Chapter II: Part 2

The Israelites went from Sinai toward Canaan, and Moses sent twelve spies into the country. These returned, saying: The land is very good; but we are as grasshoppers compared to the inhabitants, of such stature are they. But Joshua and Caleb, two of the spies, replied: We can subdue the land, for the Lord is with us. But it availed not. The people would not go against the Canaanites, but wished to choose a new leader and return to Egypt. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the Tabernacle, and the Lord spoke thus by Moses: For forty years shall ye wander about in this wilderness, until all those are dead who were 20 years old or over when ye went out of Egypt; none who hath seen my wonders in Egypt shall come into Canaan, except Joshua and Caleb. (Num. 13-14.)

Thus they must for 40 years wander about in the terrible wilderness among serpents and in dry places. But the Lord sustained them, so their clothes were not worn out, and their feet swelled not. Nevertheless they murmured against the Lord and many times tried His patience. Thus they once complained that they had neither food nor drink. The Lord then sent fiery serpents among them, and many died from their sting. The people humbled themselves, and Moses interceded for them. The Lord said: Make a serpent of brass and set it upon a standard. When any one had been bitten by a serpent, and he looked up to the serpent of brass, he lived. (Num. 21.)

When the 40 years were ended, the Israelites had come so near to Canaan that only the river Jordan lay between. Moses now went up into Mount Nebo, and the Lord showed him all the land and said: This is the land which I have promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; but thou shalt not enter it. There Moses, the servant of the Lord, died, 120 years old, and the Lord buried him. There never arose a prophet in Israel with whom the Lord spoke thus face to face. (Deut. 34.)

28. Joshua

The Lord chose Joshua for leader in the place of Moses, and said to him: As I was with Moses, so will I be with thee. When the Israelites had mourned for Moses 30 days, they made themselves ready to go over Jordan. The priests went before with the Ark of the Covenant, and when their feet touched the waters of Jordan, the water flowed away below and stood still above, and the Israelites went over on dry ground. The manna now ceased, and they ate of the fruit of the land.

Jericho was a city surrounded with strong walls; but the Israelites took it without sword and bow. For six days the priests with the ark and all the armed men walked around the city, once every day; but on the seventh day they went around it seven times, and the seventh time the priests blew the trumpets and the people shouted, and the walls fell, and the town was taken.--After seven years Joshua had subdued 31 kings, and divided the land among the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribe of Levi received no separate portion of land, but 48 cities were given them among the other tribes.

After many years Joshua gathered the tribes of Israel together and said to them: Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, the Lord or the gods of the heathens; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. The people said: We will serve the Lord and hearken to His voice.--Joshua died 110 years old. (Book of Joshua.)

29. Gideon, Jephthah, Samson

The Israelites served the Lord while Joshua lived; but when he was dead they forgot the Lord, married the daughters of the Canaanites and served strange gods. Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He gave them into the hands of the heathens. They then cried unto the Lord, and he raised up men to save them. Such men were called Judges. (Judges 2.)

One of these judges was Gideon. The hand of the Midianites rested heavily on Israel. Then the angel of the Lord came to Gideon, as he was threshing wheat, and bade him deliver Israel. Gideon sent messengers to the tribes, and 32,000 men responded. But the Lord said: There are too many people. Israel might boast and say: My own hand hath saved me. Proclaim therefore that whoever is afraid may go home. Then 22,000 went home, and 10,000 remained. The Lord said: The people are yet too many. Choose thee 300 men. Gideon chose 300 men and divided them into three companies, and gave each man a trumpet and an empty pitcher with a torch in it. At midnight he went with them to the camp of the Midianites; they blew the trumpets, broke the pitchers and held up their torches. The Midianites cried and fled, and the Lord turned every man’s sword against his neighbor, and Gideon pursued them. (Judges 6-9.)

Another judge was Jephthah. When he went out against the enemy he made a vow to sacrifice to the Lord whatever first came to meet him from his house, when he returned with victory. He came home victorious, and his daughter, his only child, came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances. Jephthah rent his garments, but did with her according to his vow. And the maidens of Israel lamented Jephthah’s daughter for four days every year. (Judges 11.)

