Look, Listen & Live 5: On trial for God

Introduction 

Greetings. The stories in the Green picture book are from God's Book, the Bible. They tell of great men who received God's help in times of trouble. Listen! Look at the next picture when you hear this sound. (Signal)

Picture 1. Naaman Visits Elisha's House

2 Kings 5:1-12

Elisha was a great teacher and prophet of God in Israel. He knew that God could do anything. One day a man called Naaman came to his house. He was the commander of the Syrian army, and Syria was the enemy of Israel. They did not worship the one true God, but idols. Naaman was a brave and powerful man, greatly respected by his king, but he had a skin disease. He came to Israel because he heard that Elisha could heal him . But Elisha would not even go out to greet him. Elisha sent his servant to tell Naaman, "Go and wash in the River Jordan seven times and your skin will be restored and you will be healed." Naaman was angry and said, "I thought he would surely come out to me, and call on the name of his God, wave his hand over my skin and cure my skin disease." So Naaman went away in a great rage. (Signal)

Picture 2. Naaman in the River

2 Kings 5:13-19

Naaman's servants begged him to reconsider. They said, “Our father, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don't you do what he said? Go wash and be cured.” So Naaman went to the River Jordan and washed himself seven times. Look at the picture! Naaman is very happy. His skin disease was completely healed through this simple act of faith. Naaman went back to Elisha and announced, “Now I know that the God of Israel is the only God in the whole world.” He vowed that he will not worship any idols anymore, but only the one true God. God can use our afflictions to draw us to Himself. (Signal)

Picture 3. Elisha and the Army of God

2 Kings 6:8-17

At this time the Syrians were at war with Israel. God told Elisha, His prophet, every time the Syrians were coming to attack Israel. Elisha warned the king of Israel so the Syrians could not defeat him. The king of Syria said to his soldiers, "Go and find out where Elisha is, so that I can capture him." Early one morning, Elisha and his servant went out and saw the Syrians coming to get him. The servant cried, "Master, what shall we do?" Elisha said, "Don't be afraid. Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Then Elisha asked God to open the servant’s eyes. Then the servant looked and saw horses and chariots of fire all around them. It was the army of God that He sent to protect them. (Signal)

Picture 4. Elisha and the Blind Army

2 Kings 6:17-23

As the Syrians came near to capture Elisha, he prayed to God, saying, "Strike these people with blindness!" Immediately all the soldiers were unable to see. Elisha went to them and said, "Follow me and I will take you to the man you are looking for." Elisha led all the blind men right into Samaria, the chief city of Israel. There Elisha prayed to God again, "Lord, open the eyes of these men." God opened their eyes and the Syrians saw that they were in the city of their enemies! When the king of Israel saw them he asked Elisha, “My father, should I kill them?” Elisha said, "No! You didn't capture these troops in battle, so you have no right to kill them. Instead give them food and drink, and let them go." The king did as Elisha told him. The God of Elisha is greater than all our enemies too. We do not have to seek revenge if we trust in Him. God commanded us in his Word not to take revenge on our enemies, for God said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay.” God also said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” (Signal)

Picture 5. The Siege of Samaria

2 Kings 6:24 - 7:2

The Syrian army came again to fight Israel. They surrounded the city of Samaria for a long time. Soon the Israelites in the city had no food left to eat. Look at the picture! The king of Israel was walking up on top of the city wall. Two women came to him. They begged the king to help them. They were so hungry that they were eating their own children! The king did not know what to do. He was angry because God had not saved them from the Syrians. He decided to kill Elisha, the servant of God. Then Elisha sent this message to the king, "This is what the Lord God says, 'This time tomorrow, flour and barley will be sold at the gate of Samaria!'" (Signal)

Picture 6. The Four Lepers 

2 Kings 7:3-20

At that time, four men sat at the gate of Samaria. They all had leprosy. They said to each other, "Why should we stay here and die? Let us go to the Syrian army." Meanwhile, the Syrians heard a great noise like an army coming. They were so afraid that they left all their things and fled. When the lepers came to the Syrian camp, there was no one there! The lepers took food and anything they wanted. Then they said to each other, "This is not right. This is a day of good news and we are not sharing it with anyone." Quickly they returned to Samaria and told the king. Soon the people were selling food from the Syrian camp at the gate of Samaria, as God had said through Elisha. God had saved Israel, and God saved His servant Elisha too. (Music & Signal)

