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Private Notes
Abraham and Isaac is an emotion-filled story of complete obedience and unreserved sacrifice. This heart-rending story is one of the greatest tests of obedience, faith and trust in God found anywhere in the Bible. Abraham passes the test and renews God's promise that he will become the father of many nations.
Tells the story of Joseph from the Bible, when he was sent to Egypt by his brothers, and met Pharaoh.
Eli, the high priest of Israel, knowingly disobeys the Lord, and he and his sons are punished. Hannah fulfills her promise to God, and gives up her son to His service. In return, God blesses Hannah by making her son, Samuel, the chosen Prophet of the people of Israel.
Ahab, a great king of the Israelites, has fallen under the spell of Jezebel, a daughter of the King of the Sidonians. He has rejected the Israelites' God and embraced Jezebel's religion: the worship of the idol Baal. At Jezebel's command, Ahab has ordered the execution of the prophets of Israel, replacing them with Baal's false prophets. But one man, Elijah, filled with power of the true God, directly challenges Ahab and Jezebel. He pronounces God's curse. " No rain will fall on Israel until the people reject Baal and return to God. As the God of Israel liveth no rain shall fall until I call on the Lord to deliver it." God commands Elijah to escape to the desert in the East, where God provides water and food from Heaven for His Prophet. Elijah longs to return to Israel, to save his people. But he is obedient to God. God commands Elijah to go and show himself to Ahab. Elijah tells Ahab to gather the prophets of Baal and meet him on Mount Carmel, where sacrifices are to be placed on two altars. " Let us call on our Gods," he says. " The God that answers with fire is the true God." The prophets of Baal cry out in vain to their idol. When Elijah prays humbly to God, God sends down fire, accepting Elijah's offering. The people. Realizing at last that there is only one true God, kill the prophets of Baal, and God sends the rains again, ending His people's despair.
Nebuchadnezzar orders that all Hebrew boys be brought to his palace in Babylon. Daniel, along with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, are captured and taken to the palace. They are to be trained alongside Babylonian boys to become wise men and are given Babylonian names. David demands that the Israelites be given their own food, and they become much healthier than their Babylonian counterparts. God gives Daniel and his friends great wisdom. To Daniel, God gives the special power to interpret dreams. The King has frightening dream and when Daniel interprets the dream, the King makes Daniel and the Hebrews his closest advisors. The King has a magnificent golden statue built and demands that all worship the idol. When Daniel's three friends refuse, Nebuchadenzzar has them thrown into a fiery oven. An angel of God appears and protects them in the furnace. Time passes. Daniel becomes the closest advisor to Darius, the new king. Responding to the jealousy of other court officers who know that Daniel will never worship an idol, Darius issues a edict that all shall worship his statue. Daniel refuses to obey the decree and is thrown into a den of lions. God protects him and Darius recognizes that Daniel's God is the one true and just God. Darius frees Daniel from the lions and issues a final decree: All of this people shall worship the God of Daniel - the all powerful and just God of the Hebrews.
Mordecai, a Hebrew, is the gatekeeper at the palace of a great Babylonian king. A woman brings him an orphaned infant girl named Esther. Mordecai raises her as his own daughter, devoutly praying that God care for her. Years pass, and Esther has grown into a kind and beautiful young woman. King Xerxes has ascended to the Babylonian throne, with the evil Haman as his principal adviser. Xerxes has banished his wife, and sends for all of the young women in the kingdom so that he may choose a new wife. At first Mordecai is reluctant to send Esther to Xerxes. But God has chosen Esther for great things, and Mordecai prepares Esther for her meeting with the King. He warns her never to reveal that she is a Jew. Xerxes finds Esther beautiful, and makes her his queen. Over time, Esther helps King Xerxes to understand that in order to be a great king, he must be kind and generous. But evil is at work in the person of the king's second in command, Haman, who declares that everyone in the kingdom must bow down before him. Mordecai refuses, declaring that as a Jew he will bow to no one except his God. This enrages Haman, who vows to destroy all the Jews. Haman goes to Xerxes and falsely claims there is a plot among the Jews to overthrow the kingdom. Mordecai overhears Xerxes give Haman permission to hang all the Jews. Mordecai asks Esther to intervene with Xerxes on the behalf of the Jews. Queen Esther asks all of the Jews to fast for three days, knowing full well that her confrontation with the King and Haman will bring her own death. The brave Esther declares to the King that she is a Jew. She says that her people wish the King no harm. "We only want to worship our God in peace." Haman demands her instant death but Xerxes, filled with Esther's goodness and God's love, believes her. He orders Haman executed on the same gallows that he had erected for the Jews. King Xerxes embraces Esther with love and gratitude, and rewards the good Mordecai by making him his second in command.
Except for a mother's desperate plan, the strong will of an Egyptian princess, and the mighty hand of God, Israel's most honored leader may never have seen his first birthday. "Moses" recounts the traumatic early years of Moses' life, from the privileged youth in Pharaoh's household to his dreary days tending sheep in the Midian desert.
