20 July 2014 - King Jesus is Born

“Why do…the peoples plot in vain?” says Psalm two

The Lord and His Anointed One the leaders try to outdo

From heaven, the Lord scoffs and rebukes them all

For His King on Zion – the holy hill - God did install

“You are my Son…and I [am] your Father,” God said

God will make “the nations [His] inheritance” instead

“Therefore, you kings, be wise [and] be warned”

For they should serve the Lord they once scorned

The Lord said to Jesus, according to Psalm one hundred ten

To “sit at [His] right hand” and rule over all earthly men

For on “the day of battle”, “[His] troops will be willing”

Jesus is a “priest forever”, thus old prophecies fulfilling

God “will crush kings on the day of His wrath”

For Jesus will always be found on God’s path

There have been many priests, per Hebrews seven

But only one lives forever, He was sent from heaven

“Therefore he is able to save completely” any person

“He lives to intercede for them” before their lives worsen

The birth of Jesus is briefly written about in Luke two

Joseph went to Bethlehem, for a census all had to do

He went with Mary, his betrothed who was expecting

She gave birth to her son in a stable without objecting

There were shepherds in the nearby fields with their flock

The glory of the Lord shone, and their knees did all knock

But an angel came and told them about the good news

That in Bethlehem had been born the King of the Jews

They were told to rejoice, for they were not in any danger

They would find Jesus wrapped in clothes lying in a manger

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem,” per Matthew two

Magi from the east came, a star in the sky was the clue

The king of the Jews is who they wanted to worship

So they brought gifts with them on the very long trip

King Herod was disturbed; the Magi in secret he did call

They were to report back to him; his evil plans not to stall

The child they did find as to the star they did refer

They worshipped him with gold, incense, and myrrh

About Herod’s evil plot from a dream they did learn

So by another route to their country they did return

6 July 2014 : The Promise of Jesus' Coming

In Isaiah forty nine, his praises were very wise

For he knew that he was honored in God’s eyes

The tribes of Jacob, God promised to restore

Bringing them back to where they were before

For the Gentiles, He will also make a light

His salvation would outshine any blight

God also promised His people, in Micah five

That from Bethlehem, a ruler would come alive

Israel would be abandoned until that time

But the ruler’s powers would be sublime

The people will then be able to live securely

For all the earth will His greatness then see

The prophet had a vision one night, per Daniel seven

He saw the son of man coming down from heaven

The son of man approached The Ancient of Days

And was given all authority and therefore praise

With sovereign power, God did Him equip

All people and nations did Him then worship

His dominion is everlasting and will not pass away

His Kingdom cannot be destroyed, forever it will stay

God used to speak through prophets, per Hebrews one

But later He sent His heir, His only begotten Son

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory…and being”

He provided purification from sin, for all so freeing

And now He sits in heaven by God’s right hand

“Superior to the angels”, we all now understand

Based on "The One Minute Bible Day by Day"

So far, the Old Testament I have tried to convey

More than two hundred stanzas are now complete

The underlying stories are of course not obsolete

But now onto the New Testament I endeavor to go

In the hope that my knowledge continues to grow

Please pray that I manage to find rhyme after rhyme

I hope that you will enjoy them, if you have the time

5 July 2014 - Malachi

The Lord God spoke through his prophet, in Malachi three

“I will send my messenger [to] prepare the way before me”

“The messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come”

But will the people standing there be happy or feel numb?

