Titel

H. VAN DAM

Bible Stories

volume 2

Illustrated by Jaap Kramer

Den Hertog - Houten

© 2024 Den Hertog B.V., Houten

ISBN 978 90 331 8174 0

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1. Two Families

How good and beautiful the Lord made everything!

The sun, the moon, and the millions of stars show us how mighty God is. The animals and plants, the birds in the air, and the fish in the sea tell us how wise the Lord is. Adam and Eve were the first people. They were also made by God. They served the Lord and praised Him in Paradise. There was no pain or sadness on the earth, and no hunger or thirst. How well the Creator looked after everything He had made!

But alas, it did not stay that way. Adam and Eve were disobedient. They listened to the devil, the great enemy of God. They ate from the one tree of which God had said, “You may not eat from that tree.’ That is how they became sinful and miserable creatures.

Sadness also came into their lives. That was because of sin. What happened? They had two children, Cain and Abel. When the boys were grown up, something sad happened. Cain slew his brother Abel. Terrible!

Look, there we see Cain walking away. No, he does not go to his father or mother. He walks further and further away, away from his father and mother, and also away from God. He thinks that he can live and be happy without the Lord, and that is the saddest part. After he has walked for a long time, he starts working. He builds a city. Naturally it is a very small city at first. Maybe he builds a wall of sand and branches around his hut. Then he goes to live in that city. No, he does not live alone. Cain marries a woman, and they have children. When these children are grown up, they also have children. In that way more and more people lived in the city, and they are all relatives of Cain.

One of those people is named Lamech. Lamech is married to two women. The Lord did not want that. Did the Lord not give Adam only one wife? Three sons were born to Lamech. He named his first son Jabal. Jabal taught people how to make tents. The name of the second son was Jubal. He made musical instruments such as flutes and harps. The third son was Tubal-Cain. He made things of iron and copper. He also made swords and knives. His father Lamech liked that very much! How strong and mighty Lamech felt with these weapons! He said, ‘If someone does something to me, I will pay him back. I will hit him more than a hundred times as hard! Yes, I will beat him to death with my weapons! In that way I will avenge myself, even if it is only a boy who hurts me. Nobody is stronger than I am.’ How proud and cruel Lamech is. No, Lamech does not ask what the Lord wants. He does not even want to think about God. He only wants to do what his evil heart says. Would there be even one person among Cain’s relatives who loves the Lord? No, not one of them is named in the Bible. How sad that is!

Now we will return to Adam and Eve. How sad they were when Abel was killed. Thankfully, the Lord gave them another son. They named him Seth. Seth grew up and had children too. Later those children also received children. They became a very large family, just like Cain’s family. But Seth’s family is very different from Cain’s family. In Seth’s family, there are many people who love the Lord. They think about the Lord. They want to obey Him. Why is that? Did Seth’s family not have evil hearts when they were born? Surely his family was not any better than Cain’s family, was it? That is true. But the Lord is stronger than our evil hearts. He can give us a new heart. Then you will love the Lord. Then you will want to obey Him. In that way the Lord makes enemies into friends. That is such a miracle. Yes, only the Lord can do that. He can still do that. He still wants to do that. We should pray for that miracle every day.

Many members of Seth’s family can often be seen meeting together. What do they do? They pray to the Lord. They pray with each other and for each other, just like we do in church on Sundays. Then they reverently talk together about the Lord. In that way they serve the Lord together. Why? Because they love the Lord. What a blessed people!

2. Shem, Ham, and Japheth

It became much worse on earth. Do you remember Seth’s family? At first there were many people who feared the Lord. However, of the people who were born later, many lived in sin. Scarcely any one of them had a desire to obey the Lord.

Then God’s punishment came. It rained very long and very, very hard. The flood came and everyone drowned. Only Noah and his three sons were saved. These sons were called Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They were allowed in the ark which Noah had built. The four wives of these men were also in the ark. In the ark they were safe.

Noah is a child of God. But the Lord’s children can also do sinful things. The same is true for Noah.

What happened? Noah planted a vineyard. Many grapes grew in his vineyard. Noah made wine from the juice of the grapes. Wine is lovely to drink, but you should not drink too much of it, because you could get drunk.

One day Noah drank some of the wine he had made. It tasted lovely. Noah poured himself some more wine. Now, however, he has had too much to drink. He becomes drunk. Someone who is drunk does not know what he is doing, because he is no longer able to think clearly.

Oh, what does Noah do now? He takes off all his clothes. Then he lies down on the ground in his tent and goes to sleep. Because the tent is open, everyone can see him lying there, naked. No, what Noah did is not right. The Lord wants everyone to wear clothes.

Somebody is approaching. It is Ham. He stops and looks into the open tent. He sees his father lying there. Surely Ham will be horrified and very grieved. But no, Ham laughs. He laughs mockingly. Then Ham goes to find his brothers, Shem and Japheth. He hurried to tell them. He thought they would also laugh when they saw it.

