protested
in his
innocence; in vain he swore he had never uttered blasphemy in all his
either against
life,
God
or the king.
accepted the testimony of the two witnesses, and
him
to death.
But
Jezebel
if
away with
The
He was
this
night after
stoned. to get
it,
Ahab walked
who
into Naboth's vineyard
should be there but Elijah,
whom
seen running before his chariot on that stormy
fire
had
fallen
the prophets of Baal
46
and
wicked murder, they were mistaken.
very day that
last
city
judges
condemned
and Ahab thought they were going
to take possession of
he had
then carried out of the
The
from heaven on Mount Carmel and
had been
slain.
i4 J J
"Hast thou found me,
O
mine enemy?" he
cried in a
startled voice.
"I have
found thee," repUed EUjah,
hast sold thyself to
"Thus Naboth
evil in the sight of the
thou
Lord."
Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken
saith the
... In the place where the dogs licked the blood
possession.''
of
work
sternly: "because
shall
Concerning
dogs
lick
Jezebel,
thy blood, even thine."
he
said,
"The dogs
shall eat Jezebel
by the walls of Jezreel." Elijah could not have spoken
Ahab was
left
in
no doubt
murder of Naboth.
We
may
moment's pleasure out of walked
in
it
as to
more
what God thought
be sure that he never got one
Every time he
that stolen vineyard.
among
the vines, waiting to
condemn him
again for his evil deed. Every time he looked at
window he must have thought
and Jezebel would have Such
is
of the
he must have wondered whether Elijah was
hiding somewhere
palace
Certainly
frankly.
to
pay for
it
it
from
his
of the price both he
someday.
the bitter fruit of envy, jealousy,
and
selfishness.
47
J^Ji
J
I
PART ONE
STORY Elijah's
A HAB
AA -^
did not
9
Prophecy Comes True
very long after he stole Naboth's
live
vineyard. For a while he
-^
was
sorry for his sin, but he
could neither give the vineyard back, to the dead
man
nor forget the great wrong he had done.
Some time state visit to
later
Samaria.
The two
occasion.
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, came on a
A
great feast
was held
things, but chiefly about
Syrians. "I
belonged to
said,
Would
am
as
as thy horses,"
well, hadn't
Ahab
They
art,
Israel but
my
on
many
was now occupied by the it
back.''
people as thy people,
said Jehoshaphat
we
talked of
sat
the city of Ramoth-gilead which,
Jehoshaphat help him get
thou
honor of the
kings, clad in their royal robes,
thrones placed outside the city gate.
Ahab
in
better ask the
my
horses
with great courtesy; "but,
Lord about k?"
They came, hundreds of them, and said exactly what he wanted them to say: "Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king." 48
called
for
his
"prophets."
PROPHECY COMES TRUE
ELIJAH'S
One man
even put iron horns on his head and
said,
"Thus
Lord, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until
saith the
thou have consumed them."
But Jehoshaphat didn't Hke the look of these men. "Is
Lord
there not here a prophet of the
we might I
is
he
one man, Micaiah," said Ahab
yet
said, "that
him?"
inquire of
"There
besides,"
"but
testily;
hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me,
but evil."
"Don't say that," said Jehoshaphat. "Call him."
So Micaiah was of the
Lord
"I
saw
called,
that the plan all
"There," said
At
upon the
hills,
as
sheep that
to
Jehoshaphat. "Didn't
I
tell
would prophesy no good concerning me, but
evil
are lying," said Micaiah; "the
this the
man
fliction, until I
come
the soldiers led
at all in peace, the
led astray
evil.?"
Lord has
wearing the iron horns slapped Micaiah said,
and feed him with bread of
Ahab
you
concerning you."
on the cheek, while Ahab
As
fail.
said.
Ahab
"Your prophets spoken
would
Israel scattered
have not a shepherd," he
that he
and he gave warning in the name
didn't
"Put
this fellow in the prison,
affliction
and with water
of af-
in peace."
him away, Micaiah
cried, "If
you return
Lord has not spoken by me."
want
to hear the truth,
and Jehoshaphat was
by him. The two kings marched on Ramoth-gilead,
THE BIBLE STORY but their armies were defeated and scattered like sheep with-
out a shepherd, just as Micaiah had said.
Jehoshaphat escaped with his
"A
certain
man drew
a
but
life,
bow
at
Ahab was
and smote
a venture,
the king of Israel between the joints of the harness,"
him
wounding
seriously.
Ahab's servants propped him up so that as
killed.
though he were
from
wound
his
he died
at
still
that
sundown
it
fighting, but so
much
it
would look
blood poured
covered the bottom of his chariot, and
that evening.
They brought the dead king back to Samaria and buried him there. As Ahab's chariot and armor were being washed in the pool of Samaria, dogs came and licked up his blood. prophecy was
So
Elijah's
As
for Jezebel, she lived twelve years after Ahab's death,
own
guards threw her out of the
of the palace in Jezreel,
where she once plotted the
but the day came
window
death of Naboth. the wall,
fulfilled.
when
her
"And some
and on the
of her blood
horses." Afterward,
was sprinkled on
when
bury her, "they found no more of her than the feet,
It is
,kM.
skull,
and the
and the palms of her hands." The dogs had eaten the
rest of her, just as Elijah
says.
they came to
well to
long years before had said they would.
remember
that
God
always means what
His prophecies and His promises always come
He
to pass.
PART ONE
STORY
10
Fate of the Three Captains
A FTER
A% -^
Ahab's death
Israel.
-^
Sad
to say,
his mother,
provoked
to
Ahaziah became king of
his son
he was no better than his father or
and "served
anger the Lord
Baal,
God
and worshiped him, and
of Israel."
One day he met with a serious accident, falling out of an upper window in the palace. It seems that the wooden lattice must have given way as he leaned against it. How badly he was hurt we are not told, but it was enough to make him worry whether or not he would get better. Anxious
to learn his fate,
of Baalzebub, the idol
god
of Ekron, just as
would know what was going
On
their
way
going
to seek help
of heaven.
Then he
to
the messengers
did not recognize him.
that
he sent messengers to inquire
He
though
happen
met
to
this
him.
Elijah,
asked them sternly
wooden
though they
why
they were
from Baalzebub rather than from the God ordered them to turn back and
he was going to
tell
Ahaziah
die.
51
THE BIBLE STORY So frightened were they by the old prophet
that they
obeyed him.
Ahaziah was surprised they told the
to see
them back
so soon.
him what had happened, he asked them
man who had spoken to them. "He wore a garment of haircloth,"
When
to describe
they said, "with a girdle
of leather about his loins."
They did not need "It
to say
more.
Elijah the Tishbite!" said Ahaziah.
is
Then he
sent one of his captains with fifty
Elijah and bring
him
men
to seize
to Samaria.
The captain found the prophet sitting on a hilltop, and ordered him to come down at once. "Thou man of God," he cried, "the king hath said. Come down!" Elijah refused. He felt that this was no way for these godless soldiers of a godless king to treat the prophet of the
Lord. "If
I
be a
man
of
God," he
said,
"then
from heaven, and consume thee and thy
A fell
moment
let fire
fifty."
was a sudden blaze
later there
come down
of light as fire
from heaven and the men vanished.
When
the king heard
what had happened, he was
raged, and sent a second captain with another fifty
capture Elijah and bring Elijah
was
still
"Come down fifty.
on the
men
to
to court.
hilltop, quite undisturbed.
quickly!" ordered the captain of the second
"King's orders!"
Once again 52
him
out-
Elijah said, "If
I
be a
man
of
God,
let fire
^or^
^ come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty." Again fire fell from heaven, and the captain and his men were consumed.
When
news of
captain with fifty
this
men
reached Ahaziah he sent a third
to take Elijah.
had learned something from the sad he came to the
hill
This captain, however,
fate of his friends.
where Elijah was
sitting
he
"fell
When on
his
knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him,
O
man
fifty
of
God,
I
pray thee,
let
my
life,
and the
life
of these
thy servants, be precious in thy sight."
53
THE God
appreciated the
humble
the respect he paid to His prophet.
BIBLE
attitude of this
STORY man, and
"Go down with him," He
told Elijah: "be not afraid of him."
So Elijah went with
came
to the palace
Elijah
this captain
and
his fifty
where Ahaziah was lying
showed no
fear of the king,
men and
in bed.
though he was now
within his power and could so easily have been thrown into a
dungeon any minute. Nor did he change
stead,
his message. In-
he told the king, as he had already told his messengers,
that because he
had
Ekron, rather than
sent for help to Baalzebub the
to the
God
cover from his sickness, but
And
die
he did,
of heaven, he
would
just as Elijah
god of
would not
surely die.
had
said.
Not
only, of course,
because he had sent to inquire of Baalzebub, but because his life
hovr.h
—
just like his father
re-
—he
and mother
and served the gods of the heathen.
had hated
all
Je-
PART ONE
STORY
11
Heaven's Fiery Chariot
work was almost done. In
ELIJAH'S
he had stood for
God
the best he
a very evil time
knew how.
Bravely
he had fought God's battles and championed His cause. In his heart he this
felt
that
him
young man ready
have to leave "the
about to
call
him away from
world. Elisha was with
the
God was
still
it.
constantly now, for Elijah
work when he should you remember, was mentioned by
to take over his
Elisha,
small voice" as the one to take Elijah's place. Elijah
had anointed him on
his return
from Mount Horeb, and the
two had been working together ever
As they drew near
schools of the prophets Elijah
Strangely, these
—that
asked Elisha
since.
to Bethel the "sons of the prophets"
out to meet them. These were young
Elijah
was getting
is
men from one
of the
believed to have started.
young people had the same idea about
he would not be around if
came
God was
much
longer.
They
going to take his master away soon.
55
THE BIBLE STORY "Yea,
wanting
I
know
it
;
hold ye your peace," he said to them, not
to talk about
Then
it.
Elijah told Elisha to wait at Bethel while he
on by himself. "The Lord hath Elisha refused to
and
as thy soul liveth,"
let
he
sent
him go
me
"As
alone.
said, "I will
So the two went on together
to Jericho,"
the
he
Lord
to
said.
liveth,
not leave thee."
to Jericho,
where there was
another school of the prophets. Here again the young
came out
went
men
meet them, and again they warned Elisha that
he would soon be losing his master. "Yea,
I
know
it,"
he said to them; "hold ye your peace."
Elijah then told Elisha to wait at Jericho while he
on over Jordan. Again Elisha
refused.
went
He had made up
his
mind to stay with his master to the very end, not knowing when or how that would be. "As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee," he said.
So the two went on toward Jordan, while
young men from the school followed
at least fifty
at a distance to see
what
might happen.
They saw
plenty.
When
Elijah
and Elisha reached the
river they did not wait for a boat to ferry off his mantle, Elijah folded
it
them
across.
Taking
and "smote the waters, and
they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went
over on dry ground."
HEAVEN'S FIERY CHARIOT If the
young people thought that they might
follow, they
were mistaken, for the water quickly flowed together again.
A
moment
On
Jordan looked the same as ever.
later the
the other side Elijah turned to Elisha
"Ask what away from thee." tenderly,
do
shall
I
and
for thee, before
said,
very
be taken
I
The dreaded moment of parting had come! Soon would be gone forever. What should Elisha ask of
Elijah him.?
Money.? Land.? Houses.? Position.? Anything he might desire could be
his, for surely
"And
Elisha said,
was going
Elijah
pray thee,
I
let
straight to heaven.
a double portion of thy
be upon me."
spirit
He
made a better choice. God must have with him as He had been with Solomon when
could not have
been as pleased
he asked for wisdom. Elijah said
only
me
God
it
a
it
No
but,
they walked on together.
and
precious words these
other.
—
—for of course
he added,
"if
you
see
shall be so."
talked," the Bible says, last
hard thing he had asked
could give His Spirit
being taken,
Then
was
it
is
"They went
on,
and
we do not know the men of God said to each
a pity
two great
doubt Elijah urged Elisha to be true and loyal to
God and keep
the
good work going which he had
They were now not
far
from Pisgah, which
is
started.
but ten
miles from Jericho. Perhaps they even climbed to the top, to the place where Moses died and
By and by
the
God
wind began
raised
him from
to blow, harder
the dead.
and harder,
with a twisting, swirling motion. Elijah seemed to be caught
57
up
in
it
and
above the earth. Suddenly a blaze of light
lifted
surrounded them as something appeared in the sky, like one of It
Ahab's
chariots, only ten
was shining radiantly
creatures that
drew
be one of God's
own
his faithful servant
stepped into
"And
"My
it,
it
as
though
seemed
it
father,
home! Swiftly
went up by
my
fire too.
