101 Best Bible Stories PDF

I I f-._ I lOt BESTBI.BLE STORIES IOI BEST BIBLE STORIES Longsight Manchester Richard Pearson First Prize Corsey Bank PICKERING & INGLIS lTD. PRINTED IN GREA...

I I f-._ I lOt BESTBI.BLE STORIES IOI BEST BIBLE STORIES Longsight Manchester Richard Pearson First Prize Corsey Bank PICKERING & INGLIS lTD. PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN  IOI BEST BIBLE STORIES F ROM T HE O LD A ND NEW TE S TA ME N T S Re-told by DAVID KYLES and Illustrated by P A U L D ES S A U liiakelaJ  LAKELAND II6 BAKER STREET LONDON W1M 2BB First p11blis/1ed 1954 First paperback Editio11 1973 ISBN 0 551 00457 6 PRINTED AND BOUND IN GREAT BRITAIN BY BUTLER AND TANNER LTD, FROME AND LONDON  AUTHO R'S NOTE The Scripture quotations in the following pages are taken from the Authorized Version, but are frequently paraphrased where this was felt to be helpful. Particular passages are printed in italics. Capital letters are invariably used when reference is made to our Lord, except in quotations when the practice of the Authorized Version is followed. The author is aware that consistency has frequently been sacrificed to simplicity.  Contents THE OLD TEST AME NT Page SORROW COMES INTO THE WORLD (Genesis 2; 3; 4, 1 - 1 5) 15 THE GREAT FLOOD (Genesis 6 ; 7 , 7-24; 8 ; 9 , 1-17) 16 ABRAHAM THE FRIEND O F GOD (Genesis 1 2, l-9; 13; 18; 19, l-3; 1 2-29, 22, 1-19) 18 A BAD BARGAIN (Genesis 25, 27-34; 27, 1-45) 22 JACOB'S LADDER (Genesis 28) 25 THE TWO SISTERS (Genesis 29, l-30) 26 JACOB RETURNS TO CANAAN (Genesis 32; 33) 28 A DANGEROUS ERRAND (Genesis 37) 30 FROM PRISON TO PALACE (Genesis 39, 1-6, 20-23; 40; 4 1 , 1 -36) 33 SECOND TO PHARAOH (Genesis 4 1 , 37-57) 36 CORN IN EGYPT! (Genesis 42) 37 JOSEPH AND HIS BROTHERS (Genesis, Chaps. 43-46, 1-6, THE BABY IN A BASKET (Exodus 2) 42 THE BURNING BUSH (Exodus 3; 4, l-2 1, 27-3 1) 45 THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT (Exodus 5; 6, l-13; 7) 46 THE FIRST PASSOVER NIGHT (Exodus 1 2, l-42) 49 MARCHING THROUGH THE SEA (Exodus 14; 15, 1-2 1) 51 GOD'S GREAT PROVISION (Exodus Chaps. 14-16). 53 MOUNT SINAI (Exodus 19, 1-9, 16-25; 20, 24) 55 THE CHURCH IN THE DESERT (Exodus, Chaps. 25-3 1 ; 35-40) 56 THE ANIMAL THAT SPOKE ( Numbers, Chaps. 22-24) 6o THE SCARLET CORD ( Numbers 27, 1 2-22; Deuteronomy 34, 9; Joshua 1; 2) 63 THE FALL OF JERICHO (Joshua 3; 6) 66 WHEN THE SUN STOOD STILL (Joshua 9; IO) 67 7  C O N TENTS THE CITIES OF REFUGE (Numbers 35, 9-34; Joshua 24) 70 THE SHEPHERD KING (1 Samuel 16, 1-13) 72 DAVID AND GOLIATH ( 1 Samuel 17) 74 A GREAT FRIENDSHIP ( 1 Samuel 18, 1-9; 19, I-IO; 20, 1-7, 18-42; 23, 16-18) 78 A DIFFERENT DAVID (1 Samuel 2 1 , 1-9; 22, 6-23) 82. DAVID AND SAUL ( 1 Samuel 22, I-2; 24; 26) 86 THE THRICE-ANOINTED KING (2 Samuel I, 17-27; 5, 1-1 2) 89 THE ARK OF THE COVENANT (I Chronicles 13; 15, 1-3, 28; 16, 1 -4; 17; 28; 29) 91 DAVID'S GREAT SIN ( 2 Samuel II, 1-3, 14-27; 1 2, I-IO; Psalms 51) 93 THE FOOLISH PRINCE (2 Samuel 15, 1-30) 95 THE DEATH OF ABSALOM (2 Samuel 18) 97 THE FIRST THREE (2 Samuel 23, 8-23) 98 THE GLORY OF SOLOMON (I Chronicles 22; I Kings 3, 5-14; IO, I-IO) 100 THE BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE ( I Kings, Chaps. 5-8) I03 THE PROPHET AND THE RAVENS (I Kings 17, 1-7) I05 THE WIDOW OF SAREPTA (I Kings 17, 8-24) I08 ON MOUNT CARMEL (I Kings 18, I-2, 17-46) IIO THE STILL, SMALL VOICE (I Kings 19, 1-15, 18) II3 THE CHARIOT OF FIRE ( I Kings 19, 19-2 1; 2 Kings 2, 1 - 1 5) II5 THE LITTLE SLAVE-GIRL (2 Kings 5) II7 DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO (Daniel I, I-2 1) 1 20 THE FORGOTTEN DREAM (Daniel 2, 1-49) 122 TRIAL B Y FIRE (Daniel 3) 1 27 DANIEL IN THE LIONS' DEN (Daniel 6, 1 -23) 130 THE PROPHET WHO RAN AWAY Oonah, Chaps. 