However, what did Shem and Japheth do when they heard about their father? No, they did not laugh. Together they took a very big blanket and they put it on their shoulders. Then together they walked backwards into the tent. In this way they were not able to see their father. When they came into the tent, they lowered the blanket. In this way, they covered their father with the blanket. Now others are no longer able see him. These two boys do not want to mock their father. They love their father. They honour him, even when he has done something wrong.

After a while Noah wakes up. He is no longer drunk. He realizes what he has done. But who put that blanket over him? Noah learned what had happened. Shem and Japheth had done that. But Noah also heard about what Ham had done. Ham, who did not honour his father, but mocked him. That was a terrible sin of Ham, because the Lord said, ‘Honour thy father and thy mother.’ The Lord says that to everyone, also us.

Listen! Noah begins to speak. It is really the Lord Who is speaking, because Noah is God’s servant. He speaks the Word of the Lord. It is a message from the Lord that Noah has to speak. Listen: Noah places a curse on Ham. Ham will be punished by God. Ham will have a large family. Later they will become large nations. Thus, Ham is actually the father of these nations. All these nations will be servants to the nations of Shem and Japheth. Ham’s nations will be nations of slaves. But Shem and Japheth receive blessings. Do you know what the greatest blessing will be for Shem? The Lord Jesus, the Saviour, will be born from Shem’s family, and He will save many people from every nation.

Even out of Ham’s nations? Yes, even from this nation of slaves. How wonderful! Yes, sin is terrible, but even the greatest sinner can be saved. That is how mighty God is! That is how good the Lord is! Therefore, it is also possible for us to be saved, no matter how badly we have sinned.

3. Abraham Rescues Lot

Who was Abraham? Abraham was a child of God. No, he was not always a child of God. First he lived in a land where the people worshipped idols. Abraham did that too. Later things changed for Abraham. Then he began to love the Lord. He obeyed the Lord. How did that happen? The Lord Himself did that. How wonderful! Yes, only the Lord is able to do that.

The Lord told Abraham to leave his country with his wife Sarah, all his servants, and his sheep and cattle – yes, with everything he had. The Lord brought him to the land of Canaan. ‘Abraham,’ said the Lord, ‘I will make of you a great nation. That large nation will live in this land, in Canaan. It will be My nation. And later, from that people the Lord Jesus will be born. He will be the Saviour of millions of people.’

Lot was Abraham’s nephew. He travelled to Canaan with Abraham. After they arrived in Canaan, Lot and his family and also his servants and cattle, went to live in Sodom. Abraham went to live somewhere else.

One day Abraham saw a man running towards him. He had been running very fast. He looks very sad. Who is that man? What has happened?

‘Abraham,’ he said, gasping. ‘Abraham, something terrible has happened. Enemies have come to Sodom. They have taken everything away. All the people and animals; everything.’ What a shock for Abraham! Who are these enemies and why did they do this? There are many cities in the land of Canaan. Chedorlaomer is a king of one of those cities. However he was actually the ruler over the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, and a few others as well. These cities always had to pay him money, but they no longer wanted to do that. Then Chedorlaomer came to fight against them. There were four other kings and their soldiers who helped him. Who would win? Chedorlaomer and his allies won. They took everything away out of Sodom and the other cities: all the men, women, children, and animals. Everything. So they were real robbers. But there was one man who escaped, and this man has now come to tell Abraham everything.

Abraham is shocked, especially when he hears that Lot has also been taken, along with all his possessions.

What will Abraham do now? He did not have to think about it for very long. He called all his servants to come to him. Each servant received a weapon from him: a sword, a spear, or something else. In this way he has an army of 318 men. ‘We will pursue the enemy,’ says Abraham. ‘We will try to rescue the prisoners.’ Off they go, as fast as they can.

They come close to the enemy at nightfall. Abraham made two groups out of his army. These two groups form a circle around the enemy. In that way they are trapped. All of Abraham’s soldiers attack at the same time. What a shock for the enemy. They had not expected that. Many enemies are killed. Others run away. Abraham’s soldiers run after them, as far as they can go.

Look, a long procession returns. It is Abraham’s army, with all the prisoners. They also bring back everything the enemy had taken from them.

When they arrive in Sodom, the king of Sodom says, ‘Abraham, may our wives, children, and servants return to their homes again? You may keep the rest for yourself, everything the enemies have robbed. You may do this because you have rescued us.’

But Abraham says, ‘No, I do not want anything. If I take it, you would be able to say: I have made Abraham rich.’

Suddenly, somebody else comes to them. His name is Melchizedek. He is the king of a small city called Salem. Look, he has wine and bread with him. This he gives to Abraham and his men.

What does he do now? He spreads his hands out over Abraham and blesses him. He does this in the Name of God. Yes, because Melchizedek is also a priest of the Most High God. Melchizedek also praises the Lord, for it is the Lord Who has given the victory to Abraham.

