Gabriel’s Announcements

177 – Gabriel’s Announcements

Luke 1:5-80

Zechariah was a priest who followed God. He and his wife Elizabeth didn’t have children, and they were past the childbearing years.

One day, Zechariah was chosen to go to the temple and burn incense at the altar. The people waited outside in prayer. Suddenly an angel appeared to the priest and said, “Zechariah, your prayers have been answered. Elizabeth will give birth to a son, and you’re to call his name John. He’ll be a joy to your heart. He’ll be great before the Lord and will prepare the way for Messiah.”

Zechariah was afraid and said, “How is that possible? We’re too old to have children.”

The angel said, “My name is Gabriel, and I stand in the presence of God. He sent me to give you this good news, and you don’t believe me. Therefore, you won’t be able to speak until what I’ve said comes true.”

The people outside were wondering what was taking the priest so long. After the angel left, Zechariah went out and stood before them. He tried to say something but found that he couldn’t talk. So the people knew he had seen a vision.

The priest went home, and soon Elizabeth was expecting a child. With joy, she secluded herself. When she had been pregnant for six months, that same angel went to a town called Nazareth.

He appeared to a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph. Both were descendants of David.

Gabriel said to her, “Mary, you’re blessed by God.” The young woman was startled and didn’t know what to say.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve found favor with God. You’ll give birth to a son, and you’re to call him Jesus. He’ll be great, and there’ll be no end to his kingdom.”

Mary said, “How can this be true? I’m a virgin.”

“You’ll conceive when the Holy Spirit hovers over you. Therefore, the child will be called the Son of God! Mary, all things are possible with God. Even your cousin Elizabeth is about to have a baby in her old age.”

With that, Mary bowed her head and said, “I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen just as you have said.”

After the angel left, Mary went to visit her cousin. As soon as Elizabeth heard her voice, her baby jumped inside her, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. She said, “Oh Mary, you’re blessed above all women, and that child you’re carrying is blessed. How am I worthy to have the mother of my Lord visit me?”

Mary stayed with this wise older woman for three months, learning from her and receiving encouragement. Afterwards, she went home to face her family.

After Mary left, Elizabeth gave birth to a baby boy. Neighbors and family came to rejoice with the old couple. They said, “We’ll call the child Zechariah, after his father.”

Elizabeth said, “No! His name is John.” “John! There is no one in your family named

John. We’ll talk to Zechariah about this.” The priest wrote on a tablet, “His name is John!” Immediately he could talk. “Oh, bless the

Lord. He is sending the Promised One who will bring us back to God.”

He picked up his son. “You’ll be a prophet of God and prepare the way for Messiah. He’ll bring us salvation and forgiveness of sin. He will bring us peace.”

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Rebuilding the Temple

172 – Rebuilding the Temple

Ezra 1:1-6:22 & Haggai 1:1-2:23

Jeremiah had said Judah would be in captivity for 70 years. At the end of that time, the king of Persia said, “The Lord has told me to send his people back to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. Therefore, they’re free to go and build the house of God.”

The king gave gold and silver for the project, and he gave back the temple vessels taken when Jerusalem was destroyed. He donated money to buy cedar from Lebanon to panel the inside of the temple. He even provided livestock so the people could make sacrifices to God. The Lord stirred the hearts of his people. Many accepted the challenge to go back to Judah to do the work of God. Some, who couldn’t go themselves, gave money and supplies.

When the people arrived, they made sacrifices to God on the temple site. The people shouted for joy, and then began building the temple.

The people living there were upset that the Jews had come back. They tried to stop the project, but nothing worked. Finally, a new king ruled over Persia. They sent him a message, and slanted the news about the new temple. They convinced him to stop the construction.

The Jewish builders had no choice but to stop and wait for the situation to change. This gave them a chance to build their own houses. Before long, one family after another had cedar paneling in their homes. Eventually the stockpile of cedar from Lebanon was gone! They knew that it couldn’t be replaced. So, whenever someone talked about building the temple, the people said, “This isn’t a good time to build.”

The prophet Haggai said to the people, “I have a message from the Lord! ‘Consider your ways! You say it isn’t time to build the house of God. Yet you live in paneled houses while my house lies in ruins. Consider your ways!’ ”

Haggai told them that God had removed his blessing from their lives. “You plant a large amount of grain, yet you harvest very little. You eat, but you’re still hungry. You drink, but you’re still thirsty. You wear clothes, yet you’re not warm. You earn money and put it into bags, not knowing that the bags have holes. Consider your ways!”

