The Bible Clicks Blog

A Cowardly Hero

2012-02-26T06:48:00.003-05:00

Chapter 57

Judges 6:1-7:25

When God has a plan, he can use anyone or anything toachieve his purpose. After 40 years of peace during Deborah’s leadership,Israel again turned to evil. So God let the Midianites and other tribes invadetheir land like swarms of locusts. They ruined the crops with their livestock.Meanwhile, the Israelites hid in caves. Finally they cried out to God.

The Lord heard them, and he sent a prophet to deliverthis reply: “I the Lord snatched you from Egypt and brought you out of slavery.Then I drove out these nations who now oppress you, and I gave you their land.I said, ‘Do not worship their gods.’ But you have not listened to me.”

Later, a man named Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress,in fear of the Midianites, when the angel of the Lord appeared: “The Lord iswith you, mighty warrior! Save Israel from Midian.”

At first the man was startled. Then he thought about thestranger’s words. “If God is with us,” he said, “why is this happening to us?And how could someone like me save Israel? My clan is the weakest one inManasseh, and my family would tell you there is nothing special about me.”

“I will be with you,” the Lord replied, “and you willdefeat the Midianites.”

Gideon asked the stranger for a sign to know that thismessage really was from the Lord. So the Lord waited as Gideon ran to preparean offering. When Gideon finished, fire flared from the rock to consume themeat and the bread. Immediately, the angel of the Lord disappeared.

At that instant, Gideon realized he had seen the Lord!And yet, he did not die. So his heart was moved, and he built an altar to theLord. Then the Lord returned and spoke to Gideon. He told him to destroy hisfather’s Baal altar and Ashterah pole. Gideon was so afraid that he decided todo it during the night. Then he sacrificed a bull on the altar, as the Lord hadcommanded.

The next morning, everyone was angry, for the idols wereshared by the whole community. When they learned who had destroyed them, theywent to Joash and demanded his son Gideon.

Joash, too, was upset, but he wasn’t about to send hisson to an angry mob. “Listen,” he argued, “if Baal really is a god, he candefend himself. He doesn’t need you to do it.” So the men left.

Meanwhile, a number of Eastern tribes joined forces toraid Israel once again. Then God’s Spirit came upon Gideon. He blew a trumpetand summoned his relatives and men from the other tribes.

Fearfully, Gideon prayed, “If you will indeed save Israelby my hand, show me by letting me find dew on this fleece but not on theground.” The next morning Gideon wrung out the dew. Still, he asked God for onemore sign—to make the fleece dry and the ground wet. And God did it.

At the spring of Harod, the Lord said, “You have too manymen. They will think they defeated Midian themselves. Send away those who arefearful.” Two-thirds of them left and 10,000 remained. “That is still toomany,” said the Lord. “Take them to the spring.” Gideon obeyed. Then the Lordsaid, “Watch the men drink. Keep only those who kneel on one leg and cup thewater with their hands.” Now only 300 remained. But God was satisfied. He toldGideon, “If you are afraid to attack, take your servant and sneak up to theMidianite camp to listen.”

That night, Gideon and one of his servants crept to theedge of their enemy’s camp and heard a man recounting his dream: “It was thestrangest thing. A huge barley loaf crushed our tent!”

The man listening to him grew alarmed, “That can onlymean one thing—God has given us into the hands of Gideon.” When Gideon heardthat, he worshiped the Lord.

Quickly they returned to their camp. “Get up!” heshouted. “The Lord has given us Midian!”

Gideon divided them into three groups. They all carriedtorches, but as they neared the camp, Gideon made them hold clay jars over eachflame. Then he gave his final orders.

The Israelites quietly surrounded the camp. At Gideon’ssignal, some blew trumpets, others broke their pots. Then they shouted, “Forthe Lord and for Gideon!” The Midianites were so shocked that they attacked oneother. When they realized what was happening, they fled.

The Israelites had won far more than a battle. For thenext 40 years, their land enjoyed peace.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: Today's TBC.

Broken Promises

2012-02-25T07:22:00.003-05:00

Chapter 56

Judges 2:1-23; 3:1-30; 4:1-24; 5:1-31

If Joshua hadknown what his grandchildren and their children would do with their freedom, hewould have gone to his grave with tears. And it wasn’t just them—it was all theIsraelites. As long as Joshua was alive, they obeyed the Lord. Even when hedied, the elders who lived after him honored God, for they, too, had witnessedhis power. They would never forget all the miracles he had performed to givethem this good land. But after that generation died, the people began to turnaway from the Lord. They started worshiping the gods of the nations they hadnever driven out. In time, the Israelites even arranged marriages with peoplefrom the pagan nations. This led to even more idolatry, and with it came evilbehavior.

Since theIsraelites had broken their covenant with God, the Lord decided he would notdrive out the pagan nations that surrounded them. Instead, he would use thosevery nations to test Israel.

When theIsraelites began to worship the gods of Baal and the Canaanite goddessAshtoreth, the Lord grew angry. He allowed Israel’s enemies to raid theirvillages and plunder their crops. But sometimes a leader would rise up fromamong them and save them by turning them back to God. That leader would then berecognized as their judge.

Unlike theirforefathers, these Israelites quickly turned away from obeying God’s commands.Their actions often led to their own suffering. From time to time, God wouldfeel compassion for them and would raise up a judge to save them. But as soonas the judge died, they would go back to worshiping idols.

For eight yearsIsrael slaved to pay tribute money to the king of Aram, who had conquered them.Then they cried out to the Lord. So God raised up Othniel, Caleb’s nephew. TheSpirit of God came upon him, giving him both power and wisdom. He led Israel todefeat Aram. Then Israel enjoyed peace for 40 years.

When Othnieldied, the people again turned to evil. So God allowed King Eglon of Moab toconquer them. After 18 years, they cried out to the Lord, and he raised up aman named Ehud.

One day Ehuddelivered the tribute money, and he whispered, “I have a secret message foryou, O King.” King Eglon dismissed everyone from the room. Ehud stepped closer.“I have a message from God,” Ehud said. As the king stood, Ehud, who wasleft-handed, drew his sword and killed Eglon. Meanwhile, Eglon’s servantswaited impatiently behind the door. They wondered what was taking so long. Ehuddashed out the porch and escaped before they knew what had happened.

From the hillsof Ephraim, he blew a trumpet to summon the men of Israel. “Follow me,” heyelled, “for the Lord has given you Moab!”

The Israeliteskilled almost 10,000 Moabites, and Moab served Israel for 80 years.

After Ehud died,Israel returned to its idolatry and evil practices. So God let them beconquered by Jabin, a Canaanite king who owned 900 iron chariots. After 20years of cruel oppression, Israel cried out to God. So the Lord raised up aprophetess named Deborah.

As Israel’s newleader, Deborah sent for an officer named Barak. “The Lord commands you to lead10,000 men to Mount Tabor,” she said. “He will lure Jabin’s forces into yourhand.” But Barak refused to go without Deborah. So she went, and Israel routedthem, despite the chariots.

The Canaanitecommander, Sisera, fled to save his life. When he came to the tent of Jael, aKenite woman, he gladly accepted her offer to come in and rest. He didn’t knowthat her husband was a descendant of Moses’ brother-in-law. As Sisera laysleeping, she killed him with a tent peg.

Before thebattle, it was clear that Barak was afraid to fight without Deborah’s presence.His lack of faith cost him the honor that would have been his. Deborah hadpredicted that the credit for capturing Sisera would go to a woman. With thebattle now over, she and Barak sang about their victory. Their song praised theLord, and it pronounced a blessing on the greatest hero among them, the womanJael.

Israel's Lottery—Pick Twelve

2012-02-24T08:13:00.000-05:00

Chapter 55

Joshua 10:40-43; 11:1-23;
13:1-24:33;
Judges 1:1-36; 2:1-9

In the northernparts of Canaan, tribal leaders refused to believe the stories they werehearing. How could a nomadic people with primitive weapons hope to standagainst a trained army that boasted horses and chariots? The northern kings didnot realize the Lord was using their own pride and arrogance against them. Hewas hardening their hearts, just as he had done with Pharaoh. Thousands oftroops joined forces to attack Israel. But Joshua caught them off guard by striking them first. His maneuverproved so successful that he destroyed them completely.

Under Moses’leadership, Israel had already captured land east of the Jordan. That territorywent to the Israelite tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh. But the menof those tribes knew they must help their Israelite brothers fight to gain allthe land God had promised them.

By now Israelhad also conquered much land west of the Jordan. Yet there was still more to betaken. So Caleb approached Joshua with a bold request: “Remember when the Lordpromised me the hill country where the Anakites live? I am now 85 and strong asever. Let me take that land.” With Joshua’s permission, Caleb’s familyconquered the territory that became known as Hebron.

The Israelitesdrew lots (like drawing straws) to decide which tribes should take each pieceof land. The large tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh were given territory justwest of the Jordan. But they complained that their land wasn’t large enough. SoJoshua challenged them to conquer the Canaanites and take their land. But theywere afraid of the Canaanites’ iron chariots.

In spite oftheir past success, many of the tribal commanders had lost their ambition. SoJoshua called a meeting and confronted them: “How long will you wait to takethe land? Appoint men to map out the territory so we can divide it among theseven remaining tribes.”

Joshua didn’twant to repeat the mistake they had made with their large tribes of Ephraim andManasseh. From now on they would survey the land ahead of time, and they wouldfight until they had acquired enough territory to support their people.

This time thefirst lot fell to Benjamin, then Simeon, Zebulon, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali,and Dan. Then the Israelites gave Joshua an inheritance of land in the hillcountry of Ephraim. As for the Levites, the Lord was their inheritance. WhenGod spared Israel’s firstborn from death in Egypt, he claimed the Levites ashis own. So instead of receiving a region of land, they were given pasture landin 48 cities throughout the region, to serve God among all the tribes.

Then the Lordtold Israel to set apart six “cities of refuge.” If a person accidentallykilled someone, he could run to one of those cities and be kept safe until hestood trial. No one could kill him.

After the landdivisions were settled, the three tribes east of the Jordan built an altar.When Phinehas, the high priest, heard about it, he and the other leaderstraveled there to confront them. They were relieved to learn it was only amonument, not an idol. Since they were separated from the other tribes, theywanted a way to remind future generations that they, too, belonged to Israel.

As Joshua nearedthe end of his life, he charged the Israelites to drive out the other nationsfrom their land. “Make no alliances with them,” he warned, “and never bow downto their idols. For if you do, they will become a snare, and you will perishfrom this good land. Remember all that the Lord has done for Israel. If you ownany idols, throw them away. Decide today whom you will serve. As for me and myhouse, we will serve the Lord.”

Then the peopleshouted, “We will serve the Lord!” And they set up a stone monument to remindthem of their vow.

At age 110,Joshua died. The Israelites heeded his command, and they waged war againsttheir enemies. But they failed to drive them out completely. So the Lord sentan angel to deliver this message: “Because you disobeyed me, the inhabitants ofthis land will always be a thorn in your side.”

When the peopleheard that, they wept. They had never thought of it that way. If only they hadchosen to obey. . . .

The Day the Sun Stood Still

2012-02-23T08:59:00.003-05:00

Chapter 54

Joshua 10:1-43

The king ofJerusalem could hardly believe what he was hearing—Gibeon had made a peacetreaty with Israel. Gibeon was a large, important city, and all its men weregood fighters. It was even larger than the city of Ai. If Gibeon had indeedmade a treaty with Israel, then there was no stopping them.

Jerusalem’sleader summoned four other kings and made plans to battle Gibeon. “Let’sattack,” the king urged, “before the Israelites can come to their rescue. Wemust act quickly and decisively, before they have a chance to strengthen theirforces.”

He had made acompelling argument. So the five Amorite kings joined forces to attack Gibeon.

According totheir treaty, the Israelites were required to rescue the Gibeonites if theywere invaded. When they realized the Amorites were planning to attack, amessenger from Gibeon ran to Joshua’s camp: “Come quickly!” he shouted. “TheAmorites are about to attack us!”

Joshua leftGilgal with his entire army. He knew this would be one of the largest battlesthey had ever faced. As he prayed in his spirit, he could hear the Lord’sreply: “Don’t be afraid. I have given them all into your hands.”

By traveling allthrough the night, Joshua took the Amorites by surprise. The Lord added totheir panic by causing great confusion when they awoke. They were sodisorganized that Israel easily defeated them. As the Amorites fled, the Lordhurled down large hailstones and more died from the hail than from the battle.

Joshua wanted tofinish all that the Lord commanded him to do, but he was afraid he would runout of time. Once it grew dark, the rest of the Amorites would get away. In oneof his greatest acts of faith, Joshua stood before the Israelites and cried outso that all could hear: “O sun, I command you to stand still until we havedestroyed our enemies!”

For a full dayand night, light prevailed, as if the sun were standing still. With greatintensity, Israel pursued its enemies. The five kings knew they were defeated.To surrender, however, would mean certain death. So they kept running untilthey found a cave, and there they hid. But Joshua’s men were not far behind.When they reached the cave, they covered the entrance with a stone.

After destroyingthe armies completely, the Israelites returned to the cave. As was the customamong Eastern peoples, Joshua made the kings lie on the ground. He told hisofficers, “Place your feet on their necks.” Then he said, “This is what Godwill do to all your enemies.”

Joshua himselfkilled all five of the kings. He ordered that their bodies be hung on treesuntil evening, a sign that they were under God’s curse. That night Joshua’ssoldiers threw the bodies into the cave and sealed it again with stones.

Meanwhile,Joshua and all Israel continued their campaign to the south, where theydefeated Makkedah. From Makkedah, Joshua’s forces traveled to Libnah and beganattacking the cities of the five kings. After defeating Libnah, they attackedLachish. The Lord gave the people into Israel’s hands. Just as God hadcommanded, they put everyone to the sword. No one survived.

Israel thenmoved on to Eglon. They captured the city in a single day and killed all itspeople. From there they went on to conquer Hebron. God warned the Israelites tohave no pity on these peoples. For if they were left alive, they would drawIsrael into worshiping their idols.

The Israelitesnow turned farther south and headed for Debir. They defeated that city as wellas the surrounding villages, putting everyone to the sword. Both Hebron andDebir were walled cities. Their destruction showed what great power God hadgiven to Israel.

After conqueringthe entire southern region, including the hill country and the Negev, Israelreturned to Gilgal. From Kadesh Barnea to Gaza, from Palestine’s Goshen towardthe land of Gibeon, they destroyed all the inhabitants. In every battle, theyproved successful, for the Lord God had fought for them.

Enemies in Disguise

2012-02-22T09:20:00.002-05:00

Chapter 53

Joshua 8:1-35; 9:1-27

Jericho’s defeatmarked the beginning of a brilliant military campaign. As he relied on thepromptings of God’s Spirit, Joshua emerged as a cunning leader. At Ai he keptmost of his men hidden some distance from the city, while he advanced with asmall group. Then he and his group retreated, luring the men of Ai to chasethem. Suddenly, the hidden soldiers appeared. With great swiftness theIsraelites defeated the people of Ai.

When the nationswest of the Jordan River heard about Joshua’s military feats, their fearsmounted. The kings of six different nations met together and decided they wouldall join forces to attack Israel—that is, all but one. After the Hivites ofGibeon heard about Jericho and Ai, they met with the other kings. But later,they met among themselves and made a plan of their own.

“No army canstand against the God of the Israelites,” said one of the leaders, “not even ateam of allies. They took no captives at Jericho or Ai. So how can we possiblybargain with them?”

“I know!” saidanother. “Let’s dress up some of our men in tattered clothes. We’ll send themto the Israelites as if they are from a distant land. Then we can trick theminto signing a treaty.”

So a group fromGibeon loaded up donkeys with worn-out sacks, carrying cracked wineskins andbread that was dry and moldy. Wearing ragged clothes, they approached Gilgal.Then their spokesman called out, “We have come from a distant country to make atreaty with you!”

“Who are you?”Joshua asked. “Where do you come from?”

“We have comefrom a very distant country,” the man replied. “We heard of all the Lord yourGod did to the Egyptians and the Amorites.” The man said nothing about Jerichoand Ai. He would pretend not to know about their destruction. For then theIsraelites would think the group had only old information, for news traveledslowly to far-away regions.

Joshua turned toconsult with some of his other leaders. Seeing that they were hesitant, one ofthe Gibeonites called out, “Could we also trouble you for some supplies? Wewill pay whatever you like. We have been traveling so long that our food isstale and our clothes are worn out.”

“Yes,” saidanother Gibeonite, “it’s hard to believe this bread was still warm when weleft. But look at it now!” He held it up for all to see. “It’s dry and moldy.”

With a look ofskepticism, one of the Israelites picked up the loaf of bread and tried tobreak it. It was hard as a rock. Then they examined the cracked wineskins. Theyeven sampled some of their food. They were convinced. Without seeking the Lordfor guidance, Joshua agreed to make a peace treaty. Then the leaders from bothnations confirmed it with an oath.

After receivingprovisions from the Israelites, the Gibeonites left. By the time they reachedGibeon, the Israelites learned the truth—they had made a treaty with one of thenations they should have driven out. So Joshua and the other leaders traveledto Gibeon to confront them.

Meanwhile, the Israeliteswere angry with their leaders for making the peace agreement.They had sworntheir pledge to God. So Israel could not break the treaty by attacking them.

As soon as theyarrived in Gibeon, Joshua confronted the men who had fooled him. “Why did youdeceive us like this? Because you have done this, your people will now liveunder this curse: You will always serve as woodcutters and water carriers forIsrael and for the house of our God.”

The Gibeoniteswere relieved just to save their lives. “We knew what the Lord your God hadcommanded Moses,” explained one of the leaders. “We had heard that you werecommanded to wipe out all the inhabitants in this land, including us. And wewere afraid. That’s why we did this. We accept your demands. We are now yourservants. Do as you wish.”

If it weren’tfor Joshua, the people of Israel would have attacked them despite the treaty.But Joshua knew that breaking their oath would only bring God’s judgment. Sofrom that day on, the Gibeonites became woodcutters and water carriers for theIsraelites. And one day, when God would reveal Israel’s place of worship, theywould help the Israelites build a house for the Lord.

A Strange Battle Plan

2012-02-21T07:47:00.003-05:00

Chapter 52

Joshua 2:1-6:27

God hadpromised that he would give the Israelites the land beyond the Jordan, but nowthey must do their part to claim it. The people who lived there would fight tokeep it, but that was part of God’s plan. Israel would bring God’s judgment onthese pagan nations.

Joshua senttwo spies to search out the land and to bring back information about Jericho.The men slipped into the city without drawing attention to themselves—or so theythought. When they realized they were being followed, they went into the homeof a prostitute named Rahab.

“Don’t askany questions,” they said. “Just hide us, and we will pay you well.”

Momentslater, soldiers appeared at Rahab’s door. “The king says you are to send thosetwo men out of your house immediately,” the spokesman said. “We are certainthey are spies.”

“I wish youwould have come sooner,” she replied. “You are right. Two men did come here.But they left already. I can show you which way they went. If you hurry, youmight catch them.”

Rahabwatched as the soldiers hurried away. Then she turned and walked inside. Later,when all was dark, she walked upstairs to the roof. “You can come out now,” shewhispered. “It is safe.

“Listen—Iknow that you are spies sent from the Israelites and that the Lord God isgiving you this land. Everyone knows it, and they are scared to death. We haveheard of the miracles God has done. So please—since I saved your lives, spareme and my family, just as I have spared you.”

“It’s adeal,” one of them replied, “our lives for your lives. But you must be carefulto do all that we say. Otherwise we can’t guarantee your safety. When weattack, keep your family inside your home. Tie this red cord here and let itdangle from your window to mark your house.”

“I will,”she said. “And may God be our witness.”

Rahab’s homewas built against the city wall. So the spies climbed down from the window andslipped away in the dark of night. They hurried into the hills and hid therefor three days, until the guards gave up searching for them. Then they crossedthe Jordan and returned to their camp.

“The Lordhas surely given us the land,” they told Joshua. “All the people are melting infear.”

It was thenthat the Lord said to Joshua, “I am about to do something so miraculous thepeople will never forget it. In this way, they will know I have chosen you justas I had chosen Moses.”

At theLord’s command, Joshua told the priests to carry the ark to the edge of theJordan River. Though many people suspected that the Israelites would attack, noone expected it to happen so soon, for the river was at flood stage. But as thepriests stepped into the river, carrying the ark on their shoulders, the waterparted. The people followed, and they all crossed on dry ground.

After allthe people had crossed, Joshua called for 12 men, one from each tribe. He toldeach of them to pick up one large stone from the river bed. At Gilgal, they setup camp and piled the stones as a memorial. This would remind their descendantsof what God had done for them.

Word soonspread that the Israelites had crossed the Jordan and were steadily advancing.When people learned that God had parted the river for them, the surroundingnations were terrified.

TheIsraelites remained at Gilgal. Then Joshua gave the orders God had given tohim. They were to march around Jericho’s walls silently, with no sound but thatof trumpets.

Followingthe ark of the covenant, they marched around Jericho once a day for six days.On the seventh day, they circled it seven times. “When I give the signal,”Joshua said, “then you must shout, for the Lord has given you the city.”Anticipation mounted as they neared the end of their seventh walk. “Now!”Joshua yelled. The Israelites all shouted, and Jericho’s walls collapsed.