Abraham listens quietly and reverently. He knows that the Lord has sent this priest, this servant of God. How good the Lord is! To show his thankfulness, Abraham gives presents to Melchizedek. He gives him a tenth of everything.

Do you remember how Abraham did not want to take anything? Yet Abraham was very rich. With what? With God’s blessing. Yes, only the Lord’s blessing makes you truly rich. That is what the Lord says to us as well.

4. Isaac and Rebekah

Who is Isaac? Isaac is Abraham and Sarah’s only son. They were already old when Isaac was born. But it still happened, for the Lord had promised it. Later Isaac would become a great nation. From that nation the Lord Jesus would be born.

Sarah died when she was very old. Isaac and Abraham are very sad, but they know that now Sarah is forever with the Lord.

Isaac has grown up. Father Abraham is very old. Surely he will die soon as well. Before he dies, Abraham would like to see Isaac get married. But in the land of Canaan there are no girls who serve the Lord. Isaac should not marry a girl like that. Who should Isaac marry then?

Abraham calls for an old servant, one who has been working for him for a very long time. His name is Eliezer. ‘Eliezer,’ he says, ‘you have to go to a far country, where I have come from. There you have to look for a wife for Isaac, because that is where people live who serve the Lord.’

Eliezer says, ‘But what if the woman does not want to come along with me? Must I then bring Isaac to that country?’

‘No,’ says Abraham, ‘that is not allowed. Isaac must remain living here, for this is the Promised Land. But listen, Eliezer, the Lord will go with you. And that means that it will surely go well.’

There goes Eliezer. He receives ten camels to take with him. They are loaded with food and drink, and also with very beautiful jewelry.

It is a very, very long journey through the desert.

Finally, Eliezer arrives. He comes to a well. Here he rests with his camels, for it is now evening.

Listen. Eliezer prays. Very reverently he asks, ‘Lord, soon girls from the city will come to draw water from the well. I will ask one of the girls if she will also draw some water for me to drink. If the girl then says, ‘Yes, of course, and I will also draw some water for your camels,’ then I believe that it would be Thy will for this girl to become Isaac’s wife.’

While Eliezer is still praying, a girl approaches with a jug on her shoulder. She fills the jug with water. Eliezer says to her, ‘May I drink some water from your jug?’

‘Of course,’ she says, ‘drink as much as you want. I will also draw water for your camels.’ Then she draws water from the well until all the camels had enough to drink.

How amazed Eliezer is! How happy he is!

He gives her beautiful jewelry, including a few golden bracelets. Then he asks her who she is.

She tells him that her name is Rebekah. She is related to Abraham, because her father is Abraham’s brother.

Rebekah says, ‘You may come and stay with us. There is food and straw enough for the camels as well.’

Eliezer goes along with Rebekah. However, he first thanks the Lord, for the Lord Himself has pointed to Rebekah. How good the Lord is!

Rebekah went home. She told everything to her father and mother, and also to her brother Laban. Laban quickly went to meet Eliezer. ‘Come with me straightaway,’ he says to him. The camels are well looked after. Delicious food is prepared for Eliezer. However, before he begins to eat, Eliezer tells them everything. He tells them about Abraham, about the long journey, and about his prayer at the well.

When he has finished telling them everything, they all agree that Rebekah will return with him to become Isaac’s wife. They can see that it is the Lord’s will. After the meal they go to sleep.

Eliezer wants to start travelling immediately the following morning. However, Laban says, ‘Stay with us for a few days yet.’ But no, Eliezer does not want to. Rebekah also wishes to go to Isaac as soon as possible. Then they leave.

After many, many days they arrive in Canaan. Suddenly, Rebekah sees someone walking in the field. ‘Who is that man?’ she asks.

‘That is Isaac,’ says Eliezer. Yes, Isaac had gone into the field, because he wanted to be all alone to pray to the Lord. Quickly, Rebekah got off the camel on which she was sitting. She went to Isaac.

Isaac and Rebekah got married. They lived in mother Sarah’s tent. Isaac had been sad, because he missed his mother. But now the Lord gave him a wife. That was a great comfort for him.

How well the Lord looks after people who really need Him, who truly pray to Him from their heart , just like Eliezer. The Lord still wants to do that. Therefore, He says, ‘Open wide thy mouth ...’

5. Jacob Blessed by God

Isaac and Rebekah received two children, Esau and Jacob.

When they grew older, sad things happened. Jacob really wanted to receive the greatest blessing. This would mean that he would then become a great nation – God’s people. Later the Lord Jesus would be born from this nation. But Isaac wanted to give the greatest blessing to Esau, because Esau was the eldest. Then Jacob deceived his father. He acted as if he was Esau.

No, what Jacob did was not right. The Lord would certainly have made sure that he would have received the greatest blessing. The Lord had already told Rebekah that this would happen. How angry Esau was! Therefore, Jacob had to flee.

One night while Jacob was asleep in Bethel, the Lord promised that He would still look after him. Jacob would still be blessed. What a wonder that was for him.