When the Philistines oppressed the children of Israel, the Lord sent them a deliverer in Samson. He smote the Philistines again and again, for the Lord had given him such strength that he with his hands tore asunder a young lion which came roaring against him. But he was deluded by a woman called Delilah. She succeeded in coaxing out of him the secret that his strength was in his seven locks of hair. These she shaved off and delivered him to the lords of the Philistines, who put out his eyes and set him to grinding corn. Once when they were assembled for a great feast in the temple of Dagon, their god, they brought out Samson to make sport for them. His hair had now grown, and his strength had returned. The temple rested on pillars. Samson prayed to the Lord, laid hold on the two middle pillars, and bowed himself with might. The temple fell and buried both Samson and his enemies. (Judges 13-16.)

30. Ruth

At the time the judges ruled in Israel there was a famine in the land, and a man went from Bethlehem to the land of the Moabites with his wife Naomi and his two sons. The man died, and the sons married women of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. After ten years both the sons were dead, and Naomi made ready to return to the land of her fathers. Orpah and Ruth went with her. On the way Naomi said: Go back, my daughters! The Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead and with me. Orpah went back; but Ruth said: Thy people shall be my people, and thy God shall be my God; only death shall part us. So they went together and came to Bethlehem. It was at the time of the barley harvest, and Ruth went out to glean heads of grain and came on a field of a rich man by the name of Boaz. When Boaz learned that it was Ruth, who had come with Naomi, he said to the reapers: Let grain fall on the ground that she may glean so much more. And to Ruth he said: If thou thirst come hither and drink, and if thou hunger come hither and eat of my bread. Ruth said: How have I, a stranger, found favor in thine eyes? Boaz answered: I have heard what thou hast done for thy mother-in-law: Thou hast left father and mother and art come to a people thou didst not know. A full reward be given thee of Jehovah, the God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to take refuge. When the harvest was over Boaz took Ruth to wife, and she bore a son who was called Obed. He was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David the king. (Book of Ruth.)

31. Eli and Samuel

Eli was high priest and judge. He had two sons who were exceedingly wicked; but he did not restrain them.

The boy Samuel, a son of Elkanah and Hannah, was brought up by Eli and slept in the Tabernacle of the Lord. One night the Lord called Samuel, and Samuel, who did not yet know the Lord, ran to Eli; but Eli answered: I did not call thee, lie down again. The Lord called yet two times to Samuel, and he ran each time to Eli. The high priest now perceived that it was the Lord who called Samuel, and said to him: If he call thee again, answer: Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth. Samuel lay down again, and the Lord called the fourth time to Samuel, and he answered according to Eli’s words. And the voice of the Lord said: Because Eli saw that his sons were wicked, and yet he did not restrain them, therefore I will send destruction upon him and upon his house. In the morning when Eli learned what the Lord had said, he replied: It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good.

There was war with the Philistines, and the Israelites were defeated. So they brought the Ark of the Covenant to the camp; but they were again routed, and the Ark was captured by the Philistines. Eli was at that time 98 years old. He was seated in a chair by the wayside watching; for he was anxious for the Ark of God. One who had fled from the battle came and said: Israel is defeated, thy sons are fallen, and God’s Ark is taken. When he heard about the Ark of God, he fell backwards, and his neck was broken, and he died.--The Philistines took the Ark and put it in the temple of the idol Dagon. But as a disease broke out in the land, they brought the Ark back and sent presents with it. (1 Sam. 1-6.)

Samuel was the last of the judges. He journeyed through the land and judged, and he was honored by the people. When he was old he made his two sons judges; but they walked not in the way of their father, but sold judgment for money. Then the elders of the people came to Samuel and said: Now make us a king to judge us and go before us in our wars. This thing displeased Samuel, but the Lord said to him: Hearken unto the voice of the people, for they have not rejected thee, but me have they rejected, that I should no longer be king over them. And the Lord spoke again to Samuel and said: Tomorrow I will send thee a man from the tribe of Benjamin; him shalt thou anoint to be king over my people. On the morrow Samuel saw a man of the tribe of Benjamin; his name was Saul, the son of Kish. There was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. The Lord said to Samuel: Behold the man of whom I spoke to thee! And Samuel brought him into his house, took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head and said: Now has the Lord anointed thee to be king over His people. On that day the spirit of God came upon Saul, and the Lord gave him another heart. Then Samuel ceased to be judge. (1 Sam. 7-10.)