The twospies were waiting near Rahab’s house. She and her family were unharmed, thoughparts of the wall had collapsed. The spies led them to a safe place. ThenIsrael attacked the city and burned everything in it, just as God had commanded.Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who would rebuild Jericho. The onlysurvivors were Rahab and her family.

“From nowon,” Rahab said, “we will live among the Israelites and worship the Lord.”

Moses Prepares to Leave

2012-02-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

Chapter 51

Deuteronomy 3:21-28; 31:1-8; 34:1-12

It was almosttoo good to be true: After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness like nomads,the Israelites were on the verge of crossing over and entering their land. All thosewho had believed the ten spies, instead of trusting God, had finally died. Theonly ones who were left from that generation were Caleb, Joshua, and Moses. ButMoses would not be going with them.

Still, Mosescouldn’t bear the thought of not entering the land. He hoped that the Lordwould change his mind. “Please, Lord,” he pleaded, “let me go in with them tosee the land.”

But the Lordremained firm. “No,” he replied, “and don’t ask me again. You will not crossthe Jordan with them. But if you climb to the top of Pisgah and look out fromthere, you will see this land.

“Now go, andprepare Joshua to take your place. Encourage him, for he is the one I have nowchosen to lead the people into the land.”

All theIsraelites now assembled for a great gathering. There was silence as Mosesappeared before them. “I am now 120 years old,” he said, “and I am no longerable to lead you. I cannot cross the Jordan, but you shall, for the Lordhimself will cross over ahead of you. Joshua will now lead you, and you willindeed take possession of the land. The Lord will defeat your enemies, just ashe did the Amorites. He will deliver them into your hands. But you mustremember to do to them all that I have commanded you. Do not be afraid of thepeople in this new land, for the Lord your God is going with you. He will neverleave you nor turn away from you.”

Then Mosesturned to Joshua. With all the Israelites watching them, he said, “Be strongand courageous, for God has chosen you to lead these people into the promised land.Divide the land among all of them as their inheritance. Do not be afraid, forthe Lord himself will go with you.”

For some timenow, Moses had recorded details about their journey. He had also written downthe fuller commands that the Lord gave to him on Mt. Sinai. Calling thesescrolls the “Book of the Law,” he now gave them to the priests and the elders.It was their responsibility to teach them to the people and to theirdescendants. “At the end of every seven years,” Moses said, “when the people cancelthe debts they are owed, have all the men, women, and children meet at theplace of worship. Then read aloud these words of the Law.”

While the wordsof Moses were being relayed to the people, Moses slipped away to the tent ofmeeting, and Joshua went with him. There the Lord appeared in the glory cloud.

“Moses,” hesaid, “you are about to die, and you will rest with your fathers. But first Iwant you to teach the people a song. I will give you the words. This songreveals what will happen to them.”

Once more Mosesgathered the assembly. “The Lord has given me a song to teach you. It revealswhat will happen one day. You will indeed turn away from him. When thishappens, and your descendants hear this song, they will realize God predictedthis long before it happened.”

Then Mosesclimbed Mount Nebo to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. From there theLord showed him the whole land. “This is it,” the Lord said, “the land Ipromised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the land I promised to give to theirdescendants. Now you have seen it.”

There on thatmountain, Moses died, just as God had predicted. At age 120, his eyes were notweak, and he still had a great deal of strength. Had he not disobeyed God, hecould have lived longer. The Lord himself buried Moses, and no one ever learnedexactly where he was buried.

The Israelitesknew why Moses had climbed the mountain. And they knew that he would notreturn. For 30 days they grieved over his death. Never has there arisen anotherprophet like Moses, someone who knew God face to face and who could performsuch awesome miracles.

Just before heclimbed the mountain, Moses had met with Joshua, his faithful assistant. Therewere tears in both men’s eyes as he rested his hands on Joshua’s shoulders.This was more than a gesture of farewell. In that touch, Moses had imparted thepower of God’s Spirit. From that moment on, Joshua was filled with a spirit ofwisdom. God anointed him as Israel’s new leader.

What Matters to God

2012-02-19T06:23:00.000-05:00

Chapter 50

Deuteronomy 6:1-8:20; 12:4-7; 13:1-5

The Israelitessensed that the end was near—their leader was about to die. And yet, to look atMoses, there was nothing to indicate that his health was failing. Even hiseyesight was better than men who were much younger. But it was the way he spoketo them that hinted at his departure. There were things he wanted them toremember long after he was gone. He said he wanted them to know what wasimportant to God.

“First andforemost,” Moses said, “you are to love the Lord your God with all your heart,soul, and strength. Teach your children God’s commands. Talk about themthroughout each day.

“When the Lordbrings you into the land he promised, you will inhabit cities and houses that youdid not build. You will draw from wells you did not dig and eat from vineyardsand groves that you did not plant. When that happens and you feel satisfied, donot forget the Lord.

“Remember tofear the Lord your God, and serve him only. Do not follow other gods, as thepeoples nearby are doing. For the Lord your God is a jealous God. If you forgethim and worship other gods, he will surely destroy you, just as he hasdestroyed other nations.”

“When yourchildren and grandchildren ask about the meaning behind our rituals and ourlaws, tell them, ‘We were once slaves in Egypt. But the Lord miraculouslybrought us out. He gave us this land, the land he had promised to ourforefathers. And we will prosper if we obey him.’

“The Lord willenable you to conquer the seven nations that live in the land, even though theyare larger and stronger. Make no treaties with them, and do not intermarry withthem. Destroy them completely. Break down their altars and smash their idols.

“God has chosenyou as his special people because of the promise he made to your forefathers.If you obey his commands, he will keep his covenant of love with you: He willbless you with many children, abundant crops, and vast herds of livestock. Andhe will protect you from disease.

“When you seethe nations you must fight, you might think, ‘How can we possibly defeat them?’When that happens, remember what the Lord your God did against Egypt. Remember,and do not be afraid. He will drive out those nations for you. But he will doit little by little, so that wild animals do not multiply too quickly, beforeyou have a chance to populate each region.

“The Lord ledyou in the desert these 40 years to humble you and test you—to learn what wasin your hearts. Your clothes never wore out. When you hungered, he fed you withmanna. The Lord did this to show you that there is a hunger bread cannotsatisfy, a hunger only God can feed.

“Remember God’scommands, do what pleases him, respect him as Lord. He is bringing you into agood land, with streams and springs, wheat and barley, vines, fig trees,pomegranates, olive oil, honey, and so much more. The land is rich with ironand copper. You will lack nothing.

“When you havesettled in the land and found comfort, praise the Lord your God for all that hehas given you and obey his commands. Otherwise you may forget the Lord andthink, ‘I’ve done pretty well for myself.’ But it is the Lord who gives you theability to grow wealthy.

“Do not use theplaces of worship created by the other nations. Seek the place of worship thatthe Lord will choose. He will put his Name there for his dwelling. Offer yoursacrifices there.

“If someone whoforetells the future by dreams or visions shows you something miraculous to getyou to follow another god, don’t do it. Even if it appears to be a realmiracle, do not listen to that person. God is testing you to find out whetheryou really love him. Hold fast to him.”

The peoplelistened earnestly. They were now a vast people, numbering in the millions. SoMoses would speak to the leaders, and they in turn would gather with theirtribes and clans.

For 40 yearsMoses had led them and their parents and grandparents. Yet now God would notpermit Moses to enter the promised land. Some of the people wondered, “Do youthink God might change his mind?” “Moses had been able to persuade the Lord inthe past. Perhaps he can do so once more.” What they didn’t know was that Moseswas pondering the same thing. . . .

God Speaks Through a Donkey

2012-02-18T07:22:00.003-05:00

Chapter 49

Numbers 22:1-24:25

Rumors spreadthroughout the region that an army of people was forcefully advancing towardCanaan. As the Israelites headed toward the land of the Amorites, Moses sent amessage to their tribal leader, King Sihon. He requested permission for theIsraelites to pass through their land. Sihon refused and sent his army toattack the Israelites. But the Israelites defeated them. They drove them outthen took residence in the cities they had conquered.

Meanwhile, inthe neighboring land of Moab, King Balak grew terrified. He had heard thatIsrael’s powerful army had crushed the mighty Amorites. Balak feared that hispeople would be next. So he sent for a sorcerer to curse Israel, to call onspirits who would bring Israel’s downfall.

Some princesfrom Moab personally delivered the king’s message to a man named Balaam. It wassaid that not only could he predict the future, but he could also help shape itby pronouncing blessings and curses. The messengers, who were tired from theirjourney, rested overnight in Balaam’s home. That night, God confronted Balaamand warned him not to curse Israel.

The next morningBalaam sent the group away. But King Balak sent back an even larger group. Hepromised Balaam money if he would curse Israel. “I can only do what Godpermits,” Balaam said. “I will see what he says.” And that night, God said, “Gowith them, but do only what I say.”

The nextmorning, the sorcerer and his two servants followed the group toward Moab. ButGod was very angry with Balaam. Near the vineyard, Balaam’s donkey suddenlystopped. Then he moved sideways and crushed Balaam’s leg against the wall.Angrily, Balaam beat the donkey.

They traveled abit farther, when they came to a narrow passageway. Once again the donkeystopped. This time she lay down, with Balaam still in the saddle. As he beganto beat her, the Lord caused the donkey to speak: “Have I ever behaved this waybefore?” she said.

“No,” heanswered. The prophet’s madness had dulled his ability to reason, even torecognize the miracle before him. Only now did Balaam suddenly see what thedonkey had seen all along—the angel of the Lord, standing with a drawn sword.Balaam fell facedown.

“This donkeysaved your life,” the Lord said.

“I have sinned,”Balaam replied. “Shall I go back?”

“No,” the Lordsaid, “but say only what I tell you.”

Balaam hadalmost arrived at his destination when King Balak went out to meet him.

“What took youso long?” he said. “Have you forgotten that I am able to make you rich?”

“Well, I am herenow,” Balaam replied. “But I can speak only the words God gives me.” Then KingBalak sacrificed cattle and sheep and held a feast.

The nextmorning, the king led Balaam up into the mountains. From there they could lookdown and see the Israelites. Balaam told King Balak to build seven altars. Theysacrificed a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam slipped away to a barrencliff to meet with God.

When Balaamreturned, he gave his prophetic judgment: “From the rocky peaks I see them, apeople separate from the other nations. They are as numerous as the dust; whocan count them?”

“What have youdone?” the king cried. “You have blessed my enemies!”

Balaam replied,“I must speak God’s words.”

So the king tookBalaam to another viewpoint and built seven more altars. Once again, Balaam metwith the Lord. When he returned, he said, “The Lord is with Israel. No sorceryor divination can stand against them. Like a lion, Israel does not rest untilhe devours his prey.”

King Balaksimmered with anger. From another site, the king again tried to get Balaam tocurse Israel. To his chagrin, Balaam cried out, “How beautiful is yourdwelling, O Israel! Your kingdom will be exalted. May those who bless you beblessed, and those who curse you be cursed.”

The more hedemanded curses, the greater the blessings Balaam pronounced. Finally, Balaampredicted what would happen to the Moabites—they would be destroyed, at thehands of Israel.

Everyone Loses Patience

2012-02-17T07:50:00.002-05:00

Chapter 48

Numbers 20:1-29; 21:1-9

Almost 40 yearshad now passed since the exodus from Egypt, and Moses was on the verge of apainful turning point. By now, almost all those who had left Egypt as adultswere dead. But the legacy they left to Moses was more than he could bear: Theirchildren had grown up to be just like them.

In spite of allthat the Lord had done, and the blossoming staff that reminded them not torebel, the people argued with Moses. When they reached the Desert of Zin, theyfound no water. One after another they cried, “Why did you take us out of Egyptand bring us to this terrible place?”

Moses and Aaronslipped away to the tent of meeting and dropped facedown. The Lord’s gloryappeared, and the Lord spoke: “Take the staff and gather the assembly near therock that you see over there. Then speak to the rock, and water will pour outfor the people and their livestock.”

Moses took theblossoming staff from its memorial site and gathered the assembly near therock. But instead of speaking to the rock, he spoke to the people in a burst ofanger. “Listen, you rebels! Must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then hestruck the rock. Nothing happened. He struck it again. This time, water gushedout, and everyone drank from it.

But the Lord wasnot pleased with Moses and Aaron. Almost 40 years ago, the Lord had causedwater to come from a rock after Moses struck it with the staff. But that wasbefore the staff had budded. This time, Moses was to carry the staff asreminder of God’s power and his authority. He had only to speak to the rock.What’s more, he had failed to give glory to God for the water.

“You did nottrust in me enough to do what I commanded,” the Lord said. “By your actions andyour words, you did not honor me as holy before the Israelites. Therefore,neither of you will enter the land I have promised.”

As theIsraelites continued on their journey, they approached Edom, the land inhabitedby Esau’s descendants. Like the Israelites, they were also related to Abraham.So Moses sent a friendly message to their king, asking permission to travelthrough their land.

More than 400years had passed since the Israelites had lived near this region. PerhapsEsau’s descendants still held a grudge against Jacob’s descendants because ofJacob’s deceit. Perhaps they feared losing their water or their land. Whatevertheir reason, their king replied, “No.”

So theIsraelites took a different route. At Mount Hor, Moses ascended the mountainwith Aaron and his son Eleazar. God then commanded that Aaron’s priestlygarments be put on Eleazar. Aaron died on that mountain, and there he restedwith his forefathers. So Moses and Eleazer returned without him.

After 30 days ofmourning Aaron’s death, the Israelites continued their journey. They traveledon the road leading to Atharim—until they were caught off guard by a Canaanitearmy. The army was sent by a king from the Negev. They attacked the Israelitesand captured some of them.

The Israeliteswere distraught. “O Lord,” they pleaded, “if you enable us to defeat thoseCanaanites, we promise to destroy their cities totally.” The Lord granted theirrequest. So the Israelites freed the captives and destroyed the Canaanitecities in Arad.

As they traveledalong the route to the Red Sea, going around Edom, the people again grewimpatient. They spoke against the Lord and against Moses: “Why have you broughtus out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! Andwe hate this awful food!”

The Lordanswered by sending poisonous snakes throughout the assembly. The snakes bitthem, and many died. The people ran to Moses and cried out, “We have sinnedagainst the Lord and against you! Pray that the Lord will take away thesesnakes!” So Moses prayed for the people.

But instead ofdestroying the snakes, the Lord offered this provision: “Make a replica of asnake and put it up on a pole. If anyone who is bitten will just look at it,that person will live.” So Moses made a bronze snake. And those who turned tolook at it were saved from death.

Korah's Rebellion

2012-02-16T07:31:00.003-05:00

Chapter 47

Numbers 16:1-50; 17:1-11

If Moses hadknown it would come to this, he might never have left the desert of Midian. Theonly thing more lonely than tending sheep was the task of shepherding onemillion men, women, and children. It seemed like they were traveling incircles. And indeed, they were. Though they now stood at the threshold of theirpromised land, no one would enter it for 40 years.

There were nohappy campers. Some of them said Moses was to blame as much as they. Even theLevites were beginning to draw back their support, thanks to a conspiracy begunby one man.

Korah had alwaysresented it that one of his younger relatives was appointed as tribal leader.And why should the family of Moses take the role of priest over all the tribes?For Moses had appointed Aaron as high priest, and his sons would inherit thatrole. But that was not how their forefathers had handled spiritual leadership:Each family had had their own spiritual leader.

Korah builtfriendships with leaders from the tribe of Reuben. He reminded them that theywere descendants of Israel’s firstborn son. Shouldn’t they have a major role inleading their people?

Korah’s plan wasworking. He and his friends criticized Moses so much that even the elders beganto agree. “Were there not 70 of us who had prophesied by the Spirit of God?” Sothe elders met with the tribal leaders, and they agreed with Korah—it was timeto confront Moses.

Accompanied by250 men, Korah made his way to the tent of Moses. “We have something to tellyou,” he announced. “All the people are holy—not just you and your brother!”

When Moses heardthis, he fell facedown. And the Lord revealed to him what he should do.

Moses rose andsaid, “Tomorrow morning, you men take censers and put fire and incense in them.The Lord himself will show who is holy.” Then he added, “You Levites have gonetoo far!”

The Levitesworked at the tabernacle. But they too had grown jealous of Aaron. As for Dathanand Abiram, the two Reubenites, they blamed Moses for their long, hard journey.But when Moses called for them, they refused to come. Their arrogant attitudemade Moses angry.

He thought ofthe challenge all his accusers would face in the morning. “Lord,” he prayed,“do not accept the Levites’ offering of fire and incense. I’ve done nothing towrong any of them.”

Early the nextmorning, the people watched as 250 men stood near the tent of meeting. Then theLord’s glory appeared. “Move away,” he told Moses and Aaron, “so I can destroyall of them.”

“O God,” Mosespleaded, “will you be angry with everyone when one man sins?”

God listened tohis plea. “Have all the people move away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, andAbiram.” So Moses warned them. “Now you will know that God has appointed me,”he added.

Immediately, theground shook and split open. The tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, as well astheir families, fell into the opening. Just as suddenly, the ground closed upagain, and they all lay buried beneath the surface. When the Israelites sawthis, they fled in terror.

Then God’s fireconsumed the 250 men who opposed Moses. Only their censers remained.

The next day,all the people were angry over the lives they lost. They blamed Moses andAaron. “You have killed the Lord’s people!” they said. Suddenly the glory cloudappeared. Once more the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Get away from thisassembly. I’m going to put an end to them.”

The two mendropped facedown, but the Lord’s plague had already started. “Hurry,” Mosestold Aaron, “and put incense and fire in your censer. Then run to the assemblyand make atonement for the people.” As Aaron did so, the plague stopped—butonly after 14,700 people had died.

The Lord wouldnow put an end to their grumbling about who should lead. He commanded that oneman come forth from each tribe. “Have each man write his name on his staff,”the Lord said, “and place them at the tent of meeting. The man I choose willfind that his staff has budded.”

Now Aaron wasselected to represent the tribe of Levi. And the next day, all the people sawthat his staff had not only budded, but it had also blossomed and producedalmonds. From then on, Aaron’s staff was kept by the ark of the testimony, areminder to all that they should not rebel.

The Spies Who Brought Back Fear

2012-02-15T07:06:00.002-05:00

Chapter 46

Numbers 13:1-33; 14:1-45

Twelve brave andcunning men were selected for a special mission. Finally, the Israelites hadreached the Desert of Paran, not far from the land God had promised them. AtGod’s command, the people selected one man from each tribe. Now they stoodbefore Moses, waiting for their instructions.

“I am sendingyou out ahead of us to explore the land. Find out not only what the land islike, but also what kind of people are living there.”

The 12 mentraveled throughout the entire region. In Hebron they saw descendants of a mannamed Anak. Like their forefather, they were known for their great size. Neverhad the Israelites seen men that tall. As for the land, it was rich and lush.They picked samples of fruit, including some pomegranates and figs. Theircluster of grapes was so big that it took two men to carry it.

At the end of 40days, the men returned to the camp. “You were right,” they told Moses. “It is aland flowing with milk and honey. Look at the size of this fruit! But we mustwarn you—the people living there are big and powerful. Their cities are largeand well-protected.”

As the mendescribed the descendants of Anak, Caleb motioned for everyone to be quiet.“Enough about the Anakites. I say we go up and take the land. We can do it!”

But the othermen shook their heads in disagreement. “Caleb,” one of the men argued, “how canyou say that? You saw them with your own eyes. We can’t attack those people.They are too strong. They make us look like grasshoppers.”

All but two ofthe spies were in agreement—taking this land would be too risky. They paintedsuch a negative picture that they made the people afraid to go in and fight forthe land.

So all thatnight the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron. One after another, peoplesaid the same thing: “We should choose another leader and go back to Egypt.”

As tensionsmounted, Moses and Aaron fell facedown among the people, appealing to the Lord.Not far away, Joshua and Caleb tore their own clothes as a sign of theirdesperation. Standing where they could be seen above the crowd, they gained thepeople’s attention.

“Listen!” Joshuasaid, “We saw the land too, and it is excellent. The Lord can give us thatland. Don’t be afraid of the people there. Their protection is gone, but wehave the Lord.”

Yet the peoplewould not listen. Instead, they talked about stoning Moses and Aaron.

Just then theglory cloud appeared at the tent of meeting, and the Lord spoke to Moses. “Howlong will these people refuse to trust me? I will destroy them and make youinto a nation.”

“O Lord,” Mosessaid, “the surrounding nations have already heard that you are with us. If youput all these people to death, those nations will say, ‘The Lord was not ableto bring them into the land.’ Since you are a loving God, forgive the people oftheir sin.”

The Lordreplied, “For my name’s sake, I will forgive them. But none of the people whosaw my glory and my miracles will enter the land. Instead, they will wander inthis desert for 40 years—one year for each day the spies traveled. By then, allthe faithless people will have died.”

So the peoplewho refused to trust God would never enter the land. But one day, theirchildren would. As for the spies who caused so much fear, the Lord struck themdead with a plague. Only Joshua and Caleb were spared. God promised that fortheir faith, they would enter the land.

When Moses toldthe people what God had decided, they mourned bitterly. “We have sinned,” theysaid. “We will go into the land after all.”

“No,” Mosessaid. “It’s too late. If you try to enter the land now, you will be disobeyingGod. Don’t even attempt it, for the Lord will not go with you.”

