THE OLD TESTAMENT IN RHYME

HEZEKIAH: LIFE + 15 YEARS (2 Kings 20, Isa. 38) Hezekiah was the best of kings, So the LORD gave him success. He worshiped the Lord and kept His commands; And he ruled with great finesse. Then one day he became ill; He was at the point of death. When Isaiah, the prophet, spoke to him, He was ready to draw his last breath. He was told “Put your house in order, Because you are going to die.” When told he would not recover, Hezekiah questioned why. He turned his face to the wall, While grieving his coming demise. Then he asked the Lord to remember, The good he had done in God’s eyes. The Lord spoke to Isaiah, While Hezekiah bitterly wept. God told Isaiah to tell him, That He would intercept. He heard his prayer and saw his tears, So would agree to remove his strife. In three days he should go to the temple, Where fifteen years would be added to his life. From the hand of Assyria’s king, He’d deliver him and the city. For His own and His servant, David’s, sake, God would show mercy and pit...

  (II Kings 5) Naaman was a commander, In the army of a king. King Aram regarded him highly ; He was trusted with everything. Naaman contracted leprosy ; He didn’t know what to do. He knew he would lose his limbs, then his life ; He was really in a stew. His wife had a servant girl, A captive from Israel. She remembered Elisha the prophet, Who through God could make Naaman well. So Naaman went to Israel’s king ; His own king gave him a letter. He offered the other king money and clothes, If he would make Naaman better. The king read the letter and tore his robes ; He thought Naaman was picking a quarrel. He knew he could not cure anyone ; He saw the request as immoral. Elisha sent the king a message, Though the king he did not see . “ Why did you tear your robes ?” he said. “ Just send the man to me. ” Naaman was told to wash in the Jordan, Seven times from his feet to his head. If he wanted his skin restored, He must do what Elisha said. T he Jordan was muddy and gross , So...

  HOT WHEELS, FIERY HORSES, AND A WHIRLWIND (II Kings 2:1-12) Elijah knew his time was up, And that God would take him away. And when that moment did come, It came with great display. Elisha would be his successor, The one he trained and anointed. They were on their way from Gilgal, To the time and place God appointed. Elijah wanted to go alone, But Elisha was loyal and true. He said, "As surely as the LORD and you live, I will never leave you." So they went down to Bethel, And from there to Jericho They traveled on to the Jordan River, Where Elijah put on quite a show. With an audience of 50 prophets, Elijah rolled up his cloak. With it he struck the water, And parted it with one stroke.  The water divided to the right and the left, A dry path appeared for the two. When they had crossed over, Elijah asked, "Tell me what I can do." "I want double your spirit," Elisha said. Which put Elijah in a difficult spot. "If you see me when I’m taken,” he said, ...

  JEZEBEL, A MEAN QUEEN (I Kings 19 - II Kings 9)   Most of Israel’s kings were bad, Few were considered great. King Ahab was the worst of all, He made God quite irate. Ahab married a foreign princess; Jezebel was her name. The daughter of a Phoenician king, Her wickedness is still her fame. Jezebel worshiped Baal, King Ahab built a temple for him. But God is a jealous God; And so He was angry with them. Ahab and Jezebel led the nation, And idols were forbidden. God wants no gods before Him, And their brazen sin wasn’t hidden. Sure enough, idol worship caught on; It spread throughout the land. Jezebel was so faithful to Baal, That she didn’t fear God’s hand. Near the palace was a neighbor’s vineyard, Passed down through each generation. Naboth was now the owner who, Was approached by the king of the nation. “Let me have your vineyard,” said Ahab. To use for a vegetable garden. Naboth refused for his ancestors’ sake; His decline the king would not pardon. Ahab said, "I’ll give ...

  NOTE: Look for all the signs of depression in this story: withdrawal from friends and family, sleeping too much, loss of appetite, hopelessness, a death wish, preoccupation with the same negative thoughts, loss of enthusiasm, self-pity and despair. But also note that the end of Elijah’s depression came when God, the greatest psychologist, gave him hope and a mission. Everyone needs hope and to feel productive and we all need to be needed. ELIJAH FIGHTS HIS TOUGHEST BATTLE: DEPRESSION (I Kings 19:1-18) Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah, Before the next day's end drew nigh! Elijah was so afraid of death, That he just wanted to die. He had endured many trials, With courage, strength and honor, But now that he faced Jezebel, He thought he was a goner. He ran for his life to Beersheba, And left his servant there. In the desert he prayed for death; His problems were too much to bear. He told God frankly he’d had enough, And begged Him to take his life. Weary from worry, he fell asleep;...