32. Saul

Saul was brave and overcame the enemy; but he would also follow his own will and proved disobedient to the law of the Lord. Samuel therefore said to him: Thy kingdom shall not continue, for the Lord has chosen a man after his own heart to be ruler over his people. And the Lord said to Samuel: Fill thy horn with oil and go to Bethlehem, and anoint David, the youngest son of Jesse, to be king after Saul. And Samuel went and anointed David, and the spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day. But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him. His servants brought David, because he was skilful in playing the harp. When the evil spirit came upon Saul, David played the harp before him, and it went well with Saul, and the evil spirit departed from him. (1 Sam. 11-16.)

33. David and Goliath

There was again war with the Philistines. Among them was a mighty champion by name Goliath, who for 40 days came before the camp and mocked the Israelites, because no one dared to meet him in combat. The king promised to give his daughter to him who could slay the champion. When David came to the camp and learned this, he offered to go against him. But Saul objected: Thou art young, and he is a warrior from his youth. David answered: Once while I kept my father’s sheep there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb; but I went against them, killed them and saved the lamb. The Lord who delivered me from the lion and the bear will also deliver me from this Philistine. Then Saul said: Go, and the Lord be with thee. David took his staff and his sling and five smooth stones from the brook, and went against Goliath. When the champion saw him he cried: Am I a dog that thou comest against me with staves? David answered: Thou comest against me with sword and with spear; but I come against thee in the name of the Lord, the God of hosts. Then he put a stone in his sling and threw it, and struck the champion in the forehead, so he fell to the earth. David ran and drew the Philistine’s sword out of the sheath, and cut off his head. David was placed over the army, and later he got Saul’s daughter to wife. And Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David as his own soul. (1 Sam. 17.)

34. Saul Pursues David, Saul Dies

When David returned after his victory over Goliath, the women sang: Saul slew a thousand, but David slew ten thousand. For this, Saul became suspicious of David and was his enemy all his life. Twice he threw his javelin at David to spear him to the wall, while he stood playing before him. David was compelled to flee, and wandered about from place to place, for Saul was after him. When David once had hidden in a cave, Saul came into the same cave. David would not put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed, but went and cut off a piece of his garment. When Saul had left the cave, David went out also and showed him the piece. Saul wept and said: Thou art more righteous than I, for thou hast rewarded evil with good. And Saul went to his house.--Nevertheless he again went in pursuit of David. While he and his people slept, David came to his bed and took away his spear and his cruse of water. When Saul saw that David again had spared his life, he cried: Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm! But David went and dwelt in the land of the Philistines until Saul’s death.

There was a great battle with the Philistines. Saul was wounded, and Jonathan had fallen. Saul then said to his armor-bearer: Thrust thy sword through me. But when he dared not lay his hand on the Lord’s anointed, he placed the sword against his own breast and fell upon it and died. David lamented in a beautiful song the death of Saul and Jonathan. (1 Sam. 18-31; 2 Sam. 1.)

35. David Made King

(1055 years before Christ.)

After Saul was dead, David was made king, and he reigned for 40 years. He captured Jerusalem and made this city the capital, and then he and the whole house of Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant thither with shouts of joy and sound of trumpets. He executed judgment and justice to the whole people, and he remembered Jonathan and said to his son: I restore to thee all the lands of Saul, and thou shalt eat at my table. He was the light and the sweetest singer of Israel, and composed many beautiful psalms, which are found in the Book of Psalms in the Bible, and speaks in many of these of the Messiah, or the Savior who was to come. He subdued the nations round about and was very powerful.

David intended to build a house for the Lord. But the Lord spoke to him through Nathan the prophet and said: When thy days be fulfilled, I will set up thy seed after thee. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. And thy house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever. (2 Sam. 2-10.)

36. David’s Fall

While Joab was warring against the Ammonites, David one evening saw from the roof of his house a woman bathing. She was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. He sent for her and committed adultery with her, and sent a letter to Joab that he should set Uriah where the battle was fiercest, that he might fall by the hand of the Ammonites. Joab obeyed his lord, and Uriah was killed. When David got Joab’s message about this he said: The sword devoureth one as well as another. When the time of mourning had passed for Bathsheba, he took her to wife. But the deed that David had done was evil in the eyes of the Lord.

The Lord sent the prophet Nathan unto David, and he said: There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing save one little lamb, which did eat of his morsel and drink of his cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, but took the poor man’s only lamb, and dressed it for the wayfaring man. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said: The man that did this is a son of death, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold. Nathan answered: Thou art the man! Uriah hast thou smitten with the sword of the Ammonites, and his wife hast thou taken to be thy wife. David humbled himself before the Lord and said: O God, create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Thou delightest not in sacrifice, else would I give it; Thou hast no pleasure in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. And the Lord forgave him. But the son that Bathsheba bore him soon died; and much sorrow came upon David in his old age. (2 Sam. 11-12.)