Picture 7. Jonah flees from God

Jonah 1:1-7

After Elisha died, there was another prophet in Israel called Jonah. God said to Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because their wickedness has come to my attention." The people of Nineveh worshipped idols and served false gods. They were also the enemies of Israel. Jonah did not want to go to them so he tried to run away. He found a ship which was going to a far country. He paid his fare and the ship sailed away. Soon a great storm arose on the sea. The people in the ship were terrified. They said, "Let us cast lots to find out who is to blame for this." So they cast lots and found that Jonah was to blame. (Signal)

Picture 8. Jonah and the Great Fish

Jonah 1:8 - 2:10

The sailors said to Jonah, "What have you done?" He told them that he was running away from God. So they said to him, "What shall we do to you, to make the sea calm?" Jonah replied, "Throw me into the sea. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon us." The men did not want to kill Jonah, but the storm grew worse, so they threw him overboard into the sea. However, Jonah did not die. Look at the picture! A great fish swallowed Jonah. He stayed alive in the belly of the fish for three days. There he cried out to God for help. God answered his prayer and the fish vomited Jonah out onto the dry land. (Signal)

Picture 9. Jonah at Nineveh

Jonah 3:1-10

God spoke to Jonah again. "Go to Nineveh and preach to them the message I tell you." So Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh. He warned the people saying, "In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed." The king and all the people cried to God to save them. They turned from their evil ways, so God decided not to destroy them. God is good, compassionate, and kind, and hesitant to punish. We are all like Jonah and the people of Nineveh. We have all dishonoured God and done evil things. However God loves us. He sent Jesus to die for us and save us. He was in the grave for three days, just as Jonah was in the fish for three days. Then Jesus rose from death. Now He will restore our relationship with God and give everlasting life to all who believe in Him and accept His saving grace. (Music & Signal)

Picture 10. Esther and the King

Esther 1:1 - 2:18

Esther was a young Jewish girl from the land of Israel. Her parents had died, so Mordecai, her uncle, took care of her. Esther and Mordecai were captured with the people of Israel, and taken away to the land of Persia. The king of Persia was a very powerful man. Everyone was afraid of him. When his queen made him angry, he decided to replace her. Then he called for all the beautiful young girls in his kingdom to be brought to his palace. From among them all, he chose Esther to be his new queen. But Esther told no one that she was a Jew. (Signal)

Picture 11. Mordecai Refuses to Bow Down

Esther 3:1 - 4:17

Haman was an important man in Persia. All the people had to bow down to him as he passed by. Mordecai would only worship the One True God. He refused to bow down to Haman. Haman was angry. He determined to get his revenge on Mordecai. One day he told the king, "There is a certain group of people scattered among the other people in all the states of your kingdom. Their customs are different from those of all the other people, and they do not obey the king's laws. It is not right for you to allow them to continue living in your kingdom. Let a law be made that they are to be destroyed." Haman offered the king money, and the king agreed to his request, but refused the money. A law was made throughout the Persian kingdom to kill all the Jews on a certain day and take their possessions. Haman himself built a great gallows on which to hang Mordecai. Mordecai asked Esther to go to the king and plead for her people. But Esther said, "If anyone goes to the king without being called, he must die." She asked the Jews to fast and pray for her. Then she said, "I will go to the king. If I die, then I will die." (Signal)

Picture 12. Esther's Feast

Esther 5:1 - 7:10

God answered the prayers of the Jews. The king received Esther. She invited him to a special feast and she invited Haman too. At the feast the king asked, "Queen Esther, what do you want?" Esther replied, "My wish is that you would save me and my people! For my people and I have been sold to be killed." The king said, "Who dares to do such a thing?" So Esther said, "Our enemy is this evil man Haman!" The king was so angry when he heard of Haman's wicked plans. He had him hanged on the gallows which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, and all the Jews were saved. Esther was ready to die to save her people. As God provided deliverance for His people, the Jews, He provides deliverance for us through His Holy Servant He sent, Jesus. (Music)

Introduction to Part 2 

Two Israelite men called Daniel and Nehemiah were also forced, like Mordecai and Esther, to live in the land of their enemies. Daniel and Nehemiah also worshipped the One True God and they became great men. Look at the next picture in the book when you hear this sound. (Signal)