The people listened, but they knew there was no cedar to finish the temple. Haggai said, “God says go into the hills and get common wood and use that in the temple. He says he’ll be pleased with what you build, and he’ll be glorified.” So the people obeyed and went into the hills and got wood to replace the missing cedar. Then they made preparations to restart the project.

In time, another king came to power in Persia. This one gave the order, “Anyone who opposes the building of the temple will be put to death!” With this decree, the people living around Jerusalem weren’t allowed to hinder the construction of the temple. Instead, they were commanded to give supplies for its completion.

The people worked with enthusiasm. Haggai came with another message from the Lord. “I’m pleased you’re obeying me! Look, I’m providing for you. You haven’t planted your seed, your vines haven’t yet brought forth grapes, and your trees haven’t bloomed. Yet you’re harvesting my blessings and provisions.”

Most of the people were happy when they saw that the building was nearly done, but some of the older men said, “We remember Solomon’s temple. It was beautiful! This temple is small and not beautiful at all.” The builders became discouraged.

Haggai came with another message from God. “Who remembers the temple built by Solomon? How does this one compare? Don’t be discouraged. The glory of this temple is going to be greater than you can imagine. I’m going to shake the nations and the whole world will focus on this very spot. The ‘Desire of all Nations’ will come and I’ll fill this temple with glory. Be strong and keep your eyes focused on the present work. I’m with you as I’ve always been.”

So the people were encouraged … and they worked … and they finished the temple.

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Two Baskets of Figs

161 – Two Baskets of Figs

Jeremiah 24:1- 10 2 Chronicles 36:1-23 2 Kings 24:8-17

Stories 159 – 164 happened during the life and ministry of Jeremiah, the prophet.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, invaded Judah. King Jehoiakim dropped his allegiance to Egypt and swore his loyalty to Babylon. Several years later, Babylon and Egypt got into a fierce battle. Jehoiakim switched his loyalty back to Egypt. Jeremiah warned him not to do this, but he didn’t listen.

Once again, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah, but this time captured Jerusalem. Jehoiakim was put in chains and taken to Babylon, where he died. His son Jehoiachin became king.

Nebuchadnezzar took things from the Temple to put into the temples of his gods. He also took the best young men back to Babylon to serve as advisors. Among them was Daniel.

Jehoiachin was king for only three months when he also rebelled against Babylon. Jeremiah warned him that if he did this, he’d be taken away just like his father. The young king didn’t listen.

Nebuchadnezzar’s army came back, and this time they took all the treasures and gold from the Temple. They stripped the city of everything of value, including the craftsmen, military men, and scholars. 10,000 people were marched off to Babylon. Among them was Ezekiel.

Only the poor were left to oversee the land. Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin to Babylon and put him in prison. His uncle, Zedekiah, was made king of Judah.

After they were gone, God gave Jeremiah a vision. The Lord said, “What do you see?”

The prophet said, “I see two baskets filled with figs. One is full of the most delicious fruit I’ve ever seen. The other has rotten figs that smell awful.”

The Lord said, “The people in captivity are like the good figs. I’ll watch over them and care for them. Their children will come back to this land, and they’ll have a desire in their hearts to know me. I’ll be their God and they’ll be my people.”

“But these people here in Judah are like the rotten figs. They’re corrupt and rotten, and I’ll treat them that way. I’ll send heartache, plague, and famine. When I’m done, I’ll throw Zedekiah and his people into the garbage.”

The Lord had Jeremiah send a letter to those in exile. He said, “Build houses in Babylon and plant gardens. Get married, have children, and help your children get married. Get involved with your community and help your city to prosper. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that you won’t be there long. It’s not true. You’ll be in exile for 70 years, so make yourselves at home.

“I’ll care for you. You can call on me whenever you want—and I’ll listen. When the time of your exile is over, I’ll bring you back here and restore to you all you left behind.

“The people here are like rotten figs. After I send them heartache, plagues, and famine, I’ll throw them into the garbage.”

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Numbering the People

113 – Numbering the People

II Samuel 24:1-25 I Chronicles 21:1-30

King David called for Joab and said, “Go throughout the land and number all the people.” He did this to see how big of an army he could build.