For “he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold”

And the offerings of the people will be like days of old

But “all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble”

They will be set on fire and reduced to ashes and rubble

“But for you who revere my name”, righteousness for all

“And you will go out and leap [as if] released from the stall”

3 July 2014 - Esther:Jewish Queen of Persia

King Xerxes ruled over a large area, per Esther one

After three years, a massive state banquet was begun

The king called for Queen Vashti in crown to appear

When she refused, the king’s anger was quite clear

The nobles ruled that the queen had done wrong

Her punishment – banishment - would be lifelong

They said that the king should give her position

To someone better, so they held an audition

Mordecai raised Esther, “lovely in form and feature”

She was put under Hegai’s care so he could teach her

She pleased him, won favor, and was given special food

In the best part of the harem Hegai did Esther include

About her Jewish nationality or family, she did not tell

If that was known, she would have had to say farewell

The king was attracted to her more than others he had seen

As a result, he gave her a crown and made her the queen

King Xerxes gave Haman the seat of honor highest

All other officials had to kneel down at his behest

To “kneel down or pay him honor” Mordecai did refuse

Haman then decided to kill him along with all the Jews

Into Xerxes’ ears, Haman did say many a thing

Resulting in a decree being issued from the king

For the destruction of the Jews, the decree did provide

Many tons of silver, for those who helped, were set aside

Twice did Esther invite the king and Haman to dine

On the second day, they were enjoying a nice wine

The king said he would grant anything Esther did request

She said to save her people from slaughter would be best

For the name of the man responsible, King Xerxes did ask

She pointed at Haman, whose treachery she did then unmask

The king said “hang him”; it was not a slip of the tongue

From the very tall gallows he built, Haman was then hung

29 June 2014 - Nehemiah and Ezra: Walls and Worship

Nehemiah detailed what he said and did, in chapter one

He seemed to keep his eyes focused on the long run

He asked about the remnant that survived the exile

And was told they had been in trouble for a while

They said “the wall of Jerusalem is broken down”

And “burned with fire” are the gates of the town

Nehemiah “sat down and wept” for many a day

Then to the God of heaven he did earnestly pray

God’s instructions to Moses he did then recount

That unfaithful people would be taken to account

But if the commands of God were later obeyed

He would gather up all those who had strayed

The people worked to rebuild the wall, per Nehemiah four

It reached half height, thus angering enemies even more

The enemies plotted together to stir up trouble

The people prayed and the guard did double

The approach to building, Nehemiah did then amend

Half did work while the others were armed to defend

So after fifty two days the wall was complete

Per Nehemiah six, this result was quite a feat

The surrounding nations lost their confidence

They recognized that God’s help was immense

David rejoiced, per Psalm one hundred twenty two

For Jerusalem was the house of the Lord, he knew

It is where the tribes of the Lord go to give praise

For the house of David will remain for all the days

He prayed for peace so God’s people would be secure

So “security within the citadels” would forever endure

For all believers’ sake, he also prayed for internal peace

So that Godly prosperity would continue to increase

Ezra read the Book of the Law, per Nehemiah eight

He read it aloud in the square facing the Water Gate

When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood

And everyone praised God as much as they could

They bowed down with their faces to the ground

“Do not mourn”, the Levites told everyone around

“This day is sacred to our Lord”, Nehemiah did say

“The joy of the Lord is your strength”, he did convey

28 June 2014 - Israel Returns and Rebuilds

The Lord moved the king of Persia’s heart, per Ezra one

So that Jeremiah’s prophecy would be fulfilled and done

To build a temple for God, Cyrus the king was directed

He said that wishes of God’s people would be respected

So several families prepared to go back to Jerusalem

Taking silver, gold, goods, and livestock with them

Articles from the temple, King Cyrus also did return

Returning to Jerusalem is what the people did yearn

Per Haggai one, the word of the Lord came through

He made it clear to the returning people what to do

Reminding them that the temple was in a bad state

Despite their houses being paneled, looking great

God then said, “Give careful thought to your ways”

Rebuild the temple to bring honor for all the days

So the high priest and the remnant of the people

Obeyed the Lord’s voice and raised a new steeple

Per Zechariah one, the prophet had a vision

It seems that God had made a big decision

Angels “found the whole world at rest and in peace”

So the Lord’s anger with Jerusalem would cease

He promised to “return to Jerusalem with mercy”

And “his towns will again overflow with prosperity”

