Inleiding
Gegroet. De verhalen in het Groene prentenboek komen uit Gods Boek, de Bijbel. Ze vertellen over grote mannen die Gods hulp ontvingen in tijden van problemen. Luisteren! Kijk naar de volgende foto als je dit geluid hoort. (Signaal)

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Afbeelding 1. Naaman bezoekt Elisha's Huis. 2 Koningen 5:1-12

Elisa was een grote leraar en profeet van God in Israël. Op een dag kwam een man genaamd Naaman naar zijn huis. Hij was de commandant van het Syrische leger en Syrië was de vijand van Israël. Naaman was een dappere en machtige man, maar hij had lepra. Hij kwam naar Israël omdat hij hoorde dat Elisa zijn lepra kon genezen. Maar Elisa wilde hem niet eens begroeten. Elisa stuurde zijn dienaar om Naaman te zeggen: "Ga zeven keer wassen in de rivier de Jordaan... En jullie zullen rein zijn van jullie lepra." Naaman was boos en zei: "Ik dacht dat hij zeker naar mij zou komen, en de naam van zijn God zou aanroepen en mijn lepra zou genezen." Dus Naaman ging weg in een grote woede. (Signaal)

Afbeelding 2. Naaman in de rivier. 2 Koningen 5:13-19

Naaman's dienaren smeekten hem zich af te keren van zijn woede en trots. Ze haalden hem over om Elisha's eenvoudige bevel op te volgen. Dus Naaman ging naar de rivier de Jordaan en waste zich zeven keer. Kijk naar de foto! Naaman is erg blij. Zijn lepra was volledig genezen. Elisa was niet bang voor de mens. Hij vertrouwde op een Grote God. Hij wist dat zijn God alles kon doen, maar hij wist dat mensen God moesten gehoorzamen om gered te worden van hun problemen. (Signaal)

Afbeelding 3. Elisa en het leger van God. 2 Koningen 6:8-17

God vertelde Elisa wanneer de Syriërs israël kwamen aanvallen. Elisa waarschuwde de koning van Israël zodat de Syriërs hem niet konden verslaan. De koning van Syrië zei tegen zijn soldaten: "Ga en zoek uit waar Elisa is, zodat ik hem kan vangen." Op een vroege ochtend gingen Elisa en zijn bediende naar buiten en zagen de Syriërs hem komen halen. De dienaar riep: "Meester, wat zullen we doen?" Elisa zei: "Wees niet bang. Zij die bij ons zijn, zijn meer dan zij die bij hen zijn." Toen zag de dienaar overal paarden en strijdwagens van vuur om hen heen. Het was het leger van God dat gestuurd was om hen te beschermen. (Signaal)

Picture 4. Elisha and the Blind Army. 2 Kings 6:17-23
As the Syrians came near to capture Elisha, he prayed to God, saying, "Strike these people with blindness!" Immediately all the soldiers were unable to see. Elisha went to them and said, "Follow me and I will take you to the man you want." Elisha led all the blind men right into Samaria, the chief city of Israel. There Elisha prayed to God again, "Lord, open the eyes of these men." Then the Syrians saw that they were in the city of their enemies! The king of Israel wanted to kill them, but Elisha said, "Give them food and drink, and let them go." Friends, the God of Elisha is greater than all our enemies too. We do not have to seek revenge if we trust in Him. (Signal)

Picture 5. The Siege of Samaria. 2 Kings 6:24 - 7:2
The Syrian army came again to fight Israel. They surrounded the city of Samaria for a long time. Soon the Israelites in the city had no food left to eat. Look at the picture! The king of Israel was walking up on top of the city wall. Two women came to him. They begged the king to help them. They were so hungry that they were eating their own children! The king did not know what to do. He was angry because God had not saved them from the Syrians. He decided to kill Elisha, the servant of God. Then Elisha sent this message to the king, "This is what the Lord God says, 'This time tomorrow, flour and barley will be sold at the gate of Samaria!'" (Signal)