Joab knew this wasn’t God’s will for David. He said, “Don’t disobey the Lord. God will give you as many people as you need for any situation.” But David insisted, so Joab used his army to go to every part of Israel and count the people. When they were finished, he told David there were over 1,300,000 men who were able to go to war if needed.

After David heard this report, he knew the Lord wasn’t pleased that he had done this. He prayed, “Oh God, I’ve acted foolishly and sinned against you. Forgive my sin.”

The Lord sent a prophet to give David a message. “You’re to choose one of three punishments for this sin:

• a famine that will devastate the land three years,

• an invading army to whom you’ll lose battle after battle for three months,

• or an epidemic that will sweep across the land for three days.”

David said, “All three of these terrify me! Still, I choose to suffer under the hand of God, rather than at the hands of men. I know the Lord is merciful.”

So God sent the angel of the Lord, who swept across the land with a severe epidemic. 70,000 men died! The angel then focused on Jerusalem. As death came upon the city, God said, “Stop! It’s enough!”

The angel immediately stopped. He was over a threshing floor owned by a Jebusite named Ornan. It was the exact place where Abraham had offered his son to the Lord.

David looked up and saw the angel holding a sword stretched out over the city. Ornan also saw the angel so he ran and hid.

David fell down with his face to the ground. “Oh Lord, I’m the one who sinned! Not these people. They’re like sheep. What have they done? Punish me and my family.”

The prophet walked up to David with a message from God. “Build an altar to the Lord on that threshing floor.” David immediately walked toward it. When Ornan saw this, he ran to the king and bowed down.

David said, “Sell me your threshing floor, so I can build an altar to the Lord. Then he will hold back the plague from the people. I’ll pay you full price for it.”

Ornan said, “Oh King, I’ll give it to you. Please take it and build your altar. Use my oxen for the burnt offering, and use my wood for the fire. I give it all. I trust the Lord will hear you.”

David said, “No my friend, I’ll buy it all at full price. I won’t sacrifice to the Lord using that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor, the oxen, and the wood. He then built the altar and sacrificed to the Lord.

God heard David’s prayer and sent fire from heaven to burn up the offering. He then commanded the angel, “Put away your sword!” With that, the epidemic was over.

From that day on, David used that altar whenever he sacrificed to God. He said, “This is the house of the Lord.”

Then he organized people and bought materials that were needed for building the Temple. Years later, Solomon built the Temple of the Lord at that very place.

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Threshing floor at Gibeon, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Threshing floor with sledges and winnowing forks, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Moving the Ark

101 – Moving The Ark

2 Samuel 6:1-23 I Chronicles 13:1-22 15:1-17:19

The Ark of God had been ignored during Saul’s reign as king. So David decided to bring it to his new capital. He sent a message throughout Israel inviting them to come join him for this great event.

The people agreed that this was the right thing to do. Unfortunately, they didn’t follow God’s instructions on how the Ark was to be moved. Instead they put it on a new cart and pulled it with a team of oxen.

As the cart moved toward Jerusalem, the king and the people walked along celebrating. They sang songs, and played instruments.
Suddenly one of the oxen stumbled and shook the cart. A man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark. The moment he touched it, God struck him and he fell to the ground and died.

David was shocked and confused. He didn’t know why God had done this. He needed time to think about what to do, so he put the Ark of God in a nearby home. It stayed there for three months. During that time, the Lord blessed the family that lived there.

David heard how God was blessing the family, so he once again decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem. This time he told the Levites to purify themselves and follow the instructions Moses gave on how the Ark of God was to be carried.The people of Israel were excited as it entered Jerusalem. They made sacrifices to the Lord, shouted for joy, and blew trumpets. David took off his outer coat and danced with all of his might. Everyone rejoiced together.

Michal looked out of the window and was shocked to see her husband leaping around in front of the Ark. She thought it was disgusting.
David placed the Ark in a special tent he had prepared for it. Sacrifices and burnt offerings were made to the Lord. David then blessed the people, and gave them food to eat.

Michal confronted her husband when he went home. She said, “What you did was shameful. You took off your royal coat and jumped around like a fool in front of common slave girls.”

David said, “I humbled myself before the Lord. And yes, I’ll do it again. Those common people you talked about will honor me for the rest of their lives.”

Michal lived her entire life without ever having children.

