A Review
You remember the story of the strong man, Samson, and of Gideon, the captain of the men with the pitchers and torches. They were men of Israel, called judges, who freed them from their enemies. Once a woman, Deborah, was the judge. The last judge was Samuel, who was faithful to tell God’s words.
The first king, Saul, did not obey God, and He chose another young man, who was keeping sheep to be the next king; you know that was David.
It was some years before David was crowned king, and he had to flee from the land for a time, because Saul did not like him. After Saul died, David was king, he wanted to build a House, instead of the Tabernacle, or Tent, to honor the Lord, and he had the stones and wood made ready. But his son, the next king, had the beautiful House, or Temple made.
Do you remember that the nation, Israel was divided after that? Ten of the tribes had a different king than two of the tribes. The most of the kings and people became careless of their ways, were dishonest and selfish; they forgot God’s words, and even made idols.
God sent men, called prophets to tell them what was right, but those men were not well treated. Perhaps you could name some of them, as Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, and others.
At last many of the people were taken from their homes by armies of other nions. Many, years later some of them came back, and rebuilt their homes and also The Temple. Ezra and Nehemiah lived in that time and wrote about their work. But they did not have a king of their own nation again.
Could you tell the names of some of the women who are told of in the scriptures, who believed God? Miriam was the sister of Moses, who watched her baby brother and who praised God for saving the people from the Egyptians. Could you tell the story of Ruth, who lived where the Lord was not honored, and she left her, country to honor Him? Esther was one of the people from Israel, but became a queen in another country.
All those people were real people of long ago, the Lord knew they believed His words, and that it would help us to know they trusted in Him. And if we have learned of them we will enjoy still more God’s words of the New Testament. Notice these words:
“Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and Samuel, and the prophets,...These all having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” Hebrews 11:32,3932And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: (Hebrews 11:32)
39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: (Hebrews 11:39).
What was the promise those people hoped to see fulfilled? It was the promise of the Christ, the Deliverer, or Saviour. The Lord Jesus, the Son of God, has been sent to be that Saviour, and we have His wonderful words in the New Testament Scriptures.
ML 12/27/1942