37. The Revolt of Absalom

Absalom, a son of David, was the comeliest man in Israel. There was no blemish on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. Although his father loved him greatly, he conspired to be king in his father’s stead. He would stand beside the road, and when any one came and would bow down before him, he embraced him and kissed him, and thus stole the hearts of the men of Israel from his father. He conspired with Ahithophel, David’s counsellor, and came with an army against Jerusalem, and David was forced to flee from his son. Ahithophel’s counsel was to pursue David immediately; but Hushai, David’s friend, advised Absalom to wait until he could raise a larger army. The Lord, wishing to bring destruction upon Absalom, caused Ahithophel’s good advice to be rejected, and Ahithophel went and hanged himself. David thus gained time to raise an army. He set Joab over it, and commanded him saying: Deal gently with the young man! There was a great battle in a forest. Absalom was compelled to flee, and riding under an oak, his head was caught in its boughs. The mule on which he rode ran away, and he was left hanging between heaven and earth. Joab ran and thrust three javelins through his heart. When David heard of this he wept and lamented: O Absalom, my son, would I had died for thee! O Absalom, my son, my son!--Some years later David died and Solomon, the son of Bathsheba, became king. (2 Sam. 15-18; 1 Kings 1-2.)

38. Solomon

God appeared unto Solomon in a dream and said: Ask what I shall give thee. Solomon asked for wisdom. Shortly after two women came to him. They dwelt together, and each had given birth to a child. As one of them had in the night overlaid her child so that it died, she arose and took the child of the other, and laid her own in its place. Both now asserted: I am mother of the living child. Solomon said: Fetch me a sword! When the sword was brought, he said: Divide the child in two, and give half to one and half to the other. Then the one cried: Give her the child, and do not divide it. The other said: Divide it, so it shall be neither mine nor thine. Then Solomon said: Give the child to her who wills that it shall live, for she is the mother. All Israel heard the judgment and feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him.--Solomon was wiser than all other men, and the fame of his wisdom spread abroad, and the queen of Sheba came to hear him. He spoke 3000 proverbs, and his songs were 1005; he wrote of trees, from the cedar that grows on Lebanon to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he wrote of beasts of the field, of birds, of creeping things and of fishes. He had peace round about and all Israel dwelt safely, each man under his vine and fig tree. He traded with distant lands and gathered gold and silver and precious stones in great abundance. On Mount Moriah in Jerusalem he built a magnificent temple instead of the Tabernacle, and put the Ark in the Holy of Holies. When the temple was finished, Solomon knelt down and prayed: O Lord, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have builded! Yet hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling place, every humble prayer that shall be sent up to Thee from this house! And when a stranger that is not of Israel shall come and pray towards this house, then hear Thou his prayers also!

Solomon did not continue faithful to the end. He had taken many heathen women to be his wives, and when he was old they turned his heart, so that he built altars to the abominable idols of the heathens. And the people murmured because of heavy taxes and burdens. (1 Kings 3-11.)

39. The Kingdom Is Divided

(975 years before Christ.)

When Solomon was dead, all Israel came together and said to his son Rehoboam: Thy father made our yoke heavy, make thou it lighter, and we will make thee king. Rehoboam first took counsel from the old men, who had been the counsellors of his father. They said: If thou wilt hearken to the people this day they will serve thee all thy days. Then he consulted the young men who had grown up with him, and he answered according to their counsel: My father’s yoke was heavy, mine shall be heavier still; my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions. At this answer the people were provoked, and ten tribes chose Jeroboam for king, and only Judah and Benjamin clung to Rehoboam for David’s sake.--Samaria became the capital of the ten tribes, or the kingdom of Israel, and Jerusalem the capital for the two tribes, or the kingdom of Judah. (1 Kings 12:1-24.)

40. The Kingdom of Israel, Jeroboam

Jeroboam thought thus: If the people go up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord, their hearts will again turn to the house of David. He therefore set up two golden calves, and the people went and sacrificed to them. The Lord warned him, saying: Thou hast made thyself strange gods, therefore I will cut off thy house. His son became king, but was killed, and the whole family destroyed. There came kings of other families; but all were wicked and worshiped strange gods. (1 Kings 12:25-15:30.)