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Anointing David

86 – Anointing of David

I Samuel 16:1-23

ISamuel couldn’t stop thinking about how God rejected Saul as king over Israel. The Lord said to Samuel, “Stop brooding about Saul! Take some anointing oil and go to the home of Jesse at Bethlehem. I’ve selected one of his sons to become king.”

Samuel said, “Lord, King Saul will kill me if he finds out.”

The Lord said, “Take a calf to Bethlehem and say you’re coming to sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse and his sons to join you. I’ll show you which one to anoint.”

So Samuel went to Bethlehem. The city leaders were afraid when they saw him. They met with him and said, “Are you coming in peace?” The prophet said, “Yes, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Go get Jesse and his sons and tell them to join me.”

When they came, Samuel was immediately impressed with Jesse’s oldest son. “Ah,” he thought, “this is the one the Lord will choose.”

God said, “Samuel, don’t look at outward appearance. It doesn’t matter how tall a man is or how strong. I see things you can’t see. He’s not the one.”

Jesse then introduced his second son to Samuel. Again, he wasn’t the Lord’s choice. Jesse introduced seven of his sons to the prophet. As he met each of them, the Lord said, “He’s not the one.”

Finally, Samuel said to Jesse, “Don’t you have any other children?”

“Oh, well yes. I do have one more—my youngest. He’s out watching the sheep.”

“Send for him. I’ll not eat with you until I see him.”

As soon as David walked into the room, Samuel could see that he was a striking young man—healthy and handsome. The Lord said, “This is the one. Get up and anoint him.” So Samuel anointed him with oil. After that the Spirit of God departed from King Saul and came upon David in a mighty way.

From that day on, King Saul was tormented with depression. His servants had an idea. They said, “Allow us to find a man skilled at playing the harp. Then his music will cheer you when you become depressed.”

When Saul agreed, one of the servants said, “I’ve heard of a young man who is very skilled at the harp. He’s a son of Jesse from Bethlehem. In addition to being good on the harp, he’s a good fighter and has the ability to talk in front of people. He’s also a man who walks with God.”

So Saul sent a message to Jesse, saying “Send me David, your son, the one who takes care of sheep.” So Jesse sent David to Saul as well as gifts for the king.

Saul was immediately impressed with him. David was made Saul’s armor bearer, but he also played the harp every time the king went into deep depression. The sound of his harp soothed the king’s spirit and brought him peace.

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Call of Samuel

77 – Call of Samuel

I Samuel 1:1 – 3:21

Hannah couldn’t have children. This tormented her so much that she went to the Tabernacle and begged God for a child. She said, “Oh Lord, if you’ll give me a son, I’ll give him back to you and he’ll serve you for the rest of his life.”

Eli, the high priest, noticed that Hannah was moving her mouth but she wasn’t saying anything. He thought she was drunk. “Woman, put away your wine!”

“Oh sir! I’m not drunk. I’m praying to God.”

“Oh, well … uh … go your way. The Lord will answer your prayer.”

Sure enough, the Lord answered her prayer. In less than a year, she gave birth to a baby boy and named him “Samuel,” which means “God heard me.”

When the boy was old enough, his mother took him back to the Tabernacle and presented him to Eli. She said, “I prayed for a child, and the Lord answered me. Now I’ll give my son to the Lord, and he’ll serve Him for the rest of his life.”

Every year Hannah came to visit and brought new clothes for Samuel. The priest prayed that God would give Hannah more children. After that she had three sons and two daughters.

Eli gave Samuel work to do in the Tabernacle. As he grew physically, he also grew in favor with the Lord and with people.

Eli’s sons were just the opposite. They were wicked and didn’t honor God in any way. Many of their sins were committed in the house of the Lord. Eli talked to them about this, but did nothing about it.

One night, while Samuel was sleeping, the Lord called out, “Samuel, Samuel.”

He woke up and ran to where Eli was sleeping. He said, “Yes, I’m here!”

Eli woke up and looked at the boy. “I didn’t call you, Samuel. Go back to your bed.”

Samuel went back and lay down. As he was going to sleep, the Lord called him again. “Samuel, Samuel.”

This time he knew he wasn’t dreaming. He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am!”

Eli once again said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Now, go back to sleep.” So Samuel went back and lay down.

Once again, the Lord called to him, “Samuel, Samuel.”