1-3) 132 JONAH'S OBJECT LESSON Oonah 4) 135 THE NEW TEST AMENT THE FIRST CHRISTMAS (Luke 1-7; Matthew I, 18-25) 138.. WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCHED" (Luke 2, 8-20) 1 40 8  CON TENTS THE GUIDING STAR (Matthew 2, 1-12) 143 THE FLIGHT INTO EGYPT (Matthew 2, 13-23) 145 THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS (Luke 2, 39-52) 146 THE HOME IN NAZARETH (Matthew 13, 55-58; Mark 6, 1-6) 149 JOHN THE BAPTIST (Matthew 3; Mark I , 1-1 I; John I , 19-36) 152 THE PROGRAMME OF JESUS (Matthew 4, 18-22; 9, 9; IO, 1-16; Mark l, 14-22; 3, 13-17;. Luke 4, 14-22; 6, 12-16; John 1, 43-51) 154 TIJE BOX OF PRECIOUS OINTMENT (Luke 7, 36-50) 157 THE YOUNG MAN WHO SAID NO (Matthew 19, 16-24; Mark I O, 17-25; Luke 18, 18-25) 160 MARTHA AND MARY (Luke I O, 38-42) 161 BUILDING ON THE ROCK (Matthew 7, 24-27; Luke 6, 47-49) 163 TIJE STORY OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN (Luke I O, 25-37) 165 THE SHEPHERD AND THE SHEEP (John I O, 1-29; Psalm 23) 167 TIJE SHEEP THAT WAS LOST (Luke 19, 1-IO; Matthew 18, rr-14; Luke 15, l-7) 170 TIJE SON WHO WAS LOST (Luke 15, rr-32) 171 THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT (Matthew 25, 14-29; · Luke 19, 11-26) 175 THE STORY OF THE SOWER (Mark 4, 1-20) 177.. AS WE FORGIVE (Matthew 18, 21-35; Luke 17, 3-4).. 178 THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE (Matthew 13, 44-46) 180 THE RICH FOOL (Luke 12, 16-34) 181 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (Matthew 5, 1-12) 1 82 GOING THE SECOND MILE (Matthew 5, 38-48) 184 WHEN YOU PRAY (Matthew 6, 1-15) 186 THE FAULT-FINDERS (Matthew 7, 1-5) 188 THE WONDERFUL SECRET (Matthew 7, 7-12) 189 THE POOR WOMAN AND THE RICH GIRL (Matthew 9, 18-26; Mark 5, 21-43; Luke 8, 41-56) 190 THE BLIND BEGGAR (Mark I O, 46-52; Luke 18, 35-43) 193 HELPING JESUS TO WORK A MIRACLE (Matthew 14, 13-21; Mark 6, 32-44; Luke 9, 10-17; John 6, l-14) 195 THE MAN WITH FOUR FRIENDS (Matthew 9, 1-8; Mark 2, 1-12; Luke 5, 17-26) 198 9  CONTENTS THE MAN WITH NO FRIENDS (John 5, I-I6) 202 THE TOUCH OF JESUS (Matthew 8, 2-4; Mark I, 40-43; Luke 5, 12-14) 204 A SOLDIER'S SERVANT (Matthew 8, 5-I3; Luke 7, I-IO) 207 THE NOBLEMAN'S SON (John 4, 46-53) 209.. WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS? (Matthew 8, 23-27;.. Mark 4, 35-41; Luke 8, 22-25) 210 JESUS WALKS ON THE SEA (Matthew I4, 22-23; Mark 6, 45-52 ; John 6, 1 5-21) 2I2.. LAUNCH OUT INTO THE DEEP (Luke 5, I-II).. 2I4 THE WEDDING AT CANA (John 2, 1-2) 2I6 JESUS BRINGS LAZARUS BACK TO LIFE (John II) 218 THE FIRST PALM SUNDAY (Matthew 21, I-II; Mar.k IO, 32-34; l l, I-IO; Luke I9, 29-41; John I2, I2-15) 22I THE CHRISTIAN PASSOVER (Matthew 26, I7-30; Mark I4, I2-26; Luke 22, 7-20) 2 23 JESUS IS BETRAYED (Matthew 26, I4-I6, 36-37; Mark I4, IO-II, 32-33; Luke 2 2 , 3-6, 39-54; John I3, 2I-30; 18, I-13) 2 25 THE TRIAL OF JESUS (Matthew 27, I-26; Mark I5, I-I5; Luke 23, 1-25; John 18, 28-40) 228 THE FIRST GOOD FRIDAY (Matthew 27, 32-56; Mark 1 5, 21-41; Luke 24, 26-49; John I9, I7-37) 233 THE FIRST EASTER (Matthew 27, 57-66; 28, I-15; Mark I 5, 42-47; 16, I-II; Luke 23, 50-56; 24, I-I2; John 1 9, 38-42 ; 20) 236 ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS (Luke 24, I3-35) 240 JESUS RETURNS TO HEAVEN (Matthew 28, I6-20; Mark 16, 1 9-20; Luke 24, 49-53; Acts 1 , I-II) 243 THE FIRST WHITSUNTIDE (Acts 2) 245 THE FIRST MARTYR (Acts 6; 7) 247 ON THE DAMASCUS ROAD (Acts 9, I-3I; 2 2, 1-16; 26, 9-19) 250 THE FIRST MISSIONARY (Acts, Chaps. 