Picture 6. The Four Lepers. 2 Kings 7:3-20
At that time, four men sat at the gate of Samaria. They all had leprosy. They said to each other, "Why should we stay here and die? Let us go to the Syrian army." Meanwhile, the Syrians heard a great noise like an army coming. They were so afraid that they left all their things and fled. When the lepers came to the Syrian camp, there was no one there! The lepers took food and anything they wanted. Then they said to each other, "This is not right. This is a day of good news and we are not sharing it with anyone." Quickly they returned to Samaria and told the king. Soon the people were selling food from the Syrian camp at the gate of Samaria, as Elisha had said. God had saved Israel, and God saved His servant Elisha too. Friends, God sent Jesus to save us from everlasting death. This is good news too, and we must share it with others. (Music & Signal)

Picture 7. Jonah flees from God. Jonah 1:1-7
After Elisha died, there was another prophet in Israel called Jonah. God said to Jonah, "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. I know how wicked its people are." The people of Nineveh were also the enemies of Israel. Jonah did not want to go to them so he tried to run away. He found a ship which was going to a far country. He paid his fare and the ship sailed away. Soon a great storm arose on the sea. The people in the ship were terrified. They said, "Let us cast lots to find out who is to blame for this." So they cast lots and decided that Jonah was to blame. (Signal)

Picture 8. Jonah and the Great Fish. Jonah 1:8 - 2:10
The sailors said to Jonah, "What have you done?" He told them that he was running away from God. So they said to him, "What shall we do to you, to make the sea calm?" Jonah replied, "Throw me into the sea. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon us." The men did not want to kill Jonah, but the storm grew worse, so they threw him overboard into the sea. However, Jonah did not die. Look at the picture! A great fish swallowed Jonah. He stayed alive in the belly of the fish for three days. Then the fish vomited Jonah out onto the dry land. (Signal)

Picture 9. Jonah at Nineveh. Jonah 3:1-10
God spoke to Jonah again. "Go to Nineveh and preach to them the message I tell you." So Jonah obeyed God and went to Nineveh. He warned the people saying, "In 40 days Nineveh will be destroyed." The king and all the people cried to God to save them. They turned from their evil ways, so God decided not to destroy them. Friends, we are all like Jonah and the people of Nineveh. We have all disobeyed God and done evil things. We deserve punishment. However God loves us. He sent Jesus to warn us, so that we might turn from evil. Jesus died to save us. He was in the grave for three days, just as Jonah was in the fish for three days. Then Jesus rose from death. Now He can give everlasting life to all who will turn away from sin and evil and follow His Way. (Music & Signal)

Picture 10. Esther and the King. Esther 1:1 - 2:18
Esther was a young Jewish girl from the land of Israel. Her parents had died, so Mordecai, her uncle, took care of her. Esther and Mordecai were captured with the people of Israel, and taken away to the land of Persia. The king of Persia was a very powerful man. Everyone was afraid of him. When his queen made him angry, he decided to replace her. Then he called for all the beautiful young girls in his kingdom to come to him. From among them all, he chose Esther to be his new queen. But Esther told no one that she was a Jew. (Signal)

Picture 11. Mordecai Refuses to Bow Down. Esther 3:1 - 4:17
Haman was an important man in Persia. All the people had to bow down to him as he passed by. Mordecai would only worship the One True God. He refused to bow down to Haman. Haman was angry. He determined to get his revenge on Mordecai. One day he told the king, "The Jews do not keep the king's law. Let a law be made that they are to be destroyed." Haman gave the king money, so that he agreed to his request. Haman told the people that on a certain day they must kill all the Jews. Haman himself built a great gallows on which to hang Mordecai. Mordecai told Esther that she must go to the king and plead for her people. But Esther said, "If anyone goes to the king without being called, he must die." She asked the Jews to pray for her. Then she said, "I will go to the king. If I die, then I will die." (Signal)