At this point in his life, Samuel didn’t know God, and the Lord hadn’t talked to him. So, the boy did the only thing he knew to do. For the third time, he ran to Eli. “I’m here because you called me.”

This time, Eli realized what was happening. He knew the Lord was calling Samuel, so he said, “Go back and lie down. If you hear someone calling you again, say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ”

Samuel went back to his bed and lay down. The Lord called him once again, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Quietly Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

God said, “I’m not pleased with how Eli allows his sons to do evil in my house. I’m going to judge him and his sons.”

Samuel lay back in his bed. In the morning, Eli called him, “Samuel, what did the Lord say to you?”

The boy was afraid to tell him the message from God. Eli said, “Son, don’t hide it from me.” So Samuel told him everything.

Eli said, “He’s Lord! Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

The Lord was with Samuel from that day on, and God continued to reveal His words to him. Samuel obeyed the Lord, and everything he said came true. All of Israel recognized that he was a prophet of the Lord.

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Ruth & Naomi

75 – Ruth & Naomi

Ruth 1:1 – 2:23

During the time of the judges, a man decided to leave his home in Bethlehem. He took this wife Naomi and their two sons and went to the country of Moab.

Things did not go well there. They lived in Moab for ten years. During that time, the man died, the two sons married Moabite women, and then the sons died. Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law.

She decided to go back to Bethlehem. So the three women prepared for the trip and left. Along the way, Naomi turned to her daughters-in-law and said, “Go back to your homes. May the Lord bless you, as you have been a blessing to me. I pray the Lord will give each of you a good husband and many children.” She then kissed them good-bye.

All three women cried, and both daughters-in-law insisted they wanted to stay with Naomi. She said, “No, you need to go home. I have no more sons to give you. Even if I got pregnant tonight, would you wait for my baby to grow up so you could marry him? No, it’s better that you go home. Life with me is going to be bitter.” With that, one daughter-in-law kissed Naomi and went home.

The second daughter-in-law was Ruth. She said, “I won’t leave you! Don’t make me go back. I’m going with you. Wherever you live, that’s where I’ll live. Your people will be my people. Your God is now my God. The place where you die is where I’ll die and be buried. Only death will separate you and me.”

Naomi saw she couldn’t argue with Ruth. So they both went back to Bethlehem.

When they got there, the whole town was excited that Naomi had come back home. She said to them, “Don’t call me Naomi any more. That means ‘pleasant,’ and life is no longer pleasant. Call me Mara, which means ‘bitter.’ The Lord has made my life bitter.”

So Naomi and Ruth established their home in Bethlehem. Life was hard because the two women were poor.

Fortunately, it was harvest time. Poor people were allowed to go into the fields and pick up any grain that was dropped during harvest. So Ruth went to the fields to gather food for the two of them. She went to a field owned by a man named Boaz.

Later in the morning, Boaz came to his field. He saw Ruth and said to the foreman, “Who is that young woman?”

“Oh, she is the Moabite who came here with Naomi. She’s a hard worker.”

Boaz went to Ruth and said, “Don’t go to any other field. Stay here and work alongside my servant girls. Watch them and go wherever they go. The men won’t hurt you. I’ve already told them to stay away from you. In fact, go drink from their water when you’re thirsty.”

Ruth bowed her head and thanked Boaz. She said, “Why are you so kind to a foreigner?”

He said, “We’ve all heard how well you’ve treated Naomi. You left your parents and country to come here and care for her. May the Lord richly bless you! ”

He then went back and told his men to leave extra grain in her path. Also, they were to provide her food when they stopped to eat.

That evening, Ruth went back home with all she had gathered. She even had leftovers from her meal. Naomi was amazed when she saw all of this. Ruth told her about the kindness of Boaz, the owner of the field.

Naomi responded when she heard the name Boaz. She said, “The Lord bless him! Oh Ruth, he’s a close relative of our family. Stay in his field, just as he has said. You’ll be safe there.”

So Ruth continued to work with the servant girls of Boaz. She gathered grain throughout the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.

Continued in the next story

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The Tabernacle

45 – The Tabernacle

Exodus 33:1–40:38

Because the people of Israel had worshipped the golden calf, Moses went up the mountain and begged the Lord to forgive them. He said, “O Lord, your people have sinned against you. If you will forgive their sins …” He couldn’t continue, but finally said, “If you can’t forgive them, blot me out of your book.”

