Deep and Wide

In the book of Esther, King Xerxes needs to find a new queen. From all over the kingdom, young women are chosen to meet him. They undergo beauty treatments for a year, and then have one night with the king. Who will he pick for his next queen?

The king of Persia, King Xerxes, gave a long-running party for his friends and officials. At the end of the party, when everyone had drunk lots of wine, he requested Queen Vashti to come. He wanted his guests to see her in her royal crown, and admire how beautiful she was. But she said no to the king. What will the king do now? What if all the women decided it was okay to say no to their husbands?

Elijah invites the prophets of Baal to have a contest on Mt. Carmel. He challenges their god to accept their offering by fire! If Baal accepts the offering, fine. Then the people of Israel will continue to serve Baal. But if the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob answers by fire, then their hearts will turn back to him. Who will win?

Many years after Solomon, King Ahab was king of Israel. He was a bad king. He started worshiping a different god. The prophet Elijah told King Ahab that there would not be any rain until God said so. Then Elijah went far away! God planned for a widow who was running out of food to feed Elijah. Will there be enough for Elijah?

Solomon's son Rehoboam was faced with a problem. The 10 tribes in the north, led by Jeroboam, wanted to give the king less money, fewer goods and fewer people. Should King Rehoboam (Ray) accept less from them? He asked his advisors what he should answer, and got two different opinions. But what does God want?

King Solomon, David's son, had the job of building a temple for God. It was a place where animal sacrifices were made. In the back of the temple was The Most Holy Place where the ark of the covenant was installed. When the temple was finished, the singers raised their voices along with the worship insruments. The glory of the Lord filled the temple like a cloud, and the cloud was so heavy, th...

Solomon sits on his throne to judge who is telling the truth. Here are two women who are claiming that they are both the mother of this baby.  One of them is lying. How will Solomon know? Did God really give him wisdom? What Solomon says shocks everyone! 

David's heart was full of songs. He sang to God! God saw David's heart. He promised David that one of his sons would always be a king. After David, his son Solomon became king. He prayed, and asked God to give him wisdom. God gave him more than what he asked for. 

David was the king now in Israel, and was enjoying the view from his palace. He looked down and saw a woman on her roof, taking a bath! He wanted this woman to be his girlfriend, and invited her to come to the palace for a date. She was already married! But she and David had a date anyway. Some time later, she realized she was pregnant, and the baby was David's baby, not her husband. Oh no! W...

David wanted to bring the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. On the way, the oxen stumbled, and one of the helpers was killed. But David took courage and after three months, he tried again. What a celebration! David danced with all his might! Michal thought that David looked silly. But what did God see?

David is hiding from Saul in a rocky place, full of caves. When Saul and his men come after David, David is hiding in the back of a cave. What are the chances that Saul would choose that cave to use for a bathroom? David creeps up quietly and cuts off a piece of Saul's robe. Even though his men have urged him to kill Saul, he can't do it. When Saul leaves the cave, David goes out too, an...

Saul was jealous of how much other people loved David.  Even his own son Jonathan made a promise to be David's forever friend. Saul secretly wanted David to die. He sent him out to kill 100 Philistines, and promised David he could marry his daughter Michal if he did it. Instead of getting killed, David fulfilled the quest, and married Michal. Saul sent his men to watch David's house and...

When the Philistines come to attack King Saul's army, they send a representative from their side to offer the Israelites a deal. Not everyone has to fight! If someone defeats Goliath, their giant soldier, then the Philistines will become their servants. If Goliath wins, then Israel will serve them.  David arrives on the scene with food for his brothers. Although he is not yet an adult, he off...

Samuel was sad that King Saul had disobeyed God so flagrantly. King Saul was on his way out. But God told Samuel to go to Bethlehem where he could anoint the new king. Samuel met seven of Jesse's sons, and the Lord told him each time - "No - not this one." God doesn't look at the outer appearance, but he looks at the heart. Samuel said to Jesse, "Do you have any more sons?...

King Saul's son was excited about fighting the Philistines. He and his armor bearer went up the side of a hill to challenge their fort. Jonathan had a plan. If the Philistines said, "Come on up!" then that would be a sign from God that God would deliver the Philistines into Israel's hand. Sure enough Jonathan and his helper were invited to approach, and they killed 20 enemy sol...

Samuel warns the people that asking for a human king is a mistake. God sends rain and thunder to show them they should listen to Samuel. Everyone needs to respect what God says, even King Saul. If they don't do what God says there will be trouble. Saul has an army of 2,000 men. His son Jonathan battles the Philistines with 1,000 men. When the Philistines hear about it, they get ready to fight...

The people of Israel told Samuel they wanted to have a king like the nations that lived around them. Samuel warned them what it would be like to have a king, but they wanted one anyway. The Lord sent Saul to meet Samuel, and Samuel annointed him with oil. Then Saul ran into a group of worshipers, Saul, too, fell under the power of the Holy Spirit. God gave him a new heart.  There was no one like h...

Hannah brings Samuel to the temple to help Eli, the priest. When he grows older, he hears a voice calling his name. He thinks it's Eli, but Eli sends him back to bed. After the third time of asking Eli if it was him, Eli realizes that it's the Lord calling Samuel. Eli tells him to stay in bed and tell the Lord he is listening. The Lord gives Samuel a message about Eli. God tells Samuel w...

In 1 Samuel chapeter 1, Elkanah offers a sacrifice to the Lord. He passes the meat from the sacrifice to his wife, Peninnah and her children, and to his beloved wife Hannah, who has no chidren. Hannah felt bad that she had no children, and Peninnah made her feel even worse, year after year. Elkanah tried to cheer her up and told her he loved her more than 10 sons would. Hannah ate then, and pulled...

Naomi thinks of a way that Ruth can have a better life than just picking up leftover grain. If Boaz agrees to buy her land, then he will get Ruth as a wife, too.  Ruth washes up, puts on perfume, and wears her best clothes. Naomi sends Ruth to surprise Boaz in the middle of the night. He is surprised! 

When Naomi and Ruth get back to Bethlehem, the barley harvest has just begun. Ruth offers to pick up the leftover barley in the field, so she and Naomi will have something to eat. The field belongs to Boaz. When he sees Ruth, he is kind to her. He gives her some lunch, and tells her to stay in his field, so she can be safe and comfortable.  She shares the good news with Naomi, who is glad to know...

Naomi's family moves to Moab when there is a food shortage. Sadly, her husband dies. Her two sons get married in Moab, but then they die, too, leaving Naomi, and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth. When the news comes that there's food again in Israel, Naomi and the women set off for Bethlehem. But Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to go back to their families so they can get married agai...

Finally Samson told Delilah his secret. She knew that if his hair was cut he would lose his strength. After he fell asleep, someone cut off his seven braids. He woke up, thinking he would be able to get free, but the Lord had left him. The Philistines took him prisoner. Then they had a big party in the temple of their god who they called Dagon. Samson was called out of prison, so they could laugh...

Samson gives the Philistines a lot of trouble. They want to take him prisoner! But how can they overcome his incredible strength? What is his secret? In Judges chapter 16 Samson gets a new girlfriend Delilah. She tries to get him to tell her the secret of his strength.  He resists her three times, but she is wearing him out.  Will he give in and tell her how he can be caught?

When Samson grows up, he finds a Philistine woman he wants to marry. He and his parents go to the city to make arrangements. On the way, Samson is sidetracked by a lion attack. The Spirit of God rises up within him and he kills the lion. A few weeks later, when he is on the way to the wedding celebration, Samson checks up on the dead lion and finds there is a beehive in it now! He makes up a weird...