Once again, thepeople refused to listen. Without Moses or the ark of the covenant to leadthem, they approached the hill country. Then the Amalekites and Canaanites camedown and attacked them, driving them all the way back. They would not enterthis land apart from the power of God.

A Demanding People

2012-02-14T06:37:00.003-05:00

Chapter 45

Numbers 11:1-34

The Israeliteshad no idea that someone was listening in on their conversations. Now that thetabernacle was completed, their enthusiasm was dampened by a newrealization—they must continue to travel through the desert. As they journeyedonward, the people started to complain among themselves about the hardshipsthey faced. This was the very thing the Lord had feared would happen, that hispresence would be taken too lightly. Already they had kindled his anger withtheir constant whining. So the Lord struck the edge of the camp with fire.

The people criedout in terror. When Moses saw what happened, he knew God had sent the flame.Quickly he prayed, and the fire died down.

But some peoplehad learned nothing from God’s fiery warning. “If only we had meat to eat!”they complained. “In Egypt we had fish, cucumbers, melons. . . . We’re so sickof this manna!”

Yet the peoplehad discovered many ways to prepare it. After gathering the thin, wafer-likeflakes, they would grind them up. Then they would cook the manna in a pot orbake it as small cakes. The cakes tasted like they were made with olive oil.

Theircomplaining began with a few families in every tribe, but it soon spread likewildfire throughout the entire camp. Moses could hear one family after another,wailing from the entrance of each tent. The Lord became angry, and Moses grewdepressed.

“Why have youput the burden of all these people on me?” Moses asked. “Where can I get meat forsuch a large mass? They keep complaining and saying, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ Icannot take care of all these people. The burden is too heavy for me. If thisis how you wish to treat me, Lord, put me to death right now—don’t let me seefailure!”

The Lord listenedto Moses’ plea. “Bring me 70 of Israel’s elders,” he said. “Make sure they areleaders who are respected by the people. Have them stand at the tent ofmeeting. I will take some of the Spirit I’ve placed on you and put it on them.From now on, they will help you carry this burden of dealing with the people.

“Then send thismessage to all the people: ‘The Lord heard you wailing, “If only we had meat!We were better off in Egypt!” Tomorrow the Lord will give you so much meat thatyou will wind up hating it. For your words have revealed what is in yourhearts. You have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and desired to return toEgypt.’ ”

So Moses relayedall that the Lord had said. Then the elders stood with him around the tent ofmeeting. The Lord came down in the cloud and spoke further with Moses. Then hetook some of the Spirit that was on Moses and placed it on the elders.Immediately, they began to prophecy, to speak forth the messages of God.

Meanwhile, backin the camp, two of the elders who were chosen had refused to go to the tent.Eldad and Medad stayed behind, ignoring Moses’ orders. Yet the very moment theother elders began prophesying, they too received the Spirit and started toprophesy. A young man who saw them prophesying ran to tell Moses.

When Joshuaheard that, he said, “Moses, my lord, stop them!”

But Mosesreplied, “Are you jealous on my behalf? Don’t be. I wish that all God’s peoplewere prophets.”

Just as Mosesand the elders returned to the camp, the Lord sent a mighty wind from the sea.It drove quail into their camp and kept them from flying away. The birds wereno more than three feet above the ground, where the people could easily catchthem. Every family gathered at least 60 bushels.

All around thecamp, the people spread out their quail. They prepared some of the meat andstarted to eat it. But those who had earlier complained about the food nowtasted God’s judgment. As they began to chew their meat, the Lord struck themwith a plague, and they died.

Making Peace with God

2012-02-13T07:00:00.001-05:00

Chapter 44

Leviticus 1:1-8:36; 25:1-55

From ancientdays, the people of the earth knew that a heavy weight held down their souls, afeeling that they just couldn’t shake. No matter how hard they tried, they all didthings that made them feel guilty. And thoughts of the Creator left themfeeling unworthy.

Their earliestancestors had told them it was not that way in the beginning. The Creator hadonce been their friend. But something terrible had happened to sever theirfriendship. Trust had been broken. It would not be easy to regain. A price mustbe paid. Until that payment could be met, people would need a peace treaty withthe Lord God who had made them.

It was for thisreason that God commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a bull, a lamb, or agoat. If someone were poor, he could substitute a dove or a pigeon. After theanimal’s blood was shed, it would burn on the altar, and the aroma would pleaseGod.

There weredifferent types of offerings to be made. Each burnt offering also required agrain offering, seasoned with salt. The Israelites knew that fire could notdestroy salt. So God told them to add salt to their offerings, to show that hispromise or covenant with them would last forever.

The fellowshipoffering was like a peace offering for health and well-being. A person wouldoffer it to express thankfulness or to show devotion to God by making a promiseor a vow. The family would then eat a meal from portions of the offering.

When peoplesinned without knowing they had done wrong, God still held them responsible.They had to sacrifice a bull, a goat, or a lamb as a guilt offering. If aperson refused to tell what he knew about someone else’s wrongdoing or theirinnocence, that, too, was sin.

What happened whena person accidentally wronged someone? He was still held responsible. And if aperson deceived or cheated someone, that showed unfaithfulness to God. Theperson must sacrifice a ram and pay for anything damaged or taken dishonestly,plus one-fifth more.

Because thepriests served both God and the people, they received part of every fellowshipoffering. The worshiper would wave the right thigh from the sacrifice then giveit to the priest. Then he would give the breast for other priests and theirfamilies.

God told Mosesto ordain Aaron as the high priest and appoint his sons as other priests.“Because every firstborn in Israel is mine,” the Lord said, “I will take theLevites in their place.” So all the men from the tribe of Levi, ages 25 to 50,would serve at the tabernacle.

As the Lord hadcommanded, Aaron first made peace with God for himself. He slaughtered a bullcalf, dipped his finger in the blood, and touched the horns of the altar. Therest he poured out at the base of the altar while he burned his offering.

Then he madeofferings on behalf of the people. Finally, he lifted his hands toward thepeople and blessed them. Suddenly, God’s glory appeared, and fire sprang out toconsume the entire offering. The people shouted for joy then dropped facedownin worship.

Because Aaronhad done everything as God commanded, the Lord had accepted the people’soffering. But when it was time for his sons to participate as priests, theyignored God’s directions. Nadab and Abihu chose to light the censers their wayinstead of God’s way. So God’s anger was kindled. In one quick moment, firefrom his presence flared out and killed them.

The Israeliteslearned a painful lesson about heeding God’s orders. And God gave specificdirections not only for worship, but also for work. They were to work six daysa week but rest on the seventh to honor God. When they obtained their land,they were to grow crops for six years but let the land rest on the seventh.That meant every seventh year was a sabbath rest for the land.

After forty-nineyears (seven sabbath years) would come what God called a Year of Jubilee. Allthe Israelites’ land would be returned to the Israelite family who had firstowned it. And Israelites who had sold themselves as slaves would be set free.For they must never forget that the land belongs to the Lord, and they, hispeople, are merely tenants, blessed by God.

The Tabernacle

2012-02-12T07:54:00.002-05:00

Chapter 43

Exodus 35:1-38:20; 39:32-40:38

Sorrow turned to joy when the Israelites learned thattheir God had changed his mind: Not only would he travel with them, but hewould make his home among them. Moses told the people that the Lord would needa special dwelling. All who desired it, both men and women, would have a partin building this great tent, this tabernacle. Various materials would beneeded—cloth, animals skins, and precious stones. But more than that, theywould need people who were willing to work together in using their creativeskills.

God gave special ability to the artists and craftsmen. Hefilled them with his Holy Spirit so they could build a tabernacle fit for hispresence. The “tent of meeting,” as it was called, was made of linen and yarn,with pictures of cherubim (winged angels) woven in. Animal skins were used tocover the top.

God chose Bezalel as the chief craftsman. He was thegrandson of Hur, one of their godliest leaders. Bezalel made a special box,called “the ark,” and it was overlaid with pure gold. Two gold cherubim coveredthe top, as if to show they were guarding God’s holiness, for there God’s glorycloud would rest.

A table was made of acacia wood, and it, too, wasoverlaid with gold. Large rings were placed at each corner, as with the ark, sopoles could be slipped through them to carry the structure. The plates, bowls,and pitchers for drink offerings were also made of gold.

A beautiful lampstand was hammered out of pure gold, aswere the wick trimmers and trays. Three branches extended from each side,making seven lamps. Its cups were shaped like almond flowers with buds andblossoms. These gave light to the tent of meeting.

The altar of incense, used to give off sweet smellingaromas, was also made of acacia wood and overlaid with pure gold. It, too, hadgold rings and gold poles to carry it. A skilled perfumer made the sacredanointing oil and the incense that would be used for worship.

A larger altar was made of acacia wood and overlaid withbronze. Its pots, shovels, bowls, and forks were also made of bronze. Thisaltar would be used for burnt offerings, called holocausts.

A bronze basin was made for the priests to wash theirhands before entering the tabernacle’s courtyard. The courtyard walls werecurtains of finely twisted linen. Like the entire tabernacle, they could bepacked up for traveling, similar to tents.

Those who would serve the Lord in the tabernacle werereferred to as “priests.” They would lead the people in worship, in makingsacrifices, and in gaining the Lord’s guidance.

One man, the high priest, would wear an elegantapron-like garment called an “ephod.” Over the ephod, he wore a breastpiece,near to his heart. Like the ephod, it was made of gold, with blue, purple, andscarlet yarn and fine linen. Twelve precious stones were mounted on it,engraved with the names of Israel’s twelve tribes. On the high priest’s turbanrested a gold diadem that carried this inscription: “Holy to the Lord.” At thehem of the priest’s blue robe dangled ornamental pomegranates with bells inbetween. Whenever the people heard the bells, they knew that the priest waswalking inside—he was still alive; God’s holiness had not consumed him. Itmeant God had accepted both the priest and their sacrifice.

After inspecting their work and blessing it, Moses chosethe first day of the first month to have the people set up the tabernacle. Heanointed not only the entire tabernacle, but also the priests who would servethere. Then God’s cloud rested on the tent of meeting and his glory filled thetabernacle.

Show Me Your Glory

2012-02-11T07:45:00.002-05:00

Chapter 42

Exodus 33:1-23; 34:1-35

A surge of fearswept through Moses as he heard the Lord’s decision: “You are to leave thisplace and travel to the land I promised your forefathers, but I will not gowith you. For you are a stubborn people, and I might destroy you.” When thepeople heard what he had said, they were full of sorrow. They took off theirgaily decorated jewelry and began to mourn.

Before this,whenever they traveled, they were accustomed to seeing Moses pitch a specialtent some distance away, where he could look down over the camp. He called itthe “tent of meeting,” and there he would talk to the Lord. Whenever Mosesentered the tent, each family stood at the entrance to their own tent, watchinghim go in.

As Moses enteredthe tent, the pillar of cloud would come down. It hovered at the entrance whilethe Lord spoke to Moses. And when the people saw this, they would worship.Meanwhile, the Lord would speak to Moses the way a person speaks to his friend.

But God’s latestpiece of news made Moses feel like he was losing his best friend. “You havetold me to lead these people,” Moses said. “I have some concerns about that.Since you know me by name, and you say I have found favor with you, then staywith me and teach me your ways. And please—do not send us away unless you gowith us.”

“Very well,” theLord said, “my Presence will go with you.”

Moses ponderedhis next request, for it was a bold one: “Lord, show me your glory.”

The Lord waspleased to see that Moses wanted a deeper relationship. “Here is what I willdo,” he said. “I will cause all my goodness to pass before you, and I willreveal my name to you. For I will have mercy on whomever I wish, and I willhave compassion on whomever I wish. But you may not see my face, for no one cansee my face and live.”

Then the Lordcommanded Moses to chisel out two more stone tablets and to come to Mt. Sinai,making sure no one, not even an animal, would be near the mountain. Mosesobeyed, and early the next morning he made his way up the mountain. Then theLord directed him to a cleft in a rock, where Moses would be shielded fromseeing his face. As the Lord passed by, he let Moses see his back, and herevealed the meaning of his name: “The Lord, compassionate and gracious, slowto anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.”

Moses bowed tothe ground and worshiped.

The Lord said,“I am making a covenant with you. I will do awesome wonders and drive out thosewho are in the land that I am giving you. Make no treaties with them. Destroytheir idols.

“Continue tocelebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It will remind you how I delivered youout of Egypt. Remember, every firstborn male belongs to me; claim it back bysacrificing a lamb.

“There are othercelebrations you must keep as well. Celebrate the Feast of Harvests with thefirstfruits of your crops. The Feast of Ingathering will be celebrated at theturn of the year, when crops are gathered in. All the men must appear before methree times a year. Do not worry about anyone coveting your land while you aregone, for I will protect it. Remind the people that you shall work on six daysbut rest on the seventh, even during the planting season and the harvest.”

For the next 40days, Moses met with the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord was so strong upon himthat he had no need to eat or drink. As he came down from the mountain, hisface was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord and seen his glory. ButMoses did not realize this, until he saw that the people were afraid to comenear him.

Moses told thepeople all that the Lord had said. When he finished speaking, he walked back tohis tent. Then he realized that the radiance he felt was starting to fade. Sohe put a veil over his face. That way the the people would not see that theglory was fading away. For then they might question his leadership. Butwhenever he spoke to the Lord, he drew back the veil. Then he walked among thepeople and let them see the radiance of God.

The Golden Calf

2012-02-10T07:11:00.002-05:00

Chapter 41

Exodus 32:1-35

Something musthave happened to Moses. Many days had passed since he climbed up Mt. Sinai toreceive the rest of God’s commandments. The people began to wonder: What if he does not return? What if Moses himselfhas been consumed by God’s wrath?

A large group ofpeople gathered around Aaron. Someone in the crowd shouted out: “If Moses werecoming back, he would have been here by now. I say we should continue ourjourney. ”

“How would weknow where to go?” Aaron replied. “It is the Lord who has led us so far.”

“Then let usmake new gods who will go before us!” someone cried out.

So Aaron calleda meeting of the elders. “Have the people remove their gold earrings,” he said,“and bring them to me. We will make a god to go before us on our journey.”

Aaron took alltheir jewelry, melted it down, and shaped it into a golden calf. When hepresented it to the people, someone shouted, “This is your God, O Israel, whobrought you out of Egypt!” Soon all of the people began shouting the same chant.

Seeing howreadily the people responded, Aaron built an altar in front of the golden calf.When it was finished, he announced, “Tomorrow we will hold a festival to theLord.” Early the next day, they sacrificed offerings to the golden calf. Thenthey ate and drank and held a wild party.

Meanwhile, uponthe mountain, the Lord’s voice changed to anger as he spoke to Moses. “You mustleave now. Go back down the mountain, for your people have become corrupt.Already they have turned away from me. They have bowed down to idols that theyhave made. Now leave me alone so that I may destroy them. But I will spare youand make you into a great nation.”

Moses dropped tothe ground with his face down. “O Lord,” he pleaded, “why let the Egyptianssay, ‘He rescued them only to destroy them completely.’ Remember what you sworeto our forefathers, that You would be their inheritance forever.” So the Lordlistened to Moses and relented.

Moses left atonce with his assistant, Joshua. They carried two stone tablets down themountain. On these stones the Lord had engraved his commandments, using bothsides. As they neared the camp, Joshua thought he heard the sounds of war, butit was only loud singing.

When Moses andJoshua approached the camp, they saw the golden calf, and the people weredancing around it. Moses’ face grew red with anger. He lifted the tablets abovehis head and hurled them down, breaking them into pieces at the foot of themountain.

The people whosaw this stopped dancing. Fearfully, they stared at Moses. He motioned forJoshua to help him. Together they set the golden calf in the fire and melted itdown. Moses ground it into powder and dumped it into their water. Later thatnight, he made all the Israelites drink it.

Moses now turnedto Aaron: “What caused you to lead the people into such great sin?”

“Don’t be angry,my lord. We didn’t know whether you would even return. So when the people askedme for gods, I melted down their jewelry, and out came this calf!”

By now, everyonewas running around wildly, for Aaron had let them get out of control. Some hadeven stripped off their clothes to imitate the religious rites they had learnedin Egypt. Not only did they look foolish, but they brought down the name andreputation of the Lord God who had rescued them. And that was the worst sin ofall. So Moses called out, “Whoever is for the Lord, come to me!” The men whowere Levites rallied to Moses, for he, too, was a Levite.

Moses turned tohis kinsmen and shouted, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel commands:Each of you strap a sword to your side. Go back and forth throughout the wholecamp and kill those who are still sinning, whether they be your relatives, yourneighbors, or your friends.” The people around them fled in terror, but the3,000 who continued their wild frenzy were all killed.

The next day,Moses fell to his knees and begged the Lord to forgive the people for theirsin. “And if you cannot,” he said, “then blot out my name from your book oflife.”

The Lord repliedfirmly, “Whoever has sinned against me is who I will blot out of my book.” Godremembered what they had done, and later, at the right time, he punished themwith a plague.

God's Ten Commandments

2012-02-09T05:58:00.002-05:00

Chapter 40

Exodus 19:1-20:26

Three monthsafter they fled from Egypt, the Israelites began to realize that their greatestenemy had never been left behind. Their pursuers were destroyed, their stomachswere full, but their souls were always craving more. Outwardly, they were onepeople aiming for the same destination. But inwardly, they were restlesswanderers, unruly children destined for self-destruction. The Lord could seewhere they were heading, and like a wise father, he knew it was time to setboundaries for their own protection.

The Israelitesnow camped at the base of Mt. Sinai. Moses went up the mountain and listened tothe Lord’s instructions: “Tell the people, ‘If you obey me and keep mycovenant, out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.’ ” Then Mosesreturned to the people and delivered God’s message to the elders. One afteranother, they gave the same response: “We will do everything the Lord hascommanded.”

Once more, Mosesclimbed the mountain. He delivered the people’s reply. Then he listenedcarefully as the Lord explained his plans. “I am going to come to you in adense cloud, so that the people will hear me speaking and will always put theirtrust in you.”

After receivingthe Lord’s instructions, Moses returned to the people and relayed what God hadsaid. For the next two days the people were to consecrate themselves and washtheir clothing. On the third day, the Lord would make his presence known.

That day, thepeople were commanded to approach the mountain, but they were warned not totouch it or they would die. Suddenly, smoke billowed like a furnace and thewhole mountain itself trembled, for the Lord descended on it in fire. Mosesspoke, and the voice of God answered. He commanded Moses to come up themountain with Aaron.

“These are mycommandments,” the Lord said, and his voice boomed like thunder. “You shallhave no other gods than me. You shall not make any idols nor worship anythingelse in heaven or on earth. Nor shall you misuse the Lord’s name.

“Remember theSabbath day by keeping it holy. Do your work the first six days of the week,but not on the seventh. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and theearth, but he rested on the seventh day. The Lord has blessed that day and madeit holy.

“Honor yourfather and your mother. This command carries a promise with it. If you doindeed honor your father and mother, you will live a long life in the land theLord your God is giving you.” Moses and Aaron listened earnestly as the Lordcontinued.

“You shall nottake someone’s life by murder. Nor shall you take someone’s wife or husband,for it is wrong to commit adultery. You shall not steal. Neither shall youpervert justice by giving false reports; remember, it is wrong to follow thecrowd in wicked plans.

“And finally,you shall not covet someone’s house, nor shall you covet someone’s husband orwife. Likewise, you shall not covet anyone’s servant nor any of theirpossessions. For it is wrong to make comparisons of others and then envy themfor what they have.”

The peopletrembled with fear at the lightning and thunder and at the trumpet and smoke.“Speak to us yourself, Moses!” one man shouted. “If God speaks to us anylonger, we will die.”

“The Lord hasdone this to test you,” Moses replied, “so that the fear of God will keep youfrom sinning.”

The peoplewatched as Moses turned and walked back up the mountain. This time the Lordspoke only to Moses: “Now the people have seen for themselves that I havespoken. So do not make any gods to be alongside me. Sacrifice your offerings onan altar of earth. Tell the people, ‘Wherever I cause my name to be honored, Iwill come to you and bless you.’ ”

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com.

A Nation Tested

2012-02-08T08:11:00.004-05:00

Chapter 39

Exodus 15:22-27; 16:1-36; 17:1-7

All they wantedwas to escape Egypt without losing their lives—or so they thought. As theIsraelites looked back at the Red Sea, they saw the waters crashing down on Pharaoh’schariots, sweeping away his entire army. Shouts of joy rose from their wholeprocession. But their ecstasy gradually waned. Three days into their journey,everyone was grumbling and blaming Moses for their new plight: Where would amillion people find fresh water in the desert?

Even Moseswondered how he would move a nation of people through desert wastelands all theway to Canaan. So he slipped away from the masses, dropped to his knees, andcried out to God.

The Lordanswered his cry. He told him to throw a piece of wood into the bitter watersof Marah. Moses obeyed. Then he knelt down and tasted the water. It was coldand sweet. With great relief, the Israelites drank from the pool and filledtheir flasks with water. Then they pressed ahead and camped at Elim, which hadtwelve springs and seventy palm trees.

Finding Elim waslike reaching an oasis. But the Israelites knew they could not stay there. Theyhad a land to go to, the land of their forefathers. So they set out again andtraveled until they reached the Desert of Sin. The people grew tense as theyrealized what lay ahead—another desert.