Picture 12. Esther's Feast. Esther 5:1 - 7:10
God answered the prayers of the Jews. The king received Esther. She invited him to a special feast and she invited Haman too. At the feast the king asked, "Queen Esther, what do you want?" Esther replied, "My wish is that I may live, for my people and I have been sold to be killed." The king said, "Who dares to do such a thing?" So Esther said, "Our enemy is this evil man Haman!" The king was so angry when he heard of Haman's wicked plans. He had him hanged on the gallows which Haman had prepared for Mordecai, and all the Jews were saved. Friends, Esther was ready to die to save her people, but Jesus loves us so much, that He died to save us all from everlasting death. (Music)

Introduction to Side B
Daniel and Nehemiah were forced to live in the land of their enemies. But they worshipped the One True God and they became great men. Look at the next picture in the book when you hear this sound. (Signal)

Picture 13. Daniel and His Friends. Daniel 1:1-20
This picture shows Daniel and his three friends. They were Jews. They were taken to the land of Babylon by their enemies. The king of Babylon wanted them to serve him, so they had to learn the language and the customs of Babylon. Daniel and his friends refused to eat the rich food of the king. It was against the customs of the Jews. They knew that they must keep God's Laws and honour Him, so they asked for vegetables to eat and only water to drink. The man who kept them was afraid that they would get thin and sick. But God cared for them and they became healthier and wiser than all the young men of Babylon. (Signal)

Picture 14. Daniel and the King of Babylon. Daniel 2:1-49
The king of Babylon had a dream. He asked his wise men to tell him all about his dream, but none of them could tell him, so he decided to kill them all. Then Daniel and his friends prayed to God, and God revealed the king's dream to Daniel. Daniel went to the king and said, "There is a God in Heaven who reveals mysteries. The great God is telling the king what will happen in the future." In the dream the king had seen all the kingdoms of the world. Then he saw a greater Kingdom which destroyed them all. That was the Kingdom of God which lasts forever. Daniel told these things to the king. The king was pleased with Daniel. The wise men were saved, and Daniel was made governor (ruler) over all of Babylon. (Signal)

Picture 15. The Image of Gold. Daniel 3:1-12
The king of Babylon set up a huge image of gold. He called for all his officials to come and see the image. The king's servant commanded the people, saying, "When you hear the sound of the music you must all fall down and worship the golden image. Anyone who does not worship will be thrown into a furnace of fire." Daniel's friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refused to worship the image. They worshipped God alone. Some men went to the king and said, "There are some Jews who are disobeying you. They do not serve your gods or worship the golden image." (Signal)

Picture 16. The Furnace of Fire. Daniel 3:13-30
The king sent for Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He said to them, "If you do not worship the image of gold, you will be thrown into the furnace of fire. What god will be able to rescue you?" The men replied, "The God we serve is able to save us, but even if He does not, we will not worship the image of gold." So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were thrown into the furnace of fire. Then the king cried out, "Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, and the fourth one looks like a son of the gods (or the Son of God)." When the three men came out of the fire, they were not even burned. The king said, "The God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego sent His angel and rescued His servants. No other god can save like that." (Signal)

Picture 17. Daniel Prays to God. Daniel 6:1-13
Daniel had great power (authority) in that land. Other officials were very jealous of him. They could find no fault in him for Daniel obeyed the king. So the enemies of Daniel went to the king and said, "The king should issue an order which says that anyone who prays to any god or man, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den." The king agreed with the men and he made the new law. Daniel heard of the king's new law, but he continued to pray to God as he did every day. When his enemies saw him praying, they went to the king and said, "Daniel has not obeyed the law you made." (Signal)

Picture 18. Daniel in the Lions' Den. Daniel 6:14-24
The king did not want Daniel to die in the lions' den, but he could not change the law. So Daniel was thrown to the lions. Early the next morning the king ran to the lions' den and called out, "Daniel, has your God been able to save you from the lions?" And Daniel answered, "My God sent His angel, and He shut the mouths of the lions." The king was overjoyed. Daniel was taken out of the lions' den. At the king's command, the enemies of Daniel were thrown to the lions, and immediately the lions tore them to pieces. Friends, we need not fear what man can do to us if we trust in the Living God of Daniel and his friends. Even if men kill us we still have hope, for Jesus came from God to give us life after death.(Music & Signal)