Surely
it
must
approached Elijah,
it
fell
down
a
who
whirlwind into heaven."
upward
in this blaze of glory.
and the horsemen thereof!"
from the chariot
to earth as the
wind
as
it
sped away. Slowly
subsided. Eagerly Elisha
"^t
Va^'^^r--
\ PAINTING BY FRED COtUNS
while the
father!" cried Elisha as he saw his be-
chariot of Israel,
billowed
on
fire,
and was gone.
Elijah
Something
to be
were on
it
chariots, a chariot of angels, sent to bring
loved master carried swiftly
"The
thousand times more glorious.
#
v:^
^.
^
ran to pick
it
up.
It
was a mantle,
Elijah's mantle, the prophet's
last gift to his friend.
Picking
was
Jericho,
great
it
up, Elisha returned to the Jordan, beyond
with
its
school of the prophets,
work God wanted him
Could he do
this work.''
he be the leader Elijah had
him
had
Was
all Israel.
he prepared for
been.''
that, the
Would God
it.''
Could
indeed give
.f*
his first test.
Would
it
open for him
as
for Elijah.''
Taking river parted
he smote the water
Elijah's mantle,
had done, crying, "Where
that
do throughout
double portion of His Spirit
a
The Jordan was it
to
and beyond
which
the
is
and Elisha went
Lord God
over.
Now
as his
master
of Elijah.''"
he
knew
God was with him and always would be. The sons of the prophets were watching. At
The
for sure
first
they
thought Elijah must have returned; but no, Elisha was alone.
Then doth
they rest
And
knew
they had a
on Elisha," they
new
"The
spirit
of Elijah
said.
they were right. For Elisha went on to do
greater miracles than even Elijah
60
master.
had done.
more and
PART
II
Stories of Elisha
a
Kings 2:16-13:20)
^tlii-^'-^^f'
PART
STORY
TWO
1
Bad Boys and the Bears
ELISHA did
his best to explain
what had happened
to
EUjah, but people wouldn't believe him. Even the
young men found
it
hard
to
in the school of the prophets at Jericho
how
understand
their beloved master could
have been taken up to heaven in a chariot of wind. They were sure that, even
fire
and
a whirl-
he must have fallen some-
so,
where, maybe "upon some mountain, or into some valley,"
and they wanted Elisha told time.
to
go and search
them not
But they went
to, for
for him.
they would only waste their
same,
just the
all
fifty of
them. Three
days they sought for Elijah, but without success.
One day the elders of the city of Jericho came to and asked him if he could do something about their supply.
It
had
a
bad
taste,
gation. Plants wouldn't
Elisha salt,
was glad
and took
it
Elisha
water
they said, and was no good for
grow
in
to help.
to the place
irri-
it.
He
called for a vessel full of
where the spring bubbled out of 63
•^
PAINTING BV RLSSELL HARLAN
When
©
1955, BY RKVIEW AND HERALD
the water of the city of Jericho became and unfit for use, Elisha called for some salt which he poured into the source of the stream, and God made the water good to drink.
bitter
THE BIBLE STORY the ground. Pouring in the I
salt,
he
said,
"Thus
saith the
Lord,
have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence
any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto
this day."
That stream I
know,
some
for
I
still
is
flowing and the water
drank some of
it
one day when
is
sweet.
still
visiting there
years ago.
Leaving the people of Jericho very happy, Elisha made
way back
As he approached the city, to his surprise there came running toward him a group of unruly boys, shouting, "Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head!" his
So ready!
to Bethel.
had reached here
his story of Elijah's translation
And
this
was what the people thought of
they didn't believe a at the idea of
word
of his report.
it!
al-
Clearly
They were laughing
anybody's going up to heaven in a fiery chariot.
These rude youngsters were actually
telling
him
to
go up
there, too.
Elisha saw that
it
His enemies wanted country.
He
could not
was
all
part of a plan to
wreck
his
work.
make him the laughingstock of the permit it. Nor could he allow so solemn.
to
BAD BOYS AND THE BEARS so
beautiful
heaven
to be
an event
made
master's triumphal entry into
his
as
much. These bad boys must be taught So ing,
as the
"Go
crowd of
a lesson.
scoffing youngsters followed
him
chant-
thou bald head!" Elisha "turned back and
up,
looked on them, and cursed them in the In other words, he asked
As he did
was too
a subject of scornful mirth. This
so,
God
to deal
name
of the Lord."
with them as
He
saw
fit.
two she-bears came slinking out of the nearby
woods.
Suddenly the mocking ceased, and laughter turned screams of terror as the boys fled for their
lives.
But the bears
caught up with them and mauled forty-two of them. badly they were hurt all
we
are not told, but
it
is
to
How
safe to say they
learned a lesson that day which they never forgot. Never
again would they treat a
man
Meanwhile Elisha went on Carmel, where
had
fallen
God had come
from heaven.
It
beginning of his ministry.
God
of
his
with disrespect.
way and came
to
so near to his master,
was
a
good place
to
go
Mount
and
fire
to at the
PART
STORY
2
Valley of
FROM
Mount Carmel
traveled a great deal,
TWO
Red
went
Elisha
much
Ditches
to
Samaria.
He
had done before
as Elijah
him, not stopping very long in any one place.
One day humble there,
there
cottage
was a loud knocking on
where he was
he found a crowd of armed
were two royal figures in
He king of
recognized them at once.
Israel,
Ahaziah
A
fell
who had
men
Going
to see
who was
outside. In their midst
fine armor.
Jehoshaphat, king of Judah.
juries.
staying.
the door of the
The
The
old,
man was
other was young Jehoram,
ascended the throne
out of the palace
bearded
window and
when
his brother
died from his in-
son of Ahab, he was as wicked as his father.
The two
kings said that they had come to talk with
Elisha about an important matter.
Suddenly turning on Jehoram, Elisha asked what he meant by coming to a prophet of the Lord. ets!" he said to
66
"Go
to
your
own
proph-
him; "the prophets of your father and mother."
VALLEY OF RED DITCHES "If
it
were not for the presence of Jehoshaphat, king of
Judah," he added, "I wouldn't even look at you or see you." It
was
was hardly a
a very brave
way
tactful
to talk to a king, but Elisha
man, and he wanted Jehoram
he strongly disapproved of
to
know
that
his evil ways.
Because good King Jehoshaphat was there, Elisha agreed to listen to their story.
They were both
Their
in great trouble.
armies had started out to fight the Moabites. Thinking to
them by attacking from
surprise
the east, they had taken a
long detour through desert country, and
now were
out of
man or beast. They were at What should they do now.? Had
water, with nothing to drink for the
mercy of
their enemies.
Elisha anything to suggest.'' Elisha called for a minstrel, and while sweet music
being played "the hand of the Lord came upon him.
Thus
said,
For thus
saith the
saith the
Lord,
Lord,
Ye
Make
was
And
he
this valley full of ditches.
shall not see
wind, neither shall
ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye
may this
drink, both ye, is
and your
cattle,
and your
beasts.
And
but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will
deliver the Moabites also into your hand." I
can almost hear Jehoram
dry valley!
What an
scoffing,
"Dig
ditches in a
idea!" But Jehoshaphat believed God's .
-T' *
'»
THE BIBLE STORY prophet, and the ditches were dug. Those ditches proved his faith.
Early next morning the sun rose in a cloudless sky.
The air was still, and there was no sign of rain; but suddenly down one of the mountain ravines "by the way of Edom" came
a
raging stream of water.
floor
and
and
cattle
By
drank greedily, and
battle.
their strength revived.
Looking eastward, they saw the
soldiers of
behaving in a very strange manner. While some were
on
or so
awake and
the Moabites were
and
standing, others were kneeling, flat
spread over the valley
the ditches to overflowing. Soldiers, horses,
this time, of course,
ready for Israel
filled
It
it
their stomachs.
And
others were lying
still
was blood
there
all
about them,
seemed, as the early morning sun was reflected from
the water-filled ditches.
"Look! They are dashed
down
and
killing one another!" they cried,
the mountainside to finish off the invaders of
their country.
Of
course, they
had made a dreadful mistake.
reached the ditches they found they were
Maybe some drowned. Anyhow, blood.
of
them
were ready for them. Thanks
they
full of water,
into the ditches
fell
the Israelites
When
not
and were
had seen them coming and
to
the
God
might have been a bad defeat was turned
of Elisha,
what
into a great victory.
PART
STORY
TWO
3
Mother's Mysterious Oil Pots
BOUT
A
/A
time one of the "sons of the prophets" died.
this
widow with two young
leaving a
X
A-
will
mind
doesn't
us the boys' names, so
tell
if I call
them Jonas and
So poor was the the house. debt,
little
Worse than
and now the
I
sons.
am
wanted
his
had been heavily
just didn't
little
Mother!
sell
them
How
help.''
Then
it.
So he
let
him have
said he
as slaves to
would
pay the
bill.
sad and frightened she must
have been! But what could she for
have
in
money.
Their mother told the creditor she couldn't
Poor
nobody
Joel.
that, their father
take Jonas and Joel and
sure
Bible
family that there wasn't a cent in
creditor
what he claimed; she
The
do.^*
Where
could she turn
she thought cf Elisha.
Leaving the two boys
at
home, she went in search of the
prophet, hoping against hope that he
would show her a way
out of her trouble.
At
last
she found
him and
told her story.
69
THE BIBLE STORY "Tell me," said Elisha kindly, "what do you have in
your house?"
"Nothing," said the poor widow. "Nothing, that
is,
ex-
cept a pot of oil."
Then .
.
.
Elisha told her to do a strange thing. "Go, borrow
abroad of
vessels
all
thy neighbours, even empty vessels;
borrow not a few."
He must
have noticed the questioning look on the widow's
he went on
face, for
After she had gathered
oil pots.
what
to tell her
all
to
do with the empty
she could find, she was to
shut the door of her house and start pouring of her pot.
were
And
she
was
to
them out
oil into
keep on pouring until
all
the vessels
full.
The widow must have wondered for a moment whether the man of God was serious. She knew she had just one pot of oil, and how could that one pot fill many empty pots? And what would the neighbors think
if
them
she started asking
for all their crockery?
On
the
way home
she must have questioned whether or
Nobody likes to could make her appear
not she should do as Elisha had said. silly
before his friends,
silly
indeed
if it
ered with empty
and
this
God
very
didn't work. Imagine the kitchen floor covoil
pots,
and nothing happening
She decided she would do trust the
look
as she
had been
to
them!
told,
and
of Elisha.
"Jonas," she said,
on reaching home,
"please
go next door
and ask Mrs. Isaacson for a couple of empty
oil
you go up the road and ask Mrs. Naomi for
all she can spare."
pots ;
and
Joel,
"Why, Mother?" "Never mind,
dears.
Go and
fetch them.
the other neighbors for every pot they will
As
the boys ran ofl they
happening been too
to
let
me
Then
ask
all
have."
no doubt wondered what was
Mother. Perhaps the worry of Father's death had
much
But they went for the pots
for her.
just the
same.
Soon they were back, carrying
all
the pots they could.
Then they ran off for more. The neighbors, looking
out of their windows, began to
wonder what was going
"Why
those oil pots
When
down
on.
are those boys taking all
to their house.''" they asked themselves.
they asked Jonas and Joel, the only answer they got was,
"Dunno; Mother
When
just
wants them for something."
the kitchen floor
was
just
about covered with pots
Mother shut the door.
"What and
Joel,
are you going to
do with them
all.''"
asked Jonas
amused.
"Never mind;
just
watch and
see."
Then she picked up her one precious pot with the oil in it. With a prayer in her heart, "Dear God, make it work!" she began
to pour.
71
0W-
r^
MOTHER'S MYSTERIOUS OIL POTS The
pot wasn't too big a worry, for she was just
first
pouring from one to another; but the second!
She it;
there
own
her
felt
was
pot;
some
still
second pot. Soon
it,
was
it
still
She began
oil there.
too,
was
heavy. She looked into
filled to the
turned to the third pot, the fourth, the
to
pour into the
brim. Eagerly she the sixth.
fifth,
Then
she lost count.
With
popping
their eyes
out, the boys looked
on in amaze-
ment.
"But where's
coming from. Mother.?"
know!"
"I don't
don't
it
she cried as she went on pouring. "I
know!"
Row that she
after
row
of pots
had reached the
was
Suddenly she noticed
filled.
last pot.
"Jonas, Joel!" she cried.
"More
pots!
me
Get
another
pot quickly!"
They ran up
on
the street, knocking excitedly
all
the
doors.
"Mother wants another pot
!
Mother wants another pot
But there were no more pots
"And
the
!
to be had.
oil stayed."
Leaving the boys
to look after the precious
oil.
Mother
ran to Elisha and gasped out her wonderful story, her heart overflowing with gratitude to
God
for
His goodness.
There must have been a lovely smile on he
listened.
