Mother Stories from the Old Testament Part 6

JONAH AT NINEVEH.

Jonah was commanded to go to Nineveh, and cry out that the city should be destroyed on account of the wickedness of its inhabitants. But instead of obeying G.o.d's command he fled in a ship that was bound for Tarshish. Then a great storm arose, and the shipmen cast Jonah into the sea, believing that the storm had been sent through his disobedience. G.o.d saved Jonah by means of a large fish, and brought him safely to land again.

A second time G.o.d said to Jonah, "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee." So Jonah arose and went as G.o.d had directed him. Now Nineveh was a very large city, about sixty miles in circ.u.mference, and Jonah went some distance inside and then cried out, "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" It was a strange and terrible cry which sounded throughout the city, and as the Ninevites heard it they feared G.o.d, proclaimed a fast, covered themselves with sackcloth, and every man was commanded to forsake evil. So they hoped G.o.d would forgive them and spare their city.

G.o.d saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, therefore He spared their city. When Jonah saw that Nineveh was spared he was very angry, and prayed G.o.d to take away his life. He made a booth and sat under it to see what would become of the city. Then G.o.d sheltered him from the sun by a gourd, and afterwards taught him by it how wrong he was in being displeased because Nineveh had been spared.

Nineveh was afterwards overthrown, and has remained since then but a heap of ruins.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JONAH AT NINEVEH.]

HEZEKIAH AND SENNACHERIB.

Sennacherib, the King of a.s.syria, invaded the land of Judah, and threatened to lay siege to Jerusalem. Then Hezekiah took counsel with his princes and mighty men, and repaired the broken walls, and made them higher. He made many other preparations for the defence of the city, and went among his people, exhorting them to trust in G.o.d, and be of good courage. But Sennacherib sent messengers to induce those that guarded the walls of the city to revolt against Hezekiah, saying, "Do not believe this Hezekiah when he tells you that your G.o.d will deliver you; hath any of the nations against which I have made war been delivered by their G.o.ds?"

When Hezekiah heard these words he went into the house of the Lord, and sent messengers to Isaiah, asking for his prayers. Isaiah said to them, "Thus saith the Lord, 'Be not afraid of the words with which the King of a.s.syria hath blasphemed Me. I will send a blast upon him, and he shall return and shall fall by the sword in his own land.'"

Afterwards the King of a.s.syria sent a letter to Hezekiah, in which he repeated his sneers at the power of G.o.d. When Hezekiah read it, he went into the house of the Lord, and spreading the letter before the Lord, prayed for His help. G.o.d answered, by the mouth of Isaiah, that the King of a.s.syria should not enter Jerusalem, nor shoot over it, but be turned back the way he came. And the same night the angel of the Lord went into the camp of the a.s.syrians, and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand. Then Sennacherib returned to Nineveh, and as he was worshipping in the house of his G.o.d, there came to him two of his sons, who killed him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HEZEKIAH LAYING THE LETTER BEFORE G.o.d.]

THE BRAVE HEBREW BOYS.

Brave boys and girls! We all wish to be brave, do we not? Then we must learn to say "No," when tempted to do wrong.

These Hebrew boys were young n.o.bles who had been carried captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; but though in a strange land, subject to the mighty king Nebuchadnezzar, they feared not to refuse his food and wine when they knew that the taking of it would cause them to sin against G.o.d. They were well educated Hebrew youths, and the Babylonish king had commanded that they should be taught the learning of the Chaldeans; also, to keep them in health and with beautiful countenances, he had ordered that the meat and wine from his table should be given them. Their names were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel seems to have been their leader. We find "he purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank." So he begged the king's servant the feed him and his three companions on plain food and pure water; but the servant feared to do so, lest the king should find them worse looking than those who ate his meat and drank his wine, and the servant should lose his head in consequence. A trial was made, however, for ten days, at the end of which time they were found to be better looking than the boys fed on rich food and wine. Therefore, the servant let them live plainly according to their request; and at the end of three years, when they stood before the king, we are told that for wisdom and understanding none were found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BRAVE HEBREW BOYS.]

DANIEL AND THE LIONS.

When Darius came to the throne, upon the death of Belshazzar, he set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes. Over these he appointed three presidents, of whom Daniel was first. Now the princes and other presidents were jealous of Daniel, and sought to find some fault against him; but could not, as he was a faithful servant of the King.