Once again, theybegan to grumble against Moses and Aaron: “If only we had died in Egypt! Therewe had all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into the desert tostarve to death.”

Before Moses hadeven uttered a prayer, the Lord was answering the cry of his heart. “I willrain down bread from heaven,” he said. “Each day the people are to gather justenough for that day. On the sixth day of each week, they may gather twice asmuch, so they will have food for the Sabbath. In this way I will test them tosee whether they follow my instructions.”

Moses spoke toAaron, and Aaron gathered all their tribal leaders. While Aaron was relayingGod’s message, the Lord’s glory cloud moved near them. Then Moses called out,“The Lord says, ‘In the morning you will be filled with bread, and you willknow that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

The nextmorning, a layer of dew surrounded their camp. When the dew disappeared, thinfrost-like flakes appeared on the desert ground. “What is it?” they asked. “Itis the bread the Lord has given you,” Moses said. “Take one omer per person.”An omer was about two quarts or two liters.

The Israelitesdid as they were told, gathering just enough for each person for that day.Every family found that they had enough. But some people hoarded it and keptleftovers, for they feared they might starve in the desert. The next morning,those extra portions turned to maggots.

So the peoplelearned that each morning they must gather only as much food as they needed.When the hot sun rose, it melted away what was left. On the sixth day, theygathered enough for two days, so they could rest on the Sabbath day, and thoseextra portions never spoiled.

Some of thepeople, however, did not gather twice as much on the sixth day. On the Sabbaththey went out to gather food, but no bread appeared. Moses saw their surprise,and he called out, “How long will you disobey God’s commands? He has given youthe Sabbath to rest.”

The Israelitescalled the bread from heaven “manna.” That was the Hebrew pronunciation for thephrase, “What is it?” Its white flakes tasted like honey wafers. The first timeit rained down, the Lord commanded Moses to have Aaron gather some and place itin a jar. That manna never spoiled. God preserved it so that years later itwould remind them of how he had fed them.

When theIsraelites moved on to Rephidim, they realized once again that there was nowater.

“Give us waterto drink!” they demanded. Their anger flared against Moses.

“Oh, Lord,”Moses cried out. “What should I do? The people are almost ready to stone me!”

“Walk ahead ofthem with your staff,” the Lord said, “and take some of the elders with you. Iwill stand before you at the rock of Horeb. Strike the rock, and water willcome out.”

So Moses did asthe Lord commanded. The elders stared in dismay as water gushed out from therock. They all shouted for joy. Then they raised their hands and praised God.

Free at Last!

2012-02-07T07:46:00.001-05:00

Chapter 38

Exodus 12:30-14:31

Loud wailingcould be heard from every home in Egypt. Every family mourned the death oftheir firstborn. During the middle of the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses andAaron. With a tear-stained face, he said, “Leave us. Go and worship your Lord.Take your families, your flocks, and your herds. And bless me.”

The Egyptiansurged the Israelites to hurry and leave, for they feared they would all die. Sothe Hebrews, also known as Israelites, did as the Lord had commanded: They tooktheir dough before the yeast was added, wrapped it in cloths, and carried it ontheir shoulders in kneading troughs.

The Israeliteshad lived in Egypt for exactly 430 years, since the time of Joseph, when Israelmoved his tribe of 70 descendants. Now their numbers reached more than amillion, and the Lord was sending them back to their homeland. Moses tookJoseph’s bones with them, as the sons of Israel had sworn to do. Everything washappening just as God had predicted to Abraham.

Before theybegan their journey, the Lord gave Moses a message for his people: “ ‘From nowon,’ the Lord says, ‘every firstborn male among you is mine, whether man oranimal. Each year at this time, you must redeem every firstborn son bysacrificing a lamb.’ ”

Six hundredthousand men, besides women and children, traveled with their livestock fromRameses to Succoth, then on to Etham. The Lord went ahead of them, leading themin a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God led theIsraelites through the desert. He avoided the shorter route, through Philistinecountry. Had they gone that way, they might fear an attack then change theirminds and return to Egypt.

The Lord nowordered Moses to turn the people back, to camp between Migdol and the sea.“Pharaoh will think you are wandering around in confusion, hemmed in by thedesert. Again I will harden his heart, and he will pursue you. But in the end Iwill gain glory for myself.”

After theIsraelites had fled, Pharaoh and his officials began to have second thoughts.“What have we done?” they said to one another. “We have lost the services ofour slaves!”

So once again,God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Taking more than 600 chariots, Pharaoh and hissoldiers pursued the Israelites.

As Pharaoh’sarmy approached, the Israelites looked back in terror. One after another, theycried out to Moses: “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that youbrought us here to die? It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than todie in the desert!”

Moses tried hisbest to calm them. “Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and this day you will see theLord deliver you. The Egyptians you now see, you will never see again. The Lordwill fight for you; you need only to be still.”

The Israeliteswere soon trapped between Pharaoh’s advancing army on one side and the Red Seaon the other. Moses pleaded with God to do something.

“Why are youcrying out to me?” the Lord said. “Tell the people to go toward the sea. I willdivide the water and you will cross on dry ground.”

Then the angelof God and the pillar of cloud moved from the front of Israel’s army to therear, coming between the Israelites and Pharaoh’s army. During the night thecloud brought darkness to the Egyptians’ side while it sent light to theIsraelites.

The peoplestared as Moses raised his staff. All night long, the Lord used a strong eastwind to drive back the sea, until it left a path of dry ground. Everyonecheered as they crossed the sea. No sooner had they reached the other side,when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them.

The dry ground,however, soon turned to mud as the wall of water began to collapse. Pharaoh’ssoldiers struggled to force their chariots forward, only to have their muddywheels fall off. So they dismounted and ran on foot, but it was too late—thewaters swept over them. The Israelites were free at last!

'Let My People Go'

2012-02-06T07:57:00.003-05:00

Chapter 37

Exodus 10:1-12:30

By now Moses and Aaron were well-known among theEgyptians, and Pharaoh’s officials personally escorted them to the king. Mosestold Pharaoh they had another message from the Lord: “How long will you refuseto humble yourself before me? Let my people go or I will send massive swarms oflocusts.”

The two brothers left without waiting for his reply.Immediately, the officials stepped forward to reason with Pharaoh. “Let theHebrews go. Already Egypt is ruined. How can we possibly stand any more ofthese plagues?”

So Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron to return. “You maygo worship the Lord your God.” he said. “Now tell me, just who will be going?”

With a strong unwavering voice, Moses replied, “Everyone,along with our herds.”

“No!” Pharaoh said. “I will not permit that. Only themen. Now go.” Then he ordered that they be driven from his presence.

As they stood outside the palace, Moses stretched out hisstaff. A powerful east wind picked up and blew across all of Egypt. By the nextmorning, the land was filled with locusts. The swarms were so dense that theground looked black. They devoured every plant and every tree’s fruit.

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned,”he said. “Forgive my sin and pray to the Lord to take away this deadly plague.”

Moses prayed, and a strong west wind carried the locustsinto the Red Sea.

Still, after all this, Pharaoh would not budge. So theLord told Moses to stretch out his hand toward the sky. Suddenly, darknesscovered the land, a darkness that could be felt. For three days it remaineddark, and no one dared to leave his home. But in Goshen, the Israelites hadlight.

Once more, Pharaoh called for Moses. “I have decided thatyou may go to worship the Lord. You may take your women and children, but leaveyour herds.” When Moses insisted that they needed the livestock for sacrifices,Pharaoh refused.

“Get out of my sight!” he shouted, “And don’t come back!”

“May it be as you have said,” Moses replied. “Never againwill I appear before you. And now, the Lord says to you, ‘At midnight I willkill every firstborn in Egypt, whether person or animal. But the Israeliteswill be spared. Then you will say, “Go.” ’ ” Then Moses left, hot with anger.

The Lord commanded Moses to have the people ask theEgyptians for objects of silver and gold. The Egyptians willingly gave them allthat they requested, for they feared what would happen if they didn’t, and theynow held Moses in high regard.

Moses knew that Pharaoh was about to reach his breakingpoint. “After this plague,” said the Lord, “Pharaoh’s officials will beg you toleave. You will never forget that day. From now on, this will become the firstmonth of your year. Commemorate this day for generations to come. On this day Iwill judge Egypt, but I will pass over you and bring you out. For seven daysyou must use no leaven in your bread. Eat nothing made with yeast.”

Then Moses called a meeting with all the elders and toldthem what the Lord had commanded: “Each family must select a choice year-oldlamb and slaughter it at twilight. Place some of its blood on the top and sidesof your doorposts. Roast the meat and eat it, along with bread made withoutyeast. This will be a lasting ordinance for all generations. When your childrenask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ tell them, ‘It is the Passoversacrifice to our Lord, who spared us when he struck the Egyptians.’ ”

When Moses finished speaking, the people bowed down andworshiped the Lord.

At midnight the Lord fulfilled his promise. All ofEgypt’s firstborns were killed, both people and animals. Loud wailing could beheard throughout all Egypt. But the angel of death passed over the Israelites,for he saw the blood on their doorposts, the sign that they had been spared.

Judgment on Egypt

2012-02-05T06:27:00.001-05:00

Chapter 36

Exodus 8:20-9:35

Somethingdramatic was about to happen in the land of Egypt, a miracle unlike any othersent by God. Up to this point, the plagues had affected everyone in Egypt, andstill, Pharaoh stubbornly refused to release the Hebrews. So now, the Lordwould show all Egypt that the Hebrews were a distinct people, set apart by theLord God.

Once more, Mosesconfronted Pharaoh. “The Lord says, ‘Let my people go to worship me. If yourefuse, I will send a plague of flies, but I will spare my people in Goshen.’ ”The king ignored them. The next day flies appeared, and they ruined the entireland—except for Goshen.

Pharaoh nowsummoned Moses. “You and your people may sacrifice to your God, only you mustnot go far to do it.”

But Moses wasinsistent: “Our God says we must make a three-day journey. If we were to makeofferings in the presence of the Egyptians, they would stone us for sacrificinganimals that they hold sacred. So we must do as the Lord our God commands us.”

“You may go,”Pharaoh replied. “Now pray for me and remove these flies.”

So Moses leftand prayed to the Lord. But once the flies disappeared, Pharaoh hardened hisheart and broke his promise.

The Lord sentMoses to Pharaoh once more, with yet another message. This time the Lord wouldbring a terrible plague on Egypt’s livestock.

Pharaoh ignoredthe warning, and the next day God struck the livestock in Egypt. The plaguekilled many of their horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. But theIsraelites’ animals remained untouched—not one of them died.

The Lord thencommanded Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from a furnace and toss itinto the air in Pharaoh’s presence. Immediately it became fine dust that causedfestering boils to break out on both people and animals.

The Egyptianshad believed they could appeal to a god who would heal them of suchinfirmities. But that god proved false, as even Pharaoh’s magicians weretormented by the boils and unable to stand in his presence.

Early the nextday, the Lord sent Moses to Pharaoh with another message: “Let my people go toworship me, or I will send the full force of my plagues against you and yourpeople. Then you will know there is no one like me in all the earth. By now Icould have sent a plague that would have wiped out you and your people from theface of the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I mightshow my power, that my Name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

“Since you stillresist, I will send a devastating hail storm. Have your remaining livestockbrought to a place of shelter, for every man and animal outside will die.”

By now, many ofPharaoh’s officials had begun to fear God. Even if Pharaoh did not heed Moses,they would. Quickly they sheltered their slaves and animals.

Moses leftPharaoh’s presence, and once outside, he stretched out his staff. Thunderroared and lightning flashed as the Lord rained hail on Egypt. It was the worststorm the Egyptians had ever seen, striking men and animals, and destroyingtrees and crops. But the Israelites in Goshen were spared.

Pharaoh summonedMoses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The Lord is right; I andmy people are in the wrong. We have had enough thunder and hail. I will let yougo.”

“Very well,”Moses replied, “I will pray to the Lord. But I know that even now, you still donot fear God.”

Moses went outof the city and spread his hands toward the heavens. The thunder and hailstopped. So did the rain. When Pharaoh saw that the storm had stopped, hechanged his mind once again and refused to let the Hebrews go.

The Man with the Hard Heart

2012-02-04T07:56:00.003-05:00

Chapter 35

Exodus 5:1-6:12; 7:1-8:19

A whoosh of memories flooded his heart as Mosesstepped into Pharaoh’s palace. The last time he walked these halls, he was aprince, a Hebrew-born Egyptian. Now, after 40 years in the desert of Midian, helooked nothing like an Egyptian. He looked like a shepherd. Nothing but hisrelationship to these Israelite elders allowed him to appear before Pharaoh.

The king motioned with his hand and said, “Speak. Iam listening.”

With Aaron and the elders by his side, Moses said,“We have a message from the Lord our God. The Lord says, ‘Let my people go tohold a festival to me in the desert.’ ”

“Who is the Lord that I should obey him?” Pharaohshouted. Seeing the group of Israelites with him, Pharaoh added, “Look, youhave stopped my laborers! All of you, get back to your work!”

As soon as they left, Pharaoh summoned the slavedrivers. “I see that the slaves are getting lazy,” he said. “Apparently youhave been too easy on them. Stop providing the straw for making bricks. Makethem get it themselves.”

So the slave masters refused to provide straw. Butthey demanded just as many bricks as before. The Hebrews watched in disbelief.How could they possibly make as many bricks as before? Of couse, they couldnot, so the slaves who served as foremen were beaten.

When the Hebrew foremen appealed to Pharaoh, theyrealized that Moses’ visit had triggered these new orders. As they left thepalace, they saw Moses and Aaron. “May the Lord judge you,” they shouted, “formaking us a stench to Pharaoh!”

Moses felt terrible. He found a place where hecould be alone, and there he fell on his knees. “O Lord,” he said, “ever sinceI went to Pharaoh it has only brought trouble.”

The Lord answered, “I am the Lord. I will indeedfree my people and take them to their land.”

So Moses rose and arranged for a meeting with theelders. But when he told the people what the Lord had said, they refused tolisten.

Moses and Aaron returned to Pharaoh by themselves.Pharoah’s officials thought they were two of Israel’s elders, for Moses was 80and Aaron was 83. As they entered Pharaoh’s court, Aaron threw down his staff,and it became a snake. To his surprise, Pharaoh’s magicians did the same thing.But then, something happened that surprised all of them: Aaron’s staffswallowed up all the the others. Yet Pharaoh showed no surprise. He hadhardened his heart, as God had predicted.

The next morning Moses and Aaron went to the bankof the Nile. They waited until Pharaoh appeared. Then Moses said, “Because youhave not listened to the Lord, he will turn the Nile to blood.” And so he did.Fish died, the river stunk, and no one could drink its water.

Pharaoh’s magicians were there, and they used theirsecret arts to do the same thing. So Pharaoh turned and walked away. Then theEgyptians dug along the Nile to get fresh drinking water.

Seven days later, Moses and Aaron returned. Mosessaid to Pharaoh, “The Lord says, ‘Let my people go to worship me. If yourefuse, I will plague the whole country with frogs.’ ” So Aaron stretched outhis staff and frogs appeared. But the magicians did the same thing. Frogs werenow everywhere. They were such a nuisance that Pharaoh promised Moses and Aaronhe would let the people go if they stopped the plague of frogs. But when thefrogs died, Pharaoh broke his word.

Moses and Aaron were not surprised. God was doingthis so he could bring judgment on the Egyptians. Perhaps these plagues werereminders of the false gods the Egyptians worshiped—the Nile River, froggoddesses, healing gods, sun gods, and so forth. The Lord showed that theEgyptians’ earth god was false when he commanded Aaron to stretch out his staffand strike the ground. The dust turned to gnats, and they were everywhere,covering both men and animals.

Again the magicians called upon their secret arts.By imitating each miracle, they hoped to prove that the plagues were just magictricks. But when they realized they could not imitate this feat, they weresurprised. Quickly, they sent a message to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God.”

God's Dynamic Duo

2012-02-03T07:22:00.005-05:00

Chapter 34

Exodus 3:13-22; 4:1-31

One doubt afteranother swept over Moses as he beheld the figure in the flames. Had the Lordreally chosen him to lead God’s people out of Egypt? Who would ever believe that?Why, he could hardly believe it himself. But the image did not disappear.

Moses took adeep breath. “Suppose I tell the Israelites you have sent me. They will ask me,‘Who has sent you? What is his name?’ What shall I say?”

“Say ‘I Am’ hassent you, the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. Now go and calltogether the elders of Israel. They will listen to you. Then all of you go tothe king of Egypt. Ask him if your people may take a three-day journey to makesacrifices. He will refuse, but then I will stretch out my hand against him andhis people. When I have finished, he will let them go.”

Moses sighed.“What if the elders do not believe me?”

“What is in yourhand?” the Lord asked. “A staff,” Moses replied.

“Throw it on theground.” Moses threw down the staff. As soon as it hit the ground, it turnedinto a snake, and Moses ran from it. The Lord called out: “Pick it up by thetail, and it will return to a staff. When the elders see this, they willbelieve the God of their fathers has appeared to you.

“Now put yourhand in your cloak, then take it out.” Moses put his hand in his robe. When hetook it out, it was diseased with leprosy. But when he put it in and out again,it was restored.

“If they don’tbelieve these signs, take water from the Nile and it will turn to blood.”

“O Lord,” Mosessaid, “I have never been eloquent. I’m not a good speaker.”

The Lord repliedfirmly, “Who gave man his mouth? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go. I will help youspeak and teach you what to say.”

“Please, Lord,”Moses begged, “send someone else to do it.”

At this, theLord grew angry. “What about your brother, Aaron?” the Lord said. “He can speakwell. Aaron is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad when he seesyou. You will tell him my words and he will speak to the people for you. I willhelp both of you and guide you.”

As the visionbegan to fade before him, Moses heard his final words. “Go back to Egypt now,for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”

So he knew,Moses thought to himself. He knew why I was afraid.

Moses had a lotto explain to his father-in-law. But the older man did not seem surprised. Heput his hand on Moses’ shoulder and gave him his blessing. Then Moses packedfor the journey. Putting his wife and sons on a donkey, he left for Egypt.

At a lodgingplace, the Lord appeared to Moses, and he became so ill that Zipporah feared hemight die. God was angry with Moses, and Zipporah knew why. Earlier, the Lordhad told Moses to circumcise their sons, for this was the sign of God’scovenant with his people. Zipporah had been reluctant, but now she had nochoice. She rummaged through their belongings until she found the sharp flintknife. Then she cut off the foreskin on both sons and pressed the bloody stripsagainst Moses feet. “You are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she saiddisgustedly. But she had done the right thing. The Lord relented, and Moses wassoon well.

Meanwhile,Moses’ brother Aaron had also begun a journey, for the Lord had prompted him.“Go into the desert,” the Lord had whispered, “and there you will meet Moses.”

After years ofseparation, the two brothers met at the mountain of God. They greeted eachother with a kiss and a hug. Moses explained to Aaron why he had returned. Hetold him about the vision and what the Lord had said. Then he showed him themiraculous signs.

Aaron helped Moses contactall the Israelite elders, and the elders agreed to meet with them. Together,the two men explained what the Lord had said. Then they performed the miracles.To Moses’ surprise, the people believed they were sent from God. And when theelders heard that God was concerned about their misery, they bowed down andworshiped the Lord.

Moses in Exile

2012-02-02T07:37:00.003-05:00

Chapter 33

Exodus 2:11-25; 3:1-12

Who would haveguessed that an orphaned Hebrew baby would be raised as the son of Pharaoh’sown daughter? Moses grew up in Pharaoh’s household, showered with the privilegesof a prince. And he received the finest education the world had to offer.

From an earlyage, Moses knew he was a Hebrew, and he grew up with a fascination for thosepeople who served his grandfather, the Pharaoh. One day when he watched themwork, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Moses felt his blood boil. Hefollowed the Egyptian until he reached a secluded place. Then Moses attackedhim and killed him. Quickly he hid the body.

The next dayMoses returned to the place where the slaves were at work. He saw two Hebrewsquarrel with each other, and soon it turned into a fight. No foreman wasnearby, so Moses stepped in. He grabbed hold of the aggressor and said, “Whyare you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”

“Who made youruler and judge over us?” the man answered. “Are you going to kill me, too?”

Moses droppedhis grip. Suddenly fear pierced his soul. Someone must have seen him!

When Pharaohlearned what Moses had done, he was furious, and he vowed to have him killed.But Moses had already fled. He traveled to Midian, a land of flocks and herds—aland with no Egyptians. There he sat by a well. Then he noticed sevenshepherdesses being driven away by some shepherds. So he came to the women’srescue and watered their flock.

Then the girlsreturned to their father, Reuel, who was a priest of Midian. He frowned when hesaw them. “Why have you returned so early?”

“Some shepherdsdrove us away, but an Egyptian came to our rescue and watered the flock.”

“Where is he?”Reuel asked. “Run back and invite him to join us.” So Moses dined with them.

Reuel was soimpressed with Moses that he invited him to stay there. The idea appealed toMoses. The last place Pharaoh would look for him was on the hillside of adesert, tending sheep.

In time, Reuelrepaid Moses for his service by giving him his oldest daughter in marriage. SoMoses married Zipporah. When she became pregnant, she gave birth to a son.Moses named him Gershom, meaning “a stranger,” for he himself had become analien in a foreign land.

