Look, Listen & Live 3: Victory through GOD

Introduction

God helped the people of Israel to defeat all their enemies. We can learn from them. So listen to the recording and look at the next picture in the Brown book when you hear this sound. (Signal)

Picture 1. Joshua Fights The Amalekites

Exodus 17:8-13

The people of Israel had no land of their own. They roamed in the desert. Moses was their leader. He chose a young man named Joshua to be captain of his army. The Amalekites attacked Israel, so Moses said to Joshua, "Go out to fight the Amalekites. I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." While Moses held up the rod of God, Joshua and the Israelites were able to defeat the Amalekites. But Moses' arms grew tired and he could not hold them up to God. Then the Amalekites began to win the battle. So two men held up the arms of Moses until evening, and God helped Joshua defeat the Amalekites. (Signal)

Picture 2. The Spies with the Fruit of Canaan

Numbers 13:1 - 14:35

God promised to give Israel the land of Canaan, so Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land. After 40 days they returned and told what they had seen. Joshua and Caleb brought a good report. They said, "The land flows with milk and honey (is rich and fertile). Here is its fruit. The people who live there are powerful. However, do not be afraid of the people. If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into this land." But the other spies brought a bad report. They said that the people of Canaan were like giants. They made the people of Israel afraid to enter Canaan. Then God became angry because they did not trust in Him and He led them back into the desert for 40 years. All the Israelites who did not trust God died in the desert. (Signal)

Picture 3. The People of Israel Cross the River

Joshua 1:1-9, 3:1-17

After Moses died, Joshua became the leader of Israel. Then God said to Joshua, "Now you and all the people get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give you." God told Joshua what to do. The priests of Israel had a special box called the Ark. It contained the laws of God, on the tablets of stone. God told them to carry the Ark into the river. The river was flooded, but as soon as the feet of the priests touched the water, the river stopped flowing and dried up. The priests stood in the middle of the river bed while all the people crossed over into Canaan on dry land. (Signal)

Picture 4. The Walls of Jericho Fall Down

Joshua 6:1-27

The people of Israel camped in Canaan near a city called Jericho. Then God said to Joshua, "I have delivered Jericho into your hands. March around the city with all the armed men for six days. Have seven priests carry trumpets in front of the Ark of God. On the seventh day, march around the city seven times with the priests blowing the trumpets. Then have all the people give a loud shout. The wall of the city will collapse and the people can go straight into it." So Joshua and the people did as God commanded. The walls of Jericho fell down and Israel conquered the city. God told Israel that they must not take any loot for themselves. (Signal)

Picture 5. Israel Flees from Ai

Joshua 7:1-12

Ai was another enemy city near Jericho. Joshua had to conquer it too, so he sent men to spy out the city. The spies returned and said, "Do not send all the people to fight against Ai, for there are only a few men there." So Joshua sent only a small army of men to capture Ai. But the men of Ai defeated the men of Israel. Some of the Israelites were killed and the rest had to run for their lives. Then Joshua fell on his face before God. But God said, "Israel has sinned; they have stolen and lied, therefore they cannot stand before their enemies." (Signal)

Picture 6. The Judgment of Achan

Joshua 7:14 - 8:29

Joshua gathered all the people of Israel before God. God showed Joshua that it was Achan who had sinned against Him. Joshua said to Achan, "Tell me what you have done." And Achan said, "It is true! I have sinned against God. When I saw among the loot of Jericho a beautiful robe, silver and a bar of gold, I took them." Some men found those things which Achan had stolen and which were hidden in his tent. Then Achan was put to death, as God commanded. God turned from His anger and said, "Take the whole army, go up and attack Ai. Don't be afraid, for I have delivered the city into your hands (it shall be yours)." So Israel obeyed God and were able to defeat Ai. (Signal)

Picture 7. The Sun and the Moon Stand Still

Joshua 10:1-14

The wicked people of Canaan began to fear Israel. Five of their tribes came together to fight Israel. But God said to Joshua, "Do not fear them." So Joshua and his army went out to fight those tribes and the tribes ran from them in terror. God also threw down great hailstones on the enemy and many of them died. The battle continued all day. Then Joshua said, "Sun, stand still!" So God made the sun and the moon stand still that day until Israel had finished defeating their enemies. There has never been another day like that. God helped Israel to defeat all the wicked tribes of Canaan. (Signal)

Picture 8. Joshua Instructs the People

Joshua 23:1 - 24:28

Canaan became the land of Israel just as God had promised. When Joshua was old, he called all the people together. He said to them, "Be strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of God. If you serve other gods, you will perish from the good land God has given you. Decide today whom you will serve." The people all promised to serve the Lord. Friends, God kept all His promises to Joshua and to Israel. He gave them a land of their own and He defeated their enemies. God has promised us a place in Heaven forever. God keeps all His promises. Our enemy is Satan. But we have a Great Leader who has defeated Satan. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. We must serve and obey Him. So today you must choose whom you will serve. (Music)