The Lord said, “I’m not blotting your name out of my book, but I will blot out the names of the people who sinned against me.” Then God struck the people with a plague and many died.

After that, the Lord told Moses, “Lead your people to the land I promised them. I won’t go with you, but I’ll send my angel to guide you. If I lived among these obstinate people for even a moment, I’d destroy them.”

Moses went down and told the people that God wouldn’t live among them. The people broke down and cried. They grieved that their sin had cost them so much.

Moses went outside the camp and set up a meeting tent so he could talk with the Lord. As the people watched, the cloud of God came down and stood in front of the tent. There, Moses and God talked.

Moses said, “If I’m your friend, and if you’re pleased with me, then live among us. We want you to lead us. If you refuse, then we’ll stay here. Don’t make us leave. Without you among us, we’re no different from anyone else!”

The Lord replied, “You’re my friend, and I’m pleased with you. Therefore, I’ll do as you have asked.”

Then the Lord told Moses to cut out two more stone tablets and bring them up the mountain. Once there, the Lord said, “This is my agreement with you and your people. I’ll force the people out of Canaan with great miracles, but you must obey my commandments.” Moses stayed on the mountain and wrote down all the laws and commandments of God. He also wrote the Ten Commandments on the two tablets of stone. He was there for forty days and forty nights, and didn’t eat bread or drink water.

Afterwards, he went back to the people with God’s commands. He didn’t realize his face was glowing because of all the time he had spent with the Lord. This made the Israelites afraid, so Moses wore a veil when he talked to the people. He told them all the commandments the Lord had given him.

He said, “It’s time to build the Tabernacle, God’s dwelling place. Therefore, those who are willing to give an offering to the Lord are to bring gold, silver, bronze, special yarn, fine linen, animal skins, woods, oils, spices, stones, and gems. We need skilled craftsman who will dedicate themselves to build the Tabernacle, the tent that will surround it, and the furniture inside.”

The next day, people started bringing the things needed to build the Tabernacle. Skilled craftsmen came to do the work. Day after day, the people brought their gifts until finally Moses sent out word, “Stop bringing offerings. There is more than enough!”

The people were careful to build the tabernacle exactly as God had told Moses. It was finished exactly two years after they left Egypt—to the very day. Moses inspected the work and found they had done just as the Lord had commanded, so he blessed them.

Then a cloud came and hovered over the tent. As the people watched, the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. So from that day on, in all of their travels, the Lord was with them.

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The Law

43 – The Law

Exodus 19:1-20:26 & 24:1-18

The Israelites came to Mount Sinai three months after they left Egypt. They set up camp at the base, and Moses went up the mountain to talk with God. The Lord said, “Tell the people, ‘If you obey me and keep my commandments, then you’ll be my treasured possession. You’ll be my holy people among all the nations.’”
When Moses told this to the people, they all agreed and said, “We’ll do everything God says!”

So Moses went back up the mountain and told God that the people agreed to his conditions. Then the Lord said, “I want them to hear me talking to you so they’ll always trust you. Tell them to spend three days cleansing their hearts and washing their clothes. Then I’ll come down on the mountain and talk to them.”

So the people did as they were told. They washed their clothes and dedicated themselves to the Lord. Suddenly, on the third day, the mountain burned with fire. The ground shook, and a cloud covered the entire mountain. There was thunder and lightning, and the people heard what sounded like trumpets that grew louder and louder.

Then God said, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt with a mighty hand!

You’re not to worship other gods. You’re not to make idols of any kind.
You’re to keep my name holy and not misuse it.
You’re not to work on the seventh day, but instead, keep it holy.
Honor your parents and you’ll live long upon the earth.
You’re not to murder.
You’re not to commit adultery.
You’re not to steal.
You’re not to lie to others or about others.
You’re not to desire to have anything that belongs to someone else.”

The people cried out, “Tell God to stop talking to us. We’ll die if he keeps talking! Let him talk to you, and then you tell us what he said. We’ll listen to you.”

Moses said, “Don’t be afraid. God wants you to stand in awe of him, so you’ll stay away from sin.” Then Moses went up the mountain to talk with God.

God gave him detailed instructions on how the people were to live their lives and how they were to treat one another. God told how to offer sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins. He also gave instructions on how to build the Ark of God, so he could live among his people. Finally, God gave Moses two tablets of stone with his laws written by the finger of God.