During that time,Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, died. His son, the prince, now reigned in hisplace. But the Israelites’ lives had grown so miserable in their slavery thatthey cried out to God. And the Lord heard their cries. He remembered hiscovenant, and he watched over them with concern.

Meanwhile, Mosestended the flock for his father-in-law. One day, he led the flock to the farside of the desert and noticed something odd—a bush was on fire, yet it did notburn up.

Moses stared andwondered, Why doesn’t it burn up? He walked closer to get a better look.

Then a figureappeared in the flames. The angel of the Lord called out, “Moses! Moses!”

Moses’ heartraced within him. “Here I am,” he said.

“Don’t come anycloser,” the Lord said. “Take off your sandals. This is holy ground.”

Moses stoppedand slipped off his sandals.

“I am the God ofyour fathers,” the voice continued, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.”

At this, Moseshid his face, afraid to look at the Lord.

“I have seen themisery of my people,” the Lord said. “I have heard them crying out, and I amconcerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from theEgyptians, to bring them out and take them to a land flowing with milk andhoney, a land where they will prosper. Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaohto bring my people out of Egypt.”

Moses wasstunned. “Who am I to go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

“I will be withyou,” the Lord reassured him. “And I will give you a sign. Here is how you willknow it is I the Lord who have sent you: When you have brought my people out ofEgypt, you will worship God on this very mountain.”

Moses stood inhis bare feet, wondering to himself, Whatshould I do now?

Baby Moses

2012-02-01T07:11:00.001-05:00

Chapter 32

Exodus 1:1-22; 2:1-10

One afteranother, Joseph’s brothers passed away, but all their descendants became sonumerous that they drew the attention of Pharaoh himself. Of course, this wasnot the same Pharaoh who had appointed Joseph as governor. Hundreds of yearshad passed since then, and few even knew the memory of Joseph. What they didknow was that these Hebrews were multiplying like grasshoppers. Soon they wouldoutnumber the Egyptians themselves. No one was more worried about that than thenew Pharaoh who ruled as king of Egypt.

For this reason,Pharaoh forced the Hebrews into slavery. He oppressed them by making them serveas his laborers, building storage cities. The Egyptians worked them ruthlessly,having them make bricks and mortar. But the more they were oppressed, the morethey multiplied and spread.

Pharaoh knew hemust do something to stop their growth. So he summoned the midwives who helpedthe Hebrew women in childbirth. The two leading midwives, Shiphrah and Puahappeared before Pharaoh. “You are to kill all the baby boys born to theHebrews,” he commanded. But the midwives feared God more than they fearedPharaoh, and they let the babies live.

When the kinglearned what they were doing, he demanded to know why they had disobeyed him.So they lied to pacify him: “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women,” saidone of the midwives. “They are more vigorous and give birth before the midwivesarrive.”

God was pleasedwith these courageous women who had chosen to do the right thing. And hedecided to show his kindness to them, for they had risked their own lives byrefusing to kill the babies. So the Lord blessed the midwives by giving themfamilies of their own.

The Hebrewpeople now became even more numerous. Pharaoh realized their population wasmounting. In his desperation to stem the tide, he gave this order to all hispeople: “Every baby boy born to the Hebrews must be thrown into the Nile River.The girls, however, will remain alive.” Pharaoh reasoned that if only the girlswere permitted to live, the Hebrews would be forced to intermarry. In time theywould lose their identity as a nation of people.

Shortly afterthis edict was given, a Hebrew couple from the tribe of Levi gave birth to ason, and there was something about this baby that was different. Even as aninfant, it was obvious he was exceptional. This was their third child, bornafter their daughter, Miriam, and their son, Aaron. Somehow they must keep theEgyptians from learning about their baby.

When they couldno longer hide him, the mother took a papyrus basket and coated it with tar andpitch to make it waterproof. Then she lay the baby inside and put it among thereeds of the Nile River. Her daughter, Miriam, stood at a distance to watchwhat would happen.

Just then,Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe. While she was there, she sawthe basket among the reeds. When she opened it, she saw the baby crying andfelt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she told her attendants.

Immediately,Miriam ran to Pharaoh’s daughter. She said to the princess, “Shall I go and getone of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

“Yes, that wouldbe good,” she answered. So Miriam brought her own mother to the princess.

“Take this babyand nurse him for me,” the princess commanded, “and I will pay you for yourservices.” So the woman took the baby, who was her own son, and kept him athome to nurse him.

When the childgrew old enough to be weaned, the woman took him back to Pharaoh’s household.The princess then adopted the little boy as her own son. She smiled as she heldhim in her arms. “I will give you the name Moses,” she said, “for I drew youout of the water.”

The baby’s birthmother left quickly so she could hide her tears. It was painful to let him go.But she knew she had done the right thing. Far better that he should live asanother woman’s son than not to live at all. And was it only a coincidence thatPharaoh’s daughter had rescued him? No, this was the hand of the Lord.

A Time to Mourn

2012-01-31T07:00:00.002-05:00

Chapter 31

Genesis 47:28-31; 48:1-22; 49:1-28; 50:1-26

From the momentIsrael felt his son’s warm embrace, God poured new life into his soul. Whowould have guessed that 130-year-old Israel would enjoy 17 years in Egypt? The yearslost in mourning for Joseph were replaced with the joy of being a grandfatherto Joseph’s sons.

With each yearthat passed, Israel wondered if this might be his last. So one day, he decidedto send for Joseph. “Put your hand under my thigh,” he said. “You must promiseme on oath that you will bury me in Canaan, not Egypt. Bury me where Abraham,Sarah, and Leah are buried.”

When his time todie drew near, Israel again called for Joseph. By now Israel was nearly blind.He did not recognize Joseph’s sons, but he promised to bless them as if theywere his own.

Israel kissedthe boys and embraced them. Then Joseph placed Manasseh to the right of Israelbecause he was Joseph’s firstborn, and Ephraim stood to the left. Israel,however, crossed his arms to put his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim.Joseph thought his father was confused. So he reached out to put Israel’s righthand on Manasseh. But Israel refused his help.

“I know what Iam doing, my son,” Israel said. “Don’t worry; Manasseh, too, will become agreat people. But Ephraim will be greater and will father a group of nations.”

Israel thencalled the rest of his sons and prophesied over them: “Reuben, my firstborn,you will no longer excel in honor and power, because you defiled my bed. As ayoung man you once took one of my wives as your own. Though I said nothing atthe time, it did not escape my notice.

“Simeon andLevi, cursed be your violent anger. Your people will surely be scattered.

“Judah, you arelike a lion that crouches down. Your brothers will one day bow down to yoursons. The scepter will not depart from your descendants.

“Zebulun, yourpeople will live by the sea. As for you, Issachar, you are a rawboned donkeywho will submit to forced labor.

“Dan, your sonswill provide justice for their people. Gad, your tribe will be attacked byraiders, but then they will turn back and strike their enemies.

“As for you,Asher, your rich food will provide delicacies fit for a king. And Naphatali,you are a doe set free, who gives beautiful words.”

Then Israelsaid, “Joseph is a fruitful vine, climbing over a wall. He overcame theattackers’ hostility because of the Mighty One of Jacob. He, the Rock ofIsrael, gives you all the greatest blessings. And you, Benjamin, are a ravenouswolf, devouring the prey and dividing the plunder.”

When he finishedspeaking, Israel breathed his last, and God gathered him to his forefathers.Joseph threw himself upon his father and wept.

Soon all thebrothers were weeping. After they comforted one another, Joseph ordered thephysicians to embalm their father to prepare him for burial. All of Egyptshowed their sympathy for Joseph’s family. They mourned his death for 70 days.Then Joseph fulfilled his oath to his father. He arranged to bury him inCanaan, in the cave of Machpeleh, near Mamre. They held a solemn ceremony,mourning Israel’s death, and Pharaoh’s officials joined them.

With the time ofmourning now completed, Joseph’s brothers feared for their lives. What ifJoseph now decided to retaliate? So they made a plan among themselves, and allof them but Benjamin met with Joseph. Judah spoke on their behalf: “Before yourfather died, he asked that you would forgive us.” Then they all threwthemselves down and said, “We are your slaves.”

Josephwept. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Thatwas all part of God’s plan, meant for our good.”

In the yearsthat followed, Joseph continued to provide for them in Egypt. He lived to 110years old and knew the joy of seeing his great-great-grandchildren. When hisown death finally drew near, he, too, made his family take an oath: “When Godcomes to your aid and takes you from this land, carry my bones with you.” Thenhe died and was embalmed. His descendants made sure that his bones would bepreserved. One day they would all return to Canaan.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com.

The Big Surprise

2012-01-30T09:04:00.004-05:00

Chapter 30

Genesis 45:4-28; 46:1-34; 47:1-12

Joseph’s brothers trembled as they stood before him.“Come closer,” Joseph said. “Yes, it is I, your brother Joseph—the one you soldinto Egypt, 22 years ago! But don’t be distressed. God permitted this to happento save your lives. He sent me here to preserve a remnant for you.”

The brothers were so shocked that they were speechless.

“Now hurry back to my father,” Joseph said, “and tell himthat God has made me lord of Egypt. Bring him back here with your families,your flocks, and your herds. There will be five more years of famine, and Iwill provide for you so you won’t perish.”

His brothers were still just standing there in dismaywhen Joseph stepped forward and threw his arms around Benjamin. The twobrothers held each other and wept. Then Joseph kissed each of his brothers andwept as he embraced them. With great joy they now talked with him and told himof their families back in Canaan.

When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace, Pharaoh and allhis officials were pleased. The king summoned Joseph. “Tell your brothers toload their animals with supplies and return to Canaan to get their families. Iwill give them the best of the land of Egypt. Have them take carts to carryback their children and wives.”

Joseph then gave his brothers carts and provisions aswell as new clothing. But to Benjamin he gave 300 shekels of silver and fivesets of clothes. He also prepared gifts for his father. As he sent them off, headded, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”

When they finally reached their home, all of them wantedto be the first to tell the good news. “Father, the most wonderful thing hashappened! Joseph is alive! He is ruler of all Egypt!”

Israel was so stunned he didn’t believe them. But when hesaw all that they brought from Egypt, the truth of their words began to sinkin, and his spirit revived.

“I will go to Egypt,” he said, “and see my son.”

So Israel’s whole family set out on their journey. AtBeersheba, Israel offered sacrifices. Then God spoke to him in a vision. “Don’tbe afraid to go,” the Lord said. “I will make you into a great nation and bringyou back again, and Joseph himself will close your eyes.”

Renewed by God’s promise, Israel left Beersheba, alongwith his children and their wives, his grandchildren, and all their livestockand possessions. All of Israel’s descendants, including Joseph and his sons,now totaled 70.

As they approached Egypt, Israel sent Judah ahead to getdirections to Goshen, where they would settle and tend their herds. Then Josephgot in his chariot and returned with Judah to meet them. When he saw hisfather, he ran to meet him. He threw his arms around him and wept.

Joseph chose five of his brothers to present to the king.“When Pharaoh asks you about your occupation, just say, ‘Your servants havetended livestock from our youth.’ You will be allowed to live in Goshen, forshepherds are detestable to Egyptians.”

So Joseph’s brothers appeared before Pharaoh andresponded as Joseph had instructed them.

Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Let them live in the bestof the land, in Goshen, and if any have special ability, let them take chargeof my livestock.”

Then Joseph presented his father, and his father blessedPharaoh.

“How old are you?” Pharaoh asked.

“The years of my pilgrimage are 130,” Israel said. “Theyhave been few and difficult, fewer than my fathers’.”

Though his life had been difficult, Israel enjoyed hisfinal years with his family reunited. Joseph’s years of suffering were nowbearing fruit. God had used him not only to rescue all of his family, but alsoto preserve millions more in the land of Egypt.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com.

Egypt's Best-kept Secret

2012-01-29T09:43:00.001-05:00

Chapter29

Genesis 43:1-34; 44:1-34; 45:1-3

Death threatened every family in Canaan,including the tribe of Israel. His family had eaten all the grain theypurchased from Egypt, and the famine was still severe. Israel summoned his sonsand told them to get more food in Egypt. They knew it wasn’t that simple. OnlyJudah had the boldness to reason with his father. “We can’t do that,” he said.“The man in Egypt solemnly warned us to bring Benjamin. We won’t go unless wecan take him.

“Listen,” Judah urged, “by now we couldhave gone there and back, if only you had let us! Send the boy with me, and Iwill bear the responsibility. But let us go at once, before our children starveto death.”

Israel sighed. “All right,” he said. “Bringgifts from our land and twice as much silver as before. May God grant youmercy.”

So Israel’s sons set out for Egypt, andBenjamin went with them. When they arrived, they asked to see the governor.Joseph appeared and saw that Benjamin was with them. Then he ordered that theybe taken to his house to dine with him.

His brothers were surprised by thisinvitation. As they pondered it, they began to fear his motives. What if hewere taking them there to make them his slaves? After all, they had never paidfor the grain they were given. Afraid for their lives, they went to Joseph’ssteward and told him about the silver they had found in their sacks.

“It’s all right,” the steward said. “Ireceived your silver. Your God has given you the treasure in your sacks.” Thenhe left. A few minutes later, he returned, and Simeon was with him.

When Joseph came home they presented theirgifts to him. He greeted them and asked them about their father. Then he lookedat Benjamin and said, “God be gracious to you, my son.” Joseph became so movedthat he had to slip away into a private room, and there he wept.

After washing his face, Joseph returned.“Serve the food,” he said.

The brothers ate at a separate table. Theywere surprised to see that they were seated in order according to their age,from oldest to youngest. And Benjamin’s portion was five times larger thananyone else’s.

The next morning, Joseph gave his stewardstrict orders concerning the brothers from Canaan: “Fill their sacks with grainand return their silver with it. Then put my silver cup in Benjamin’s sack.When they leave, go after them and say, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil bystealing my master’s cup?’ ”

The brothers had not traveled far whenJoseph’s steward caught up with them and confronted them. “We haven’t stolenanything,” they said. “If any of us is found to have the cup, may that persondie, and may we become your slaves.”

“Very well,” the steward replied, “but onlythe guilty person will become my master’s slave.”

The steward searched each man’s sack, fromthe oldest to the youngest. And when he came to Benjamin’s sack, there was thecup. When the brothers saw it, they tore their clothes in grief. They allreturned with him and threw themselves on the ground before Joseph.

“What have you done?” Joseph demanded.“Don’t you know I am able to discern such things?”

“What can we say?” Judah said. “God hasuncovered our guilt. We are your slaves.”

“No,” Joseph said, “just the youngest. Therest of you may leave.”

“Please, my lord,” begged Judah. “Thoughyou are equal to Pharaoh, allow me to speak. My father’s life is closely boundup with the boy, and I guaranteed his safety. Please, let me remain as yourslave, and let the boy return to his father.”

Joseph could nolonger control himself. “Out of my presence!” he yelled to his servants. ThenJoseph revealed who he was. As he spoke, he wept so loudly the Egyptians heardhim, and they told Pharaoh. His brothers were stunned—and terrified. What wouldhappen to them now?

Saved by Egypt

2012-01-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

Chapter 28

Genesis 42:1-38

A severe famine had swept over the land, and Israel foundhimself in a desperate situation. In Canaan, too, the famine was severe. Wordhad spread, however, that Egypt held an abundance of food. When Israel heardthat, he sent his sons there to buy some. All of them traveled to Egypt, thatis, all except the youngest one. Israel kept Benjamin with him, for the youngman held a special place in his heart. His mother Rachel had died giving birthto him.

Meanwhile, in Egypt, Joseph ruled as its governor, and hesold grain to people from all over the region. When the sons of Israel arrived,they bowed down to him, not recognizing that he was their brother. But Josephrecognized them. Pretending not to know them, he harshly asked, “Where do youcome from?”

“We came from Canaan to buy food,” they said.

Then all at once, Joseph remembered his dreams. But hecontinued to act like a stranger. “You are really spies!” he shouted.

“No, my lord,” one of them replied, “we are twelvebrothers. The youngest one is with our father; the other is dead.”

Joseph was surprised to hear their response, but he didnot show it. He wanted to know more about the other brother. “No,” he insisted,“I believe you are spies. Here is how I will test you: You will not leave hereunless one of you goes back to Canaan and returns here with your otherbrother.” And for three days they were all held in custody.

On the third day Joseph called for them and said, “SinceI fear God, here is what you may do: To prove you are honest men, let one ofyour brothers stay here in prison while the rest of you go back to Canaaan.Then return with your youngest brother.”

Joseph turned away. He had used an interpreter to speakto them, so they didn’t realize he understood what they were now saying.“Surely we are being punished by God because of our brother Joseph,” Reubensaid. “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen!”

Joseph walked away so no one would see his tears. Then hereturned and commanded that Simeon be bound before them. As he walked away, hewhispered these orders: “Give them all supplies for their journey. Fill theirbags with grain, and put the silver back in their bags.”

The brothers anxiously began their journey home, relievedat the chance to prove themselves. That night, however, when one of them openedhis bag, he saw his silver. “Look!” he shouted. “Here is the silver I broughtto pay for the grain. How did it get back in my sack?”

When his brothers saw it, they trembled. “What’s goingon?” one of them cried out. “What has God done to us?”

As soon as they arrived home, they told their father allthat had happened. “The man who is Lord over Egypt accused us of spying andtreated us harshly. He kept Simeon in custody. He has told us to return withour youngest brother to prove we are not spies.”

Israel put his head in his hands. As his sons emptiedtheir sacks, each man found his pouch of silver! Now all of them werefrightened.

Israel lifted his hands in the air and said, “You havedeprived me of my children! Joseph and Simeon are no more, and now you want totake Benjamin. Everything is against me!”

Then Reuben, his oldest son, spoke up. “Let me make thejourney with Benjamin. I swear that you can trust me. You may put both of mysons to death if I fail to bring him back to you. I promise, I will bring himback.”

“No!” Israel said. “My son will not go there with you.His brother is dead and he is the only one left of Rachel’s sons. If harm wereto come to him on the journey, you would bring my gray head down to the gravein sorrow.”

Israel had spoken. The matter was settled . . . or so hethought.

From Bondage to Blessing

2012-01-27T07:36:00.002-05:00

Chapter 27

Genesis 41:1-57

Pharaoh tossedand turned in his sleep, for he was deeply troubled by what he was seeing. Twoyears had now passed since Pharaoh’s cupbearer was restored to his position, thetime when the cupbearer had seen a vision in his sleep. Now it was Pharaoh whohad a startling dream. He saw seven sleek and fat cows coming out of the NileRiver and grazing among the reeds. Then he saw seven gaunt, ugly cows come outand eat the fat ones.

Pharaoh awokebriefly and sat up in bed. It was only a dream, he thought. But as he driftedoff, Pharaoh had a second dream. Seven heads of good, healthy grain grew on asingle stalk. Then seven other heads grew, thin and scorched, and theyswallowed up the healthy, full heads.

The next morningPharaoh was even more troubled by the dreams. They were so unusual and sosimilar. . . . He sent for his magicians and wise men, but no one couldinterpret his dreams. Finally, when the cupbearer heard what had happened, heremembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him.

Immediately,Pharaoh sent for Joseph. When Joseph appeared before him, Pharaoh looked downfrom his throne and said, “I had a dream that no one can explain. I understandthat you are able to interpret dreams.”

Joseph replied,“I cannot do that on my own. But God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

So Pharaohrecounted his dreams. “I was standing on the bank of the Nile when seven fat,sleek cows came out of the river, only to be eaten by seven gaunt, ugly cows.Then I saw seven healthy heads of grain swallowed by seven scrawny heads.”

Pharaoh nowturned to Joseph, waiting for his response.

“The two dreamshave the same meaning,” Joseph said. “God is revealing what he is about to do.The good cows and healthy grain stand for seven years of abundance in Egypt.But they will be followed by seven years of severe famine. The dream came intwo forms to show that God has firmly decided this, and it will occur soon. MayPharaoh now find a wise, discerning person to assist him. And may that persontake charge of storing surplus food over these next seven years, to prepare forthe years of famine.”

The plan seemedgood to Pharaoh and his officials. Then Pharaoh said, “Can we find anyone aswise and discerning as this man, in whom is the spirit of God?”

So Pharaohappointed Joseph to take charge of his palace and to govern over the people ofEgypt. Only Pharaoh himself would be greater in power.

Pharaoh gaveJoseph his signet ring, dressed him in fine robes, and paraded him in a chariotto signify his authority. Then he gave him Asenath, the priest’s daughter, totake as his wife.

Joseph was 30when he began to serve Pharaoh. He traveled throughout Egypt during those firstseven years and stored the surplus food. So much grain was gathered that heeventually stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

During thattime, two sons were born to Joseph. He named his first son Manasseh, saying,“It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and my father’shousehold.” His second son he named Ephraim, for God had made him fruitful.

After thoseseven years of plenty, the people cried out to Pharaoh. Famine had begun tospread over the whole country. So Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain.

The othercountries near Egypt also suffered famine, and many people came to Egypt forfood. It did not dawn on Joseph that the famine had spread even to hishomeland, the land of Canaan.

Slave in Egypt

2012-01-26T07:26:00.002-05:00

Chapter 26

Genesis 39:1-23; 40:1-23

While Israel mourned the death of his young son, Joseph stood on a platform inEgypt, wondering what his fate would be. He knew he was about to be sold as aslave. The only question was, to whom?