ELIJAH: 450 VS. 1 (Based on I Kings 18:16-40) The Israelites turned away from God, In the days of Jezebel. So Elijah, the prophet, said to them, “Follow God, or follow Baal.” But his words were met with silence, For the people couldn’t decide. God sent Elijah to prove to them, That in God they should abide. Elijah challenged Baal’s prophets, To see whose god was a liar. Each god would be offered a sacrifice; The real one would answer by fire. Four hundred fifty prophets of Baal, Were pitted against only one. But when that one was sent from God, The contest was already won. The idol’s prophets went first; Their god they began to hound. They begged from morning ‘til noon, But they never heard a sound. Thinking it would help to dance, They danced themselves into a tizzy. But still they got no answer; All they got was dizzy. Elijah began to heckle them, “Shout louder,” he repeatedly said. “Baal may be busy or deep in thought, On a trip, or even in bed.” Baal’s prophets shouted louder; They...

  ELIJAH, FED BY RAVENS (I Kings 17) God’s people were led astray, By King Ahab, an evil man. So God sent Elijah to Ahab, To relay His impending plan. For three and one half years, They would see no dew or rain. Ahab was mad at the messenger, As if Elijah would cause their pain. So, the Lord told Elijah to hide himself, From Ahab, and so he did. God commanded ravens to feed him, While near a brook he hid. In time the brook dried up; No rain fell where he was hidin’. So God had him leave his hiding place, And go visit a widow near Sidon. When he came to the gate of the city, He saw her gathering sticks. He asked for bread and some water to drink, But the widow had little to fix. For this was her final meal; There was no more food to buy. After she and her son ate their meager meal, They could only lie down and die. The wood was to cook the food. In preparing for the worst, She was told to take the meal and oil, And fix him a little cake first. He assured her that if she complied, He...

  A WISE MAN'S FOLLY God appeared to King Solomon, Within a dream at night. He said He’d grant him any wish, Whether riches, power or might. Solomon’s answer was instant; It was not of himself that he thought. He wanted to rule his people well, So wisdom was all he sought. Solomon’s wish was granted, For God was pleased indeed. He gave him riches and power, too, And wisdom no one could exceed. Two women came to him one day, To speak with him face to face. They were having a hostile argument, And asked him to judge their case. The women had each bore a baby, Then one night while they were asleep, The one rolled over on hers, For she was sleeping so deep. She later switched the two children, When she found her baby was dead. But the real mother knew the child she bore, Was not the one in her bed. After hearing each woman’s story, Solomon knew just what to do. He asked that a sword be brought to him, So the child could be cut in two. Since there was only one baby, And the real mother ...

  A FATHER-TO-SON CHARGE (I Kings 2)  King David had several sons; Only one could be the new king. Solomon earned his father’s respect, So he would wear the king’s ring.  Solomon met with his father; They had a father-son talk. The advice David gave the new king, Were the ways in which he should walk.  I will soon go the way of the earth, he said. Be a man, have courage, be strong. Observe what the Lord God requires, Keep His laws and never do wrong.  If you keep the Law of Moses, Your rewards will grow and grow. You will prosper in all you do, And also wherever you go.  Be wise in dealing with enemies, Be kind to those who do good. Let them eat at your table, If they did for you all they could.  David then breathed his last, And with his fathers went to rest, But not before he gave this charge, To Solomon, his son, whom he blessed. Becky L. Wall

I LOVE EWE (II Samuel 11) David was serving as king, Of the whole Israelite nation. Though he had served with integrity, He one day succumbed to temptation. He slept with Bathsheba, another man’s wife, Then learned she would bear his child. David tried to cover their sin, So they would not be reviled. The husband’s name was Uriah, A brave and honorable guy. But David took no pity on him, When he sent him out to die. A war was going on; Future gossip could be stilled, If Uriah was sent to the front of the war, Where he would surely be killed. The Lord sent a prophet to David, With a story meant to chastise. The whole point of the allegory, Was to open David’s eyes. There were two men in a certain town — One rich, the other poor. The poor man had one little lamb; The rich one had sheep galore. The poor man had purchased the lamb. He nurtured it while it grew. The lamb shared his food and his cup. He could truly say “I love ewe.” A traveler came to the rich man’s home; The custom was to f...