Picture 19. Nehemiah Before the Great King. Nehemiah 1:1 - 2:7
Nehemiah was a Jew who trusted in God. He lived in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Jerusalem, the city of his ancestors, was in ruins and the Jews who lived there were in great trouble. Nehemiah was the servant of a great king. One day, as he served wine to the king, the king said to him, "Why does your face look so sad?" Nehemiah told him about Jerusalem and his people, the Jews. Then the king said, "For what do you ask?" Nehemiah silently prayed to God, and said to the king, "Send me to the city of my fathers that I may rebuild it." God answered Nehemiah's prayer and the king agreed to his request. (Signal)

Picture 20. Nehemiah Inspects the Ruined City. Nehemiah 2:7-20
The king gave Nehemiah building materials and men to help him. They travelled all the way to Jerusalem. The enemies of the Jews heard about Nehemiah. They were angry. They did not want anyone to help the Jews. Nehemiah was not afraid of them. Nehemiah wanted to inspect Jerusalem, so he rode all around the broken walls of the city. He went at night so that no one knew what he was doing. The next morning Nehemiah called the Jews and said, "Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace." He told them that God was with him; they must not fear their enemies. So the Jews agreed to work with Nehemiah. (Signal)

Picture 21. Building the Walls. Nehemiah 3:1 - 6:19
Look at the picture! The Jews began to work. Some cleared away the rubbish while others built the walls and set up the gates. The enemies of the Jews became very angry. They threatened to kill the Jews while they worked. So Nehemiah prayed to God again. He needed God to show him what to do. Then he placed armed men on the walls to guard the workers. Everyone took weapons and prepared for war. The enemies were unable to kill Nehemiah or the Jews. So the work went on and (in only 52 days) the wall was rebuilt. (Signal)

Picture 22. Ezra Reads the Law. Nehemiah 8:1 - 13:31
After the walls were finished, the Jews met together in Jerusalem. Ezra, the priest of God, read to them from the Holy Books (Scriptures). Some of the people began to weep because they knew that they had disobeyed the Laws of God. That was the reason God had let the enemies destroy their city. The Jews wanted to turn from their sinful ways and follow the ways of God again. Nehemiah said to the people, "Do not be sad. The joy of the Lord is your strength." Friends, do you have joy? God gives us joy (and spiritual strength) when we know God and obey His Holy Book (the Bible). Let me tell you how you can know the God of Nehemiah too. (Signal)

Picture 23. Jesus on the Cross. John 19:17-30; Romans 5:8
There is only one way to know God. God sent His Son, Jesus, to show us that way. Jesus lived on earth many years ago. He did many good things to help people. He showed us how we should please God. But we have not followed His ways. We have all sinned against God. The punishment for sin is spiritual death forever. God saved Elisha and Daniel and the others from death. But He did not save Jesus from death. God let wicked men kill Jesus. They nailed Him to a cross of wood. Jesus wanted to take the punishment for our sin because He loves us. Now God can forgive our sin and we can come to God. He makes our spirit come to life, and we can know God and love and serve Him. (Signal)

Picture 24. Jesus Shows the Way to Everlasting Life. Matthew 7:13; John 14:6
Friends, life is like walking on a great, wide road which leads to death. Everyone has displeased God. We are all on Satan's road. It leads to everlasting punishment after death. Jesus suffered and died to save us from this punishment. Then He came alive again. Now He shows us the way to God. We must follow the Way of Jesus now. It is a hard and narrow way. Sometimes we may suffer in this life, like Daniel and his friends. But Jesus' way leads to Heaven. There is no suffering there. It is a place of everlasting joy and peace. And God is there. Jesus said, "I am the Way...no one comes to the Father (God) but by Me." So pray to Jesus now. Ask Him to show you the Way to God. (Music)