Then he
thy debt, and
God
"Go,
sell
the
thou and thy children on the
live
loves to
said to her,
Elisha's face as
do things
like this for those
oil,
and pay
rest."
who
trust
Him. 73
-^
PAINTING BY RCSSELL HARLAN
© 1955,
With her heart overflowing
BY REVIEW AND HERALD
to
God
for His
goodness, the poor widow began pouring the oil into the vessels as Elisha had told her, and it continued to flow until every jar was full.
PART
STORY
TWO
4
Kindness Repaid
A
S
^A
^
ELISHA
journeyed here and there through Palestine
he often passed through a place called Shunem, where
.A- lived a very wealthy lady. Sometimes he would stop
at her
home and
invited in
ask for something to
and well
fed,
and always he
eat. left
Always he was
a blessing behind
him when he went on his way. The great lady was much impressed by
He was from men
Elisha.
so courteous, so friendly, so reverent, so different
of the world, that she said to her husband one day, "I perceive that this
is
an holy
man
of
God, which passeth by us
continually."
She proposed that they build a could
rest,
and put
in
it
little
room
in
which he
"a bed, and a table, and a stool, and
a candlestick."
Her husband
agreed.
The room was
built
and furnished,
and the next time Elisha arrived he was shown into pleased and thankful he was!
74
it.
How
KINDNESS REPAID
fore
Nobody had
ever been so kind to
Next day he
told his servant
him
that he
her, Behold,
what
is
He
to be
might express
Gehazi
before.
to call the lady be-
his gratitude.
"Say
thou hast been careful for us with
done for
now unto
all this
care;
thee.''"
offered to speak to the king, or the captain of the
army, for her
if
she
had any favor
No, she was content. Then he
we do
him
to ask of
them, but she said
said to Gehazi,
"What
can
for her.?"
Gehazi thought
it
over.
By and by he came up with
a
bright idea.
"She has no
"Aha!"
said
child,
and her husband
is
Elisha,
grateful for the
came
this time, Elisha
old," he said.
suggestion.
"Call
her."
When fore a year
the lady
had passed she would have a
"Impossible!" she
But nothing Elisha said, the
is
little
promised that be-
son.
said.
impossible with God.
At the very time
boy was born.
Needless to say, the lady loved her son very dearly and
watched over him night and day
as
EUsha took a
him,
too, as
he
day,
when
the boy
from time
lot of interest in
he grew up.
No
doubt
visited the family
to time.
Then one
summer
hot
was out
the harvest field with his father, he suddenly cried out,
head!
My
father
became very worried, and
"Carry him
"My
head!" Perhaps he had sunstroke. Anyhow,
to his
said to
one of
in
his
his servants,
mother."
She took him on her lap and held him there
till
when he died. Then she carried the limp little body to the room she had made for Elisha, and laid it on
noon,
upstairs his bed.
Closing the door behind her, she went out with aching heart
and tear-drenched
face.
But she wiped away the face,
tears,
and putting on a brave
asked her husband for a servant and one of the
that she
might go
He wanted
at
to
asses,
once to Elisha.
know why.
"It
is
neither
new moon, nor
Sabbath," he said.
She didn't
76
tell
him why, perhaps
lest
the shock be too
KINDNESS REPAID him if he should SaddUng the ass herself,
great for
and go forward;
find
his
son was dead.
Httle
she said to the servant, "Drive,
slack not thy riding for
me, except
I
bid
thee."
So they went
Mount Carmel where
speed to
at full
they
found Elisha. Falling at his
about the cold
him
to
form
hurry with
upon
the staff
little
she told
that
all
on
that lay
was shocked. Handing
Elisha told
feet,
all
had happened, and
his bed.
his
staff
to
Gehazi, he
speed to the dead child and lay
his face.
Gehazi ran on
his
anxious mother at his
By and by
the
and Elisha followed, the
mission,
side.
two saw Gehazi returning, looking sad
and worried.
"The
child
is
not awaked," he said.
Elisha was worried now.
Arriving
at the house,
he went upstairs, entered his room,
shut the door, and "prayed unto the Lord."
What the great faith
a prayer
was
that!
and wonderful God
How
he must have implored
whom
he served to honor his
boy
to life
Then, he "lay upon the
child,
and
restore the little
upon
and put and
mouth upon
his
hands upon
his
mouth, and
his
hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the
his eyes
his eyes,
waxed warm." warmth was all he
his
flesh of the child
Yet that sign of
noticed; there
was no other
life.
77
THE BIBLE STORY room and "walked in the house to and wondering what more he could do. But his faith was
Elisha fro," still
the
left
God
strong that
could raise the dead
—and would.
As he paced up and down he prayed that
God would do
name and
this
ever
more urgently
wonderful thing for the glory of His
the blessing of this dear
woman who had
been so
kind to him.
Then he went back motionless upon the bed.
to his
He
room. The
little
stretched himself
lad
still
lay
upon him once
more. Suddenly the child awoke, sneezed seven times, and
opened
his eyes.
The
miracle had happened!
Calling the mother, Elisha said kindly, with deep happiness in his voice,
Overjoyed, she her thanks.
him
Then
as only a
"Take up thy fell at
son."
the prophet's feet
she picked
up her
boy, hugging
mother could who had
treasure brought back
and poured out
from the dead.
just seen
and kissing her dearest
TWO
PART
STORY
5
Faithful Little
Maid
me go Let me go " screamed the take me away from my mother!" !
LET
!
^ set
cries.
a horse behind a big, burly Syrian soldier
out for Damascus.
Weeping her
maid. "Don't
But the cruel raiders took no notice of her
They threw her on and
little
tears,
all
"Why
the way, the
did
God
little
let this
maid sobbed out between
happen
to me.? Why.^*
Why.?
Why.?" In the big city she was sold as a slave, and became the servant of the wife of
Naaman,
captain of the host of the
king of Syria.
How
homesick and hopeless she must have
night in the big house, with
all
those strange people!
she didn't forget to say her prayers.
her up to love the she
would be
God
true to
of heaven,
Him
felt that first
Her
Yet
parents had brought
and she made up her mind
whatever might happen.
Fortunately her mistress was kind to her. Soon they were
79
talking together like mother and daughter. little
maid
told
some of the
her about the wonderful for Israel in
years
crossing of the
way
gone by
Red
stories
Sea,
the
—
No
doubt the
her real mother had told
God
stories
heaven had cared
of
like
the one about the
which every Hebrew child knew
by heart.
Often the
little
rnaid noticed that her mistress
had
a
very sad look on her face. She wondered why, but didn't dare
Then one day she found out what the trouble was. Naaman, her husband, had that most dreaded disease, leprosy. The little maid had seen lepers before, and knew the awful things the disease did to them. Her kind heart went to ask.
out in sympathy to her master and mistress. She longed to do
something to help them, but what could a far
girl
do, so
she had a bright idea. If she couldn't help,
maybe
from home
Then
God
in a strange, strange
land.''
could.
Seeing her mistress in very gently,
80
little
tears,
"Would God my
she went to her and said,
lord were with the prophet that
FAITHFUL LITTLE MAID is
in Samaria!
"Sweet
he would recover him of his leprosy."
for
child,
what makes you think that?" asked her
mistress.
This gave the about
maid her chance. She began
little
to talk
the wonderful things EUsha had done, and Elijah
all
before him.
"Why, Yes, he
made
was quite dead. Everybody
barrel of
some wonderful things
meal and cruse of
top of
too.
oil last
Once he even brought
year.
fire
was soaking wet with water. Oh, God.
a wonderful
is
And
And once he And his master,
so.
He made a poor widow's
the sacrifice even though yes,
Elisha
my is
God of His prophet, a man lady, the
God. I'm sure he would heal your husband
to see
On
thus said the maid."
Her
mistress
to a servant,
and on. The Bible
How much
was
that "thus
had
who went and
a fine idea,
about
it
says,
he'd just go
told
it
to
and
said he
"Thus and
and thus" covers!
so touched that she told the
whole
who
would write
it
By
king of
to the
at once.
the time the
was the king of
little
Israel,
mixed
bit
maid's story reached him, he thought not Elisha,
ing; and he put this in his 5-6
so
thought the
Unfortunately the king of Syria got things a up.
story
Naaman. He was
impressed that he told the king of Syria,
Israel
if
him."
So she talked.
child
life.
many days, maybe a whole down from heaven on the
Mount Carmel, and burned up
heaven of
says
the bitter spring of Jericho sweet.
Elijah, did
it
the other day Elisha raised a dead boy to
letter.
He
who was
to
do the
wrote: "I have
.
.
heal.
sent
81
THE BIBLE STORY Naaman my
servant to thee, that thou mayest recover
him
of
his leprosy."
When
the king of Israel received the letter
that
Naaman had
and
six
to
already arrived with "ten talents of
silver,
thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment"
pay for
says
and learned
his cure,
he almost went out of his mind.
he tore his clothes and cried out, alive, that this
of his
leprosy.''
Soon the
.
.
story
I
God,
Bible
to kill
and
man doth send unto me to recover a man See how he seeketh a quarrel against me."
make
.
"Am
The
was
all
over Samaria.
It
reached Elisha,
who must have smiled at the fix in which the idolatrous king now found himself. He could have left him to find his own way out but, seeing an opportunity to bring glory to God
'
FAITHFUL LITTLE MAID he told the king to send
in a foreign land,
Naaman came
"So
and stood
the Jordan seven times, he
Naaman became
me, and stand, and
—and
Why
place,
He
come out to Lord his God, and
will surely
leper."
had been made of
fuss
worse, because his national pride had been hurt.
should he go and wash in
"Are not Abana and
Jordan.''
Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than Israel.''"
of his leprosy.
and recover the
no great
upset because
he would wash in
very angry and rode away, say-
on the name of the
hand over the
He was him
call
if
would be cured
ing to his servants, "I thought,
strike his
him.
door of the house of Elisha."
at the
this
to
with his horses and with his chariot,
Elisha sent a messenger to say that
At
Naaman
he snapped.
"May
I
His servants had more
all
the waters of
not wash in them, and be clean.?" sense.
They
said to him, "If the
prophet had asked you to do some great thing, wouldn't you
have done
it.''
Why
not obey
when he
suggests something so
Wash and be clean.''" At last Naaman saw light in what they said. Turning his chariot around, he drove down toward the Jordan. It was a rough, bumpy journey, and many times he must have wonsimple
as.
dered whether prophet was
it
just
was worth while. Perhaps, playing with
after
him because he was
all,
the
a foreign
general.
Arriving in,
at the Jordan,
he took
off his clothes
and waded
while his servants watched to see what would happen.
'^Pr *
i
Then
FAITHFUL LITTLE MAID he dipped under the water and waded out. All looked white spot that marked the place where the leprosy had It
was
still
at the
started.
there.
He waded
in the second time
and out
again. Still noth-
ing happened.
He went and
still
in the third time, the fourth, the fifth, the sixth,
the horrid
mark was
there.
All the servants had been counting. All next time would be the seventh, and the
Once more Naaman entered
knew
that the
last.
the water, dipped, and
came
out.
"Look! Look!" he
cried.
All crowded round.
was
It
gone!"
"It's
true.
The
leprosy
had
dis-
appeared.
Throwing on his clothes, Naaman leaped into his chariot. How he drove up that mountain road It's a wonder the wheels didn't come off as they sank in the ruts and bumped against !
the rocks.
His servants followed they
came
at
the
same wild speed. At
last
to Elisha's house.
This time he was there to greet them, for he guessed
what had happened when he heard the galloping
hoofs.
knowing how to express his gratitude, Naaman head and said, "Now I know that there is no God
Scarcely
bowed
his
in all the earth, but in Israel."
So the saved his
little
life.
captive
How
maid brought her master
to
God and
happy she must have been when she heard
the news!
85
^
PAINTING BY MARRV ANDERSON
© 1955. BV REVIEW AND HERAtD
The leprosy of Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was cured when he obeyed the word of the Lord through Elisha and washed himself seven times in the Jordan.
PART
STORY
TWO
6
Greedy Gehazi
NAAMAN
was
happy and thankful
so
that he
had
been cured of his leprosy that he wanted to give Elisha
all
the gold, silver,
and beautiful garments
he had brought with him.
But Elisha wanted no payment done. his
He
hoped
that this
king and country and
gods of the heathen, free of charge,
"As
Naaman,
the
famous general would go back
tell
how
the
God
to
of Israel, unlike the
willing to help the needy of
all
nations
"without money and without price."
Lord
liveth, before
whom
I
stand," he said to
urged him, but he again refused.
Aglow with started
servants, "I never
the
memory
of this wonderful generosity,
No
back for Damascus.
saw anything
any man's refusing
all
that
doubt he said to his
like this in all
money
I
he serves must be different from any
86
God had
something
"I will receive none."