Jacob became a shepherd for his uncle Laban. He married Leah and Rachel. They received twelve sons and one daughter. As well, Jacob received more and more sheep and cattle. He became a rich man. Yes, the Lord blessed him.

After many years, Jacob returned to Canaan. That is what the Lord wanted, for Canaan was the Promised Land.

Look, Jacob is back in Canaan with his wives, children, servants, and all his cattle. He buys a large piece of land and lives there. They set up tents. They build shelters and pens for the animals.

One day the Lord said to Jacob, ‘Jacob, you must go to Bethel. A very long time ago I came to you by night, when you had to flee from Esau. There, in Bethel, you must build an altar and worship Me.’ The Lord had promised Jacob at Bethel that He would look after him and that He would bless him. And there Jacob had promised to worship the Lord when he returned to Canaan. The Lord had done what He had promised, but Jacob had not done what he had promised. Yes, people often forget to do what they promise, but the Lord never forgets!

Jacob does not go to Bethel all alone. His wives, children, and servants go with him. However, something needs to happen first. Jacob knew that they had statues of idol gods with them. He told them that they had to bring them all to him. What did Jacob do with them? He buried all those idols in the ground, in a place that nobody knows about. Yes, the Lord alone is the true God. He only must be worshipped and not those idols.

Then Jacob tells them all to wash themselves. They must also put on their best clothes. Jacob means to say that in order to worship the Lord in truth, the heart must also be washed from grievous sins.

Off they go on the journey. It is a dangerous journey, for maybe enemies will attack and rob them.

But no, that does not happen. The Lord makes sure of that. He protects Jacob and all the people. Not one enemy dares to do something to them.

Yes, if you desire to serve the Lord with all your heart, the Lord will protect you. He still does that today!

When they arrived at Bethel, Jacob built an altar. On that altar he offered sacrifices to the Lord. He worshipped the Lord, Who has blessed him so abundantly.

The Lord says to Jacob, ‘Jacob, a little while ago I gave you a new name, the name Israel. That means that you are My child. That stays the same, Jacob. Your name remains Israel. I am still your God. I will make of you a great nation. Kings will be born from that nation. This land of Canaan will belong to your people. That is what I promised Abraham and Isaac. I also make this promise to you.’ How many blessings Jacob received even though he was such a deceiver!

Jacob took a very big stone. He put it upright. He poured oil over it. That was also a sacrifice to God. That stone is a memorial stone. With that stone Jacob wants to say, ‘How good the Lord has been for me. I must never forget that.’

So you see that even sinful people like Jacob can still be blessed. And what is the greatest blessing we may still pray for? That we may become a child of God.

6. Joseph Forgives His Brothers

Joseph was Jacob’s son. Father Jacob loved Joseph very much, but Joseph’s brothers did not love him. They were jealous. They were becoming angrier and angrier with him. It became so bad that one day they threw him into a pit. Afterwards, they sold him to strange men who took him and sold him as a slave in Egypt. The brothers deceived their father. They had put blood on Joseph’s robe, so Jacob thought that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

Joseph was even put in prison. But the Lord remembered him.

Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, dreamed two dreams. What did those dreams mean? Joseph told Pharaoh that there would be seven years in which much corn would grow. After that, seven years would come in which hardly anything would grow. How glad Pharaoh was that Joseph knew the meaning of his dreams. He made Joseph the viceroy. Joseph had to make sure that during the first seven years, lots of corn would be stored in the barns. Then for the next seven years, people would be able to buy corn. And that is what happened.

Joseph’s brothers also came to buy corn a few times. Father Jacob would not let Benjamin go along. Joseph immediately saw who they were, but the brothers did not recognize him. At first, Joseph talked to them in an angry way. He said that they were spies. How frightened the brothers were, especially when Simeon had to go to prison, and when Joseph said that Benjamin had to come.

When they came the third time, Joseph told them who he was. How shocked the brothers were! But Joseph was not angry with them. How happy Jacob was when he heard that Joseph was still alive! They were all invited to come and live in Egypt, for the famine was still everywhere, but not in Egypt.

After a while, Jacob died. He was buried in Canaan. What would happen next?

Look, Joseph’s brothers are gathered together. They look very afraid. What is the matter? Listen. They say to each other, ‘What will Joseph do now that our father is no longer alive? Perhaps he will say: Now I will punish you; you have done so much evil against me. When father was still alive he did not want to do that, of course. Otherwise, father would have become so sad. But now that father has died ...!’

That is what the brothers say to each other. What will they do? They have an idea. They say to each other, ‘Let us send somebody to Joseph with a message.’ That is what happens. They tell the man what he must say to Joseph.

The messenger went to Joseph. He said to Joseph, ‘Your brothers openly admit that they have done much evil to you. They deeply regret it. Now they ask for your forgiveness. They are your brothers and they also serve the Lord, just like you. When father Jacob was still alive, he also wanted you to forgive them.’