Picture 13. Daniel and His Friends

Daniel 1:1-20

This picture shows Daniel and his three friends. They were Jews. They were taken to the land of Babylon by their enemies. The king of Babylon wanted them to serve him, so they had to learn the language and the customs of Babylon. Daniel and his friends did not want to make themselves unclean with the food from the table of the king. They did not want to conform to the ways of the Babylonians. So they asked for vegetables to eat and only water to drink. The man who kept them was afraid that they would get thin and sick. But God cared for them and they became healthier and wiser than all the young men of Babylon. (Signal)

Picture 14. Daniel and the King of Babylon

Daniel 2:1-49

One day the king of Babylon had a dream. He asked his wise men to tell him what he had dreamt and what it means, but none of them could tell him, so he gave orders to kill all the wise men. Daniel and his friends were to be killed, too, but they asked the king to give them some time to find out what the dream is and what it means. They prayed to God, and God revealed the king's dream to Daniel. Daniel went to the king and said, "There is no wise man or fortune-teller that can do what you are demanding. But there is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries. The great God is telling the king what will happen in the future." In the dream the king had seen all the kingdoms of the world. Then he saw a greater Kingdom which destroyed them all. That was the Kingdom of God which lasts forever. Daniel told these things to the king. The king immediately bowed down on the ground in front of Daniel, and honoured him and commanded that gifts and offerings be presented to him. The wise men were saved, and Daniel was made governor over all of Babylon. (Signal)

Picture 15. The Image of Gold

Daniel 3:1-12

The king of Babylon set up a huge image of gold. He called for all his officials to come and attend the dedication of the image. When they all gathered, the king's servant announced in a loud voice, "When you hear the sound of the music you must all bow down and worship the golden image. Anyone who does not worship will be immediately thrown into a furnace of fire." Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refused to worship the image. They worshipped God alone. Some men went to the king and said, "There are some Jews, whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who are disobeying you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image you erected." (Signal)

Picture 16. The Furnace of Fire

Daniel 3:13-30

The king sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He said to them, "If you do not worship the image of gold, you will be thrown into the furnace of fire. What god will be able to rescue you?" The men replied, "The God we serve is able to save us, and he will save us from your power, O King. But even if He does not, we will not worship the image of gold." The king was filled with rage and gave orders to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual. Then he ordered his soldiers to throw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fire. The fire was so hot that the flames killed the soldiers as they threw the three men into the furnace. Then the king cried out, "Wasn’t it three men that we tied up and threw into the fire? Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, and the fourth one looks like a god." Then he called them out of the fire. When the three men came out of the fire, they were not even burned, their hair was not scorched, their clothes were not damaged and they didn’t even smell of smoke! The king said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent His angel and rescued His servants who trusted in Him, refusing to obey my orders. Yes, they were willing to die rather than worship any other god, except their own. So I now give this command: Anyone from any nation or language who says anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn apart and have his house turned into a pile of stones. For no other god can save like that." (Signal)

Picture 17. Daniel Prays to God

Daniel 6:1-13

Daniel had great authority in that land. The other officials were very jealous of him. But they could find no fault in him, for Daniel was faithful and trustworthy in his service to the king. So the enemies of Daniel went to the king and said, "The king should issue an order which says that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." The king agreed with the men and he made the new law. Daniel heard of the king's new law, but he continued to pray to God three times a day, as he did before. When his enemies saw him praying, they went to the king and said, "Daniel has not obeyed the law you made." (Signal)

Picture 18. Daniel in the Lions' Den

Daniel 6:14-24

The king was really upset to hear about this, and for the rest of the day he tried to think how he could save Daniel. But he could not change the law. He ordered Daniel to be thrown into a den of lions, but he comforted Daniel, saying, “May your God, whom you serve so faithfully, rescue you.” So Daniel was thrown to the lions. The king did not eat that evening, and he could not sleep the whole night. Early the next morning the king ran to the lions' den and called out, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God been able to save you from the lions?" And Daniel answered, "My God sent His angel, and He shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, O king." The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted out of the den. Daniel was taken out of the lions' den. Then at the king's command, the enemies of Daniel, who accused him, were thrown to the lions, and immediately the lions tore them to pieces. (Music & Signal)