Picture 9. Deborah Speaks for God

Judges 4:1-9

After Joshua died, the people of Israel turned away from God. They worshipped the idols of the Canaanites. So God gave the Canaanites power over Israel, and they treated them badly. Deborah was a wise woman who was a judge in Israel. The people came to her for advice. She tried to turn them back to the God of Israel. One day she called Barak, the leader of Israel's army. She said to him, "Take 10000 men to Mount Tabor. Sisera and the army of Canaan will come to fight you. But God will give you victory over him." Barak was afraid. He said to Deborah, "If you don't go with me, I won't go!" So Deborah said, "I will go with you, but God will give power over Sisera to a woman. The honour will not be yours." (Signal)

Picture 10. God Helps Defeat Sisera

Judges 4:10-17, 5:19-21

Deborah and Barak and the Israelites went to Mount Tabor. Sisera and the whole Canaanite army went to fight them. Sisera had 900 chariots. The Israelites had only swords in their hands. The Canaanites came to the river valley near Mount Tabor, but their chariots could not pass through the rough hills. Then they were washed away in a flooding river. So the army of Israel were able to defeat the army of Canaan. The whole army was destroyed. Only Sisera escaped and ran away on foot. (Signal)

Picture 11. Jael Kills Sisera

Judges 4:17-23

Sisera fled to the tent of a woman named Jael. She said to him, "Come right in! Do not be afraid!" Jael was not an Israelite, so Sisera went in to hide in her tent. She gave him milk to drink, and covered him with a blanket and Sisera went to sleep. Then Jael took a tent peg and a hammer. She went quietly to Sisera while he slept, and she drove the tent peg right through his head and into the ground. Soon Barak came searching for Sisera. Jael called him into her tent and said to him, "Come, I will show you the man you are looking for." There lay Sisera dead, with his head pinned to the ground. (Signal)

Picture 12. Israel Celebrates

Judges 5:1-31

It was God who gave Israel power to defeat those Canaanites. Deborah and Barak sang a song to give God thanks. The people rejoiced too. They were glad to have a leader like Deborah. She was like a mother to them. They praised Jael too, because she was not afraid of Sisera. God used these two women to save Israel. Friends, God uses those who seem to be weak to overcome those who are strong. We also have a strong enemy. But God sent the Lord Jesus to save us from Satan. Wicked men killed Jesus. They thought He had no power. But God raised Jesus from death. He defeated Satan and all evil men. Jesus will give power and everlasting life to all who trust and obey God. So let us sing and be glad too, and worship only the True God. (Music)

Introduction to Part B

Satan will fight against all who follow Jesus' way. But God has shown us how we can have power over Satan. Listen and learn from these stories (from the Bible). Look at the next picture when you hear this signal. (Signal)

Picture 13. Gideon And The Angel Of God

Judges 6:1-24

The people of Israel disobeyed God and did evil things. So God let the Midianite people rule over them for seven years. The Midianites destroyed the crops of the Israelites. Then Israel cried to God to save them. One day, a man called Gideon was threshing some wheat. He was trying to hide it from the Midianites. Suddenly an angel of God appeared and said to Gideon, "Go and save Israel from the Midianites." But Gideon said, "How can I save Israel ... I am nobody!" Then God said, "I will be with you." Gideon offered some food to the angel. He touched it with his stick. Immediately it burst into flame and the angel disappeared. So Gideon knew the message was from God. (Signal)

Picture 14. Gideon Destroys The Idols

Judges 6:25-32

Gideon's family worshipped (Baal and Asherah) the idols of Canaan. God said to Gideon, "Tear down your father's altar (to Baal) and cut down the (Asherah) pole beside it. Then build a proper altar to God." Gideon was afraid of the people, but he wanted to obey God, so that night he took ten men and they destroyed the idols. The people were angry and wanted to kill Gideon, but his own father protected him. Friends, God is greater than any idols of wood or stone. We should always obey Him. (Signal)

Picture 15. Gideon's Army Drinks The Water

Judges 7:1-7

Gideon gathered an army of men from Israel. The Midianites gathered together to fight Israel. But God said to Gideon, "You have too many men. Anyone who is afraid may turn back (go home)." Most of Gideon's men went home. God said to Gideon again, "There are still too many men. Take them down to the water and I will test them for you." So Gideon took his men to the water to drink. Many of the men knelt down and drank the water as a dog drinks. Only 300 men drank the water from their hands. Then God said, "By the 300 men who drank from their hands I will defeat the Midianites." (Signal)

Picture 16. Gideon's Men Surround The Camp Of Midian

Judges 7:12-25

The great army of Midian was camped in a valley. They had more men and camels than anyone could count. Gideon only had 300 men, but God told him what to do. Gideon gave each man a trumpet, and a flaming torch inside an empty jar. They surrounded the Midian camp in the middle of the night. Then all at once they made a great noise. They blew the trumpets and smashed the jars and cried out, "(A sword) For the Lord (God) and for Gideon." The Midianites were surprised (and confused). They began to kill each other. Then they fled from their camp and the Israelites defeated them all. Friends, even if we are weak and few in number like Gideon's army, with God's help we can defeat our great enemy, Satan. (Music)