Naaman Naaman
is
for
offered I
my
life.
Imagine
him! The God
ever heard about."
GREEDY GEHAZI So the happy party moved northward, everyone in
home and
eager to get
they had seen and heard in
all
tell
it
Israel.
Then something made Naaman look back. running after them. From a distance he looked Elisha's servant.
Naaman
What
could he
"Is all well.'^" he asked, a
"Oh,
want.-^
Naaman
got out of his chariot
of his
worried.
little
Gehazi cheerfully, while he made up the
yes," said
lie
"all
life,
now Ephraim two young men
saying. Behold, even
I
Gehazi,
him.
to greet
them,
like
was
reined in his horses, and everybody else did the
same. Gehazi came up panting.
biggest
A man
is
My
well.
there be
master hath sent me,
come
to
me from mount
of the sons of the prophets: give
pray thee, a talent of
silver,
and two changes of gar-
ments."
The
story
most happy
sounded perfectly
to oblige.
"Take
tii^o
plausible, talents,"
urged him, and bound two talents of
two changes of raiment, and
laid
and Naaman was he
said.
two
silver in
them upon two
"And he
bags, with
of his servants
and they bare them before him."
Naaman
started
up
his horses again
and departed, won-
dering whether Gehazi's story was true or whether Elisha really
wanted the money
Gehazi returned and hid
for
himself after
all.
Meanwhile
his loot in a secret place.
THE BIBLE STORY But
he thought he was going to keep anything Hke
if
this secret,
he
just didn't
know
his master.
"Where have you been?" asked EUsha
he entered the
as
house again.
"Nowhere." !
"Nowhere " exclaimed the prophet in great anger. "Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to
meet
thee.?"
Gehazi looked out! His awful
lies
at the floor,
ashamed.
He
had been found
—
time
were known!
But Elisha was not finished with him
money, and
to receive
to receive garments,
yet. "Is it a
and
oliveyards,
and
vineyards,
and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maid-
servants.'^"
he asked sternly.
It
was not; and Gehazi,
should have
known
as the servant of
God's prophet,
it.
Then came his punishment: "The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever." God's awful judgment on greedy Gehazi was immediately seen and "he went out from his presence a leper as white as
snow."
Was
the punishment too great.?
greed, selfishness,
very beautiful of Syria
and
for his sin.
For by
his
and falsehood Gehazi had spoiled something
God had
all
Not
tried to
do
the world beyond.
for the
whole kingdom
PART
STORY
7
Army
Elisha's Secret
SOME time— of Syria
war on
after
Naaman's return
to
Damascus, the king
some reason we do not know
for
TWO
—declared
Israel again.
However, something went wrong with
campaign.
his
Every time he planned an attack or an ambush the king of Israel
heard about
it
and prepared
for
it.
This happened "not once nor twice," but so that the king of Syria
Sending for
was sure he had a
his officers,
many
traitor in his
times
camp.
he said to them angrily, "Will ye
me which of us is for the king of Israel.?" "None, my lord, O king," replied one of the men:
not shew
Elisha, the prophet that
the
words It
in Israel, telleth the
that thou speakest in thy
could have been
someone
is
to
whom
Naaman
king of
"but Israel
bedchamber."
himself
who
said this, or
he had spoken about the power of Elisha's
God.
Now
the problem seemed easy to the king. Get Elisha,
89
and
all
would be
the trouble
and spy where he
Someone
is,
said,
that
"He
I
Thinking
Dothan
may in
is
So the king ordered host" to go to
over.
So he said
send and fetch him."
and
"horses,
by
Early next morning, the city wall and saw
Running
frightened.
how
shall
we
all
of
when
There seemed
from
he
and
cried,
chariots,
my
"Alas,
he was master!
do.^'"
least.
His
trust in
God
so great that nothing ever bothered him.
"Fear not," he said to the frightened young man: "for they that be with us are more than they that be with them."
The young man was nobody
some
90
stared at him.
Dothan ready
How
be.''
There
Had
Elisha
could this
to fight these Syrians.
secret army.''
He open
in
his
And now he eyes that he may
had.
prayed, saying, "Lord, see."
I
arrived
Elisha's servant looked
But Elisha wasn't troubled in the
was
much.
too
God.
those horses
to Elisha,
city.
a great
army
the
surprise,
by night and completely surrounded the
man
and
chariots,
man who knew
to fetch this
for the
men, "Go
Dothan."
to take Elisha
no way of escape
to his
I
pray thee,
I
ARMY
ELISHA'S SECRET
God answered
the prayer.
A moment
saw what Elisha had been looking
"Look!" he
cried excitedly.
at all the time.
"Look
"And, behold, the mountain was of fire
It
in
they
came down
he had seen once before
and he
at
them
all!"
full of horses
and
chariots
round about Elisha."
"And when fire
young man
later the
"Smite
said,
was
—he
this people, I
—those
chariots of
knew God was
very near,
to
him"
pray thee, with blindness."
a strange request, but he
had
a
wonderful plan
mind.
Now he walked out of the city gate and bravely approached the leaders of the Syrian army,
blindness not
"This
is
knowing where they were
milling about in their or
what
to do.
not the way," he said to them, "neither
the city: follow me, ye seek. But he led
When
who were
and
them
to
he had them
will bring
I
Samaria" all
you to the
—right into
this
is
man whom
Israel's capital.
safely inside the city gates
prayed, "Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they
may
he
see."
THE BIBLE STORY God
did
so,
and the
saw with sudden fear that
soldiers
they were in the midst of Samaria.
The king
was delighted. Here was a splendid
of Israel
chance to teach the Syrians a lesson they would never forget. "Shall
with
I
smite them.? Shall
said Elisha. Instead,
and water be given the go back
for
smite them.?" he said to Elisha
relish.
"No, indeed!"
to
I
to their
prisoners,
homes.
"And
and
he ordered that food that they be set free
he prepared great provision
them: and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them
away, and they went to their master."
What
a gracious, kindly deed that was!
one's enemies in a very unusual way.
while
at least.
We read
that "the
And
it
It
was loving
worked, for a
bands of Syria came no more
into the land of Israel." It
and
I
pays to have the protection of Elisha's secret army.
may have
it,
too.
The
Bible says,
encampeth round about them
"The angel
that fear him,
them."
.^ .>
'r$^ >
,
-
of the
You Lord
and delivereth
PART
STORY
TWO
8
Four Surprised Lepers
How
many months
passed before the Syrians forgot
EUsha's great kindness to their soldiers, the Bible does not say. But that they did forget
we know
the next thing
is
is
certain, for
Benhadad, king of
that
marched on Samaria and surrounded
Syria,
it.
This time, he told himself, there would be no mistake.
The
Syrians
would
finish off Israel
blocked every exit and
sat outside
once and for
waiting for the
So they
all.
Israelites to
starve to death.
And
starve they did.
stocks of food until
"an
enormous
ass's
As weeks and months went
grew lower and lower.
Prices
Only the
rich could
the poor died after eating refuse
—and even
than the one in the days of Elijah,
and
silver
—an
buy food. Hundreds of
Never had there been such a famine. for three
went up and up
head" was sold for eighty pieces of
price.
by, the
when
their It
own
children.
was even worse
there
was no
rain
a half years.
93
THE BIBLE STORY Elisha lived through
He knew
all,
it
that all this distress
and suffered with the people.
had come
as a result of the evil
course followed by the king. But the king blamed him.
At
last,
when
become about
things had
could get, the king vowed that he would day.
An
to
make
plot against his
Elisha that very
command was obeyed. ordered when he learned
Then he heard "This trouble
Lord any
of the
life.
Soon there was
a loud knocking, but he refused to open.
the voice of the king himself.
is
He was
from the Lord! why should
I
saying,
wait for the
longer.''"
Elisha called to him, .
as they
sure his
"Bar the door!" Elisha
.
bad
executioner was sent to carry out his threat, and the
king followed
.
kill
as
Tomorrow
"Hear
ye the
word
of the Lord;
about this time shall a measure of fine flour be
sold for a shekel,
and two measures of barley
for a shekel, in
the gate of Samaria."
"Bah!" exclaimed one of the men who had come with the king.
"The man must be mad!
windows
in heaven,
The
might
prices Elisha
this
But though the
man
silly.
change
his prophecy. Instead it
with thine
eyes,
be.''"
so
low
that,
city at that time, they
seemed
shalt see
thing
had quoted were
with the famine prices in the
Lord would make
If the
compared must have
scofFed at him, Elisha didn't
he said to him, "Behold, thou
but shall not eat thereof."
The king and his men went away. Perhaps the king said, "We'll give him one more day, and then if nothing happens, I will surely have him put to death." 94
FOUR SURPRISED LEPERS As
by these angry
usual, Elisha wasn't troubled
He knew
that the Syrians
—
the chariots of the
about to
move
were about
Lord and
all
to leave.
His
threats.
secret
army
—were
their shining hosts
into action once more,
and there was nothing
to fear.
That very evening,
"made
in
His
own wonderful
the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots,
noise of horses, even the noise of a great host:
one to another, Lo, the king of the kings of the Hittites,
come upon and
way, the Lord
us.
Israel
and
and the kings
their horses,
and
camp as it was, and fled for their life." The first to discover that the Syrian four lepers
who had
gate of Samaria.
It
so
and they
a
said
hath hired against us
Wherefore they arose and
left their tents,
and
of the Egyptians, to fled in the twilight,
their asses,
hosts
even the
had gone were
been slowly dying of hunger outside the
happened
that this very
day they had said
THE BIBLE STORY to
one another, "We're going
Syrians and see
So
to die
anyway;
and found nobody
walked over
They
there.
valuables behind
food
all,
to the
to the Syrian
!
camp
couldn't believe their eyes.
They thought there must be some mistake. Going from tent to tent, they found the and, best of
go
they will give us something to eat."
if
as twilight fell they
all their
let's
—money,
Heaps and
Syrians had
left
clothes, all sorts of things,
piles of
food
What
!
a find
And what
a feed!
everything.
Then
they gathered up silver and gold and gar-
ments of
kinds,
and hid them.
all
By and by
They
stuffed themselves
their consciences
felt a bit selfish,
began
enjoying themselves so
to trouble them.
much
people were starving to death inside the
way in the dark to the and told him their amazing their
and though
He
was
it
while so
city.
So they
They
many made
city gate, called the sleepy porter, story.
late at night,
He
called the other porters,
they sent
word
to the king.
when the news reached him. When know whether to believe it or not. He
in bed asleep
awakened he was
was
with the best of
didn't
sure that, even
if it
was
true,
it
was only
a trap the Syrians
They were no doubt waiting in the mountains for the Israelites to come out; then they would pounce upon them.
had
set.
FOUR SURPRISED LEPERS Somebody suggested
that five
horsemen be
sent out to
look things over. This seemed a good idea, but they couldn't find five horses able to go. So they sent two.
These scouts followed the the Jordan. All the
way
which the Syrians had
When fire
away
in their haste."
they got back to Samaria
word spread
like wild-
about the empty camp. Soon the poor, starving people
much
city gates in thousands.
They found
food that there was enough to stock the shops again.
Prices dropped so
low that a measure of
and two measures of barley
a shekel
had
of the Syrians clear to
they found "garments and vessels,
cast
were pouring out of the so
trail
fine flour
was
sold for
for a shekel, just as Elisha
said.
As
for the
him
the king put
heavy
traffic.
man who had
at Elisha's
prophecy,
in charge of the city gate to care for the
But so great was the crush that he was knocked
down, trampled on, and for everybody
killed.
So he saw the cheap food
was carrying some of
chance to eat any. the Lord.
laughed
It
never pays to
it
—but
make fun
he never had a of a prophet of
PART
STORY
9
Making Iron
MANY
TWO
were the miracles
faithful servant Elisha.
Float
God wrought Perhaps
it
through His
was because the
times were so dark, and His people were so poor
and needy,
that
He
revealed His
power
in so
many wonderful
ways.
Once when at
Elisha was visiting the school of the prophets
Gilgal he found that the students had very
Seeing
how hungry
great pot!"
the
young men were, he
and everybody began
to look
little
said, "Set
to eat.
on the
forward to a good
meal.
While to help,
the food
When
knowing
98
that they were poisonous.
mealtime came the young people
lips.
With
Elisha in charge they
fare well. Eagerly they
the pot.
students, anxious
brought a heap of wild gourds and shredded them
into the pot, not
ing their
was cooking, one of the
watched
as the
sat
knew
around they
lick-
would
food was poured from
MAKING IRON FLOAT Then came
a bitter disappointment.
Somebody recognized
the taste of the wild gourds.
"Don't eat!" he
cried.
"There
is
death in the pot."