When Judah’s enemies heard the plans, per Ezra four

The temple for the Lord they offered to help restore

But the heads of the families this offer did refuse

Building it alone is the path they preferred to choose

So the other people set out to make them afraid

They did things which made the project delayed

But Haggai and Zechariah continued to preach

Eventually the objective the people did reach

The temple was built according to God’s command

For many more years, it would continue to stand

1 June 2014 - Daniel Reads the Writing on the Wall

“King Belshazzar gave a great banquet”, per Daniel five

He served wine in gold goblets when the guests did arrive

Although from the temple in Jerusalem the goblets came

They praised “the gods of silver and gold” all the same

Then “suddenly the fingers of a human hand” did appear

“And wrote…on the wall,” leading the king to greatly fear

None of his wise men could decipher what the hand did write

So the great king became filled with more terror and fright

The queen came into the hall and said not to be alarmed

For she knew of a man who with great insight was armed

For Belshazzar’s father, Daniel interpreted many a dream

So could thus determine the writing’s meaning and theme

“Daniel was brought before the king” and promised riches

He said Belshazzar’s father had gotten too big for his britches

This arrogance and pride are what led to his big downfall

Yet Belshazzar was doing the same in the banquet hall

By praising the gods of silver and gold and the like

He did not honor God who had the power to strike

So God’s hand wrote “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin”

Meaning that a big mess Belshazzar was now in

His days were numbered, Daniel then confided

His kingdom to his enemies would be divided

And “that very night Belshazzar…was slain”

Darius the Mede thus began his lengthy reign

31 May 2014 - The Fall and Restoration of Israel

Jeremiah looked at Jerusalem, per Lamentations one

It seemed the people’s suffering was far from done

It was as if the nation went from queen to slave

She weeps bitterly for citizens gone to the grave

But Jeremiah had hope, per Lamentations three

For the Lord’s great love is there for all to see

“His compassions never fail” and his faithfulness great

Jeremiah said to himself that for the Lord he would wait

“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him”

For those who seek Him, things will never be grim

The Lord replied to Habakkuk’s complaints in chapter two

Saying the enemy is arrogant and greedy in what he will do

And although he will take all the peoples captive

Piling up stolen goods and wealth is no way to live

Habakkuk prayed with admiration in chapter three

He waited for the day of calamity on the enemy

For despite the barren fields and empty stalls

Habakkuk rejoiced in the Lord though the halls

In Obadiah, the prophet shared words from the Lord

Edom will be judged, for God’s message it ignored

For violence against their brethren they were to blame

As a result, forever they would be covered with shame

They stood aloof as Jerusalem strangers attacked

And the holy city was plundered and ransacked

“The day of the Lord is near for all nations”

For their actions, there will be ramifications

But, God did say, “on Mount Zion will be deliverance”

“And the house of Jacob will possess its inheritance”

In the middle of a valley of bones, per Ezekiel thirty seven

Ezekiel was brought and then set by the Spirit from heaven

To prophesy to the bones, God then instructed Ezekiel

God would give the bones breath and life, Ezekiel did tell

While prophesying, Ezekiel saw bones come together

A vast army came to life despite the extreme weather

“The whole house of Israel” the bones did represent

And God then said what by this He actually meant

He would revive the Israelites and let them settle in their land

That He did it for them, they would once again understand

25 May 2014 - Judah Goes Into Exile

Per Second Chronicles thirty six, Zedekiah was twenty one

He became king of Judah but many bad things were done

He did not humble himself and did evil in the Lord’s eyes

Given all the warnings God had sent, this was not very wise

The people mocked His prophets and aroused His wrath

There was no remedy for they went too far down the path

God handed all of them over to the Babylonian king

All of the temple’s treasures to Babylon he did bring

Then he set fire to the temple and broke down the wall

The remnant became servants to him, one and all

18 May 2014 - The Prophets to Judah

The book of Nahum shared an oracle concerning Nineveh

For Nineveh was a major city in the kingdom of Assyria

“The Lord takes vengeance and is filled with wrath”

