Heroes of the Old Testament

The bible is filled with great stories of men

Like the patriarch Abraham whom God called his friend

And Isaac and Jacob who played a great part

In giving the nation of Israel it's start

And then there was Moses with whom God had spoken

And gave him commandments which must not be broken

God told Joshua to be courageous and strong

He destroyed Israel's enemies before very long

And David, the king of Israel, was called

"A man after God's own heart" we're told

Then there's Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Isaiah,

Amos, Habakkuk, Micah and Hosea

And many others too numerous to mention

Who faithfully prophesied of God's intention

To send them a saviour whose kingdom would be

Established on earth for eternity

And all who would faithfully obey God's command

Would be kings and priest in the Holy land

"For out of Zion shall go forth the law"

And the world's population will all be in awe

When the glory of God shall be made manifest

And all the people on earth will truly be blessed

God's Promise to Abraham

Centuries ago, God told Abraham this

That the land where he sojourned would some day be his

But Abraham wondered just how this could be

Since he was a pilgrim with no family

Although he a Sarah were well up in years

God said He'd provide him with plenty of heirs

Like the sand by the seaside and stars in the blue

Too numerous to count, too distant to view

And from him the nation of Israel came

The ones God has chosen to honor His name

Although Abraham died and still sleeps in the ground

Before long he'll hear the wonderful sound

Of the trumpets proclaiming the "Day of the Lord"

When at last he'll receive the long promised reward

Samson

The wife of a man named Manoah was barren but she got a sign

When an angel of God said she'd have a son but she must not drink any wine

For he would be a Nazarite from the day he was born

And the hair of his head must never be shorn

When he grew up he married a woman, the daughter of a Philistine

Which made her parents very sad but it was all part of God's scheme

His wife betrayed him and caused him shame

When she told her friends his riddle

But he got his revenge when he tied fox's tails

With firebrands in the middle

He burned down their vineyards and fields of grain

And with the jawbone of an ass 1000 Philistines were slain

And then he met Delilah, the real cause of his woe

She wouldn't stop tormenting him until he let her know

The mystery of his strength for which she sought the key

She called and had his head shaved as he slept upon her knee

Now Samson's great strength left him and he could not arise

So the Philistines took him prisoner and put out his eyes

But soon his hair began to grow and he was strong again

He sought God's help that he might be avenged for all his pain

As the Philistines were celebrating the capture of their foe

Three thousand on the roof top jeered and mocked him down below

Their lords and ladies filled the house

Which stood on two great beams

But Samson pulled them down and said

"Let me die with the Philistines"

David the Shepherd

David was a shepherd boy, a strong and ruddy youth

He always tried to worship God, in spirit and in truth

And as he laid beneath the stars, while tending to the sheep

He'd meditate upon God's word, until he fell asleep

One day his father sent him, to the battle field to see

How his brothers were doing, as they fought in Saul's army

He heard the great Goliath call "Choose you out a man

So he be able to fight with me and kill me if he can

Then we will be your servants and you will be our lord

But if I prevail against him, I will kill him with my sword"

When the soldiers heard Goliath's words they were filled with fear and dread

For Goliath wore a coat of mail, a brass helmet on his head

But David did not fear him or the armor that he wore

He knew God would deliver him as He had so oft before

So David found him five smooth stones and took his sling in hand

Goliath was disdainful as he shouted out his plan

"I'll give your flesh unto the fowls and to the beast to eat

But David knew that with God's help the giant he'd defeat

For there's a God in Israel, the Lord of Hosts His name

And those who dare defy Him, will surely come to shame

So David slang the stone and hit Goliath in the head

He fell upon his face to the earth, the dreadful giant was dead

David took Goliath's sword and cut off the giant's head

So David with his great faith, honored the name of the Lord

And God was very greatly pleased, giving victory as David's reward

Esther

Esther was an orphan girl who Mordecai took in

He raised her as his own child, for she had no other kin

One day Ahasuerus, the king, put on a great feast at the palace

Vashti, the queen, refused to come which incited a lot of malice

The king asked the princes of the Persians and Medes

"What to do with the wayward queen?"