Picture 17. Samson Kills A Lion

Judges 13:1 - 14:19

After Gideon died, the Israelites turned away from God again. So God let the cruel Philistines punish them. Then God sent a leader who had the power to save Israel. His name was Samson. The Spirit of God made him very strong, but Samson did not use his strength to save Israel from the Philistines. He used it for himself. He disobeyed God. Samson loved a Philistine woman, so he said to his father, "Get her for me, for she looks good to me." As Samson was going to the woman's house, a lion attacked him. Samson was so strong that he killed the lion with his bare hands. He married the Philistine woman, but she was not true to him. So Samson killed 30 Philistines in his anger. (Signal)

Picture 18. Samson And The Burning Foxes

Judges 15:1-17

Samson went to the Philistines again, to get his wife, but her father had given her to another man as his wife. Samson said, "This time I will get even with the Philistines!" He went out and caught 300 foxes. He tied them in pairs by their tails. Then he tied burning torches to the foxes and let them go into the wheat fields of the Philistines. All their crops were burnt up. The Philistines hated Samson. They tried to kill him, but Samson took the jawbone of an ass and killed 1000 Philistines with it. (Signal)

Picture 19. The Philistines Cut Samson's Hair

Judges 16:4-22

Samson had never cut his hair. His long hair was the sign that he belonged to the God who made him so strong. Samson continued to disobey God. He went to another Philistine woman. Her name was Delilah. She tried to find out the secret of Samson's great strength. And at last he told her, "I have been given to God. If my hair is cut off, I will lose my strength." One night when Samson was asleep, Delilah called the Philistines. They cut off his hair. Then God left Samson and so did his strength. The Philistines bound Samson and gouged out his eyes. They kept him in prison, but his hair began to grow again. (Signal)

Picture 20. Samson Destroys The Philistines

Judges 16:23-31

The Philistine leaders made a sacrifice to their idol. They brought blind Samson out of the prison, and put him in the middle of their great house to entertain them. Samson prayed to God, saying, "Remember me and strengthen me only this once more." Then Samson felt for the pillars of the great house. He leaned on them with all his strength, and the house fell down on top of them all. Samson and all the Philistine leaders died together. God gave Samson victory over the Philistines, but because of his disobedience, he did not live to see it. Friends, if we give ourselves to God, He will give us the strength to overcome Satan and all his evil plans. But we must use that strength to serve God, not ourselves. (Music)

Picture 21. Jesus Drives Out Evil Spirits

Luke 8:26-39

Jesus lived in Israel many years after Gideon and Samson. One day He met a man who was possessed by many evil spirits. The man fell down before Jesus and said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" Those spirits knew that Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus commanded the spirits to leave the man. The spirits entered a herd of pigs nearby. The pigs ran into the sea and they were all drowned. The people began to see that Jesus had power over Satan and all evil spirits. Even the spirits had to obey Him. (Signal)

Picture 22. Jesus Drives Out Evil Men

Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-21

One day Jesus went into the House of God in Jerusalem. Traders were in God's House. They were selling animals for sacrifice. But they were making money for themselves by cheating others. Jesus was angry. He said to them, "My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers." He drove the wicked traders and the animals all outside. Jesus is God's Son. He had the right (authority, power) to drive evil men out of His Father's House. But some of the Jews were angry and said, "Show us that you have the right to do this!" Jesus replied, "Destroy my body and in three days I will rise again!"(Signal)

Picture 23. Jesus Is Alive After Death

Matthew 27:33 - 28:20

Those Jews had Jesus killed. He was nailed to a cross of wood, and died. But on the third day He came alive again. God gave Jesus power over death. He can never die again. Then the people saw that Jesus was really the Son of God. Jesus said to His followers, "All power is given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go to all people everywhere and make them My followers. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always." Jesus has authority over Satan, sin and death. He gives spiritual life to all who follow Him. And He wants us to share this message with everyone. (Signal)

Picture 24. The Soldier For God

Ephesians 6:10-18

Jesus defeated Satan. Jesus gives us power to stand against Satan. We must be prepared like a soldier who is ready for war. First, we must always speak the truth. We need truth all around us like a belt. We must love others and do what is right. This is like the breastplate which stops Satan putting evil desires in us. We must tell others about Jesus' way of peace. This is like the footwear which keeps us all from slipping into Satan's ways. We must trust God to keep us safe. This is like the shield to protect us from Satan's attacks. Jesus has saved us from the punishment of our sins. This is like the helmet to save our spirits from death forever. God's Word (the Bible) is like our sword. We must use it to destroy the lies of Satan. We must talk to God in prayer and obey His commands. Then we too will know victory over Satan, sin and death forever! (Music)