41. Ahab and Elijah

The worst of all kings in Israel was Ahab. He married the wicked Jezebel, daughter of the king of Sidon, and built a temple for the idol Baal. The prophet Elijah foretold as a punishment a drought which lasted for three years, and the land thirsted for rain. Meanwhile Elijah dwelt with a poor widow in the city of Zarephath, and the meal in her jar was not consumed, and the cruse of oil failed not, and when her son died, Elijah prayed to the Lord, and the soul of the child came into him again.

When the three years were ended, Elijah went at the Lord’s command unto Ahab and bade him call the priests of Baal together on Mount Carmel. Then said Elijah unto the people: I, even I only, am left a prophet of Jehovah; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on the wood, and put no fire under. And call ye on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah; and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said: It is well spoken. The priests of Baal sacrificed an ox and called upon their god the whole day; but he answered not. Elijah said: Cry a little louder! Your god may be musing, or perhaps he sleeps! At evening Elijah sacrificed an ox and prayed: O Lord, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant! Then there came fire from heaven and consumed his sacrifice. The people took the priests of Baal and slew them, and the heavens grew black, and there was a great rain. Jezebel sought the life of Elijah, but he fled to the wilderness and wished that he might die, because Israel had broken their covenant with the Lord. But the Lord said: Return, there are yet left 7000 who have not bowed the knee unto Baal.

Naboth had a vineyard that Ahab wished to buy, because it lay close up to his palace. When Naboth would not sell his inheritance, because that was against the law of Moses, Ahab was sad, went to bed and would not eat. Jezebel said: Arise, eat and be merry! I will give thee the vineyard. She bade the judges procure witnesses to testify that Naboth had blasphemed God and the king. Naboth was stoned, and Ahab went to take possession of the vineyard. The Lord sent Elijah to him in the vineyard to say: Where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, shall they also lick thy blood, and dogs shall eat Jezebel. Ahab fell in battle, and his blood flowed into the war-chariot, and when it was washed in Samaria, dogs came and licked the blood. Jezebel was thrown out from a window, and her body was eaten by dogs. (1 Kings 16-22; 2 Kings 9:30-37.)

Elijah was taken up alive into heaven in a whirlwind, in a chariot of fire with horses of fire, and Elisha, who became prophet after him, stood and saw it. (2 Kings 2.)

42. The Kingdom of Israel Overthrown

(722 years before Christ.)

The kings and the people of Israel continued to worship strange gods, and would not listen to the prophets of the Lord. So the punishment must come. The king of Assyria, the powerful Shalmaneser, put Hoshea, the last king, in chains, and his successor took Samaria and carried the people to Assyria. One of the later kings sent heathens from his countries to dwell in the land. These were called Samaritans, and learned more and more to know Jehovah; but the inhabitants of Judah and Benjamin would not acknowledge them as right brethren, and there was bitter enmity between the Samaritans and the Jews. (2 Kings 17.)

43. The Kingdom of Judah, Hezekiah and Isaiah

In Judah kings of the house of David always reigned; many of them were wicked and served strange gods; but a few were pious and served the Lord, and thus idolatry did not come to such power as in the kingdom of Israel.

The most pious of the kings was Hezekiah. Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, came against Jerusalem and used great words, saying: Believe not that your God can deliver you, for the gods of the heathens were not able to deliver their countries from the king of Assyria. Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and prayed for deliverance. The prophet Isaiah sent this message to him: The Lord has heard your prayer. The angel of the Lord passed through the camp of the Assyrians and smote in one night 185,000, and Sennacherib was compelled to return home in disgrace.--Shortly after this Hezekiah became sick. Isaiah promised to prolong his life fifteen years. The king of Babylon sent messengers with gifts and greetings to Hezekiah, for he had heard that he had been sick. Hezekiah was glad, and showed the messengers all his treasures. Then Isaiah came and said: These treasures shall all be carried away to Babylon, and thy sons shall be servants in the palace of the king of Babylon. (2 Kings 10-20.)

Isaiah has written many prophecies. Of our Savior Jesus Christ he wrote: Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. He was oppressed, yet when He was afflicted He opened not His mouth, as a lamb that is led to the slaughter. (Isaiah 53.)

44. The Kingdom of Judah Overthrown

(588 years before Christ.)

The people fell off from the Lord, and King Manasseh sacrificed his own children to the idols, and the punishment had to come upon the kingdom of Judah also. The king of Babylon, the mighty Nebuchadnezzar, took Jerusalem, burned the temple and the city and tore down the walls. Zedekiah, the last king, was forced to look upon the slaying of his own children; then his eyes were put out, and he was placed in chains and together with the people brought to Babylon in captivity 588 years before the birth of Christ. (2 Kings 21-25.)