Picture 19. Nehemiah Before the Great King 

Nehemiah 1:1 - 2:7

Nehemiah was a Jew who trusted in God. He lived in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Jerusalem, the city of his ancestors, was in ruins and the Jews who lived there were in great trouble and disgrace. Nehemiah was the servant of a great king. One day, as he served wine to the king, the king said to him, "Why does your face look so sad?" Nehemiah told him about Jerusalem and his people, the Jews. Then the king said, "For what do you ask?" Nehemiah silently prayed to God, and said to the king, "Sir, if it pleases you, send me to the city of my fathers that I may rebuild it." God answered Nehemiah's prayer and the king agreed to his request. (Signal)

Picture 20. Nehemiah Inspects the Ruined City

Nehemiah 2:7-20

The king gave Nehemiah building materials and men to help him. They travelled all the way to Jerusalem. The enemies of the Jews heard about Nehemiah. They were angry. They did not want anyone to help the Jews. Nehemiah was not afraid of them. Nehemiah wanted to inspect Jerusalem, so he rode all around the broken walls of the city. He went at night so that no one knew what he was doing. The next morning Nehemiah called the Jews and said, "Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace." He told them that God was with him; they must not fear their enemies. So the Jews replied, “Let us begin rebuilding right away!” (Signal)

Picture 21. Building the Walls

Nehemiah 3:1 - 6:19

Look at the picture! The Jews began to work. Some cleared away the rubbish while others built the walls and set up the gates. The enemies of the Jews became very angry and started insulting the builders. They threatened to attack and kill the Jews while they worked. So Nehemiah prayed to God again because he knew that all wisdom and power belong to God. He needed God to show him what to do. Then he placed armed men on the walls to guard the workers. Everyone took weapons and prepared for war. The enemies were unable to kill Nehemiah or the Jews. So the work went on and in only 52 days the wall was rebuilt. When their enemies and all the nations around them saw this they were greatly humbled, because they knew this work had been accomplished by God’s help. (Signal)

Picture 22. Ezra Reads the Law 

Nehemiah 8:1 - 13:31

After the walls were finished, the Jews met together in Jerusalem. The people asked Ezra, the priest of God, to read to them from the Scriptures. Some of the people began to weep because they knew that they had disobeyed the Laws of God. That was the reason God had let the enemies destroy their city. The Jews wanted to turn from their sinful ways and follow the ways of God again. Nehemiah said to the people, "Do not be sad. The joy of the Lord is your strength." The people praised God and started a great celebration. They also wanted the Word of God explained to them more. We can also rejoice even though we have sinned, because God is ready to forgive us. He will turn our sorrow over our sins into joy. He will also give us strength to follow His ways and honour Him. (Signal)

Picture 23. Jesus on the Cross

John 19:17-30; Romans 5:8

When Jesus was here on earth He also went through many trials, just like God’s other servants in this book. Satan tempted Him to worship him, instead of God, but Jesus resisted the temptation. The Jewish leaders attacked and challenged him many times verbally, trying to trick Him into saying the wrong things. He was abandoned by His followers. He was arrested, mocked, beaten and falsely accused in front of a court. And at the end He was killed on a cross. God saved Elisha and Daniel and the others from death several times. But He did not save Jesus from death. He allowed Jesus to go through all this so He can take our shame and sin on Himself as God’s suffering Servant. But because He was obedient to death God did not leave Him in the grave. He raised Him up on the third day and gave Him the highest honour. Forty days after His resurrection Jesus was lifted up to heaven and seated at the right hand of God. Through Jesus ours sins are forgiven and our shame removed. Our relationship with God is restored. We can live a life that honours God. And we can live with Him forever in great glory, after we die in our physical bodies. (Signal)

Picture 24. Jesus Shows the Way to Everlasting Life

Matthew 7:13; John 14:6

This picture shows us that life is like walking on a great, wide road which leads to death. Everyone has displeased God. We are all on Satan's road. It leads to everlasting destruction after we die. Jesus suffered and died to save us from this punishment. Then He came alive again. Now He shows us the way to God. We must follow the Way of Jesus now. It is a hard and narrow way. Sometimes we may suffer in this life, like Daniel and his friends. But Jesus' way leads to Heaven. There is no suffering there. It is a place of everlasting joy and peace. And God is there. Jesus said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Me." So pray to Jesus now. Ask Him to show you the Way to God. (Music)