The Ishmaelitescounted their money. A deal had been made. An Egyptian named Potiphar tookJoseph and led him away. He was the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. As far as hewas concerned, this was a bargain. The young man was strong and handsome, andhe had a sharp look in his eye. There was something about him that set himapart from the other slaves.

Potiphar’s hunchproved right. Joseph quickly learned the language and customs of Egypt. What’smore, Potiphar found he could trust him. Whatever Joseph did seemed toflourish. For the Lord’s favor rested on him, and God blessed him. Potiphar wasso pleased with Joseph that he placed him in charge of his entire household.

It was duringthis time that Potiphar’s wife first saw Joseph. She smiled and tried to flirtwith him, but he walked away. One time she slipped near him and whispered,“Come to bed with me.”

Joseph pulledaway. “Come,” she urged softly. “No,” he said. “My master has entrusted me witheverything he owns. He’s withheld nothing from me—except you, his own wife. Howcould I do such a wicked thing? I’d be sinning against my master and againstGod.”

But she refusedto give up. Day after day she tried to entice him. One day Joseph walked intothe house and noticed that no one was there. He felt relieved. Then he heardfootsteps behind him. Potiphar’s wife wrapped her arms around him. “We’realone,” she said. “Come to bed with me!”

Joseph turned topull away, but she grabbed his cloak in both hands. So he slipped out of hisrobe and ran out of the house. When she realized her plan had failed, she wasfurious.

She stared atthe robe. I know what I’ll do. . . . she thought. Suddenly she screamed. Aservant raced in. “That Hebrew tried to force me to go to bed with him!Look—here is his robe!” When Potiphar arrived, she told him her story, and hebelieved her. Angrily, he threw Joseph in prison.

But the Lord waswith Joseph, and God gave him favor with the warden. Soon Joseph was put incharge of the prisoners. The warden trusted him completely, for God always gavehim success.

While Josephserved as the warden’s assistant, the king’s chief cupbearer and chief bakerhad offended the king. So he sent them to prison, where they were assigned toJoseph’s ward.

One night, eachof them had a dream. The dreams bothered them so much that even Joseph noticedsomething was wrong. “Why are your faces so sad today?” he asked.

“We both hadtroubling dreams,” one of them said, “and we don’t know what they mean.”

Joseph smiledand said, “Don’t interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”

So the cupbearerbegan: “I saw a vine with three branches. As soon as it budded, it blossomed,and its clusters ripened. Then I squeezed out the grape juice and put the cupin Pharaoh’s hand.”

“The threebranches stand for three days,” Joseph said. “At that time, you will berestored to your position as cupbearer.” The man was relieved. Joseph said,“Now you must do something for me. Remember to mention me to Pharaoh, for Ihave done nothing to deserve being here.”

When the chiefbaker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he also told hisdream. “On my head were three baskets of bread. The top basket held all kindsof baked goods for Pharaoh, but birds were eating from them.”

Joseph lookedserious. “The three baskets stand for three days,” he said. “At that time,Pharaoh will call for you. But he will have you hung. And the birds will eatyour flesh.” The baker put his head into his hands. He could only hope thatJoseph’s predictions were wrong.

Three days laterit was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for his officials. He summonedboth the cupbearer and baker. Then he restored the cupbearer. The baker,however, was hung.

Joseph hoped the cupbearercould persuade Pharaoh to free him. But the man had forgotten.

Jacob's Favorite Son

2012-01-25T07:38:00.003-05:00

Chapter 25
Genesis 37:1-35

After all he had been through, Jacob should have known better. Hismother had favored him, just as Isaac had favored Esau. And what had favoritismbrought? Years of painful separation. God had blessed Jacob with a large familyand much wealth. But by the time he returned to Canaan, it was too late toshare those joys with his mother. So Jacob turned his attention to the familyGod had given him, but the apple of his eye was his youngest son, Joseph.

Almost 17 years had passed since Jacob returned. In some ways, he was nolonger the same man. He even changed his name. He wanted to be called Israel,the name the Lord had given him.

Joseph was only a baby when they first arrived in Canaan. Now he was ayoung man, and his father treated him like a prince. He had been born to Israelin old age, the son of his favorite wife. His brothers knew their father lovedJoseph more than any of them. They would never forget the day he presentedJoseph with a beautifully ornamented robe. It was a sign of his favor, anotherindication that the birthright would likely go to him. And from that day on,they hated him.

As for Joseph, he only made matters worse. His father had sent him outto the fields with some of his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah. AsIsrael’s youngest children, it was their job to tend the flocks. But when theyreturned home, Joseph gave his father a bad report about them.

Then there was the day when Joseph told his brothers about a dream hehad. “We were binding sheaves of grain,” he said, “and mine stood upright whileyours bowed down.”

“What?” they said. “What do you mean by that? Do you think you will ruleover us?” And they hated him even more. But Joseph didn’t take the hint. Notlong after that, he told them about another dream. “The sun, moon, and elevenstars were bowing down to me,” he said.

This time, however, he also told his father about the dream. Israel wasupset. Angrily, he said, “Will your mother, brothers, and I all bow down toyou?”

Some time after this, Israel sent Joseph to Shechem to see how hisbrothers were. But Joseph could not find them. Finally, someone told him theyhad gone to Dothan to graze the livestock.

As Joseph approached Dothan, one of his brothers saw him in thedistance. “Here comes that dreamer,” he said, mockingly. “I suppose his fatherhas sent him here to spy on us.”

“I know how we could stop those reports,” said another brother. “Wecould do away with him and no one would ever know. Let’s throw him into thatcistern and say that an animal killed him.”

When Reuben heard this, he said, “Let’s not take his life. Don’t shedany blood. Just throw him into the cistern.” They didn’t know that Reubenplanned to rescue him later and take him home.

When Joseph reached their camp, his brothers pinned him down andstripped off his robe. Then they threw him into the empty cistern. Josephbegged them to let him out, but they ignored him. As they sat down to eat, theylooked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites traveling to Egypt.

That gave Judah an idea. “What will we gain,” he said, “if we kill ourbrother and cover up his blood? Let’s just sell him to the Ishmaelites; afterall, he is our own flesh and blood.” So they pulled him out of the well andsold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 shekels of silver.

Reuben was not there at the time. When he later returned to the camp, heslipped away to the cistern. Joseph was gone! Reuben tore his clothes indistress. Quickly he ran back to his brothers.

“The boy isn’t there!” he exclaimed.

When they told him what they did, he let out a wail. “Oh no!” he cried.“Where can I turn now?”

But the brothers had already planned how they would cover up theirguilt. They picked up the robe they had taken off Joseph. Then they slaughtereda goat and dipped the robe in its blood. When they arrived home, they took therobe to Israel. “We found this. Is it your son’s robe?”

Israel recognized it right away. “It is!” he cried. “Oh, my son!” Theirplan had worked. Israel thought an animal had attacked him. He put his headdown and wept mournfully. When his sons realized no one could comfort him, theyregretted what they had done. But it was too late.

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Jacob Meets Esau

2012-01-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

Chapter 24

Genesis 32:1-32; 33:1-20; Hosea 12:4

Jacob had beenaway from his homeland for so many years that he had almost forgotten the veryreason why he left—his brother, Esau, wanted revenge. Jacob’s mother had reassuredhim that she would send word when Esau calmed down. That message had nevercome. Could it be that, after all these years, his mother had died? Or did thismean that Esau had never forgiven him? Perhaps it meant both.

Jacob continuedhis journey with his family, his servants, and his livestock. Finally hereached a familiar place, and the Lord confirmed it with a host of angels tomeet him. Yes, the Lord was in this place. It reminded him of that day, yearsago, when God’s angels visited him in a dream.

With a touch offear, Jacob sent messengers to Esau. “Tell him that I’ve been with Laban.Explain that I have my own livestock and servants and that I hope to find favorin his eyes.”

When themessengers returned, Jacob sensed there was bad news. “Esau is coming to meetyou,” they said. “He has 400 men with him.” Afraid and distressed, Jacobdivided all his flocks and herds into two groups. If one group is destroyed, hethought, the other can flee.

Then Jacob fellto his knees and prayed: “O God of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, O Lord who hastold me to return to my home. I know I am not worthy of all your kindness andfaithfulness. Save me, I pray, and save the mothers and children from the handof my brother.”

That night Jacobselected some of his possessions to send ahead of him as a gift to Esau: Hesent 200 female goats and 20 males, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 30 female camels withtheir young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 males. He dividedthem into separate herds with distance between each group. Then he told eachservant, “When my brother meets you and asks where you are going, tell him,‘These belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift to you.’ ”

That night Jacobsent his family and possessions across the ford of the Jabbok River. Later,while he was alone, a man came up to him, and they wrestled all night. Finally,the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob refused. So the mantouched his hip socket and wrenched it. Still, Jacob clung to him. “I will notlet you go unless you bless me,” he said.

The man smiled,then he spoke: “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you havestruggled with divine and human beings and have prevailed.”

“What is yourname?” Jacob asked.

“Why do you askmy name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob.

So Jacob namedthat place Peniel because he had seen God face-to-face and was spared. And fromthat day on, Jacob walked with a limp.

When morningdawned, Jacob looked out in the distance, and there he saw Esau coming with his400 men. Quickly, he divided his family into three groups so some could escapeif attacked. Jacob led the way, bowing to Esau as he went. But Esau ran to meethim, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.

When Esau lookedup, he said, “Who are they?”

“The childrenGod has graciously given your servant.”

“What do youmean by all the droves I met?” Esau asked.

“They areyours,” Jacob said. “Please, accept them as my gift.”

“I have plenty,my brother,” Esau replied. “You keep the droves.”

But when Jacobinsisted, Esau accepted them. Then he offered to escort Jacob’s family.

“No,” Jacobsaid, “you needn’t do that. You go on ahead of me. I have to travel slowly withthe children.” The truth was, Jacob was still a bit fearful.

So Esau returnedto Seir, assuming he would meet Jacob there. Jacob, however, went to Succoth,where he built shelters for his livestock. When he arrived within sight ofShechem, he pitched his tent. Then he built an altar, and with a gratefulheart, he worshiped the Lord.

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Jacob Flees

2012-01-23T07:35:00.002-05:00

Chapter 23

Genesis 30:25-43; 31:1-55
Now that Rachel had given birth to their son, Jacobdecided it was time to leave. He met with Laban to tell him about his decision.“I wish to take my wives and my children away from here,” he said, “so I canreturn to my homeland.”

Laban was afraid of this. “I know the Lord has blessed mebecause of you,” he said. “Please, I want you to stay. Name your wages, and Iwill pay them.”

Jacob sighed. Perhaps he should consider Laban’s offer.“All right,” he said. “But don’t pay me anything. Instead, let me remove anyspeckled or spotted sheep or goats from your flocks. They will serve as mywages.”

Laban agreed. Then he raced out to his fields and removedall the spotted animals before Jacob could take them.

But God blessed Jacob in spite of Laban’s deceitfulness.Jacob took freshly cut branches from poplar, almond, and plane tree. Then heplaced them near the watering troughs. The flocks mated there, and when theygave birth, they bore speckled and spotted young.

So Jacob kept those animals for himself. From then on, hetook the strongest of all the animals and placed them near the troughs to mate.Those animals continued to bear speckled livestock. Meanwhile, Jacob left theweak animals to mate with Laban’s flock.

Jacob soon grew very prosperous, owning large flocks andmany servants. When Laban’s sons saw how wealthy he had become, they grewjealous and complained to their father. Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitudetoward him had changed. And the Lord told Jacob it was time to leave. . . .

So Jacob sent for his wives, Rachel and Leah. As they stoodin the fields where no one could hear, he spoke to them: “Your father’sbehavior toward me has changed. Each time God blessed my livestock, he changedmy wages. It was the Lord who gave me the idea about the branches. He revealedit in a dream. Now he has also revealed that we must leave.”

Rachel and Leah agreed. “Our father has used up all thewealth that was paid for us. Surely the wealth God took from our father belongsto us and our children. Do what God has told you.”

They decided to leave without telling Laban. As theyprepared for their journey, Rachel slipped into her father’s home and stole hishousehold idols. But no one knew she had done this, not even Jacob. . . .

Jacob and his family traveled ten days before Labancaught up with them. But God had warnedhim to say nothing good nor bad to his son-in-law. So he simply said, “Whydidn’t you let me say goodbye to my family? And why did you steal my householdgods?”

Jacob replied, “I was afraid you would take yourdaughters from me by force. But as for your household gods, I swear to you, ifyou find anyone here with them, that person shall not live.”

Laban searched all their tents. But Rachel had hidden thelittle statues in her camel’s saddle bag. Then she sat on it. When her fatherentered her tent, she pretended to have cramps and apologized for not standing.So Laban couldn’t find them, and Jacob rebuked him for his accusation.

Laban replied in anger: “The women are mine, the childrenare mine, the flocks are mine. Yet what can I do about it? Since you areleaving, let’s make a covenant, an agreement of peace.”

So they set up a pillar and agreed that neither one wouldcross that border to harm the other. Both of them pledged their oath beforeGod. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice, and he invited Laban and those with him tojoin them for a feast.

Early the next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildrenand his daughters and blessed them. Then he returned to his home. Jacob thoughtthat his troubles were now behind him. Little did he know that they had onlyjust begun. . . .

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Jacob's Children

2012-01-22T07:20:00.001-05:00

Chapter 22
Genesis 29:31-35; 30:1-24

Withina week after her wedding, Leah’s joy turned to heartache. She had hoped that intime, Jacob would learn to love her. But it was obvious that Rachel had won hisheart. When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but helet Rachel remain barren. So Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Shenamed him Reuben. Names, of course, always held a special meaning. Reuben meant“a son.” For she thought, The Lord has seen my misery and given me a son.Surely now my husband will love me.

Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a secondson. She thought her husband would be so pleased that he would begin to loveher. “Because the Lord has heard that I am not loved,” she said, “he gave methis one, too.” So she named him Simeon, meaning “he hears.”

After Leah became pregnant a third time, she gave birthto yet another son. She thought, Now at last myhusband will become attached to me, for I have borne him three sons. So shenamed him Levi, meaning “attached.”

Leah conceived yet again, and when she gave birth to afourth son, she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named himJudah, which means “let Him be praised.” But after Judah’s birth, Leah stoppedhaving children.

When Rachel realized that she was not getting pregnant,she became jealous of her sister. She lashed out at Jacob and said, “Give mechildren, or I’ll die!”

Jacob got angry. “Am I in the place of God, who has keptyou barren?”

If I can’t get pregnant, Rachel thought, I’ll havechildren through my maidservant. So Rachel gave Bilhahto Jacob as another wife, to have children through her. Bilhahsoon got pregnant and bore him a son. Rachel named him Dan. Then Bilhah gave birth to another son, and Rachel named himNaphtali.

When Leah saw she was having no more children, she didthe same thing Rachel did. She gave Jacob her maidservant as another wife. Zilpah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. Leah namedhim Gad. Then she bore him another son, and Leah named him Asher.

Many years had now passed since Jacob married Leah andRachel. Seeing the infants that were born to their maidservants made both womenwish they were pregnant. One day, during wheat harvest, Reuben found somemandrake plants and brought them to his mother. Leah thought they might helpher to get pregnant once more. For the people of that region believed thatmandrakes would help a woman become more fertile. When Rachel saw the plants,it gave her an idea. She decided to make a deal with her sister. “Give me someof your son’s mandrakes,” she said, “and Jacob can sleep with you tonight.”

So when Jacob returned from the fields, Leah met him andsaid, “You must sleep with me tonight.” Then, with a tone of sarcasm, sheadded, “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her thatnight.

While Rachel was tasting hermandrakes, Leah was praying to God. And God listened to her. Right away shebecame pregnant.

When the time came for her to give birth to her fifthson, she thought, God has rewarded me for giving Jacob my maidservant. So shenamed him “Issachar” for “reward.”

In time, Leah bore Jacob yet another son, and she wasthrilled. God has given me a precious gift, she said to herself. Now my husbandwill treat me with honor because I’ve borne him six sons. So she named him Zebulun. Then she bore him a daughter and named her Dinah.

Finally, God heard Rachel’s pleas, and he opened her wombso she could conceive. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

“God has taken away my disgrace,” she said.

She named him Joseph, meaning “may he,” for she hopedthat the Lord might give her yet another son.

Jacob's New Family

2012-01-21T07:58:00.002-05:00

Chapter 21

Genesis 29:1-30

After many daysof weary travel, Jacob breathed a sigh of relief. He now saw a well in thedistance. Three large flocks of sheep were grazing nearby. Surely he must beclose to Paddan Aram.

Jacob called out to the shepherds, “Mybrothers, where are you from?”

“Haran,” one ofthem replied.

“Do you knowLaban,” Jacob asked, “Nahor’s grandson?”

“Yes, we knowhim.”

“Is he well?”Jacob asked.

“Yes, he is.Here comes his daughter Rachel.”

As Rachel camewith Laban’s flock of sheep, Jacob wondered why no one had moved the stonecovering from the well. So he walked over to the shepherds and began to talkwith them. “The sun is still high,” he said. “It can’t be time to gather theflocks. Why not water the sheep now then take them back to pasture?”

“We can’t,” saidone of the shepherds. “Not until all the flocks have come.” Once all the flocksarrived, the shepherds would roll the heavy stone off from the well and waterthe sheep. When they were finished they would roll back the covering.

While they werediscussing the situation, Rachel arrived with her father’s flock. Jacobcouldn’t help but notice how much she resembled his mother. Without waiting forthe others to come, he went to the well, rolled away the stone, and watered hisuncle’s sheep.

As Rachelthanked him, tears welled up in his eyes. “I am a relative of yours,” he said,“the son of your aunt, Rebekah.” Then Jacob kissed her and wept aloud. God hadled him safely to the very place where his relatives were living.

“I must run andtell my father!” Rachel said. And she raced away to her home.

As soon as Labanheard the news, he ran to meet his nephew. Laban embraced Jacob and kissed himon each cheek. “Come,” Laban said. “You have had a long journey. Let’s gohome.” As they walked along, Jacob told him about his family. Laban just keptstaring and smiling. Finally he said, “You are my own flesh and blood. Staywith us as long as you like.”

After Jacob hadstayed with them for a month, Laban said, “Just because you are a relative ofmine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

Now Laban hadtwo daughters. The older one, Leah, had weak eyes. But the younger one, Rachel,was beautiful, and Jacob was attracted to her. So he said, “I’ll work sevenyears in return for your younger daughter, Rachel.”

Laban smiled.Then he replied, “It’s better that she goes to you rather than some other man.It’s a deal. Stay here with me.”

Those next sevenyears seemed like only a few days to Jacob because of his great love forRachel. At the end of that time, he asked Laban for his wife.

So Laban invitedall their friends and gave a marriage feast. But when evening came, he calledfor his other daughter, Leah, and placed the wedding veil over her instead ofRachel. With her face covered, according to custom, he presented her to Jacob,along with Zilpah the maidservant.

Not until thelight of morning did Jacob realize he had slept with Leah. Angrily, he raced tohis uncle’s home. “Why have you deceived me like this?” he shouted.

“It’s not ourcustom to give the younger daughter first,” Laban replied. “But I will make youa deal. If you agree to work another seven years, I will give you Rachel aswell.”

So after hefinished Leah’s bridal week, Jacob took Rachel as his second wife. Laban gaveher Bilhah as a maidservant. And for the next seven years, Jacob continued towork for Laban.

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Jacob's Dream

2012-01-20T05:58:00.004-05:00

Chapter 20
Genesis 27:41-46; 28:1-22

Sorrow nowturned to rage as an angry young man stormed out of Isaac’s tent. I’ll killhim, Esau thought to himself. After our father dies, I will kill him. His vengeancegave way to angry boasting, and rumors began to spread. When Rebekah heard whathe was planning to do, she feared for Jacob’s life.

So she calledfor Jacob and spoke to him privately. “Esau’s grudge is much worse that I hadimagined. He is consoling himself by planning to kill you once your fatherdies. You must flee to my brother in Haran. In time, Esau will calm down. Whenhis anger subsides, I will send for you.”

“But what aboutmy responsibilities here?” Jacob asked.

“Don’t worry. Iwill talk to your father so that you may leave with his blessing.”

Then Rebekahwent to Isaac. She knew what would persuade him. “Isaac, I’m disgusted withliving because of these Hittite women that Esau has married. If Jacob takes awife like these Hittite women, my life will be worth nothing!” Isaac sighed.They brought grief to him, too.

Rebekah’s planworked. Isaac called for Jacob. He entered the tent and knelt at his father’sside.

“My son, I wantyou to go at once to Paddan Aram, to the house of your mother’s father,Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself from among the daughters of Laban, yourmother’s brother.”

Then Isaacreached out and put his hand on Jacob’s head. “May God Almighty bless you andincrease your numbers until you become a community of peoples. May he give youand your descendants Abraham’s blessing, to take possession of this land, whichGod gave to Abraham.”

As he preparedfor his journey, Jacob feared for his life. What if my brother sees me leavingand he follows me? He could kill me on the way and no one would ever know. Imust travel light, he thought, and I must leave quickly. . . .