45. The Babylonian Captivity

The sins of the Jews were great, and their punishment was heavy. Now, when they were compelled to live among the heathens, they longed for the Holy City and the worship in the temple of the Lord. Yet the Lord left them not without consolation. From the prophecies of the prophet Jeremiah they knew that when 70 years were passed the Lord would have compassion on them and bring them back to the land of their fathers. And the Lord sent two great prophets to them to console and strengthen them. These were Ezekiel and Daniel.

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream which he could not remember. Daniel prayed to the Lord, and both the dream and the explanation of it were shown him in a vision in the night. The king had seen a great image. The head was of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, and the legs of iron and of clay. A stone which was not thrown by the hands of man struck the image and broke it to pieces; but the stone became a great mountain which filled the whole earth. Daniel interpreted the dream thus: There shall arise four great kingdoms after each other; afterward God will establish a kingdom that shall overthrow all these, but shall itself remain forever.--The king said: Thy God is a God above all gods, since he can reveal secret things. Daniel was now made ruler of the wise men of the country and remained in great respect and honor even after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. But he had enemies, and these caused one of the following kings to throw him into a den of lions; but the Lord sent him His angel who shut the mouths of the lions. The next day Daniel was pulled up from the den unhurt, and the men that had accused him were cast into it; but they had not even reached the bottom of the den before the lions seized them and broke their bones. (Book of Daniel 2-6.)

46. The Return from Babylon

Cyrus, king of Persia, took Babylon, and permitted the Jews to return to the land of their fathers. He gave them back all the vessels of gold and silver from the temple that had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. The 70 years were then at an end. Those who went away were 42,360. Zerubbabel, a chief of the house of David, led them to Jerusalem. In the second year after their return they began to build a new temple on Mount Moriah, where the temple of Solomon had stood. The Samaritans wished to build the temple with them; but the Jews would not permit it, as they did not regard them as right brethren. The Samaritans therefore hindered the work for many years. But then the prophets Haggai and Zechariah arose and encouraged the people, and the temple was finished; but it was not so magnificent as Solomon’s temple.--The Samaritans built a temple for themselves on Mount Gerizim.

Several years after this, Ezra, of the tribe of Levi, came to Jerusalem and exhorted the people not to sin any more against the Lord by marrying heathen women. (Book of Ezra.)

The walls of Jerusalem were not yet rebuilt. When Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the king of Persia, heard of this he begged leave to go to Judea. The king made him governor of Judea, and he got the walls of the city built in fifty-two days, even though the Samaritans tried to hinder him. (Book of Nehemiah.)

47. The Maccabees

Alexander the Great, king of Macedonia, took Palestine, formerly belonging to the king of Persia, as well as all the other kingdoms of the latter. When Alexander died his great empire was divided, and the Jews came first under Egypt and after that under Syria and were oppressed in every way. At last the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, sought to compel them to live as the heathens. Many renounced their faith and sacrificed to the gods. But many also continued firmly in the faith and chose rather to die than to turn from the law of the Lord. Seven brothers were successively scourged and tormented to death. The mother stood by and looked on and admonished them not to turn from the Lord. At last the mother also was killed. (2 Macc. 7.)

At this time there lived in Judea a priest by the name of Mattathias. He would not sacrifice to the idols, but fled with his sons to the mountains, and those who feared God gathered about him. When he died his son Judas Maccabaeus[2] became the leader. He was brave as a young lion; he defeated the Syrians, took Jerusalem and purged the temple.--The Maccabees ruled over the country for 103 years. Then the powerful Romans, whose home country was Italy, came and conquered the country. The Roman emperor Augustus made Herod king of Judea. Herod who is called the Great, was an Edomite. He was very suspicious and cruel and killed a great many innocent people, even his own wife and three of his sons. He wished to flatter the people, and decorated the temple magnificently; but the people turned their hearts from him.--During his reign the fulness of time had come, and our Savior Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, as the prophet Micah had foretold.