13-28) 253 IO  Illustrations Page The dove brings an olive leaf back to the Ark 17 O n the way t o the mountain of sacrifice 21 Jacob receives the blessing which should have been Esau's 24 The merchants bargain for Joseph 31 Storing grain for the time of famine 37 The silver cup is discovered in Benjamin's sack 39 The baby Moses in his basket among the rushes 43 Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh and his magicians 48 The Israelites pass th z:ough the Red Sea 51 Moses reappears before the people and sees them wor- shipping the Golden Calf 57 Balak shows Balaam the tents of the Israelites 62 The spies escape from Rahab's house 65 David looking after his father's sheep 72 David sees the Philistine armies 75 David and Jonathan, the faithful friends 79 Ahimelech gives Goliath's sword to David 85 David gives Saul's spear back to him 88 Absalom rides at the head of a splendid procession 95 II  ILLUSTRATIONS David refuses the water brought by his brave men 99 The Queen of Sheba visits Solomon 102 The widow bakes a scone for Elijah 107 After the earthquake, Elijah. sees the fire but still hears no voice 1 14 Naaman bathes in the Jordan and is cured of his leprosy 1 19 Nebuchadnezzar dreams about a strange statue 1 25 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are unhurt by the fire 1 28 Jonah is cast ashore by the whale 1 35 " The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay" 138 An angel brings the good news to the shepherds 141 Jesus astonishes the teachers in the Temple 1 47 Jesus at work in his father's workshop 1 50 Jesus calls Matthew to follow him 156 The woman pours the precious ointment on Jesus's feet 1 59 Jesus with Mary and Martha 162 The Levite passes by the injured man 167 The good shepherd searches for his lost sheep 168 The Prodigal Son becomes a swineherd 173 The nobleman gives money to his three servants 176 A R-oman soldier compels a Jew to carry his pack 185 Jesus restores Jairus's daughter to life 1 92 Andrew brings to Jesus the boy with the loaves and fishes 197 The sick man is lowered through the roof in front of Jesus 200 " Rise, roll up your bed and walk from here" 205 Jesus calms the wind and the sea 21 3 12  ILLUSTRATIONS Hauling in the net full of fish 215 Jesus is greeted by cheering crowds as He enters Jerusalem 221 Jesus passes the cup of wine to his disciples 224 In the Garden of Gethsemane 229 " Crucify Him! Crucify Him! " 231 The first Good Friday 235 Peter and John go inside the empty tomb 241 Saul looks on as Stephen is stoned 248 Saul is suddenly blinded by a bright light 25 1 Paul is shipwrecked off Malta 255 13  Sorrow Comes into the World The Bible begins by telling us that everyth ing was made by God except one thing. That one thing has been the cause of all the sorrow in the world since. After He had made the earth, the sky, and the sea, the plants, the animals, the birds, and the fishes, God made m a n. T h e n a m e of t h e first man was Ada m. The n a m e of t h e first woman was Eve, which means "the Mother of all living". God had already prepared a beautiful garden to be the home of Adam and Eve. Here He meant them to be happy and free from anyth ing that could harm the m. God said to Adam, " Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat; for in the day you eat of it, you shall su rely die." So the first man and woman in the world were, perfectly happy until something came in to spoil it a l l. Amon gst the animals was a serpe nt. One day, the serpent came to Eve, and slyly said, " So you have been told not to eat of the trees of the garden ? " " Oh , no! " replied Eve. " We may eat of them all, except one. God has said, we may not eat of that tree, neither touch it, lest we die." The cunning serpent smiled and whispered, " You won ' t really die." Eve listened to the serpent. The fruit looked very beautiful and ripe, so she plu cked it. Then she gave some to Adam, and they ate it. Immediately, they both knew what sin and shame were. Everyth ing became different, and they were no longer the happy people they had been before. The happiest times in that pleasan t home had been when they walked and talked with God i n the Garden. Now they hid from God, for they were ashamed and afraid. When God called to them, " Where are you ? ", Adam replied, " I was afraid and I hid myself." " Have you eaten of the frui.t of the forbidden tree ? " God asked h i m. " The woman gave m e 15  SORROW