Oh, look, Joseph starts to cry. He is glad that his brothers honestly acknowledge their sins. But he is also sad, because he sees how afraid his brothers are of him. They are afraid that he will punish them.

A little later, the brothers themselves went to Joseph. Maybe Joseph called for them. They bow down very low before their brother. They tell him that they will be his servants. Yes, the brothers have truly become humble.

Joseph tells them, ‘Do not be afraid. The Lord wants me to be good to you and to take care of you. It is true that you made evil plans against me, but the Lord used those plans for good. That is how wise and good the Lord is. Do you know why I was made viceroy of Egypt? To keep our great nation alive, to make sure that no one will starve to death. I will take care of you and your children. You do not have to be afraid anymore. Thus Joseph comforted his brothers, and they were reassured.

Here, Joseph is a type of the Lord Jesus. Even more than Joseph had done, the Lord Jesus desired to show mercy to sinful people, to people who had made such evil plans. Everyone who comes to the Lord Jesus with true repentance and honestly tells Him everything will have their sins forgiven.

7. Moses, Aaron, and Miriam

How mighty the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have become in Egypt. The Lord had promised that. But, what a difficult time they had in Egypt. They had become slaves. That happened after Joseph died. However, the Lord was going to deliver the Israelites. He had promised that as well! The Lord called a man to lead the people out of Egypt. That man was Moses. He had been laid in a little basket of bulrushes in the river. The Egyptian princess found him. This Moses became an important man in the palace of the princess. One day he had to run away, because he had killed an Egyptian. Then Moses became a shepherd. No, Moses himself could not rescue the people. However, after forty years the Lord told him to go to the king of Egypt, to Pharaoh.

God’s message to Pharaoh was, ‘Pharaoh, you must let the people go.’ Pharaoh did not want to do that. Ten severe punishments came, ten plagues. Then the Israelites could leave. A few days later Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them until he came to the Red Sea. The Lord made a path through the sea for His people. They came to the other side safely, but Pharaoh and all his soldiers drowned in the water.

The Israelites started their journey through the wilderness. Moses was their leader, but the Lord showed them the way with a pillar of cloud and of fire. At Mount Sinai the Lord made a covenant with the people. That meant that the Lord wanted to be the God of the Israelites. They were God’s chosen people, but they would have to obey the Lord. That is why the Lord gave His Law, the Ten Commandments. God gave them to Moses on the mountain.

How terrible it was that the people decided to dance around an idol, a golden calf, while Moses was on the mountain. Yes, they remained a sinful people. But happily, Moses prayed for the people. The Lord heard and answered his prayer. The Lord wanted to remain with them. What a wonder!

Moses loves the people very much, but he has a difficult time because the people murmur so often. This means that they are often unhappy, and then they start complaining to Moses.

Look, again two people approach him. Who are they? They are Aaron and Miriam. Aaron is Moses’ brother, and Miriam is their sister. Aaron is also a servant of God. He is the high priest. Miriam is a prophetess, so she is God’s servant as well. What are they going to do when they come to Moses? They are not unhappy, are they? Yes, they are. It is even worse. They are jealous of Moses. Miriam started talking about it to Aaron. Now together they come to Moses. They say, ‘Moses, you are not the only servant of God. We are the Lord’s servants too. You are not the most important servant.’ What a terrible thing to say, because the Lord wanted it this way.

In our hearts there can be jealousy as well. When you notice it in your heart, you need to ask the Lord to take it away, and also pray to Him for forgiveness.

Does Moses become angry? No, Moses is very meek. That means that he does not become angry very quickly. He has much patience and says nothing in return. But he is very sad. It is terrible when your brother and sister say such nasty things to you. But do you know who defends Moses? The Lord does. The Lord says to the three of them, ‘You must come to the tabernacle.’ That is where the Lord dwells. When they arrive there, the pillar of cloud comes to the door of the tabernacle. That means that the Lord is present.

Then the Lord says to Aaron and Miriam, ‘Moses is my most important servant. I often speak to all My other servants in a dream while they are asleep, but to Moses I speak with My mouth. Then he is very close to Me. He is My faithful servant. Aaron and Miriam, why have you done this to Moses? It is terrible that you dared to do that.’ You can notice that the Lord is wroth with them. He is very angry.

Oh, look at Miriam! Miriam is suddenly a leper. Her skin is as white as snow. That is her punishment. How shocked Aaron is! He says to Moses, ‘We have sinned. We have been foolish. Miriam looks like someone who has died; how terrible. Oh, Moses, do not let her die!’

What will Moses do? Does he say, ‘It is Miriam’s own fault’? No, he prays for her. He cries to the Lord, ‘O, Lord, please heal her.’ Yes, Moses really is a meek man.

Happily the Lord hears and answers his prayer. The Lord heals Miriam. However, for seven days she must live separately, far away from other people, because she has been a leper.

The Israelites wait for Miriam to come back. Only then do they continue on their journey.

8. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram

The Israelites were very close to the promised land of Canaan. Moses sent twelve spies into Canaan. When they returned, they reported that it was a very beautiful and good country. However, large, strong giants lived there, and there were thick, high walls around the cities. Ten of the spies said that Israel would never be able to win a battle against the giants. The Israelites believed the ten spies. They cried, ‘The Lord has deceived us; let us return to Egypt.’ How terribly they sinned against God! After that they were not allowed to enter the land. That was their punishment. For forty years, they had to wander through the desert. They would die there. Later their children would be allowed into the Promised Land.

The Israelites had go back into the desert, but it was not long before another terrible thing happened.

Korah, together with his wife and children, lived in one of the tents. Korah was a Levite. The work of the Levites was to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. They helped the priests.

Dathan and Abiram are two of Korah’s friends. One day the three of them are talking together. They say to each other, ‘Aaron and Moses think they are more important than we are, but that is not true.’

They are rebellious. They also talk about it with other people. Many people say, ‘Korah, Dathan, and Abiram are right.’ They also become rebellious.

Korah and two hundred and fifty other men go to Moses and Aaron. They say to Moses and Aaron, ‘You are not at all more important than we are. We also want to be priests, just like Aaron. We also want to be just like Moses.’

How shocked Moses and Aaron are! They see that these men are troublemakers. They are rebelling against the Lord!

Moses says to them, ‘Tomorrow the Lord Himself will reveal who may be priest. Tomorrow you must come back with a censer.’ A censer is used by priests to make sacrifices. Before they leave, Moses warns them. He says, ‘You should not be so discontent. You are also servants of God in the tabernacle, are you not? Do you now want to be priests as well? Be careful; you are rebelling against the Lord.’ Then they all went to their tents.

Dathan and Abiram were not there. Moses had called them, but they did not want to come. Rudely they had said, ‘Moses brought us out of Egypt. Egypt was a good country. We had plenty of food and drink there. But now he lets us die in the wilderness. And he also wants to rule over us. He has promised to bring us to a country with many fields and vineyards. He is deceiving us all. No, we do not want to obey him; we will not come.’

When Moses hears this, he becomes angry. They have falsely accused him, but the worst thing is that they have spoken evil of the Lord.

The next day, they are all there again: Korah and the other two hundred fifty men are at the door of the tabernacle. They have their censers with them. Many other people have come as well to see how it will all end. The Lord is also there. This can be seen by the pillar of fire. The Lord is angry. He says to Moses and Aaron, ‘Separate yourselves from the people. I am going to kill them all.’

However, Moses and Aaron bow reverently with their faces to the ground. ‘O, Lord,’ they say, ‘one man has started this rebellion, and wilt Thou destroy all the people?’

Then the Lord says, ‘Go to the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Tell the people to stay far away. Then they will see whom I have chosen to be the leader.’

That happens. Look, Dathan and Abiram stand with their wives and children in the door of the tent. They are not afraid. Moses says, ‘When the Lord performs a miracle and you see these people disappear into the earth, you will know that they have sinned against God in a terrible way.’

Oh, look! What is happening now? Near the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, the earth splits open. This split becomes bigger and bigger so that a deep, wide hole appears, and everything falls into it. The people and the tents with everything in them fall into the hole. The Israelites can hear the screaming. Out of fear, they run away as quickly as they can. Then the earth closes up again. In that way, the rebels went to hell alive.

Even more things happen. Suddenly fire shoots out of the pillar of cloud. All the two hundred fifty men with censers are killed by the fire. Now they lie on the ground, dead. That is how the rebels were punished by God.

Rebellion against the Lord is so terrible! It is also found in our hearts. Therefore, we must always pray, ‘Lord, teach me to obey Thee. Please take rebellion out of my heart.’

9. Balaam, the Cursing Prophet

For forty years, the Israelites wandered through the wilderness. It will not be long anymore before they will be allowed to go into the land of Canaan. But before they can enter Canaan, they need to fight against two strong nations. These enemies are defeated, because the Lord helps the Israelites.

Now there is yet a third enemy. They are the Moabites. The name of their king is Balak. He is very afraid. The other two nations have been defeated. Will he then be able to win? No, surely not. The people of Israel have a mighty God Who helps them. What must Balak do? He has an idea. Somewhere far away lives a prophet. His name is Balaam. Balak will ask this prophet to come, not to bless the people, but to curse them. Then surely their God will no longer be able to help them. Then the Israelites will not be strong anymore.

Balak sends a few important servants to Balaam. They take a lot of money with them.

When they come to Balaam, they tell him everything. They ask if he will come with them immediately to curse the people of Israel. Balaam says, ‘Stay here for the night. Tomorrow morning I will tell you what the Lord wants me to do.’

Night falls. During the night the Lord says to Balaam, ‘You may not go with these men. You may not curse that people, for I have blessed that people.’

The next morning Balaam says to the servants, ‘Return to your country alone. The Lord does not want me to go back with you.’