Jacob coveredmany miles before his brother learned that he had left. It was the servants wholater told Esau that Jacob had left. They said that Isaac had blessed him andsent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife. Not until then did Esau realize howmuch his Canaanite wives had displeased his father. So my father has blessedhim again, has he? That gave Esau an idea.

He traveled tosee his uncle, Ishmael, the first son who was born to Abraham. Ishmael had anumber of daughters. So Esau arranged to take one of them, Mahalath, as histhird wife. He would give special honor to her. Esau was eager to take her tohis father and tell him what he had done. And who knows, Esau thought, perhapsI will gain my father’s blessing after all.

But once ablessing was given, it could not be revoked. Jacob would still remain the heir.

As Jacob leftBeersheba he set out toward Haran. When the sun began to set, he stopped forthe night. Taking one of the stones nearby, he put it under his head as apillow and lay down.

When he finallyfell asleep, Jacob had a dream. He saw a stairway that stretched from earth toheaven. The angels of God were ascending and descending on it. At the top ofthe stairs stood a glorious figure. “I am the Lord,” he said, “the God of yourfather Abraham and the God of Isaac.

“All peoples onearth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and willwatch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I willnot leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

When Jacobawoke, he thought, Surely the Lord is in this place! That brought fear to hisheart. How awesome is this place. This is none other than the house of God andthe gate of heaven!

Early the nextmorning, Jacob took the stone that was under his head and set it up as a smallpillar. Then he poured oil on it. That was his way of setting apart that areaas a special place. Before then, people called that area Luz. But Jacob renamedit Bethel, meaning “house of God.”

Then he made avow. “O Lord,” he prayed, “be with me and watch over me on my journey. Give mefood to eat, clothes to wear, and a safe return to my father’s house. If you dothis, then you will be my God, and I will give you a tenth of all you give me.”And the Lord heard his prayer.

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Jacob Tricks Isaac

2012-01-19T07:12:00.004-05:00

Chapter 19,
Genesis 27:1-40

Signs of old agewere weighing heavy on the heart of Isaac. He was blind now and forced todepend on his family and his servants for even the simplest tasks. Isaacworried that he might slip off in his sleep. He must put his household inorder. For who knows when the Lord might take him home to his forefathers? Withthat in mind, he called for his firstborn son.

“Esau, my son,get your quiver and bow and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game.Prepare it the way I like it. Then bring it to me so I may give you myblessing.”

Not far away,Rebekah was listening to what Isaac had said. She was afraid this would happen.Immediately she sent for their other son, Jacob. When he arrived, she motionedwith her hand and whispered, “We must be careful that no one hears us. Yourfather is about to give his blessing to Esau. Your brother is out in the fieldsnow, hunting for game so he can bring your father a meal. Here is what I wantyou to do: Get me two young goats. I’ll prepare the meat the way your fatherlikes it. Then you take it to him, as if you are Esau, so he will give you hisblessing.

“But Esau is hairy,” Jacob said, “and I havesmooth skin. What if my father touches me? If he realizes I’m trying to trickhim, I will surely bring down a curse rather than a blessing.”

“Just do as Isay,” she insisted, “and let the curse fall on me.”

Jacob broughther the goat meat, and she prepared it the way Isaac liked it. Then she gaveJacob some of Esau’s clothes, for they carried Esau’s scent. Jacob is right,she thought. We must do something to make his skin feel hairy. So she coveredhis hands and neck with goat skins.

Jacob took adeep breath as he reached his father’s tent. “My father!” he called out.

“Yes, my son,”Isaac answered. “Who is it?”

“I am Esau, yourfirstborn. Sit up and eat your meal so you may give me your blessing.”

“How did you getit so quickly?” he asked.

Jacob could feelhis face turning red. “The Lord your God gave me success.”

“Come near me,”Isaac said, “so I can touch you to know whether you really are Esau.” Jacobstepped closer and held his breath. Isaac reached out to touch him.

“The voice isJacob’s,” he said, “but the hands are Esau’s. Are you really my son Esau?”

“I am,” Jacobreplied. He could feel his heart pounding in guilt.

So Isaac ate anddrank. Then he gave Jacob his blessing: “May God give you an abundance of grainand new wine. May nations serve you. May you be lord over your brothers. MayGod curse those who curse you and bless those who bless you.”

After Isaac hadblessed him, Jacob left right away. A few moments later, Esau returned from hishunting trip. He, too, prepared some tasty food and brought it to Isaac.

“My father,” hesaid, “sit up and eat so you may give me your blessing.”

Isaac began totremble violently. “Who was it that hunted game and brought it to me just now?”he demanded. “I ate it just before you came, and I blessed him—and indeed, hewill be blessed!”

“What!” Esauexclaimed. Then he gave a loud and bitter cry. “Bless me too, my father!”

“Your brothercame deceitfully,” Isaac said. “It is too late. He has taken your blessing.”

“His name fitshim!” Esau shouted. “First he took my birthright and now my blessing!”

“Father,” hewailed, “have you no blessing for me?”

“I have made himlord over you,” Isaac said. “All his relatives will be his servants. And I havesustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you now,my son?”

Esau cried out,“My father, have you only one blessing to give?” Then he wept aloud.

Isaac sighed ashe felt his son crying on his chest. He put his hand on Esau’s shoulder. God’sSpirit welled up within him, and he gave this prophecy: “Your dwelling will beaway from the earth’s richness, away from the dew of heaven. You will live bythe sword and you will serve your brother.” He paused, then he added, “But whenyou grow restless, you will throw off his yoke.”

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Jacob and Esau

2012-01-18T07:21:00.001-05:00

Chapter18, Genesis 25:19-34

At age 40, Isaac married Rebekah, and both ofthem looked forward to the day when they would have a child. But as time wenton, it became apparent that Rebekah was barren. This troubled her greatly, andnow it was Isaac’s turn to comfort her. “Don’t worry,” he said. “My own motherwas said to be barren, and look, here am I!” With a heart full of faith, Isaacprayed, and the Lord heard his request. After 20 years of marriage, Rebekahbecame pregnant. But the pregnancy was not at all what she had imagined it.

She called out to the Lord and asked, “Whatis happening to me?”

She could hear his voice as though he werespeaking within her: “Do not worry,” the Lord said. “You have two babies insideyour womb. I will make each of them into a nation of people. One nation will bestronger than the other, and the older child will serve the younger.”

So at age 60, Isaac became the proud fatherof twin boys. The first baby to come out of Rebekah’s womb was red and hairy.So his parents named him Esau. When he came out of the womb, his brother wasgrasping his heel. They named that one Jacob, meaning “heel grabber.”

As the boys grew up, it was obvious thattheir personalities and interests were as different as their physicalappearance. Esau was an outdoorsman who loved the open country. At a young age,he became a skillful hunter, like his father. Isaac always had a taste for wildgame, so it surprised no one that he favored Esau. Jacob, on the other hand, wasa quiet man who preferred to stay among the tents. While Esau hunted with hisfather, Jacob watched his mother and enjoyed doing the things she taught him.He was his mother’s son, for Rebekah favored him above Esau.

One day when Jacob was by himself, cookingsome stew, his brother Esau came in from the open country. Today he had nothingto show for his labors. Now he was tired and very hungry. The smell of Jacob’scooking drew him near.

“Let me have some of that red stew!” he said.“I’m famished!” Jacob knew that was one of his favorite meals. It wasn’t onlyhis red hair that earned him the nick-name him “Edom” (red).

Jacob smiled and said, “Just how hungry areyou?”

“Very hungry!” he replied. “Now pour me somestew.”

“Are you hungry enough to sell me yourbirthright?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, sell me your birthright. Pledge meyour birthright and I’ll give you some stew.”

Esau waved his hand in disgust. “Look, I justtold you, I’m starving. So what good is the birthright to me?” To ensure thatEsau wouldn’t change his mind later, Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So Esaupromised on oath to give Jacob his birthright.

Jacob now gave him some bread and some lentilstew. When Esau finished eating and drinking, he got up and left, as if nothinghad happened. That was how little he valued his birthright.

The birthright, however, was very importantin their culture. It signified the special privileges and responsibilitiesgiven to the firstborn son. When a father was close to death, he would evenlydivide all that he owned among his sons. But to the firstborn son, he wouldgive a double portion. There was a good reason for this. That son would also begiven twice as much responsibility for his father’s family. He would care forhis widowed mother and any unmarried sisters. He would also lead the family inmaking decisions and in guiding them spiritually.

Sometimes a father would choose a son otherthan his firstborn to receive the birthright. If he felt that his firstborn wasnot worthy of the privileges and not able to handle the responsibilities, thenhe could select another son.

But the birthright brought more than wealth.It also brought the father’s spiritual blessing, a prayer to invoke God’s favorupon that son. Sometimes the blessing took the form of a prophetic prediction.Jacob had acquired the birthright, but not the blessing—at least, not yet. . . .

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com.

A Wife for Isaac

2012-01-17T06:28:00.000-05:00

Chapter 17,

Genesis 24:1-67

A time of greatmourning had fallen upon Abraham, Isaac, and their entire household. At age127, Sarah passed away. She had known the joys of watching her one and only songrow into manhood. Isaac was now 37, and he had been very close to both hismother and father. An emptiness pierced his soul as he sat alone and picturedher warm smile of approval.

For the next fewyears, Abraham often thought of how God had blessed him with his beautifulwife. Now he wanted that same joy for his son. So he called his most trustedservant into his tent.

“Put your handunder my thigh, for I want you to take an oath. You must find a wife for Isaac.Swear that the woman you select will not be from the Canaanites, but from myown relatives.”

“What if she isnot willing to come?” he asked. “Should I then take your son there?”

“No,” Abrahamsaid, “you must not. The Lord will send his angel before you to guide you. Ifthe woman is unwilling to come, you will be released from this oath.”

So the servantleft the tent and prepared for his journey. He selected ten camels and otherchoice gifts from his master’s possessions. For one who seeks a bride must notcome empty-handed.

The journey tookhim many days. When he reached a spring near Nahor, he prayed, “O Lord, God ofmy master Abraham, may you show him kindness in this way: Bring the right girlinto my presence. Reveal it by prompting her to say, ‘Have a drink, while Iwater your camels.’ ”

Before he hadeven finished praying, a girl appeared. She was Rebekah, the granddaughter ofAbraham’s brother, Nahor, and she was very beautiful. When the servant askedfor a drink, she gave it to him. Then she said, “I’ll water your camels, too.”As the servant watched her, his heart began to pound. This must be the one! hethought. But I must find out one more thing.

“Young woman, ifI may ask, whose daughter are you?”

“I am thedaughter of Bethuel,” she said. “My father’s parents were Milcah and Nahor.”

Immediately, theservant bowed down and worshipped the Lord. “Praise you, Lord, God of mymaster, Abraham! For you have indeed shown him kindness by leading me to hisrelatives.”

Then he rose andexplained why he had come. “Let me run tell my family,” Rebekah said.

As Rebekah camerunning into the house, her brother Laban said, “Where did you get that nosering and those bracelets?” With great excitement she told her family all aboutAbraham’s servant.

Laban’s eyes litup when he saw the gifts. He rushed to meet the caravan and greet the servant.“Come, you who are blessed by the Lord! I’ve prepared a place for you and yourcamels.”

So the caravancontinued on toward the family’s house. But the servant refused to eat until hecould explain his mission: “The Lord has blessed my master with great wealth.And it will all go to his son Isaac, born to him in old age by Sarah. I havebeen sent to find a wife for Isaac, a woman from your household.” Then he wenton to explain how God had answered his prayer.

Laban and hisfather Bethuel knew that what had happened was not a matter of chance. “Whatcan we say?” Bethuel replied. “This is obviously from the Lord.” The servantbowed to the Lord in gratitude. Then he brought out some more gifts and gavethem to each one in the family.

The nextmorning, however, Rebekah’s brother and mother urged the servant to wait anumber of days. But the servant was insistent. He feared that they might changetheir minds.

“Let’s askRebekah what she wishes to do,” Laban suggested. But both he and his motherwere surprised by her response. The servant had told her how terribly Isaacmissed his mother. Surely it would please him if she came right away. So sheleft that day with her family’s blessing.

As they traveledto Canaan, the servant told Rebekah about Isaac. When they finally neared thetents of Abraham, they saw someone in the fields all alone, just meditating.“Who is that?” Rebekah asked. The servant smiled. “That is your husband.”Shyly, Rebekah covered herself with her veil.

So Isaac marriedRebekah, and he loved her dearly. The loss he had been feeling suddenly beganto ease, for she brought him great comfort and much joy.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com

Abraham's Greatest Test

2012-01-16T08:11:00.000-05:00

Chapter 16,

Genesis 22:1-19; Hebrews 11:17-19

Sometimes Godbrings special tests into a person’s life. Often the test involves a choice,and the choice one makes reveals whether that person really trusts God. Oneday, God brought such a test to Abraham.

“Abraham!” theLord called. “Here I am,” he replied.

“Abraham, I wantyou to take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the regionof Moriah. When you arrive there, I will direct you to a certain mountain. ThenI want you to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering.”

This was onetime that Abraham wished he had not heard the Lord’s voice. All night long helay awake, wondering what he should do. Whyis God asking me to do this? he thought. And what about His promise? The Lord had spoken clearly on that—hewould keep his covenant through Isaac. Thatcan only mean one thing. . . . thought Abraham.

He got up earlythe next morning and saddled his donkey. No one knew what he was planning todo. He called for his son Isaac and two of their servants. The servants were tocut enough wood for a burnt offering. Then the four of them bundled the woodand set out toward Moriah.

They hadtraveled for three days when Abraham finally saw their destination in thedistance. “Stay here with the donkey,” he told his servants, “while the boy andI go over there. The two of us will worship on that mountain. Then we will meetyou back here.”

Abraham took thebundles of wood and placed them on Isaac’s shoulder. Then he took the fire andthe knife, and they walked away. As they continued their journey, Isaac said,“Father, the fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for theoffering?”

“God himselfwill provide the lamb, my son.” And Abraham really believed that. For the pastthree days, he had consoled himself by remembering that God’s promise to himwould be fulfilled through Isaac. He reasoned that if God wanted him to killhis son, then surely God would raise Isaac from the dead.

When theyreached the place God had designated, together Abraham and Isaac built an altarfor the sacrifice. Carefully they arranged the wood on it. Then Abraham didsomething that shocked his son. He tied him up and laid him on the altar, on topof the wood.

Abraham lovedhis son deeply, but he also loved the Lord. His hands shook as he took theknife and raised it in the air. . . .
Just as he was about to bring it down, theangel of the Lord called out. “Abraham! Abraham!” he called.

“Here I am,” hereplied.

“Do not lay ahand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fearGod, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

Abraham lookedup, and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. God had indeedprovided the sacrifice. Abraham named that place “The Lord Will Provide.” Fromthen on came this saying: “On the mountain of the Lord, the Lord will provide.”

After theoffering was made, the angel of the Lord again called out to Abraham: “I swear bymyself, the Lord, that because you have done this and not withheld your onlyson, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the starsand the sand. They will indeed take possession of the cities of their enemies.And through your offspring, all nations on earth will be blessed, because youhave obeyed me.”

Then Abraham andIsaac rejoined their servants, and they all returned to Beersheeba. As Isaacgrew into manhood, he often recalled that day, and he learned from watching hisfather what it meant to love and fear the Lord.

The Promised Child

2012-01-15T06:56:00.002-05:00

Chapter 15,

Genesis 21:1-34

A year after the Lord visited Abraham, somethingwonderful happened to Sarah. At the age of 90, she gave birth to a son. Abrahamnamed him Isaac, just as the Lord commanded. For Sarah, the name held a doublemeaning. The word “isaac” means laughter, and Sarah’s face got red justthinking about that day when the stranger spoke, how she had laughed at hisprediction. But she explained the baby’s name by saying, “God has brought melaughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me. Who would havesaid I would nurse children? Yet I have borne Abraham a son in his old age.”

Indeed, this baby’s birth was truly a gift from God. Notonly had Sarah been barren, but both she and Abraham were well beyondchildbearing age. By the time Isaac was born, Abraham was 100 years old. Yes,the Lord had kept his promise. And Abraham would also keep his. When the babywas eight days old, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. This was thesign of God’s agreement, his covenant with Abraham.

The next special day in Isaac’s life came when he was atoddler, the day he would be weaned from drinking his mother’s milk. On thatday, Abraham held a great feast. Isaac, of course, was the center of attention,for this feast was being held in his honor.

Everyone was having a wonderful time, until Sarah noticedwhat Ishmael was doing. The young teenager was mocking little Isaac. Sarah knewhe was acting out of jealousy, but the thought of what he had done galled her.What might he do when both the boys grew older? . . .

The feast was barely over when Sarah cornered Abraham andtold him what Ishmael had done. “So I tell you,” she said, “get rid of thatslave woman and her son! Never will he share my son’s inheritance.”

Abraham felt as though a dark cloud were hanging over hishead. Ishmael was his son, his own flesh and blood. How could he possibly sendhim away?

But in the midst of his turmoil, he could hear the Lordspeaking to him: “Don’t worry, Abraham. This time I want you to listen toSarah. She is right when she says my covenant will be kept through Isaac. Don’tbe afraid for Ishmael. Because he is your offspring, I will make him into anation, too.”

Early the next morning, Abraham took some food and aflask of water and gave them to Hagar. His son was a prince in Abraham’s tribe,but Hagar was still just a slave woman. So he set the pack on her shoulder ashe sent the two of them away.

It was a painful time for Ishmael. What he didn’t knowwas that it was even more painful for his father. Ishmael kept wiping the tearsfrom his eyes as they left Abraham’s tents and set out in the desert ofBeersheba.

They wandered in the desert until they ran out of water.Hagar told her son to lie down and rest under one of the bushes. Then sheslipped away by herself and sat down about a bowshot away from him. I can’tbear to watch him die, she thought. And all at once, she began to sob.

By this time, the young man Ishmael was also crying.

Suddenly Hagar heard a voice calling out to her. Itsounded familiar. “What is the matter, Hagar? Don’t be afraid. God has heardthe boy crying. Go now and comfort him. Don’t worry, for I will make him into agreat nation.”

When she looked up again, she saw a well of water infront of her. She reached out and touched it. No, it wasn’t a mirage. Quicklyshe filled her flask and brought a drink to her son.

As Ishmael grew up, it was evident that God was providingfor him. He became known as a skilled archer. And when it was time for him tomarry, his mother found him a wife from Egypt. Ishmael’s life was not easy, butthe Lord was with him.

A Severe Judgment

2012-01-14T06:39:00.002-05:00

Chapter 14,
Genesis 18:16-19:38

Abraham grewquiet when he realized that his three guests were not ordinary strangers. Asthey rose to leave, the leader turned to his two companions and said, “Shall Ihide from Abraham what I’m about to do? No, I will not, for I have chosen himto keep the way of the Lord. You go on ahead of me.” The Lord turned to Abrahamand said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin sogrievous that I am about to see it for myself.”

Abraham knewwhat that meant. Those cities were known for their wickedness. Surely the Lordwould judge them. But the thought of that brought a pang to his heart. Lot wasliving in Sodom. . . .

Abraham glancedat the two others who had left for Sodom. He knew this was his only chance.“Lord, I have a question for you. Would you destroy Sodom if it had 50righteous people?”

“No, he replied,“I would not.” “What if there were only 45?” “No,” he answered. “And if therewere only 40?” “No.” “What if there were only 30?” “No.” “And if there wereonly 20?” “No.”

“Please, myLord, bear with me. What if there were only ten righteous people?”

“No,” he said.“For the sake of those ten I would spare it.”

Abraham’s heartfelt heavy as he watched him go. He doubted they had ten righteous people.

Meanwhile, thetwo angels traveled ahead to Sodom and arrived in the evening. Lot, who wassitting at the city gate, greeted them and invited them to his home. Theydeclined, saying that they would sleep in the city square. When Lot heard that,he begged them to come to his home.

The men finallyagreed to come. After finishing their meal, they heard a great commotion. Everyman in the city had surrounded the house. “Send out those strangers!” theyshouted. The men were demanding to have sexual relations with Lot’s two guests.

Lot went outsideby himself. “No, my friends,” he pleaded. “Don’t do this wicked thing.”

“You’re just aforeigner!” one of them shouted. “Who are you to judge us? Get out of the way!”As the crowd surged forward one of the angels pulled Lot inside and struck themwith blindness.

The angel nowturned to Lot. “If you have any other relatives here, get them out quickly. Theoutcry to the Lord against these people is so great that he has sent us todestroy this city.”

So Lot slippedout the door and ran to tell his sons-in-law. But they thought he was joking.

At dawn, theangels urged Lot to hurry and leave. Yet Lot hesitated. So they grabbed hishand and the hands of his wife and two daughters. Then they led them out of thecity, for the Lord was merciful, and he knew what was on Abraham’s heart.

“Run to thehills,” they warned, “and don’t look back.”

“No, my lords,”Lot begged, “please—I won’t be able to make it that far, and I’ll be swept away.Couldn’t we just flee to Zoar? It’s such a small town, isn’t it?”

“Very well,” oneof them answered. “We will spare Zoar. But you must hurry.”

By the timeLot’s family reached Zoar, the Lord had rained down burning sulfur on Sodom andGomorrah. Everything was destroyed. The smoke was dense, like that of a burningfurnace. The stench was awful. Lot’s wife kept thinking of all they had leftbehind. She stopped suddenly and turned around to see what had happened. Inthat instant, she became a pillar of salt.