Poor, hungry students! All looked at Elisha, shocked that
them down like this. But he hadn't. Nor was he upset.
he should have
let
"Bring meal," he cast
it
said,
and they brought some. Then he
into the pot.
"Now They
start
pouring again," he
said.
did, and, lo, the bitter taste
had gone and the poison
had vanished. Another time when he was meeting with people
—about
a
hundred altogether
—somebody
a
group of
brought him
twenty barley loaves and some ears of grain in a sack.
"Give them unto the people, that they
"What, should
I
set
this before
may
eat,"
he
said.
an hundred men?"
his
servant asked.
"Yes," said Elisha. "Give the people, that they for thus saith the Lord,
was
It
Jesus
They
and
and
wrought more than eight hundred years
One day
which
later.
There
lots left over.
and reported
that their buildings
crowded. There was no room for to attend.
building.''
fishes
the leaders of one of the schools of the prophets
to Elisha
wanted
eat:
shall leave thereof."
just like the miracle of the loaves
was plenty for everyone and
came
shall eat,
may
So would
They would
work themselves
to
it
be
young people who
all
the
all
right to put
cut the trees
were over-
and do the
up a new rest of the
keep expenses down.
Elisha said the plan sounded good to him, and he wished
them 100
well.
MAKING IRON FLOAT "Come with
us," they urged, anxious for his
at the
advice.
and went with them.
"I will go," he said,
Arriving
good
Jordan, they
all
began cutting down
trees
along the riverbank.
Suddenly there was a cry of alarm.
"My
ax!" cried one of the students. "The head has fallen
off in the water! Alas, master!
"Where did "Over
where
it
for
was borrowed!"
it
asked Elisha.
it fall.?"
there," said the
young man, pointing
to the place
had disappeared.
Elisha cut a stick
and threw
it
toward the
spot,
while
everybody looked to see what would happen.
Suddenly the axhead
floated to the surface as
though
it
had been made of wood. "Pick
it
The boy
up," said Elisha as he walked away. did
so, his
master and his God.
heart bursting with gratitude to his
PART
STORY
TWO
10
Arrows of Deliverance
GRADUALLY the
years slipped by. Elisha
moved from
palaces to hovels, talking freely with kings
-
mon
people.
time of war, famine, of strength to
all
Then he
sick
While he was on to visit him.
Some loved him, others hated him. In a and much suffering he was like a tower
who remained
fell
With
and com-
loyal to the
God
of heaven.
with "the sickness whereof he died."
his deathbed, Joash,
tears the
king
cried,
king of
"O my
Israel,
came
father,
my
father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof!"
It
how much the old prophet meant kingdom. And his words meant still more
to
was
his
way
him and
his
view of the to the
of saying
king of
Elisha
he had
fact that
just lost all
but ten of his chariots
Syria.
knew how
discouraged the king was, so he said,
"Take bow and arrows."
The king
did
so.
"Put your hand upon the bow," said the old man.
102
in
ARROWS OF DELIVERANCE The king
obeyed, and Elisha put his hands upon the
king's hands, to
"Open
the
him know that God would be with him. window eastward," said Elisha. let
Again the king did
"Shoot!" said Elisha.
"The arrow
he was asked.
as
And
he shot. !
of the Lord's deliverance " cried the prophet
as the feathered shaft sped
toward the rising sun; "and the
arrow of deliverance from Syria: for you Syrians in Aphek,
till
shall
you have consumed them."
Then he said to the king, "Take The king took them.
the arrows."
smite
the
THE BIBLE STORY "Smite upon the ground," said Elisha.
The king banged "No!" cried the hit
them
till
you had consumed
the arrows
prophet heatedly.
the striking of the arrows on the
the
five, six, seven,
"You should have
it."
than the king understood.
down
He
should have banged those arrows
ten times, to
work God wanted him
ground meant more
show
his eagerness to
end was
near. Perhaps he
fiery chariot that
do
to do.
After this Elisha became weaker and weaker, and he his
times.
then you would have smitten Syria
five or six times;
Even
on the ground three
knew
wondered sometimes whether the
had taken Elijah
to
heaven would come for
him. But no chariot came. So he died as others
die,
"and they
buried him."
Someday, however,
in the glorious
morning
of the resur-
rection,
he will awake to
straight
toward him, with the shining horsemen of heaven
eager to carry
him home.
see that chariot after all,
coming
PART Stories of Conflict (2
III and Blessing
Kings 13:21-16:20; 2 Chronicles 17:1-31:21)
PART THREE
STORY
1
The Choir That
ONE DOES battle
Won
a Battle
not often hear of an army's being led into
by a choir, but that
what happened when
is
Jehoshaphat was king of Judah.
One day
a messenger arrived in Jerusalem with
and Ammonites were on
that the Moabites
thousands of soldiers to attack the
Knowing the weakness turned to God for help. He of
Judah urging the people
Soon
own
come
all
house of the Lord.
must have been
so
many
It
people were there that
it
and
to all the cities
girls,
pray.
began stream-
packing the court of the a marvelous sight, for
seemed
as
though
was standing humbly before the Lord with their wives,
Jehoshaphat
Temple and
to the
ing into the city from
directions,
forces,
word
also sent
and mothers, boys and
fathers
way with
city.
of his
to
their
news
"all
Judah"
little
ones,
to pray.
Such
"their
their children."
By and by good king Jehoshaphat began a beautiful prayer
it
was, too!
107
^
PAINTING BV PAUL
© 1955,
REMMEY
BY REVIEW AND HERALD
As the enemy came near, the Lord gave Jahaziel a message for the people, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle
is
not your's, but God's."
THE BIBLE STORY "O Lord God God
in heaven?
so that
and
and
the heathen?
none
is
of our fathers," he cried, "art thou not
in thine
hand
seed of
there not
is
who
land before thy people
Abraham
He went on
Israel,
to
for
saying,
"O
when
evil
him "Thus
cometh upon
.
.
we
us,
stand
and cry unto thee
and help."
against this great
know we what
had the king ended
Jahaziel, a Levite,
a
message
company
and the
that
cometh
to do: but our eyes are
saith the
his
to see
and
it
prayer
when
who was
was
Lord unto you," he
another
speaking.
clear that
to cheer the people in this
It
God had
dark hour.
cried aloud, so that
whole great congregation could hear him. "Be not afraid
nor dismayed by reason of is
.
at the
our God, wilt thou not judge them?
was heard. All eyes turned
was young
the
to the
thee."
Scarcely
given
it
told of the approach of the Moabites
against us; neither
voice
and gavest
judgment, or pestilence, or famine,
we have no might
upon
of
power and might,
remind God of Solomon's prayer
in our affliction, then thou wilt hear
Ammonites,
kingdoms
didst drive out the inhab-
before this house, and in thy presence,
Then he
the
thy friend for ever?"
dedication of the Temple: "If, as the sword,
all
able to withstand thee?
"Art not thou our God, itants of this
thou over
rulest not
not your's, but God's."
this great
multitude; for the battle
THE CHOIR THAT What a sigh of them He had taken it in His own way !
"Ye
shall not
WON
A BATTLE God was
rehef went up!
going to help
over the problem and was going to solve
need to hght in
this
battle,"
Levite continued. "Set yourselves, stand ye
salvadon of the Lord with you
.
.
and
see the
fear not, nor be dis-
:
.
still,
young
the
mayed; tomorrow go out against them:
for the
Lord
will be
with you."
As humbly
Jahaziel finished speaking, king
before God, thanking
Him
and people bowed
His gracious promise
for
of deliverance.
Nobody doubted
that
God would do
as
His prophet had
said.
Boldly Jehoshaphat declared, "Believe in the Lord your
God,
so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall
ye prosper."
Early next morning
was
all
troops prepared to leave.
bustle
Jehoshaphat
who
it
suggested to the king that victory this day,
not
let
why
was we if
Him
the temple choir go ahead
songs of
did so somebody had
are not told, but the
God was
not thank
as the
moved among them
As he
speaking words of encouragement. a bright idea. Just
and excitement
man
going to win a great
for
it
in advance
.f*
Why
and lead the whole army
in
praise.''
The king thought
this
was a
fine suggestion.
At once
THE BIBLE STORY he "appointed singers unto the Lord,
.
.
.
that should praise
the beauty of holiness."
So
for the first time in history a choir
ahead of the as they
No
soldiers.
doubt
all
went out
to battle
the rest joined in, singing
marched, "Praise the Lord; for
his
mercy endureth
for ever."
What from the
a scene to
city walls
remember! Surely
all
who
looked
down
on that long column of singing men, and
heard their deep bass voices echoing back from the mountains,
must have
felt
was one of the
that this
moments
greatest
in
Jerusalem's history.
And what The praise,
happened?
"when
Bible says that
the
Lord
they began to sing and to
ambushments" against the Ammonites
set
and the Moabites, "and they were smitten." Exactly what took place that of a
sudden the enemy
themselves. killed,
In
the
we do
soldiers
fighting
not know, but
began
to quarrel
followed,
that
it
seems
among
thousands were
and when Jehoshaphat's singing army arrived on the
scene they found only dead bodies. at all, just as
God had
said
They
didn't have to fight
through Jahaziel.
For three days they walked among the dead, gathering the spoil, "both riches
snrtjini^"'^
m-2
they could carry away.
.
.
.
and precious jewels
And on
.
.
.
more than
the fourth day they assembled
themselves in the valley of Berachah [or blessing]
;
for there
they blessed the Lord."
So they sang trusted
God
their
way
the valley of fear
to
victory.
became the
And
because they
valley of blessing.
PART THREE
STORY
2
Baby Hid
WHEN came
Temple
in the
good king Jehoshaphat died much trouble
kingdom
to the
come aheady
of Judah, even as
to the northern
kingdom
it
had
of Israel.
Jehoram, the new king, was very different from his father.
He had
married Athaliah, a daughter of the wicked king Ahab,
and she had turned
The kill
all
first
his
he went on
his heart
—such
a
the Philistines
God
left
Then
dreadful thing to do!
walk "in the way of the kings of
Because of his sins
When
to Baal.
thing he did on ascending the throne was to
brothers to
from God
him
to face his
Israel."
enemies alone.
and the Arabians came up
to
attack
Jerusalem, no divine "ambushments" were set against them,
nor did any chariots of
enemy
soldiers
fire
come
broke into the
and took captive
his wives
and
to the rescue. Instead, the
city,
raided the king's house,
all his
sons save Ahaziah, the
youngest. Soon after that Jehoram himself died of a very painful disease, having reigned but eight years.
HI
THE BIBLE STORY Ahaziah took
his father's place
on the throne and reigned
only one year. His mother Athaliah "was his counsellor to
do wickedly,"
house of Ahab."
like the
asked
him
to
Lord
so that he did "evil in the sight of the
go
war
to
When
his uncle, the
king of
Israel,
against the Syrians, he did so, only
to be killed in the fighting.
Now
a strange
and
terrible
thing happened.
When
news
of her son's death reached Athaliah, she set out to kill his children if
there
all
—her own grandchildren! —no doubt thinking that
was nobody
else to take the throne, she
would be queen.
She almost succeeded in her wicked scheme, and would have done so but for the presence of mind of the children's
Hearing of the sad
aunt, Jehoshabeath.
and
nieces, this
she had
vowed
to serve
Joash and rushed
high
him
priest's wife, she
boy and in.
woman
good
his nurse in
—
knew
—
grabbed
Temple
and nobody
little
that
two-year-old
buildings. Being the
the place well,
and putting the
an out-of-the-way bedroom, locked them
She guessed that nobody would be
there,
nephews
whose long name means
Jehovah to the
fate of her
did.
likely to find
them
BABY HID IN THE TEMPLE So
it
was
that
Joash, like
little
in the
Temple. Nearly
in the
ways of truth and right by
Samuel of
old,
grew up
he lived there, being trained
six years
and
his aunt
uncle.
Meanwhile the wicked Athaliah, thinking
that all "the
seed royal" were dead, ruled as she pleased, trying to get the
people of Jerusalem to worship Baal as did the Israelites in
Samaria. Fortunately Jehoiada the high priest was a true servant of the
And
God of heaven. He
hated
all
the evil the
he knew, better than anyone
to the throne. Quietly
else,
that she
doubt whether he told anybody
hidden, told
lest
enough
just
still
spirit of revolt spread.
alive.
rightful
At
the plot
conspirator- to
was
minds
years passed,
How
ready. Jehoiada called the leading
little
Joash,
now
all
God
Hearing the
they cheered and cheered!
Jehoiada
led
was
now "God
save the king!"