There go the servants again; they journey back to their country. When they come to Balak they say, ‘Balaam did not want to come along with us.’

However, Balak again sends servants to Balaam. This time there are more servants, and they are even more important. They say to Balaam, ‘King Balak begs you to come. He will give you a lot of money if you will come and curse these people.’

Balaam says, ‘Stay here tonight. Maybe the Lord will speak to me again this night. Maybe He will say more to me this time.’

It seems as if Balaam wants to obey the Lord, but that is not so. He knows that the Lord does not want him to go along with Balak’s servants. And yet he really wants to go. Why? Because then he will receive a lot of money. Balaam wants to become rich. He wants that money more than he wants to obey the Lord. No, he does not love the Lord. He loves money. That night the Lord says, ‘Go along with those men tomorrow. But you may only do what I tell you to do.’

The next day Balaam starts the journey. He rides a female donkey.

Suddenly, the donkey leaves the road and walks into the field. Balaam becomes angry. He hits the animal. Good, now they are back on the road again. A bit later the road passes between two walls. Again the donkey behaves in a strange way. She presses herself against the wall. As a result, Balaam’s foot is crushed between the donkey and the wall. Balaam becomes even angrier. Again he hits the donkey. When they travel a bit further, the road becomes so narrow that the donkey is not able to move to the right or to the left. But she refuses to go straight ahead. It is just as if somebody is standing on the road. She lies down. Balaam is very angry now! He hits the poor animal very hard with a stick.

Suddenly, he hears a voice. Who is speaking? There is nobody nearby, is there? No, but the donkey is speaking! Surely, that is not possible, is it? Yes, it is. The Lord is so mighty that He is able to make the donkey speak! She says to Balaam, ‘Why did you hit me three times? What have I done?’

Balaam says, ‘I hit you because you kept going the wrong way. If I had a sword, I would kill you.’

The donkey says, ‘But I am your donkey, am I not? Have I ever done anything like this before?’

‘No,’ replies Balaam.

Suddenly Balaam sees why the donkey has been acting so strangely. There is an angel standing in front of him! The donkey had seen the angel much earlier already, an angel with a sharp sword in his hand. Balaam is shocked. He bows his head.

The angel says, ‘Why did you hit the donkey three times? I have come to stop you from going any further, for you are doing what the Lord does not want you to do. If the donkey had continued walking, I would have killed you with my sword, and I would have kept the donkey alive.’

Balaam says, ‘I have sinned. I did not know that you were standing here. I will return to my home if you want me to.’

However, the angel says, ‘Go along with these men. But, you may only say what the Lord tells you to say.’ Then Balaam travels further.

Balaam had to obey the Lord, but he did not want to do it. He did not do it with his heart. He did not love the Lord.

The Lord wants us to obey Him from the heart. Our sinful heart has no desire to do that. But … the Lord can give this desire to us. We may ask Him for it.

10. Balaam Blesses Israel

There comes Balaam on his donkey. When King Balak hears it, he goes to meet him. ‘Why did you not come immediately?’ he asks Balaam. ‘Why did you wait such a long time?’

Balaam answers, ‘I have come, but I may only say what the Lord wants me to say.’

Then they have a meal together.

The next day Balak and Balaam go to a high mountain. From the top of the mountain they can see the thousands of tents where the Israelites dwell. Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build seven altars here. Sacrifice a cow and a sheep on each altar.’ That was done. Then Balaam said, ‘I am going away for a short time. Perhaps the Lord will speak to me. Then I will tell you what He has said.’

Balaam comes back after a while. There he stands next to the altars on which the sacrifices are burning. The king and his most important servants are also present. Listen, Balaam begins to speak: ‘Balak has called me to curse Israel,’ he says, ‘but I am not able to curse that nation, because the Lord has blessed that nation. There are so many people that they are difficult to count. They are God’s people. When I die, I would like to belong to the people of God as well. ‘

Balak hears what Balaam says. ‘What have you done now?’ he shouts. ‘I have called you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them.’

Balaam replied, ‘I am not able to say anything except what God wants me to say.’

‘Come along with me to another place,’ said Balak.

They go to another high mountain. They build altars and offer sacrifices there as well. Again, Balaam goes away for a short time. Again, the Lord tells him what he must say. When he returns, he says, ‘God does not lie. When the Lord wants to bless, He will do so. He forgives the sins of His people. God is the King of Israel. That is why this people is as strong as a lion.’

Do you hear that Balaam blesses the people again? How angry Balak is! He brings Balaam to another high mountain. Balaam blesses the people there as well. Do you know what he says? He says that a star and scepter will come from among the people of Israel. That means an important and mighty King will come from the nation of Israel. He will be stronger than all the kings of the earth. He will conquer them all. These words point to the Lord Jesus. How does Balaam know this? These words from Balaam are really the words of the Lord. He is speaking. It is a message from God. It is a promise from God. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour, will come! Oh, Balak is very angry! ‘Go back to your own country immediately,’ he says to Balaam. ‘Three times you have blessed the people. And I called you to curse them!’