The wise men advised him to put her away never again to be seen

When the king's wrath was passed, a new queen was sought

And all the young virgins to the palace were brought

Among the young maidens came Esther, a girl who was beautiful to see

She obtained favor of all who saw her, for her beauty and modesty

The king loved Esther above all the rest, and set the crown on her head

But she didn't reveal her kindred or people for so had Mordecai said

Two men plotted to kill the king, as Mordecai sat in the gate

He told Esther about the plot, which saved the king from this fate

The king was certainly very well pleased, and had Mordecai's deed recorded

But it wasn't until a much later time that his good deed was rewarded

For Haman the Agagite, a wicked man, who Ahasuerus promoted

Was honored and revered by all the realm, except for one Jew, as was noted

Haman's anger was so intense, he sought to kill all the Jews

When Mordecai heard of the evil scheme, he quickly told Esther the news

Esther, the queen, was in great distress because of the threat to the Jews

She had to obtain the king's royal favor and hope that he wouldn't refuse

She asked the king that he and Haman come twice to her banquet of wine

Haman was very pleased to attend, nor did the king decline

Haman went forth that day full of glee and his friends gave congratulations

But when Mordecai refused to bow down to him, he was full of indignation

He ordered a gallows to be built of fifty cubits high

And on the morrow, he'd speak to the king, to hang poor Mordecai

That night, the king in his chamber, lay sleepless and utterly bored

He read about Mordecai's bravery, for which he'd received no reward

When Haman came to speak to the king about hanging the hated Jew

The king instead was thinking of the honors Mordecai was due

The king asked Haman "What should be done to the man the king took delight in?"

Haman supposed that the honors proposed were surely meant for him

He said to the king "Let the man be clothed with the royal apparel and crown

Let the noblest prince lead him on the king's horse through every city and town"

The king told Haman to hurry and do exactly as he had said

To honor Mordecai, the Jew, which filled Haman's heart with dread

As he was telling his wife and friends what had just befallen him

The king's chamberlains came to hasten him to the banquet of the queen

The king could not believe what he heard when Esther made her plea

"Who would presume to do such a thing to my beautiful queen?' said he

Esther said that Haman was the wicked enemy

That he also proposed to kill Mordecai, her only family

She told him also that his plan was to murder all the Jews

That letters were sent throughout the realm proclaiming this evil news

A chamberlain also told the king of Haman's gallows high

The king commanded that Haman be hanged instead of Mordecai

The king sent out new letters by the hand of Mordecai

Reversing Haman's evil scheme so not one Jew would die

Haman and his sons were hanged, till not a one remained

And all the Jews were full of joy for the deliverance they obtained 

John the Baptist

From John the Baptist came the word

The voice in the wilderness everyone heard

"Prepare ye the way, make his path straight

Repent and be baptized before it is too late

There cometh one mightier than I, after me

To unloose his shoes I'm not worthy" said he

"I baptize with water but he that shall come

Will baptize with Holy Spirit because he's God's son"

When Jesus came to Jordan to be baptized by John

He thought this was something that should not be done

He said " I have need to be baptized of thee

And comest thou here to be baptized by me"?

But Jesus told John that so it must be

So John acquiesced and was privileged to see

The Holy Spirit descend from above

And light upon Jesus in the form of a dove

Then words came from heaven and John's heart was eased

"This is my son in whom I'm well pleased"

Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9)

Saul of Tarsus was a Jew who thought he had the key

He belonged to the very strictest sect, he was a Pharisee

He thought that all Christ's followers were perverting the law

He went around from town to town imprisoning them all

But one day Saul had a vision, in the brilliant midday sun

And everyone that was with him saw this great phenomenon

They were all overpowered by great light that threw them to the ground

Saul alone understood the words, but everyone there heard the sound

Saul was made blind for a season, but in Damascus one night

The command came from God to Ananias to restore to Saul his sight

At first Ananias protested because of the things he had heard

Concerning the evil that Saul had done to those who believed "The Word"

But God told him that Saul had been chosen to bear His name before kings

That he was a chosen vessel and must suffer many things

So Ananias went his way and laid his hands on Saul

The Holy Spirit filled him up and from his eyes did fall

The scales of blindness that he might see

 That now he really had the key

He rose up quickly and began to preach

The gospel of Christ, to all he could reach

He preached first to the Hebrews and then to the Grecians,

The Romans, Galatians, Philippians, Ephesians

And as Christ commanded, so it was done

The gospel was preached to everyone

Joshua

The Lord told Joshua to destroy Jericho, it's king and everyone in it

He told him exactly what steps he must take in order for him to win it

The city would fall by the power of God, without any use of the sword

First men of war, then priest with horns, followed by the ark of the Lord

Were to compass the city one time for six days without anyone uttering a word

But the seventh day would be different and these are the orders they heard

"Circle the city seven times around

And listen until the priest's trumpet sound

Then let all the people give a great shout

And the walls of the city will fall without a doubt"

The accursed city Jericho and all who lived there

Except Rehab and her family who they promised to spare

Were destroyed, young and old, by the edge of the sword

But the gold and the silver they gave to the Lord

Gideon

The Lord was angry with Israel who did evil in His sight

He delivered them to the Midianites who oppressed them with all their might

Israel was greatly impoverished by the children of the east

They took away their homes and crops and every single beast

When the children of Israel cried to the lord because of the men of Midian

God sent an angel to Ophrah to speak to a man named Gideon

The Lord told Gideon "I will be with thee, go in this thy might"

And He told him not to be afraid to destroy every Midianite

So Gideon sent out messengers throughout all the land

To gather together an army as numerous as the sand

But the Lord told Gideon to send back the men who were fearful and very frightened