Then they tried to injure him because of his praying to G.o.d. So they came to the King, and said, "King Darius live for ever: all the great officers of thy kingdom have consulted together to establish a royal law, that whosoever shall ask a pet.i.tion of any G.o.d or man for thirty days, save of thee, O King, he shall be cast into a den of lions." The King signed the writing and established the law. But Daniel still knelt and prayed three times a day as before.

His enemies saw him praying, and told the King, urging him to carry out the law. But the King was angry with himself that he had agreed to such a law, and tried to think of some way to save Daniel. Then these men urged that the law could not be altered. So Daniel was cast into the den of lions, and a stone was put over the mouth of the den, which was sealed by the King and the lords. But the King had said to Daniel, "Thy G.o.d whom thou servest will deliver thee."

The King pa.s.sed the night fasting, and could not sleep. In the morning, very early, he arose and went to the den of lions, and cried with a lamentable voice, "O Daniel, servant of the living G.o.d, is thy G.o.d able to deliver thee from the lions?" Then Daniel said, "O King, live for ever. My G.o.d hath sent His angel and shut the lions'

mouths."

[Ill.u.s.tration: DANIEL AND THE LIONS.]

ESTHER BEFORE THE KING.

Ahasuerus reigned over the vast empire of Persia, and Esther, the adopted daughter of a Jew named Mordecai, was Queen. None in the palace knew she was a Jewess, for Mordecai had charged her not to make it known. He abode in the king's palace, and was one of the king's servants.

Ahasuerus promoted Haman, one of his courtiers, a cruel and wicked man, to be over all his princes and officers; and all bowed down to Haman and did him reverence except Mordecai, the Jew. Then was Haman filled with wrath against Mordecai and his people, and obtained from the king a decree ordering that all the Jews throughout his dominions should be slain. Mordecai informed Queen Esther of this decree, and bade her go to the king and plead for her people. Now it was one of the laws of the palace that no one should approach the king in the inner court unless he had been previously called; the penalty for not obeying this law being death, unless the king should hold out the golden sceptre to the offender so that he might live. Esther knew the danger of approaching the king uncalled for, but she bade Mordecai to gather the Jews so that they might spend three days in fasting and prayer, while she and her maidens did the same, and, said she, "So will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish."

Esther went in. The king graciously held out the golden sceptre to her, accepted her invitation to a banquet, and finally ordered the wicked Haman to be hanged, and measures to be taken to preserve the lives of the Jews.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ESTHER BEFORE THE KING.]

DAVID AND JONATHAN.

Jonathan was the son of Saul, the king. He loved David greatly, and regretted that his father, through jealousy, sought David's life.

David, after the last attempt of Saul to smite him to the wall by a javelin, fled away, and meeting with Jonathan said: "What have I done?

What is mine iniquity, and what is my sin before thy father that he seeketh my life?"

Jonathan sympathised deeply with his friend, and tried to save him. He promised to ascertain whether Saul fully intended to kill David, and, if so, to inform him, that he might escape. Meantime David was to remain in hiding, but on the third day Jonathan was to return with the required information. Before they parted they entered into a solemn covenant, one with the other, to remain firm friends during life; and David promised to show kindness to Jonathan and his children, after G.o.d should make him king.

At the time appointed, after ascertaining that Saul still sought David's life, Jonathan went to the field where David lay concealed.

Jonathan took with him his bow and arrows and a little lad. Shooting an arrow beyond the lad, he cried, "Make speed, haste, stay not!"

These words were intended as a warning to David to flee quickly. When the lad had gone, David arose from his hiding place and came to Jonathan, bowing three times before him. Then they kissed each other, wept, and again pledged themselves to be faithful; after which David fled, and Jonathan returned to the city.

ALTEMUS' MOTHER STORIES SERIES

MOTHER STORIES A Book of the Best Stories that Mothers can tell their Children

MOTHER NURSERY RHYMES AND TALES A Book of the Best Nursery Rhymes and Tales that Mothers can tell their Children

MOTHER FAIRY TALES A Book of the Best Fairy Tales that Mothers can tell their Children

MOTHER NATURE STORIES A Book of the Best Nature Stories that Mothers can tell their Children

MOTHER STORIES FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT A Book of the Best Old Testament Stories that Mothers can tell their Children