Queen Athaliah hurried over to the what it was all about. To her amazement
noise,
to find out
the place
were
seven years old, for
put a crown on the boy's head, while everybody shouted, save the king!
more
to get rid of the usurper
meet him in the Temple. Then, when
present, he brought out to see.
their
As
his words.
king on the throne.
and put the
Temple
tell-
where the boy was
none doubted the truth of
so that
and more people made up
them
right
the secret get to the ears of the queen. But he
Gradually the
last
had no
he gathered his friends around him,
ing them in secret that the true heir was I
queen was doing.
filled
with people singing and shouting for
joy,
by trumpeters and the Temple choir. 5-8
113
THE BIBLE STORY Suddenly she caught sight of the a
crown and
Had
royal robes.
she not killed
all
Who
boy king, wearing
could this be? she wondered.
her grandsons
have had a claim to the throne
Uttle
—everybody who might
.f*
"Treason! Treason!" she screamed.
But no one came to her
men
carried her out of the
With cession
aid. Instead,
some of Jehoiada's
Temple and put her
to death.
the wicked usurper out of the way, a great pro-
was formed, and young King Joash was
to the king's
led in
triumph
house and placed upon "the throne of the king-
dom."
He must
have looked very small and frightened in that
big chair, but everybody was glad to see all
him
there.
the people of the land rejoiced: and the city
again.
"And
was quiet"
PART THREE
STORY
3
Boy With
HAVING and good
a
Money Box
been brought up in the Temple by Jehoiada wife Jehoshabeath,
his
Joash should serve the natural that he should
had spent most of
his
He had many
boyhood
to their lives.
No
him
was natural
that
was
also
of heaven.
to repair the
It
Temple, where he
years.
reasons for being thankful to
who had watched
to the priests
suggested to
want
God
it
over
him
God and
so long at great risk
doubt, too, Jehoiada had
more than once
might show
by
that he
his gratitude
restor-
ing the house of God. It
years
surely needed fixing.
had passed
with what it
it
since
its
Though
dedication,
it
less
was
than two hundred a
wreck compared
had been in King Solomon's day. Not only had
been raided by the soldiers of Pharaoh Shishak and the
Philistines
and Arabians, but the sons of Queen Athaliah had
"broken up the house of God" and taken things" and put
them
all
the "dedicated
in the temple of Baal.
115
THE BIBLE STORY Soon
after
he was made king, Joash called the
Levites together
and ordered them
Judah and gather money about
it,"
to
to repair the
go
priests
and
to all the cities of
Temple. "And be quick
he told them, anxious that the work should be
started as soon as possible.
The
they said to one another,
we
Perhaps
Levites, however, did not hurry themselves.
"The
king's
still
a boy, so
why
should
take any notice of him.''"
When
the king learned that his
command had
been
dis-
money was only trickling in, he sent for Jehoiada and asked him what was the matter with the Levites
obeyed, and that
and why they were
so slack in their duties.
He wanted more
speed,
more
boy, he suggested a very simple
What
way
action.
Then,
to get the
like a
just
money
quickly.
about putting a big box, or chest, outside the Temple
gate and asking everybody to put something in
it.!*
Jehoiada agreed that the idea was worth trying and
commandment
"at the king's
without
at the gate of the
The
first
example
to his people.
Right
to put
after
about the king's
a chest,
I feel
sure that
an offering into that box,
him came
the merchants of the
made
city,
and
set
it
house of the Lord."
Bible doesn't say so, but
was the
came
they
so,
as a
the princes of the realm
each dropping in some
money box
King Joash
gift.
worthy
and
all
As word
spread through the country, people
flocking to Jerusalem by the thousands to see
it.
This was
BOY WITH A MONEY BOX something new and different and the boy king's
boys and
waiting to put something in the box. Every
moment
a
long Une of
the chink of gold or silver cc-jld be heard.
By and by was
full. It
a servant ran to the
and opened
As
He
children loved
it.
king with news that the box
ordered that the box be brought to
him
in his presence.
"the king's scribe and the high priest's officer" tipped
the box in "the king's office,"
and
The
wouldn't hold another shekel. Joash could hardly
believe his ears.
up
idea.
men and women,
Soon there was girls,
own
silver,
the
never seen so
and poured out
piles of
gold
young king was delighted. Probably he had
much money
before, for the priests of the
Lord
had been very poor during the reign of Queen Athaliah, when he was hidden in the Temple. "Let put in
its
it
be
filled
again!" he
said,
and the empty box was
place outside the Temple, where
eagerly waiting to put
money
into
it.
more people were
THE BIBLE STORY By
nightfall the
box was
emptied before the king,
once more. Again
full
who was
it
was
overjoyed at the success of
his plan.
"Thus they did day by
and gathered money
day,
in
abundance."
As
the silver and gold
and carpenters
mend
.
.
,
in
also such as
to hire
"masons
wrought iron and
brass to
it
was used
the house of the Lord."
How but at
long the
last
was found
it
took to
make
work was done.
that there
was
all
the repairs
When
still
all
the
we
bills
much money
are not told,
were paid
left
over.
it
This
make vessels of gold and silver for the priests to in the Temple services. What happened to the money box nobody knows, but it
was used use
.
came
to
purpose; and the story of
served
its
a
boy can have a very bright
little
it
lets
us see
how
even
idea.
P h
m
if
YOUTH WITH A
VISION
way, and the unrighteous
his
man
his thoughts:
return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy to our
God,
and
let
upon him
;
him and
for he will abundantly pardon."
At long
he assured them,
last,
all evil will
come
to
an end.
"Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
"Say to them that are of a fearful heart. Be strong, fear
come with vengeance, even God recompence; He will come and save you.
not: behold, your
with a
"Then
God
will
the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the
ears
of the deaf shall be unstopped.
"Then
lame
shall the
dumb sing. "And the ransomed
of the
to
.
.
man
leap as an hart,
and the tongue
.
of the
Lord
shall return,
and come
Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they
shall obtain joy flee
and gladness, and sorrow and sighing
shall
away." In God's good time there will be no
suffering,
no more death. People
more war, no more
will build houses
and plant
gar-
dens without fear of invaders, and "long enjoy the work of
Then
their hands."
"They
the world.
there will be peace shall not hurt
and friendship
nor destroy in
all
all
my
over
holy
mountain, saith the Lord."
Such was the beautiful message of saw the Lord
Isaiah, the
man who
in his youth.
153
•^
PAINTING BY CHARLES ZINGARO
Isaiah described
his
©
1955, BV REVIEW
vision
AND HERALD
of the beautiful
and unhappiness, where Jesus will dwell with those who have been faithful to Him and obedient to His law.
new
earth, free
from
all fear
PART FOUR
STORY
3
Angel to the Rescue
SOME invaded Judah and
the Assyrians
years after
they
had captured Samaria
tried to take Jerusalem.
Sennacherib was king of Assyria now, and he came
up "against
all
the fenced cities of Judah,
Jerusalem alone was
had given
to the people
was the only
this
the others,
from Dan
its
mountaintop.
said,
"If
fulfilled.''
How
the country that
their possession. All
had been
David seemed
Many must the is
lost.
so lonesome, there
have wondered
how
might of Assyria.
taken,
Abraham,
God
had brought out of Egypt,
remained in
of
Jerusalem
that the promises to
all
to Beersheba,
possibly stand against all
some
In
whom He
city that
Never had the City
on
left.
and took them."
what hope
Isaac,
will the Seed of the
and Jacob
woman
it
No
will
could
doubt
remain
will ever be
ever bruise the
serpent's head.''"
Fortunately there were in Jerusalem at this time, behind its
barricaded gates, two great
154
men and
one noble
woman:
ANGEL TO THE RESCUE Isaiah the prophet,
Hezekiah the king, and Abijah, or "Abi,"
the king's mother.
Anxious
to avoid
an attack
if
possible,
sengers to Sennacherib seeking to buy
hundred
three
set a stiff price:
Hezekiah sent mes-
him
talents of silver
off.
The
and
thirty talents
invader
of gold.
Hezekiah
tried to raise the
money, even taking the gold
overlay off the doors and pillars of the Temple. This he sent to Sennacherib.
wanted more.
But the Assyrian king was not
He
said
and Hezekiah might
he was going to take the
as well
He
decided to
resist.
it
sort of
First they blocked
"Why
they said, "and find
raised
anyway
man
to give
up without
talked the matter over with his princes, and they
outside the city.
Then
city
He
open the gates and surrender.
But Hezekiah was not the a fight.
satisfied.
all
the sources of water
should the kings of Assyria come,"
much
they "built up
up
up
water.''" all
to the towers"
the wall that
was broken, and
and made weapons and
shields.
^^
Gathering
all his
their heart," saying,
captains together,
Hezekiah "spoke
"Be strong and courageous, be not
nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for that
is
to
afraid
the multitude
all
with him: for there be more with us than with him:
with him
is
to help us,
an arm of
and
The
but with us
is
the
Lord our God
to fight our battles."
Wonderful chariots of the
flesh;
faith!
Like Elisha, Hezekiah was sure the
Lord would come
captains were cheered,
words, the Bible
to his rescue.
and "leaned" upon the king's
says.
They had need of courage, for soon part of the Assyrian army arrived, led by Rabshakeh, who called for a parley. Three men went out to talk with him "Eliakim which was
—
.
.
.
,
over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah recorder."
of
No
what took
doubt place.
this
is
why we have
such a
full
.
.
.
the
account
ANGEL TO THE RESCUE Rabshakeh
told the three
him
men
to
go back
was no point
to
King Hezeany
kiah and
tell
longer. If
he was looking for help from the Egyptians, he was
that there
in resisting
leaning on a broken reed. If he was trusting in the
Anyway,
heaven, he was equally mistaken. the king of Assyria to
At
this
Syrian, not
come and
the
Lord had
of
told
destroy Jerusalem.
Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah begged
Hebrew,
God
him
so that the people hstening
to talk in
on the
city
wall would not understand. Rabshakeh refused. Instead, he raised his voice
and shouted, "Have any of the gods
nations delivered their lands out of the
hand
Where are the gods of Hamath and gods who have delivered their countries!"
Assyria.-^
the
There was no reply from the people on the Hezekiah had passed the word
to everybody,
of the
of the king of Arpad-f*
Name
walls, for
King
"Answer him
not.
But when the parley was over and Rabshakeh had gone away, Hezekiah was
much
upset.
Joah to Isaiah that they might
When sage
tell
sent Eliakim, Shebna,
him
all
that
and
had happened.
they returned to the king they brought this mes-
from the Lord: "Be not
upon him, and he
own
He
shall hear a
afraid.
...
will send a blast
I
rumour, and
shall return to his
land."
For a while nothing more happened. Then one day a letter arrived from the king of Assyria, repeating all that Rabshakeh had said and demanding again that the rendered.
When
of the Lord,
Hezekiah read
and spread
it
it
city
be sur-
he "went up unto the house
before the Lord."
Then he
prayed.
157
1 ^pg^^
"O Lord God
tween the cherubims, thou all
the
kingdoms
"which dwellest
of Israel," he cried, art the
God, even thou
be-
alone, of
made heaven and
of the earth; thou hast
earth.
"Lord, eyes,
and
him "Of
sent
see:
thine ear, and hear: open, Lord, thine
and hear the words of Sennacherib, which hath
to reproach the living
God.
a truth. Lord, the kings of Assyria have destroyed
the nations fire: for
bow down
and
their lands,
and have
they were no gods, but the
cast their
work
gods into the
of men's hands,
wood
stone: therefore have they destroyed them.
and
"Now,
therefore,
O
Lord our God,
thou us out of his hand, that
all
the
I
beseech thee, save
kingdoms
of the earth
may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only." What a beautiful prayer, so earnest, so full of faith and trust! God heard it. Indeed, He sent Isaiah immediately to him
tell
message.
He
so.
"Thus
shall not
158
"Don't worry," was the burden of the prophet's saith the
come
Lord concerning
into this city, nor shoot
the king of Assyria,
an arrow
there,
nor
ANGEL TO THE RESCUE come
before
it
with
shield,
nor
cast a
bank against
way that he came, by the same shall he come into this city, saith the Lord. "For
and
for
I
my
will defend this city, to save
it,
for
the
exactly
what was going
enemy would be turned
shall not
to
to
light
sake,
back. Everyone could relax.
a great slaughter in the
camp
what happened the Bible does not there
defend
happen and how
That very night the angel of the Lord went into actly
the
servant David's sake."
He knew
There was
By
mine own
Wonderful promise! God Himself was going the city.
it.
and
return,
were 185,000 dead
soldiers
action.
of the Assyrians. Exsay,
but by morning
lying
all
over
the
countryside around Jerusalem.
People crowded to the walls to see the amazing
They could hardly
believe their eyes, for not
sight.
an arrow had
been shot or a stone thrown. Yet there were their enemies asleep in death!
As
The
for the
of face to his
Assyrian army was no more!
mighty Sennacherib, "he returned with shame
own
land," where
two
of his sons put
him
to death.