----- Footnote 2: Maccabaeus means: The man with the hammer. -----

48. Jonah

The Lord said unto the prophet Jonah: Go to Nineveh, the great city, and proclaim that it shall be destroyed, for its sins are great. But Jonah went aboard a ship to flee over the sea. The Lord sent a tempest, so the ship was at the point of sinking. The sailors said one to another: Let us cast lots to see whose fault it is that such evil befalls us. The lot fell on Jonah, and they cast him into the sea; and it was calm. The Lord sent a great fish that swallowed Jonah, and he was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. The Lord commanded the fish, and it cast Jonah up on land. The Lord now spoke a second time to Jonah: Go to Nineveh and proclaim what I shall bid thee. Jonah went into Nineveh and cried: In 40 days Nineveh shall be destroyed! The people repented, and the king put off his royal garments and clothed himself in sack cloth and ashes. God repented of the evil He had spoken, and He spared Nineveh. Then Jonah murmured and said: Did it not go as I thought while I was in my country, and would flee over the sea? For I knew that Thou art a God merciful and slow to anger, and repentest of evil.

Jonah had gone outside the city and remained there to see what would become of the city. The Lord let a plant spring up to give shade for his head, and Jonah was fond of the plant. In the morning the Lord prepared a worm, and it stung the plant, so it withered. And there came a sultry east wind, and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, and he said: It is better for me to die than to live. Then said the Lord: Thou hast pity on the plant for which thou hast not labored, neither madest it grow, because it withered; and should not I have pity on Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than twelve times 10,000 persons that cannot discern between their right and their left hand, and also much cattle? (The Book of Jonah.)

49. Job

Job was the name of a God-fearing man who had seven sons and three daughters, and owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen and 500 she-asses, and was the richest of all the men of the East. When his sons had feasted and eaten and drunk, he arose early and offered burnt offerings, for, said he: It may be that my sons have sinned and said farewell to God in their hearts. Eyes was he to the blind, feet was he to the lame, and a father to the poor; the aged arose before him, and princes were silent when he spoke.

One day when his children were feasting in the house of their elder brother, there came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were plowing, and the asses were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants, I only am escaped. While he was yet speaking, there came another and said: Fire is fallen from heaven and has burned up the sheep and the shepherds, and I only escaped. While he was yet speaking, came a third and said: The Chaldeans fell upon the camels, and have taken them away, yea, and have slain the young men with the edge of the sword. I only am escaped to tell thee. While he yet spoke, came a fourth and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the house, and it fell upon thy children, and they are dead, I only am escaped. Then Job rent his robe, but worshiped God, and said: Naked came I from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord!

Job’s whole body now became covered with boils, and he took a potsherd to scrape himself, and he sat in the ashes. His wife asked: Dost thou still believe in God? Job answered: Thou speakest as one of the foolish women. Shall we receive good at the hands of God, and shall we not receive evil?

Three of Job’s friends, hearing of his misfortunes, came to console him. But they knew him not, and they sat with him seven days and seven nights, and none spake to him, for they saw that his grief was very great. When they began to speak their words were harsh, for they thought that he must be a greater sinner than other men, since God sent greater afflictions upon him than on others. Then Job sinned; for he boasted of his perfection and disputed God’s righteousness. Then the Lord spoke to Job out of a storm and said: Who art thou, that durst dispute with God? And Job answered: I have uttered that which I understood not. And God forgave him, and reproved his three friends because they had judged Job harshly.

God blessed Job; he was healed again, and got twice as much riches as before; he got again seven sons and three daughters, and lived a hundred and forty years after and died old and full of days. (Book of Job.)

50. The Books of the Old Testament

1-5. The 5 books of Moses, called the Pentateuch, which begin with the creation of the world, and close with the death of Moses. Their names are: 1. Genesis; 2. Exodus; 3. Leviticus; 4. Numbers; 5. Deuteronomy. 6. The Book of Joshua. 7. The Book of Judges. 8. The Book of Ruth. 9-10. The two Books of Samuel. 11-12. The two Books of Kings. 13-14. The two Books of Chronicles. 15. The Book of Ezra. 16. The Book of Nehemiah. 17. The Book of Esther, which tells of a Jewish girl who became queen of Persia. 18. The Book of Job. 19. The Book of Psalms, or The Psalms of David, in all 150. David has written many of these. 20. The Proverbs of Solomon. 21. Ecclesiastes, or The Preacher. 22. The Song of Solomon.

The five books of the four Major Prophets: 1. Isaiah. 2-3. Jeremiah, and his Book of Lamentations. 4. Ezekiel. 5. Daniel.