It is a little while later. Look, the Moabites, Balak’s people, are preparing a big feast. The Israelites can hear it and see it. How friendly the Moabites are! The Israelites are also invited. They may also take part in the feast together with the Moabites.

Many of the men and women of Israel go to the feast. It is a very godless feast. The people even worship idols. Many dance and kneel before the idols! How sinful! Yes, Balaam had said to Balak, ‘When the Israelites sin, their God will be filled with wrath, He will be very angry. Therefore, you must try to get them to sin.’ This evil plan worked. How terrible!

The Lord says to Moses, ‘Everyone who has taken part in the feast must be killed.’ Therefore many people are killed! Twenty-four thousand Israelites are killed! That is their punishment for this terrible sin. But the Moabites, the enemies, will also be punished for their evil plan. The Israelites must go fight against the Moabites. After the battle, many enemies lie dead on the ground. Look who is lying there among them. It is Balaam. Yes, Balaam helped the enemies. Now he also lies there with the enemies, dead on the ground. How often the Lord had warned him. But he did not want to listen. He did not desire to obey the Lord with his heart.

The Lord often warns us as well, especially when we hear the Bible being read. Then the Lord says to us, ‘I want you to obey and serve Me from your heart.’ To do this, we need a new heart, because only then will we really want to do obey the Lord from the heart. Yes, only then will we be truly happy.

11. Achan’s Sin

The Israelites were allowed to go into the land of Canaan. This country was on the other side of a river, the Jordan. Moses and Aaron had already died. They had gone into the heavenly Canaan. Joshua had taken over from Moses. Now he was the leader of the people. The Lord made a path though the Jordan. In that way, all the people could cross over. The Ark went in front. That is the way they entered the Promised Land.

The first city they captured was Jericho. The large city walls just fell down. The Lord did that. After this the soldiers could take over the city. All the people had to be killed, except the people living in Rahab’s house. The soldiers were not allowed to keep any gold, silver, brass, or iron things. These were all for the Lord. They had to bring everything to the tabernacle. All the other things had to be destroyed. Look; there is a soldier walking through the rubble of the fallen-down houses. He bends over and picks something up. What a beautiful, expensive cloth this is! Such a splendid robe! It probably belonged to somebody very rich. And what is that he can see glimmering? A large piece of silver. A little further on he sees a gold bar! He quickly picks it up. He looks around. No, there is nobody nearby. Quickly, he walks to his tent. He digs a hole in the ground. All the beautiful things are put in there. He quickly covers it with sand. That worked out well. Nobody saw him. Nobody? Would the Lord not have seen it? We can’t hide anything from the Lord. He sees everything. We always need to think of that.

The second city that the Israelites are to take over is Ai. It is only a small city. Joshua sends a few spies first. When they come back, they say to Joshua, ‘Not all the soldiers need to go, you know, for the city is very small.’

Joshua sends an army of three thousand men to the city. They will take the city. But what happens? The army has to flee before the men of Ai. They come back to Joshua defeated. But not all of them. Thirty-six soldiers have been killed. How sad! All the people are very upset. The Lord didn’t help the soldiers.

Joshua goes to the Ark. That is where the Lord lives. Joshua has torn his clothes. This means that he is very sad. Humbly he lays himself down before the Ark. He prays to God. ‘Lord,’ he says, ‘why did Thou bring us here? Will we now all be killed by the enemies? If only we hadn’t crossed the Jordan. Now all our enemies will mock Thy holy Name, Lord.’

Listen; the Lord speaks to Joshua. He says, ‘Stand up, Joshua. The Israelites have sinned. They have secretly kept back beautiful things from Jericho for themselves. They have stolen them from Me. I will not help anymore until that terrible sin has been put away. Tell the people, Joshua. Tell them also to come tomorrow. Then I will point out the thief.’

This is done. Everybody comes to Joshua the next morning. Then Joshua casts lots. Through the lots the Lord will point out the thief. Who is pointed out? Achan. There he stands in front of Joshua. Joshua says to him, ‘Tell us everything you have done.’ Achan tells him. Joshua takes everything that Achan had stolen from his tent. What will happen now? Achan has to come along to a valley, the Valley of Achor, with his wife, children, and cattle. Yes, everything that belongs to him. When they come to the valley, Joshua says, ‘You have brought a great evil over us. It is the Lord’s curse. That is why the Lord didn’t help our soldiers. That is why thirty-six soldiers have been killed. Now the Lord will punish you.’

Then many people take big stones. They throw these stones at Achan and the others until they have all died. It is God’s punishment. That is why they are stoned. A little later, all you can see is a mound of stones. That shows everybody how serious sin is.

The Lord hates sin, because the Lord is holy. We must never forget that. We have to ask, ‘Lord, teach me to hate sin. Keep me from sin. Because Achan’s sin also lives in my heart.’

12. Sun, Stand Still!