PART FOUR
STORY
4
The Sun Turns Back
ONE
of the most wonderful events in history occurred
in the reign of Hezekiah.
and
Isaiah
had
told
him
But Hezekiah did not want face to the wall, thee,
O
is
good
to die.
and with
now how
a perfect heart,
in thy sight."
As he
I
fallen sick,
was going
that he
to die.
So he "turned
and prayed unto the Lord,
Lord, remember
in truth
The king had
saying,
I
his
beseech
have walked before thee
and have done
that
which
prayed, he wept "with a great
weeping."
God
heard his faithful servant. Before Isaiah had gone as
far as the
"middle court" of the king's house "the word of the
Lord came
to
captain of
my
thy father, behold,
I
I
him, saying, Turn again, and people,
Thus
160
God
David
have seen thy
tears:
on the third day thou
unto the house of the Lord. fifteen years."
I
Hezekiah the of
saith the Lord, the
have heard thy prayer,
will heal thee:
tell
And
I
will
shalt
go up
add unto thy days
THE SUN TURNS BACK How court,"
walk
I
far
was from the king's bedroom
it
don't
know; but
that distance the
really
it
took Isaiah to
answer came.
Hezekiah then asked
Lord was
in the Uttle time
middle
to "the
if
he might have a sign that the
going to heal him.
Yes, said Isaiah, he could.
And
he could choose one of
two. Pointing to a sundial in the garden outside the royal
bedroom, he asked
if
the king
would
like the
shadow
to
"go
forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees." In olden times, before clocks were invented, sundials were used to
tell
the
time by means of a shadow cast by the sun.
Now, although Hezekiah was few minutes
before,
a very sick
man who,
had been weeping heartbrokenly
but a
at the
n -4 thought of approaching death, his mind was
shadow went forward ten
to see that if the
mean
little;
but
if it
would be a miracle
still
keen enough
degrees,
went bacl^ward ten degrees
of the
first
—
it
would
well, that
order.
"Let the shadow return backward ten degrees," he asked,
J
whereupon
Isaiah cried earnestly to
God
to
do
marvelous
this
thing.
As
the prophet prayed, the king watched the sundial
his bed. Surely
ing.
The shadow was mov-
could not be! Yes!
it
Not forward, but backward! Nothing
happened before! Back, back, back grees,
four
It it
degrees.
was beyond went.
One
from
like this
had ever
was happening.
belief.
But
it
degree,
two
degrees, three de-
Miracle of miracles!
Eight,
nine,
ten
degrees
Hezekiah must have gasped
in
amazement. For a mo-
ment, perhaps, he thought he had asked too much. For here
was God upsetting the whole universe answer
his simple
It just
shows
—or
so
it
seemed
—
to
and rather thoughtless prayer.
how much God
who love and trust Him with all make the sun turn back in the sky
is
prepared to do for those
their hearts. if
appoint one of His faithful children.
need
He
be, rather
will even
than
dis-
PART FOUR
STORY
5
From Babylon
Visitors
HOW
Nobody knows.
did the sundial miracle happen?
But
must have happened,
it
the selfsame time
for
on the sundials
dreds of miles away. And, of course,
it
was noticed
it
in
at
Babylon hun-
must have been noticed
on every other sundial around the world. Everywhere people wondered what
As
it
meant.
for Hezekiah,
he got
better, just as Isaiah
Within three days he was back
Then
it
was
thou hast
my
I
had great
soul delivered
cast all
my
sins
it
from
as healthy as ever.
bitterness: but
thou hast
the pit of corruption: for
behind thy back.
"For the grave cannot praise thee: they that
work,
said.
that he wrote these words:
"Behold, for peace in love to
at
had
thee, death
go down into the
pit
can not celebrate
cannot hope for thy
truth.
"The
living, the living,
he
shall praise thee, as I
do
this
day."
163
THE BIBLE STORY Some weeks later important visitors arrived in Jerusalem. They were ambassadors from Babylon, with letters and a present
from King Merodach-baladan
to congratulate
Heze-
kiah on his recovery. They had also come "to inquire of the
wonder was
was done
that
talking.
Hezekiah was delighted. Indeed, comforting to him left.
which everybody
in the land," about
the only city in
Palestine standing out
all
power of the Assyrians, he must sometimes have
against the felt very,
then to find that he had a few friends
just
With Jerusalem
must have been very
it
very lonesome.
So he gave the Babylonian ambassadors a great welcome. Gladly he told them sundial,
from
and how
his illness
and
and the
live
little
all
his
would recover
that he
another fifteen years.
pride he showed
them
his secret vaults
and the
and the precious ointment, and
of his armour, and
No
shadow had moved back on
of his precious things, the silver,
spices,
What
the
had been a sign
it
Then with no
—"the house
how
that
was found
all
gold,
the house
in his treasures."
the ambassadors thought of
it
all,
we
are not told.
doubt they made a mental note of everything, in case
might come
in
handy sometime. They knew
the Babylonian king,
where
a nice
little
would
store of gold
it
their royal master,
certainly be interested to learn
and
silver
could be found
when
needed.
At
last
the ambassadors took their leave, with
many kind
words and good wishes from Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem.
164
Hardly had they disappeared down the
however, than
up
at the royal palace.
He wanted
visitors
and what they had
said.
Isaiah turned
about the
hill,
"Oh,"
said
Hezekiah,
still
to
know
all
very happy at what had hap-
pened, "they came from a far country, even from Babylon."
"What have
they seen in thine house.''" was the next
question.
"Everything," said Hezekiah gaily, no doubt thinking Isaiah guests.
would be pleased with the courtesy he had shown
his
But the prophet was not pleased.
Hezekiah had made
a mistake.
He
should not have pa-
raded his wealth before these strangers.
165
THE BIBLE STORY "Hear the word
hold, the days come, that
which thy
Lord
of the all
fathers have laid
that
up
of hosts," said Isaiah. "Beis
shocked.
He had
course, he should have been
and
that
in store until this day, shall be
carried to Babylon: nothing shall be
The king was
in thine house,
more
left,
saith the
Lord."
never thought of careful!
Now
it
this.
was too
Those men had seen everything, and they would
late.
about
it.
His best-kept
secrets
tell
would be known not only
Babylon, but maybe in Nineveh, too.
How
foolish
Of
in
he had
been!
How
careful
we
should be in every word and action
!
One
thoughtless deed, prompted by pride or vainglory, can bring
such unhappy consequences. Wise indeed are they their visitors, not the treasures of their
of God's love toward them.
who show
homes, but the riches
PART FOUR
STORY
6
The Bad Boy King
EXACTLY
fifteen years after the sundial miracle,
kiah passed to his
was
his
young
rest.
son,
Taking
Heze-
on the throne
his place
Manasseh, one of the worst kings
Judah ever had.
How
such a good father came to have such a bad son
a mystery.
It
could be that Hezekiah loved the lad so
that he spoiled him.
The
is
much
Bible speaks of the "kindnesses" of
Hezekiah, which suggests that he was a very tenderhearted, generous man. This
may have
led
him
to give
Manasseh more
than was good for him, and to spare him punishment
when
he did something wrong.
Whatever the
He
start.
all
Manasseh was
a
little
rebel
As soon
the
good
as
he came to the throne he
his father
had done.
He
set
destroyed.
He
about un-
gave orders for
the rebuilding of the altars to the heathen gods that
had
from the
took delight in defying his father and going against
his wishes.
doing
cause,
Hezekiah
brought back Baal worship to Jerusalem,
167
THE BIBLE STORY and "worshipped His greatest
Temple
—a
itself
was the placing
sin
and served them."
the host of heaven,
all
of a carved
shocking insult to the
had commanded His people, "Thou
God
shalt not
image
in the
of heaven,
who
make unto
thee
any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that heaven above, or that
in the earth beneath, or that
is
water under the earth: thou shalt not
bow down
is
is
in
in the
thyself to
them, nor serve them." Besides
this,
all
Manasseh brought back
ways of the heathen. "He made
and
.
.
.
his son pass
all
the wicked
through the
used enchantments, and dealt with familiar
and wizards: he wrought much wickedness
fire,
spirits
in the sight of the
Lord, to provoke him to anger." Isaiah
was dead by now, perhaps
"shed innocent blood very much." But to
warn
killed
God
by Manasseh,
sent other prophets
young king what would happen
the
tinued in his evil course.
Through one
of
who
to
him
them He
if
he con"Be-
said:
cause Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, .
.
.
behold,
that
I
am
whosoever heareth of
wipe Jerusalem it
bringing such
as a
man
it,
evil
upon Jerusalem and Judah,
both his ears shall
tingle. ...
wipeth a dish, wiping
it,
I
will
and turning
upside down."
But though
God
spoke so plainly to Manasseh and his
As a result, sore punishment fell upon them. The Assyrians came and took Manasseh captive. The carved image he had put in the Temple did not save him, nor all the heathen gods he had worshiped. Bound with chains, people, they
would not
listen.
he was carried to Babylon.
168
{ *f.itV.I.":
How
remembered
are not told; but while there he
and
we
long he remained in prison in a foreign land,
He came to and he asked God
his father's
he had made,
"When
God.
he was in
affliction,
what
see
his
kind father
a dreadful mistake
him.
to forgive
he besought the Lord his God,
and humbled himself greatly before the God of
and
his fathers,
prayed unto him."
—even though he — Temple "and brought him
Very wonderfully, God forgave him
had put
a carved image in the
Then Manasseh knew
again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. that the
Lord he was God."
Converted the
at
Manasseh
last,
wrong he had done
tried
the altars he
the city."
He
had
built in Jerusalem
manded Judah
to serve the
made such
all
he took that
and
"cast
them out
offerings,
and
of
sacri-
and com-
Lord God."
a mess of things at
in the end.
first
!
What
But what a
wasted years
needless suffering!
Manasseh's reign lasted reign
for
Then he broke down
and thank
So the bad boy king made good
What
all,
also "repaired the altar of the Lord,
ficed thereon peace offerings
pity he
make up
in his youth. First of
ugly idol out of the house of the Lord. all
to
it
fifty-five years.
What
a glorious
might have been had he always remained true
and followed
to
God
in his father's footsteps!
169
PART FOUR
STORY
7
The Good Boy King
A FTER Manasseh r^k -*-
died his son
But he only reigned two
^- had
been, he
was
Amon
years.
came
to the throne.
A bad lad,
as his father
killed by his servants.
Then
boy Josiah became king.
little
was only eight
Josiah
and
tion,
that's very
He must
young
years old at the time of his coronato be a king.
have had a very good mother
for,
from the
"he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, declined neither to the right hand, nor to the
When things
up
By
in the city in a big
his presence."
down ashes
.
and
.
left."
God; and when he was twenty he began
As
He
to clean
way.
his orders the altars of Baal
destroyed.
.
start,
he was sixteen, "while he was yet young," he gave
his heart to
170
his
went personally
were broken down "in
to see that the idols
were
for the worst of the "sun-images," he cut
them
himself. All the
wooden
idols
he burned, scattering the
on the graves of those who had
sacrificed to
them.
The
THE GOOD BOY KING metal images were ground to dust
also,
even as Moses destroyed
the golden calf in the wilderness.
Having cleaned out went "throughout
all
all
the idols
from Jerusalem, Josiah
the land of Israel"
and did the same
in
every city and village. Since the Assyrians had gone back to
homeland by now,
their
of
was nobody
to stop
him.
way he asked for offerings to help repair Temple, which had been badly damaged during the reign
As he went on
the
there
Manasseh and
his
his
wicked son, Amon. Poor
as the people
were, they gave what they could.
This money was brought to Jerusalem and used to buy stone
and lumber and
to
pay the workmen.
At this time an amazing discovery was made. As the money for the repair of the Temple was being poured out of the chest in
which
it
was kept, Hilkiah the high
a roll of parchment. Picking of the law of the
had hidden
it
it
up, he saw that
Lord given by Moses."
in this chest long ago to
keep
No it
it
priest spied
was "a book
doubt somebody
safe
from enemies.
Excitedly he called to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord!"
THE GOOD BOY KING Shaphan could hardly
believe his ears. This
Everybody thought the books of Moses had been
to be true.
destroyed long since.
Running
book from the high
priest's
Yes
It
!
was indeed the
book written by
With to
it
As
he eagerly took the
trembling hands.
long-lost
Temple copy
of the sacred
Israel's greatest leader.
Shaphan hurried
wonderful news. Then he read long passages
him.
Josiah listened he
how
realized
to Hilkiah,
the book clutched in his hands,
to tell Josiah the
from
was too good
was deeply moved. Suddenly he
far the children of Israel
had
fallen into sin,
how
deeply they must have disappointed God.