Elisha, a young man, works hard on his father's prosperous farm, a farm which he will some day inherit. When the prophet Elijah visits Elisha and tells him that he will be the new prophet of Israel, Elisha, obedient to God, leaves the farm to follow Elijah. Elijah teaches his new student, knowing that his days on earth are few. Despite Elijah's efforts, the kings of Israel continue to worship idols and not the living God. In Elijah and Elisha's wanderings, they come to the River Jordan. Elijah spreads his mantle on the waters, and God parts the river so that the Prophet and student may cross. Elisha, doubting that he will ever be able to take his teacher's place, asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit, which he promises to his student if Elisha sees him taken to Heaven in a chariot of fire. Elijah tells him never to take a reward for the works of God, for God is the only miracle worker. Just as the Prophet had foretold, God sends for Elijah, and as he ascends, throws his mantle to Elisha. Elisha parts the River Jordan with Elijah's mantle. He begins his days as the next great Prophet, performing miracles and spreading God's commands and love. Elisha and his servant, Gehezi, wander the country. The water supply of a great city has been poisoned. God tells Elisha to spread salt on the waters. When he does so, God cleanses the water. "Thus sayeth the Lord, I have healed these waters, and death will not come from them again." When offered great wealth for his miracle, Elisha, to the dismay of Gehezi, refuses.
A famine has destroyed the farm of Elimelech of Bethlehem, driving him and his wife Naomi to the land of Moab. There, with the help of their two sons, they do well for a time, and the sons marry Gentile women of the region, Orpah, and the good and beautiful Ruth. But tragedy strikes the family once again. Within a short period of time, Elimelech and his two sons die. The three women are left widowed and alone. Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. Knowing that Gentiles would not be welcome there, she tells Orpah and Ruth to return to their families. Orpah does so, but the faithful Ruth makes a vow to Naomi to never desert her. "Whither thy guest, I will go; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Naomi thanks God for blessing her with a loving daughter-in-law, and asks Him to protect and bless Ruth. God listens to the prayers of Naomi. In Bethlehem, Ruth tells Naomi that she will find food for them. She goes to a field which is being harvested, and asks permission to gather the bits of grain left behind by the harvesters. The land belongs to Boaz, who welcomes her to take what she needs. The kindly Boaz instructs his men to protect Ruth from any persecution. She is to be treated well in her new home. Day after Day Ruth returns to Boaz's land, and we see the growing affection between Ruth and Boaz. Naomi tells Ruth that because Boaz is her near kinsman he is bound to marry the widowed Ruth, and urges Ruth to reveal her kinship. But Ruth wants Boaz to marry her out of love, not because of duty. On the last day of the harvest, Ruth and Boaz finally speak of their love and agree to marry. Once married, Ruth gives birth to a son, whom they name Obed. As a result of Ruth's faithfulness, God's bounty and blessing on the family are limitless. Obed is destined to be the grandfather of David, the great King who is to unite the people of Israel.
Saul, king of Israel, struggles to do as the Lord commands. Through the Prophet Samuel, the Lord commands Saul destroy the Amalekites and kill all their animals. Saul refuses to kill their animals, saying they will be offered as a sacrifice. Samuel tells the arrogant Saul that obedience is more important than sacrifice and tells Saul that for disobeying Gods's command, Saul will lose his Kingdom. Samuel visits Jesse, a shepherd with eight sons. He tells Jesse that the Lord has a need for one of them. Jesse introduces his sons including David, the youngest. God tells Samuel to anoint David as King of Israel.
King David was renowned for his wisdom. On his deathbed, he anoints his younger son, Solomon, to be King of Israel. Solomon's older brother tries to wrest away the crown. But Solomon displays God-given wisdom and courage when he confronts his brother, saying, "If I must be king I will not live in fear. Kill me now if that is your plan, or else go home and never challenge God's will again." Faced with Solomon's courage, his brother says he will obey God's will. Solomon prays to God for the wisdom of King David, confiding, "I feel no wiser than a little child." The Lord appears to Solomon and tells him, "Solomon, because thou asked for wisdom to do good, and not for personal gain, I will give you a wise and understanding heart. Behold, there shall be none wiser than you." Solomon's wisdom is soon put to the test when two women appear at his court. Both claim to be the mother of a small infant. Solomon calls for a sword and orders that the child be cut in two. "Give each mother one half," he declares. One woman says, "We must obey the will of the King." The other woman cries out, "The child is hers! I lied! Please, give the child to her." Solomon gives the child to the second woman, saying, "A true mother will do anything to save the life of her child." From every nation they come to seek the wisdom of Solomon, and the greatness of Israel is increased. Solomon lives for many years and, to show his gratitude, builds a great temple to God's glory. Background: Wisdom always demands courage. Fortunately, these gifts from God come together. God tells us that He will bless us with the strength we need, if we come to him as Solomon did - as a child - and put our complete trust in Him.
The classic story from the Bible of Joseph in Egypt, reuniting with his brothers and his Father.