COMES INTO THE WORLD the fruit and I ate it," confessed Ada m. " What is this dread­ ful thing you have done ? " God asked the woma n. " The serpent deceived me," said Eve, " so I ate of the fruit." Thus they tried to escape blame for what they had done. Then God said to Adam , " The earth is spoilt because of your sin; in sorrow and labour will you have to get your food from it. You will have to work very, very hard and by the sweat of your brow shall you live." So they were driven from the pleasant Garden-Home into a jungle world, and an Angel stood with a flaming sword to prevent their return. Some time after they had left the Garden, Adam and Eve had two sons. The elder son was Cai n , and the younger, Abe l. Cain was a gardener, and Abel a shepherd. One day, Cain brought a present of fruit and offered it to God. Abel brought a little lamb. God was pleased with Abel's offering but not with Cain's. Cain felt very angry, but God said to him, " Wh y are you angry ? I f you give willingly, I will accept your offering also." Cain grew more and more jealous of his brother, and, pick­ ing a quarrel with him, killed him one day in the field. " Where is Abel, your brother ? " God asked h i m. "I don't know," replied Cain. " Am I my brother's keeper ? " " Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground," God replied. So Cain ' s wicked deed was known, and he had to wander about with the murderer's mark upon his brow. So sin and sorrow came into the world together because of Adam's disobedience. But the story of the Bible i s the story of how sin and sorrow may be done away. The Great Flood The s i n caused b y Adam's disobedience spread a n d spread throughout the world until God was sorry He had made man at all. But one good man-Noah-pli:;ased God. 16  T H E G REA T F L O O D The dove brings an olive leaf back to the Ark. One day, God said to him, " Noah, the world is so wicked that I must make it clean again. I want you to build a big boat, and, 'when it is ready, get into it yourself with your wife, your three sons and their wives. For I a m going to send a great flood upon the e arth that will destroy every Jivi ng thing." God told Noah how he was to build this boat, or Ark, giving him the exact measurements, telling him how to place the three decks, the cabins, the window, and the door. Then when the Ark was quite ready, Noah was to take into it not only his family, but also two of every animal and bird, and enough food to keep them all alive i n the Ark for many months. At last, all was ready. The rains came, and Noah and his wife, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, Noah's sons, with their wives went into the Ark. With them went two of every kind of animal and bird. Then, the Bible tells us, God shut them in. The floods i ncreased for forty days. The waters rose higher and higher until they were high above the highest mountain. The Ark floated o n the surface, and all inside were safe, but everybody outside was drowned.  TH E G R E A T F L O O D The rains stopped, but the floods kept swirling over the earth. Then they slowly went down. The tops of the highest mountains could be seen again, and at last the Ark grounded on Mou nt Ararat. After forty days Noah opened the window of the Ark and released a raven which flew to and fro until the waters had drained away from the earth. Seven days later, he sent out a dove, but it came back because it could find no place to rest. Another week passed and then Noah sent out the dove aga i n. This t i m e it came back with an olive leaf i n i t s beak. Sti l l another week, a n d Noah sent t h e dove o u t a third time. It did not return, so he was now quite sure that all the land was dry. God then told Noah to leave the Ark with his fa mily and all the an imals and birds. The very first thing Noah did on the new, clean earth was to build an altar and