Twenty-two thousand men went back and the number was greatly lightened

But the Lord told Gideon there were yet too many that He would try them again

So he brought them down to the water and the second test began

The men were told to take a drink while Gideon looked to see

Three hundred lapped like a dog with their tongues but the rest drank on bended knee

"By the 300 men that lapped will I save thee" said the Lord to Gideon

So he sent the rest of the people home and he went on to Midian

He gave to each of the 300 men a trumpet, a pitcher and lamp

He told them to watch him and do the same thing when they came to the enemy's camp

They blew their trumpets and broke their pitchers and each held up his lamp

The companies stood every man in his place around the camp of Midian

They blew their trumpets and all cried out "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon"

The enemy host was so full of fear, they turned upon each other

The Lord set every Midianite's sword against that of his brother

The Lord gave a great victory to Israel by the hand of Gideon

They slew and beheaded Oreb and Zeeb, two princes of Midian

Naomi's Three Trials and Ultimate Reward

I suppose we all have wondered when cruel trials befall a man

If it was just a coincidence or part of some big plan

The following is a story that teaches us a lesson

It's necessary that trials first come, before we reap the blessing

Naomi's first trial came about when the family had to leave home

There was a famine in Judah which forced the all to roam

They finally settled in Moab and things went well for ten years

But Elimelech's death (the second trial) deepened Naomi's fears

Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi's sons, decided to find themselves wives

Chilion chose Orpah and Mahlon chose Ruth to be their loving brides

Before very long the third trial struck and Naomi's sons both died

Her heart was full of bitterness which she just couldn't hide

Naomi decided to go back home to the land where she was born

The deaths of her husband and two sons left her very sad and forlorn

She told her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their families

Orpah went back but Ruth refused in spite of Naomi's pleas

When they arrived in Judah, everyone there knew

Though Ruth was a Gentile, her heart was faithful and true

Since Naomi and Ruth were widows now, with no man to provide

Ruth knew she had to find a way that their needs could be supplied

As luck would have it Ruth happened to glean in Boaz's fields one day

He told his men to leave grain for her and not to chase her away

But was it luck that brought her there or was it Divine providence?

We know God had a future plan to reveal His beneficence

Though Boaz was a man of great wealth, he did the kinsman duty

He married this Moabite woman, Ruth, for her virtue and her beauty

God blessed them with a baby boy whom Naomi's friends named Obed

Obed then had a son named Jesse, who was the father of David

Now David was the antitype of Jesus Christ our Lord

The three trials Naomi and Ruth endured were blessed with this reward

So remember when trials befall you, be faithful all your days

You never know how things will work out, God works in mysterious ways

Jonah

The wickedness of Nineveh came up before God
And he sent Jonah to cry against it.
But this didn't fit in with Jonah's own plans
And he didn't like it a bit.
He booked passage to Tarshish on a big ship,
But it didn't please God to allow Jonah's trip.
God sent a great wind into the sea,
All the people on board were as scared as can be.
That is, all except Jonah who lay fast asleep,
While the captain and crew battled the deep.

The storm was so bad that they cast lots to see,
Who committed the sin and just what it might be.
The lot fell on Jonah and to his great shame,
He confessed his great sin and took all the blame.
He told them he fled from the presence of the Lord
And the storm would not cease while he was on board.
He told them to throw him into the sea,
So the tempest would cease and they would be free.

Jonah was then swallowed up by a fish,
He had three days and nights to pray and to wish,
That God would forgive him for what he had done
And that he'd once again see the light of the sun.
He said he would sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving,
And pay all he vowed to God for forgiving.

So God spoke to the fish to spew him on land,
And sent him to Nineveh to do his command.
He was told to warn Nineveh that their evil ways,
would bring on their overthrow in just forty days.
The people believed from the king right on down,
they put on sackcloth and ashes and laid on the ground.
The king ordered everyone both great and small,
including the animals enclosed in their stall,
to eat not a morsel nor drink not a drop,
and pray mightily to God that His anger might stop.
God heard their prayer and knew it was true
and repented of the evil He said He would do.

Now Jonah was angry and wished he would die.
He said he knew this would happen and that is why
he fled to Tarshish, because he knew
that because God was merciful, He would not do
the things He told Jonah to warn them about.
Now he felt like a fool, for his words were in doubt.

Outside the city he built a small shelter,
and sat down to watch amidst great heat and swelter.
God caused a great gourd to grow giving him relief.
This made Jonah happy and lessened his grief.
 But God caused a worm to destroy it that morning.
And a hot sun and east wind came up without warning.
This caused him to faint and wish he were dead
and he felt he was justified, feeling as he did.
Jonah had not labored to make the gourd grow,
But he was angry to death because God brought him so low.
He fussed and he fumed because of the gourd,
But couldn't see why Nineveh was spared by the Lord.