Early the nextmorning, Abraham returned to place where he had stood before the Lord. As helooked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, all he could see was the dense smoke.

The devastationwas so great that Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar. So he took his two daughtersand went to the hills, where they lived in a cave.

When Lot refusedto move to Zoar, his daughters realized they would have no one to marry. So howwould they ever have children? That fear led them to devise a deceitful plan.They got their father to drink so much wine that he became drunk. Then each ofthem lay with him as they would with a husband. But he was so drunk that he hadno idea they had done this. Their plan worked: Both became pregnant, and eachbore a son. When those sons grew up, they fathered what would become twonations of people, the Moabites and Ammonites.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com

The Sign of God's Covenant

2012-01-13T07:45:00.002-05:00

Chapter 13,
Genesis 17:1-27; 18:1-15

Thirteen yearsafter Ishmael was born, the Lord once again appeared to Abram. Twenty-fouryears had passed since God first made his promise. Abram was now 99 years old,and he was startled by the voice he heard so clearly: “I am God Almighty. Walkbefore me and be faultless. I will confirm my covenant with you and increaseyour numbers.”

Abram fellfacedown.

“This is myeverlasting covenant,” said the Lord. “From now on your name will be Abraham”(father of a multitude), “for I have made you a father of many nations. Yourdescendants will one day be kings, and I will give you the land of Canaan. Iwill be your God and the God of your descendants. Now you must keep mycovenant. As the sign of this agreement, every boy among your household must becircumcised. He must have his foreskin cut off when he is eight days old.

“As for yourwife, Sarai, you must no longer call her by that name. From now on you are tocall her Sarah” (meaning “princess”). “I will bless her, and surely I will giveyou a son by her. She will become the mother of nations; kings of peoples willcome from her.”

Once again,Abraham fell facedown. But as he worshiped, he laughed to himself. Will a sonbe born to a man who is 100 years old? Will Sarah bare a child at age 90? Andwhat about my son, Ishmael?

Finally, Abrahamspoke up: “If only my son Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

“Yes,” said theLord, “I hear what is on your heart. But my promise is through Sarah. By thistime next year she will have a son, and you will name him Isaac. As forIshmael, I will surely bless him as well and make him into a great nation. Hewill become the father of twelve rulers. But my covenant is not with him. It iswith Isaac.”

So Abrahamcircumcised every male among all the servants in his household. Not long afterthis, three strangers appeared to him near the great trees of Mamre. Abrahamsaw them coming as he sat near the opening of his tent. So he stood up andhurried to greet them.

Bowing lowbefore him, he said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, may you andyour companions stop here for a while. This heat is unbearable. I will havewater brought to you so you can wash your feet. Then you can rest under thistree while I get you something to eat.”

“Very well,” thefirst man answered.

Abraham hurriedto tell Sarah to bake some bread. While she arranged for the servants to bakebread, Abraham selected a choice calf. He ordered another servant to prepare itas quickly as he could. Then Abraham served his guests some curds and milk.When the meat was ready, he brought it out to them.

Abraham stood inthe shade while his guests ate. “Where is your wife, Sarah?” the leader asked.

“She is there,in the tent,” he said.

The guest lookedat her tent, then turned back and continued to speak. “I will surely return toyou this time next year, and by then, Sarah will have a son.”

Now the wholetime that the men were speaking, Sarah was listening to them from the entranceof her tent, which was behind them. When she heard what he said about having ason, she began to laugh, for she was well past the age of child-bearing. Shethought to herself, After I am worn out and my husband is old, will I now havethis pleasure?

By now Abrahamwas beginning to realize that this was no ordinary guest. He watched in silenceas the man turned around. “Sarah, why did you laugh?” the man asked. “Isanything too hard for the Lord? I will return at the appointed time, and youwill have a son.”

It startledSarah to realize that he heard her laughing. Embarrassed and afraid, Sarahreplied, “No, my lord, I wasn’t laughing.” But the Lord said, “Yes, you didlaugh.” And from that moment on, Sarah took his words to heart.

Sarai and Hagar

2012-01-12T07:51:00.002-05:00

Chapter 12,
Genesis 16:1-16

Ten years hadnow passed since the Lord first made his promise to Abram, and Sarai wasbeginning to lose hope. God had blessed them with many possessions and manyservants. With each new baby that was born to their servants, Sarai felt atwinge of pain and regret. If only the Lord would give her a child of her own!Abram was now 85, and Sarai had reached her mid-70s. What woman her age hadever gotten pregnant? Without children, Abram’s family would come to an end. Ofcourse, Sarai knew of the promise God had made to her husband. But what abouther inability to conceive? Sarai was deep in thought as she stared at theservant girl holding an infant. An idea was beginning to form. Perhaps there isanother way. . . .

Later that day,when she was alone with Abram, Sarai brought up her idea. “Since the Lord haskept me from having children, why don’t we build our family through mymaidservant?”

In those days,it was not uncommon for a barren woman to have children through one of herservants. Her husband would take the servant as another wife. Once she gotpregnant, the baby was considered the child of her mistress. Sarai reasonedthat she could adopt the baby as her own.

As long as Sarailived, Abram would never have taken another wife. But since this was her idea,he agreed. After all, God did say he would bless him with children. Perhapsthis is what he had intended all along. So Abram took the Egyptian servantHagar as his wife.

It wasn’t longbefore Hagar became pregnant. Then she began to lord it over Sarai. Surely I ammore than just a servant now, Hagar thought. I have given my master a child,and my mistress could never do that. Hagar’s joy took on a haughty dispositionand tensions mounted. And now the only thing Sarai regretted more than herbarrenness was her decision to give Hagar to Abram.

Sarai’s feelingsof anger grew until one day she lashed out at Abram. “You are responsible forthe wrong I am suffering!” she cried out. “I gave you my servant as a wife. Butnow that she knows she’s pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge betweenyou and me!”

Abram had hadenough of this bickering. Angrily, he replied, “As far as I’m concerned, Hagaris still your maidservant. She is subject to you. So do with her whatever youwish.”

That was allSarai needed to hear. Now that Abram confirmed her authority over Hagar, Saraibegan to mistreat her. Hagar realized she was still a slave in the eyes ofAbram. And Sarai would never let her forget that. How she wished she had neverbeen given to Abram in the first place.

Sarai made herlife so miserable that Hagar slipped out of their camp and ran away. She tookthe road to Shur, which would lead to her homeland, Egypt. But all this while,the Lord had been watching. Both Sarai and Hagar had forgotten that nothingescapes his notice.

Hagar finallyreached a spring in the desert, and there the angel of the Lord spoke to her.“Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

At first, Hagarthought this was just a stranger. But when she realized he knew her, she wasamazed. She was still in awe as she answered him: “I’m running away from mymistress.”

The angel of theLord spoke gently. “Go back to your mistress,” he said, “and submit to her. Iwill give you so many descendants that you can’t even count them. The child youcarry is a son. You shall name him Ishmael” (God hears) “for the Lord has heardyour misery.” In their culture, names were significant. The meaning of a nameoften revealed something about that person.

The angel of theLord also revealed what the future held for her son. “When your son grows up,he will father a wild tribe of people. And they will live in hostility with theneighboring peoples.”

From that timeon, Hagar referred to the Lord as, “You are the God who sees me.” For she said,“I have now seen the One who sees me.” She even gave a name to the well where he spoke, “Beer Lahai Roi,”meaning “well of the Living One who sees me.”

So Hagar obeyed theLord and returned to her mistress, Sarai. What was spoken to her did indeedcome true. When Abram was 86 years old, Hagar bore a son, and they named himIshmael.

God's Promise to Abram

2012-01-11T07:39:00.002-05:00

Chapter11, Genesis 15:1-21

Some time after Melchizedek met with Abram,the Lord spoke to Abram in a vision, which was like a dream. Perhaps Abram hadbeen feeling troubled, for the Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I amyour shield, your very great reward.”

Abram sighed. “O Sovereign Lord,” he said,“what can you give me since I am childless?”

Abram called him “sovereign” because hebelieved that God rules over all that happens in our lives.

“You have given me no children,” Abram said,“so all that I own will one day go to my servant, Eliezer.”

“No,” the Lord replied, “this man will notinherit your possessions. You will have a son, and he will be your heir.”

Taking Abram outside, the Lord said to him,“Look up in the sky and count the stars—if you can. That’s how numerous I’llmake your offspring.”

Abram gazed up at God’s creation in theheavens. He believed the Lord, just as he had believed him years ago when heleft Ur. Because Abram had taken God at his word, the Lord accepted him as afriend, for that is the kind of faith God desires.

As Abram continued to gaze at the stars, theLord reminded him once again of the plan God had for his life. The Lord knewthat Abram must not lose sight of what God was calling him to do.

“I am the Lord,” he said, “who brought youout of Ur of the Chaldeans. I have brought you here to give you this land. Iwant you to take possession of it.”

The task before him seemed impossible. Howcould he take possession of a land filled with other people? Many otherquestions came to mind as he pondered God’s words. Again he sighed.

“O Sovereign Lord,” he said, “how can I knowthat I will gain possession of it?”

The Lord replied, “Bring me a heifer, a goat,and a ram, each three years old. Then bring me a dove and a young pigeon.”

Abram did as the Lord commanded him. Hesensed what the Lord was about to do. Animals like these were used assacrifices; they were also used to seal an agreement.

His hunch was right. The Lord would confirmhis promise. So Abram took the heifer, the goat, and the ram and cut each ofthem in half. Then he arranged the halves opposite each other. The birds heleft whole. A few moments later, some birds of prey flew down on the carcasses,but Abram drove them away.

As the sun began to set, Abram fell into adeep sleep. A thick and dreadful darkness now swept over him. Then the Lordspoke.

“Know for certain that your descendants willbe strangers in another country for 400 years. There they will be enslaved andmistreated. But eventually I will punish that nation. After that time, yourpeople will come out with great possessions.

“As for you, I will bless you, and you willlive a long, peaceful life. Then I will take you home to be with your fatherswho died before you.”

That night, a smoking firepot with a blazingtorch suddenly appeared. God caused the torch to pass between the pieces. Abramunderstood the meaning behind those objects and the reason why they appeared inthe thick darkness. They symbolized God’s holiness in the midst of a sinfulworld. The Lord was choosing a special people for himself. Like these symbols,they would be set apart as a holy people.

Abram would never forget this ceremony andthe covenant it represented: “To your descendants I give this land, from theWadi River of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” The people in Canaanwould never accept this. But that, too, was part of God’s plan. . . .

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com

Parting as Friends

2012-01-10T07:34:00.006-05:00

Chapter 10,Genesis 13:1-14:24

Abram breathed a sigh of relief as he left Pharaoh’scourt. He could now return to the Negev in Canaan with his wife, his nephew,Lot, and all his possessions. While he was in Egypt, he had become very wealthyin livestock and in silver and gold.

When Abramreached Bethel, he found the altar that he had built when he first arrived inCanaan. Once again he worshiped and declared to the people around him that theLord is God.

Duringtheir time in Egypt, Lot also had acquired great herds and flocks and tents.Now the land where they sojourned could no longer support them both, andquarreling arose between their herdsmen. Abram knew he must deal with thesituation. . . .

“Let’s notquarrel,” he said to Lot, “for we are brothers. Let us now part. You go oneway, I’ll go the other.” Lot looked out in the distance. The plain of theJordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord and the land of Egypt nearZoar. There was no doubt which land was better. So Lot pitched his tents nearSodom. Abram went the other way and lived in Canaan.

Soon afterLot had left, the Lord spoke to Abram. “Lift up your eyes,” he said, “and lookin every direction. All the land that you see I will give to you and yourchildren forever. I will make your offspring as numerous as the dust of theearth. Now go and walk throughout the entire land that you see, for I am givingit to you.” So Abram moved his tents and traveled to the great trees of Mamreat Hebron. There he built another altar and worshiped the Lord.

At thistime a conflict arose between some of the tribes living in the area of Sodomand Gomorrah. Kedorlaomer, the king of Edom, faced a struggle with his vassals,five regional kings to whom he had been forced to pay tribute. It was notunusual for a dominant tribal leader to force the smaller neighboring tribesinto paying him gold or silver or other things of value. This was the pricethey paid for peace, to keep the large tribe from interferring with them. Theagreement also offered them protection from other tribal chiefs who might wagewar.

After 12years of serving Kedorlaomer, these five smaller tribes decided to rebell andbreak away. So Kedolaomer made plans to regain his control. Within two years,he joined forces with three other powerful kings. Their forces conqueredterritory that stretched from the hill country of Seir to the desert of Paran.When they reached the Valley of Siddim, the five kings who had rebelled werewaiting for them.

What thefive kings didn’t know was that the valley was full of tar pits. And when theyturned to retreat, many from their army fell into the pits. The rest of themfled to the hills. So the four conquering kings seized all their goods,including the wealth from Sodom and Gomorrah. They captured the people and tookthem as their slaves. Among those taken captive was Lot.

When Abramlearned of this, he called out his 318 men that he had trained for battle. Withhis local allies, the tribal leaders Mamre, Eshcol, and Aner, Abram set out torescue Lot.

During thenight Abram divided his men to attack the four kings. Caught off guard by thatmaneuver, the king’s army fled. Abram pursued them as far north as Hobah, northof Damascus. There he found Lot and all the other captives, as well as theirpossessions. All the stolen goods had been recovered. Together with his allies,Abram escorted them back to Sodom.

In theValley of Shaveh (the King’s Valley), Abram was greeted by Melchizedek, king ofSalem. He was priest of God Most High, who created heaven and earth.Melchizedek brought out bread and wine. Then he blessed Abram and God. Abram,in turn, gave him a tenth of everything.

The kingof Sodom also came out to meet Abram. “I will make an agreement with you,” hesaid. “You give me the people you have rescued, and I will allow you to keepthe goods for yourself.”

Thiswasn’t the first time Abram had been tempted by wealth. But this time, he didnot waver. “No,” Abram said. “I have taken an oath before the Lord. I willaccept nothing from you, so you can never say, ‘It was I who made Abram rich.’” Then Abram and his people returned home.

God Chooses Abram

2012-01-09T06:58:00.001-05:00

Chapter 9, Genesis 11:27-12:20

Down through the ages, the Lord Godcontinued to take a special interest in the descendants of Adam and Eve’s thirdson, Shem. One man, Terah, stood out above the others as someone who knew whatit meant to have friendship with God. Yet he was also influenced by the pagangods that his family worshiped. Terah had fathered three sons: Haran, Nahor,and Abram. Haran, the oldest, had a son named Lot and a daughter named Milcah. Buthe died in his homeland, Ur of the Chaldeans, while his children were stillyoung. His younger brother Nahor eventually married Haran’s daughter, Milcah.In those days, it was not unusual to marry within one’s family, and Abrammarried his half-sister, Sarai. She, too, was a daughter of Terah. She andAbram had different mothers, for in that culture men were permitted to takemore than one wife.

Terah knew that the Lord wasprompting him to move away from their homeland, which was known for its pagan moon-god.So he took his youngest son, Abram, his daughter, Sarai, and his grandson, Lot.Together they set out for the land of Canaan. But they stopped in Haran, for itoffered great opportunities to buy and sell and to grow prosperous. Here, too,people worshiped the moon-god. Terah was content to settle there, and there heremained until his death at age 205.

During those years, the Lord beganto speak to Terah’s son, Abram. “Leave this country,” the Lord urged him.“Leave your people, even your father’s household. Go to the land that I willshow you, and I will make you into a great nation and bless you. I will blessthose that bless you and curse those who curse you. And all peoples on earthwill be blessed through you.”

Me,the head of a great nation? Abram thought.

This was something he could notcomprehend. For it appeared that his wife, Sarai, was not able to get pregnant.Still, Abram could not resist the voice of the Lord. So at age 75, he set outfor Canaan with his wife, Sarai, his nephew, Lot, and all their possessions,for they had acquired much wealth and many servants while in Haran.

After many days they arrived inCanaan, near the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. Many Canaanites were in theland, and Abram began to wonder whether this was really a wise idea. That’swhen the Lord appeared him. “To your offspring,” the Lord said, “I will givethis land.” So in that very spot, Abram built an altar to worship the Lord.

Then Abram went on to another partof Canaan, the hills of Bethel. There he pitched his tent, with Bethel on thewest and Ai on the east. He built another altar and proclaimed to those aroundhim that the Lord is God. Some time later, Abram continued his journey towardthe Negev.

Now there was a famine in the land,and it was so severe that Abram’s household was forced to travel to Egypt,where there was more food. But as they headed for Egypt, Abram thought, My wifeis so beautiful. . . . What will happen if the Egyptians are attracted to her?

“Sarai,” he said, “I know what a beautifulwoman you are. When the Egyptians see you and realize you are my wife, theymight kill me to take you. So say that you are my sister. Then they will treatme well for your sake and my life will be spared.”

Abram’s fears came true. When theyarrived in Egypt, the Egyptians did indeed notice she was a remarkablybeautiful woman. And when Pharaoh’s officials saw her, they told Pharaoh. Soonthereafter, Sarai was invited into his palace. The Pharaoh wanted her for awife in his harem.

Meanwhile, Abram was treated wellbecause of her. Pharaoh gave him sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys,menservants and maidservants, and camels. But the Lord punished Pharaoh byinflicting serious diseases on him and his household. Why is this happening tous? Pharaoh wondered. When he finally realized he was being judged by God, hesummoned Abram.

“What have you done to me?” Pharaohsaid. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did you say she was yoursister? Here is your wife. Take her and go!”

So the Lord prompted Pharaoh to sendAbram away with all the belongings he had acquired. And Abram was grateful forthe mercy of God.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com

The View from Heaven

2012-01-08T06:33:00.004-05:00

Chapter 8, Job 2:1-42:17

Another day, the angels came again to present themselves before theLord, and once again, Satan came with them. “Where have you come from?” theLord asked. “From roaming through the earth,” Satan replied, “and going backand forth in it.”

Then the Lord said to him, “Have youwatched my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him. He is faultless,choosing only what is right. Here is a man who fears God and turns from evil.And he still maintains his integrity, even though you incited me against him.”

“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A manwill give all he has for his own life. But if you were to strike his flesh andbones, he would surely curse you to your face.”

“Very well,” the Lord said to Satan.“He is in your hands, but you must spare his life.”

Then Satan went out from the Lord’spresence. Immediately, he afflicted Job with painful sores, from the top of hishead to the soles of his feet. The sores itched so miserably that Job took apiece of broken pottery and scraped himself as he sat among the ashes. For daysJob’s wife watched his suffering. Bitterly she cried out, “Are you stillholding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!”

“You are talking like a foolishwoman,” Job replied. “Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?” Sheglared and walked away. But in all that happened, Job did not sin in what hesaid.

By now word had spread of Job’smisfortunes, and three friends came to comfort him, When they saw him, theycould hardly recognize him. They tore their robes and knelt by his side. Forseven days they sat with him, not saying a word. Finally, Job spoke. He cursedthe day of his birth.

His friend Eliphaz confronted him.“Has God ever destroyed anyone for being innocent? Surely you must have sinned.If I were you, I’d appeal to God. Confess your sins. Accept his discipline.”

Job was appalled. “Are you ‘friends’calling me a liar? If I have sinned, what have I done?”

At this, Bildad’s face grew red withanger. “Do you regard us as stupid cattle, unable to give counsel? When yourchildren sinned, God judged them! You have trusted in your wealth.”

Job shook his head. “I depise mylife,” he said, “although I am blameless. If only I had someone to stand as amediator and plead my case before God. . . .”

Now Zophar spoke up, and his wordsrang out with a cutting edge: “You talk if you were faultless! How I wish Godhimself would rebuke you. In the end the wicked get what they deserve.”

Job dropped to his knees. Then heraised his hands and cried out, “Though God slay me, yet will I trust him.Surely I will defend myself to his face and be delivered.”

During this time another man had comeand sat among them. Elihu was much younger than they. For that reason, he hadsaid nothing. But now, he too felt flushed with anger. He thought, What wouldGod say about all this? His heart pounded within him as he finally rose tospeak.

He turned to Job’s friends and said,“Do you realize what you have just done? All of you have condemned this man.Yet no one has produced one piece of evidence to prove these accusations.”

Job was impressed with the young man’swisdom—until he turned to Job. “And you, sir,” the young man said. “Listen toyourself! Do you realize you have justified yourself rather than God?”

The young man had no sooner finishedrebuking them, when suddenly a storm rose up. And from this fearful storm, theLord himself called out to Job with a voice that sounded like thunder.

“Brace yourself, and I will questionyou. Where were you when I laid earth’s foundation? Do you question my justice?Would you condemn me to justify yourself? God reigns over the proud.”

They were terrified. Job shook as hecried out, “How can I reply? I repent in dust and ashes.”

The Lord now turned his attention toJob’s friends. He rebuked all three of them. Then God commanded them to makesacrifices so Job could pray for them.

Finally, the Lord did something thatfar surpassed Job’s desires. He blessed him with ten more children and doublehis livestock. And he honored Job by granting him a long, full life.

Job was a rich man indeed—rich in themercies of God.

The Bible Clicks website offers a new time-travel adventure each day. Use your detective skills to identify God's Attributes and People's Choices. You will find clues for today's story at: http://www.thebibleclicks.com