worship God. God was so pleased with this that He gave a promise to Noah that never agai n would He destroy the earth i n this way, but that so long as the earth remained, seed-time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and w i nter, day and night would never cease. In token of this promise, God said He would se t His bow i n the clouds. So every time we see a rainbow in the sky, we remember the promise given to Noah, and thank God for giving us our food so faithfully day by day, according to the season. ·Abraham the Friend ef God I n the ancient city o f Ur, i n the l a n d w e now call Iraq, there lived a man called Abram, or Abraham as he was later called. All around him the people worshipped idols, but Abram wor­ shipped the only true God. So he left the city of the idols and travelled 500 m iles north to the city of Haran which was on. the great caravan road from East to West. It was at Haran that God told Abram to leave his own 18  AB R A H A M T H E FR I E N D OF G O D country a n d friends for a land which God would afterwards show h i m. Abram had no idea where that land was, but, obeying and trusting God, he set out with Sarai his wife, Lot his nephew, and a great company of servants, camels, and cattle. For some time they travelled on, but, at last, God led Abram to the land of Canaan. There he was blessed by God , and became very rich i n servants and cattle until it was difficult to.find sufficient grass and water for all the flocks and herds. Abram's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen began to quarrel for the best wells and pastures, so Abram said to Lot, "Don't let us q uarrel like this. The whole land is open before us. You choose where you would like to go. If you choose to go to. the left, I will go to the right; if you go right, I will go left." Now, Lot, i nstead of asking his uncle to make the first choice, looked across the lovely plains of Jordan towards the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. He became so greedy to have this land for himself and his own family that he decided to stay there. So Abram and Lot parted, but God encouraged Abram by telling him that one day the whole of Canaan would belong to his children's childre n , and that there would be so m a n y o f them that they would b e like t h e sands on t h e seashore, or the stars i n the sky, and that through them all the nations of the earth would be blest. A long time after this, Abram was sitting one even ing before his ten t door when he saw three strange travellers coming towards h i m. He ran to show them the hospitality w hich i s usual in Eastern countries; washing their dust-stained feet, and placing food before them. These mysterious visitors told him strange new5. They had come from God to tell Abram that Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God was going to destroy them both by fire. Then Abram remem­ bered Lot. He pleaded with God to spare the cities for the sake of the good people who might be there. If there were fi fty good men there, would God not spare the two cities ? God promised He would. Then Abram remembered that, because 19  ABR A H A M THE FRIEND OF GOD of the wickedness of those two Cities of the Plain, there might not be fifty good men in them. Would God not spare them for the sake of forty-five? Again God promised He would. For forty? pleaded Abram. For thirty? For twenty? For ten? Again and again, Abram pleaded, and each time God granted Abram's prayer. Alas! there were not even ten, and Abram could see from his encampment the fire from heaven away in the distance falling upon the cities that had been so very wicked that their names are a byword to this day. But what had hap­ pened to Lot? Two of the heavenly visitors had gone to the cities to seek out Lot. When they found him, they called to him, "Fly for your life! Do not look behind you, nor stop