The 12 Minor Prophets: 1. Hosea. 2. Joel. 3. Amos. 4. Obadiah. 5. Jonah. 6. Micah. 7. Nahum. 8. Habakkuk. 9. Zephaniah. 10. Haggai. 11. Zechariah. 12. Malachi.--In all 39 writings.

In most of these books prophecies concerning Christ are found. Malachi, the last prophet, foretells even of him who shall prepare the way for Him. The Lord says in the book of this prophet: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me. And again He says: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great day of the Lord.

Concerning these writings the Apostle Paul says: All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness. And the Apostle Peter says: The holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

After these books come a number of others called Apocrypha. These were written by pious men and contain much that is good; but they are not inspired by God, as are the Holy Scriptures, hence we dare not always use them as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. The most important are: The Book of Tobit, The Book of Wisdom, The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach, and the two Books of the Maccabees.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

51. The Birth of John The Baptist

At the time that Herod the Great was king in Judea, there was a priest by the name Zacharias, and the name of his wife was Elisabeth. They were both righteous before God; but they had no children, and both were now old. One day while Zacharias was offering incense in the Holy Place, and the people were praying without, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him. And fear fell upon Zacharias; but the angel said unto him: Fear not, Zacharias, for thy supplication is heard, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear a son, and thou shalt call his name John[3]. He shall go before His face in the spirit and power of Elijah, and make ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him. Zacharias said: Whereby shall I know this? The angel answered: I am Gabriel that stand in the presence of God. Behold, thou shalt be dumb until the day that these things shall come to pass, because thou didst not believe my words. (Luke 1:5-25.)

----- Footnote 3: Which means: The Lord is gracious. -----

And Elisabeth brought forth a son. Her neighbors and kinsfolk would have him called Zacharias after his father; but his mother said: He shall be called John. They said: There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to his father, and he took a tablet and wrote: His name is John. And immediately his mouth was opened, and he blessed God in a glorious song of praise. And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day when he stood forth before the people of Israel. (Luke 1:57-80.)

52. The Annunciation of Mary

In the sixth month after Gabriel had appeared to Zacharias he was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. There dwelt a virgin of the house of David, and her name was Mary. She was betrothed to a man of the house of David, and his name was Joseph. And the angel came in unto Mary and said: Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women! But Mary was greatly troubled at this saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. And the angel said: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. Thou shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.[4] Then Mary said: How shall this be, seeing I am not married? The angel answered: The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the Holy One which is born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And Mary said: Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38.)

----- Footnote 4: Which means Savior. -----

53. The Birth of the Savior

It came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled. And all went to enroll themselves, every one in his own city. And Joseph also went from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, to enroll himself with Mary, his betrothed wife. While they were there, the time was fulfilled, and Mary brought forth a son, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, for there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds in the same country, abiding in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. And lo, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. But the angel said unto them: Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy: For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men in whom He is well pleased.

And the shepherds came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. And they made known concerning the saying which was spoken to them about this Child. And all that heard it wondered; but Mary kept these words in her heart. When eight days were fulfilled for circumcising the Child, His name was called Jesus according to the word of the angel.

Forty days after the birth of Jesus, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. And there was in Jerusalem a pious man whose name was Simeon. He had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came that day in the Spirit into the temple. And when he saw the Child, he took It up in his arms and said: Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples. (Luke 2:1-31.)

54. The Wise-Men from the East

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the days of Herod the king, Wise-men came from the East to Jerusalem, saying: Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the East, and are come to worship Him. And Herod called together the chief priests and the scribes and inquired of them where Christ should be born. They answered: In Bethlehem, according to the prophecy of Micah. Then Herod called the Wise-men secretly and learned of them carefully what time the star appeared, and said to them: Go to Bethlehem and search out carefully concerning the Child, and when ye have found It, bring me word, that I may come also and worship It.

The Wise-men went their way, and lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over the house where the Child was. And when they saw the star they rejoiced greatly and came into the house and found the Child and Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him, and they offered unto Him their treasures, gold, frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

When they were departed an angel of the Lord appeared unto Joseph in a dream and said: Arise, take the Child and His mother and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee; for Herod will seek the Child to destroy Him. Then Joseph took the Child and His mother by night and went into Egypt.

When Herod saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men he was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the male children in Bethlehem from two years old and under.--When Herod was dead an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying: Arise, take the Child and His mother and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead that sought the Child’s life. And he went into Galilee and dwelt in Nazareth. And the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit, becoming full of wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. (Matt. 2; Luke 2:39-40.)

55. The Child Jesus in the Temple