You
see,
people did not have Bibles in their homes in those
Almost the only sacred writings known,
days.
the
besides
Psalms of David and the Proverbs of Solomon, were the books of Moses;
and not even the king had
a copy of them.
Knowl-
edge of God's will depended largely on people's memories,
and they weren't too good. That's why the discovery of book was
so very, very important.
You can imagine what Josiah thought Ten Commandments read to him from the the
first
time in his
"Thou "Thou "Thou vain.
.
.
this
shalt
as
he heard the
sacred scrolls for
life:
have no other gods before me.
shalt not shalt not
make unto thee any graven image. take the name of the Lord thy God .
.
.
in
.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep "Honour thy father and thy mother.
holy.
it
.
.
.
.
.
.
173
^
PAINTIN(. BY
MANNING
DE
V. LF.E
© 1955.
BY REVIEW AND HERALD
When Shaphan
the scribe read to King Josiah God from the sacred scroll that had been lost so many years in the rubble
the counsels of
of the Temple, the king
was moved with
grief.
THE BIBLE STORY "Thou "Thou "Thou "Thou "Thou
"We cried, as
shalt not kill. shalt not
commit
adultery.
shalt not steal.
shalt not bear false witness.
.
.
.
shalt not covet."
have broken them all!" the young king must have
he thought of
all
had
the wicked things his people
been doing.
Then
in silent
awe he
listened as
come
to pass,
if
"It shall
voice of the
ments and all
these
Lord thy God,
his statutes
curses
"Cursed be in the
field.
"Cursed shalt thou be
.
.
command thee,
all his
command-
thee this day; that
and overtake
and cursed
city,
thee:
shalt
thou
.
shalt
thou be
when thou
"The Lord
I
thou be in the
shalt
do
to observe to
which
read:
thou wilt not hearken unto the
come upon
shall
Shaphan
when thou comest
in,
and cursed
goest out.
shall send
upon
thee cursing, vexation,
and
rebuke."
The king was shaken with dismay and "Go, enquire of the Lord for me," he Shaphan. "For great
is
the wrath of the
grief.
said to Hilkiah
Lord
that
out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the the Lord, to do after
all
that
is
is
and
poured
word
of
written in this book."
Hilkiah and Shaphan went to Huldah the prophetess for counsel.
She told them that Judah would indeed be punished
for all the evil
come 174
it
had done, but
this
punishment would not
in the days of Josiah because he
had humbled himself
before
God and wept
When
for
transgressions of his people.
the
Josiah received this message he called everybody in
Jerusalem and Judah to meet
him
arrived "he read in their ears
all
in the
the
When
Temple.
they
words of the book of the
covenant that was found in the house of the Lord." Publicly he his
made
his
commandments, and
all his heart,
and with
own
his testimonies,
to stand
of
with
join
him
in
God.
keep the Passover again,
there
his statutes,
who would
While the people were repentant he to
and
all his soul."
Then he asked everyone this rededication to
promise to the Lord, "to keep
was no Passover
as of old.
like to that
told
them
They were
of his plan glad.
"And
kept in Israel from the days
Samuel the prophet." It
was good
that
it
was
so, for that
old Jerusalem and Solomon's
When
good king Josiah
Temple
was the
Passover
ever saw.
died, Judah's last
him. Little more than twenty years
last
later
both
hope died with
city
and Temple
were no more. 175
/
(
I i
PART FOUR
STORY The
8
Call of Jeremiah
MONG those who wept at the death of King Josiah was
A
f^L Jeremiah, "the son of Hilkiah," perhaps the same JL Jl. Hilkiah who found the book of the law in the Temple treasure box.
Jeremiah and Josiah must have been about the same age, for
it
was when Josiah was twenty-one
called by
up
God
to be a prophet.
Jeremiah was
So these two young
same hopes and
together, with the
that
ideals.
men grew
They worked
together in trying to clean out idol worship and bring the
people back to God.
No
wonder Jeremiah
cried
when
his
good
friend died.
As a boy Jeremiah never dreamed he would be when he grew up, nor did he want to be one. He Lord and hoped But
to be a
to serve
prophet
Him as a faithful
a prophet
loved the
priest, like his father.
like Elijah, Elisha, or Isaiah, oh, no!
He
didn't aspire to anything like that.
But
God had His
eye on this boy.
5-12
-
PAINTING BV RUSSELL HARLAN
Called
made
saw that he was 177
© 1355.
BY REVIEW AND HERALD
by God to be a prophet, Jeremiah the plea that he did not know how to
but God touched his lips and said, "Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth." speak,
He
THE BIBLE STORY faithful in his duties; that
God
one day
Such I
He
he was a boy
could
And
trust.
spoke to him.
a surprise that was!
formed thee ...
knew
I
For God
thee;
.
.
said to
and
.
him, "Before
ordained thee a
I
prophet unto the nations." This was like saying, "I was thinking of you and planning for you before you were born."
Jeremiah found cused
—
am
hard to
Lord God!" he
said.
He
believe.
Moses when God
just like
bush. "Ah, I
this
begged
him
called
"Behold,
to be ex-
burning
at the
cannot speak; for
I
a child."
But the Lord would not
let
hand on Jeremiah's mouth and words
in thy
him said,
off.
He
Instead,
"Behold,
I
put His
have put
mouth."
This was an even more wonderful experience than
when he was
called.
from
live coal"
this
day
to root out,
down,
were touched by "a
said to this rather bashful
set
and
to build,
thee over the nations to pull
and
were touched by
He
down, and
young man,
"See,
and over the kingdoms,
to destroy,
and
to
throw
to plant."
Jeremiah didn't anything.
his lips
off the altar, Jeremiah's lips
Then God have
For while
Isaiah's,
God.
the finger of
I
my
feel
preferred a
like
pulling
down
more peaceful
life.
or
destroying
Anyway, he
didn't like talking to people; crowds frightened him.
God faces."
"I have
understood. Patiently
There was no need
made
He
said,
"Be not afraid of
their
for fear. "Behold," said the Lord,
thee this day a defenced city,
and an iron
pillar,
and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of 178
THE CALL OF JEREMIAH Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof,
and against the people of the
land.
And
they shall fight against
thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for thee, saith the
I
am
Lord, to deliver thee."
Wonderful promise! Surely God could not have to
do more for
service.
with
this
He would
young
take
man whom He wanted
away
all
offered in
His
his fear, all his feelings of
make his sagging backbone like an iron pillar. He would make him like a city with brazen walls, which no enemy could break down. And through the darkest days God would be with him to deliver him.
weakness, and
Jeremiah accepted his prophets of
all
God
remember His promises lips.
of people.
and became one of the
greatest
time.
Perhaps someday
your
call,
will call
you into His
to Jeremiah.
Let His fingers touch
Let His words be your words.
"Be not
afraid of their faces,"
you, always, to deliver you.
service. If so,
And don't be scared for God will be with
PART FOUR
STORY
9
Judah's Last Chance
TIME was
running out for Judah and Jerusalem, but
the people did not realize
it.
Nor
did they care.
After Josiah's death everything went wrong. His
They brought back idol worship again, and one trouble after another came upon them. Hardly had Jehoahaz become king when Pharaoh Necho deposed him and put his brother Jehoiakim on the throne. At sons were not a bit like him.
the same time Pharaoh of silver
and
tribute of a
hundred
talents
a talent of gold.
By taxing money, but
demanded
the people heavily Jehoiakim raised the tribute
scarcely
had he paid
off the
Egyptians than the
Babylonians arrived. They partly looted the Temple and took a
number of During
princes captive, including Daniel these dark
and
terrible
bring to king and people God's
depth of love in his messages
is
and
his friends.
days Jeremiah tried to
last call
to repentance.
something
to
wonder
The
at.
"Return, ye backsliding children," he earnestly pleaded
180
JUDAH'S LAST CHANCE name
the
in
God, "and
of
"If thou wilt return,
me: and sight,
your backslidings."
will heal
Israel, saith the
Lord, return unto
thou wilt put away thine abominations out of
if
my
then thou shalt not remove."
There was
away
O
I
a chance for
They had but
captive.
"O
still
them
to avoid
being carried
to repent.
Jerusalem," cried the prophet, "wash thine heart from
wickedness, that thou mayest be saved."
one honest
If just all
would be
"Run see
could be found in the
he
said,
forgiven.
now, and know, and seek
truth;
city,
ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and
ye can find
and
.
.
will cause
.
in the broad places thereof,
if
any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the
will
I
"Amend I
man
pardon
it."
your ways and your doings," he pleaded, "and
you
to dwell in this place
.
.
.
forever
and
ever."
THE BIBLE STORY How
tenderly
Him
on
their backs
God
Him
and disobeyed
How much He
ber!
who had
spoke to these people
turned
times without
must have loved them
num-
have offered
to
them full pardon after they had been so wicked! Did they listen? Did they care? Did they repent? No, indeed.
When God
said to
them, "Stand ye in the ways, and
and ask
for the old paths,
therein,
and ye
"We
will not
where
shall find rest for
is
the
to
have
it
good way, and walk
your souls," they answered,
walk therein."
So long had the people followed
had come
see,
wrong
to like
their evil
better than right.
ways
"My
that they
people love
lamented the prophet. They didn't want to be
so,"
good any more.
When at
him
said to
in his
the priests, rulers,
because of his simple, old-fashioned teachings, Jeremiah
them: "Thus
glory in
am
saith the Lord,
wisdom, neither
not the rich
let
and wealthy merchants laughed
this,
the
that
man
mighty
man glory in his riches
man
glory
glory in his might,
him that glorieth he understandeth and knoweth me, that I
Lord which
the
let
Let not the wise
:
but
let
exercise lovingkindness,
righteousness, in the earth: for in these things
judgment, and I
delight, saith
the Lord."
As notice
the days of
him,
and months went by and nobody took any Jeremiah's
warnings became
stronger
and
stronger.
"Lo," he
O
house of
182
cried, "I will
Israel, saith the
bring a nation upon you from
Lord:
it
is
a
mighty nation,
far, it
is
# an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not.
.
.
.
"And
up thine
they shall eat
thy flocks and thine herds
.
.
.
and thy bread
harvest,
thy vines and thy fig
.
trees.
.
.
.
.
.
Like as ye have forsaken me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that
Again, he
said,
"Behold,
I
will bring evil
they shall not be able to escape." "Behold, the
young men
shall die
by the sword;
I
is
not yours."
upon them, which them:
will punish
their sons
and
their
daughters shall die by famine."
But nobody heeded
his
warnings. They called
prophet of doom, and said he didn't about. it
Had
know what he was
not Jerusalem stood for hundreds of years.
f'
him
a
talking
Would
not stand for hundreds more.?
Sorrowfully Jeremiah answered them,
"The
heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the
stork in the
turtle
[dove]
and the crane and the swallow observe the time of coming; but
my
people
know
not the judgment of the Lord."
Storks, turtle doves, cranes, swallows
—
birds
all
know
their
their time to migrate,
—and
and obey
many it.
other
But God's
people, blinded by sin, couldn't see that the hour of His judg-
ment had come.
*.
*-
PART FOUR
STORY
10
Dungeon
Escape From a
A
JEREMIAH
S
continued to warn the people of coming
r'\ judgment, it was not long before he got into trouble. -^ .^ After one sermon in which he had said that Jerusalem would become "desolate without an inhabitant" it
if
did not return to God, he was arrested and brought before
the princes of the city.
"This
man
is
worthy
hath prophesied against
to die," said his accusers;
"for he
have heard with your
this city, as ye
ears."
So angry were some of the
him there and then spoken up for him. As it
would have had not Urijah,
killed
who had
and princes
priests
a
if
was,
that they
few strong friends another prophet,
given exactly the same message, was put to
death.
Another time when Jeremiah was preaching, Pashur, the high priest and chief
him 184
in the stocks,
officer in the
where he was
Temple, beat him and put
left all
night.
DUNGEON
ESCAPE FROM A
Next morning, when he was what was going
to
happen
to
set free,
Jeremiah told Pashur
him.
"Thus saith the Lord," he said, "I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon, and shall slay them with the sword. .
And
thou, Pashur,
and thou
into captivity: shalt die,
to
whom With
it
"I
and
and
that dwell in thine house shall
shalt
come
thou hast prophesied so
many
him
for Jeremiah to
in his bones,
The word
of
and he couldn't keep
Thinking
that
if
all
thy friends,
or laughing at him,
keep on with
work.
his
of giving up. "I will not
mention of him, nor speak any more it.
and
he murmured. "Everyone mocks me."
More than once he thought But he couldn't do
go
lies."
people opposing
in derision daily,"
.
Babylon, and there thou
to
shalt be buried there, thou,
was sometimes hard
am
all
.
in his
God was
name," he
like a
make said.
burning
fire
quiet.
he wrote out
all
the messages
God had
r
>3
fi
kf
^
.