He will not leave unpunished those who block his path

His indignation nobody can realistically endure or withstand

With an overwhelming flood, he will destroy Nineveh’s land

The king of Assyria and his people will then scatter

And all other people will rejoice about the matter

The future of Jerusalem is prophesied in Zephaniah three

Zephaniah says “woe to the…rebellious and defiled” city

For in the Lord the people did not trust or draw near

The leaders’ arrogance and treachery did not disappear

The Lord dispenses his justice in keeping with His name

He does not fail “yet the unrighteous know no shame”

But God will take away punishment and grant a new start

So Israel should then “be glad and rejoice with [its] heart”

Jeremiah was a son of a priest, per Jeremiah one

The Lord’s word came to him until Judah’s exile begun

God appointed Jeremiah as a prophet before he was born

So he must do whatever God commanded, God did warn

But Jeremiah was not to be afraid, for God would protect

Then into Jeremiah’s mouth His words the Lord did inject

Jeremiah saw a boiling pot tilting away from the north

God said that on the people, disaster would flow forth

He would pronounce His judgments against them

Their wickedness and actions He would condemn

But God made a fortified city with a bronze wall

This enabling the people to fight and not to fall

After many years of prophesying, per Jeremiah twenty six

The people still ignored him and their ways they did not fix

God once again told them to listen and to follow his law

If not, they would be cursed instead of being held in awe

As soon as the people heard this, Jeremiah they did seize

For they disliked the message conveyed in his prophesies

One more time, God’s message Jeremiah boldly shared

The officials told the priests that his life should be spared

10 May 2014 - Good King Hezekiah

Hezekiah became king of Judah, per Second Kings eighteen

Apparently no better king before or after him was ever seen

In the eyes of the Lord he always did what was right

He removed the Asherah poles from the people's sight

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and kept His commands

God was with him as he defeated those of other lands

But the Assyrians laid siege to Samaria for three long years

And eventually captured it, bringing about suffering and tears

 

Assyria captured cities of Judah, per Second Kings eighteen

From Jerusalem, the Assyrian armies were clearly seen

To the Lord, Hezekiah did give much praise and pray

He asked God to listen to the words that he had to say

Praying that from the Assyrian army, God would Jerusalem deliver

God told Isaiah that King Hezekiah had no reason to fear or shiver

One hundred eighty five thousand Assyrian men an angel did kill

The Assyrian king withdrew, for he did not want more blood to spill

4 May 2014 - Israel Into Exile

Per Second Kings seventeen, as the prophets had foretold

The sinful Israelites went into captivity in Assyria and toiled

They had done things in secret that were far from right

And did not respect the Lord God’s strength and might

They burned incense and to anger they did God provoke

And had ignored the prophets through whom He spoke

God’s commands and decrees, the people did reject

Like their forefathers, the Israelites were stiff-necked

4 May 2014 - The Prophets to Israel

The Lord spoke to the prophet Joel, per Joel chapter two

Telling the under attack Israelites what they should do

“Even now…return to me with all your heart”

“With fasting and weeping…” on your part

God said he wanted their hearts, not their clothes

For He is gracious and His compassion grows

Due to His love, “he relents from sending calamity”

Besides, “Who knows? He may turn and have pity”

Joel told Israel to gather and to declare a holy fast

Praying to God not to turn the nation into an outcast

In response, “the Lord will be jealous for his land”

“And take pity on his people” wherever they may stand

The Lord spoke to the prophet Amos, per Amos nine

The “sinful kingdom” was in the eyes of the Lord divine

God threatened to destroy it but not Jacob’s house

Because of their evil actions and many a grouse

God said, “All the sinners…will die by the sword”

For they were arrogant and ignored the Lord

But He promised to “restore David’s fallen tent”

And thus rebuild it as He had originally meant

He promised to “plant Israel in their own land”

And said from there, they would never be banned

The Lord spoke to the prophet Hosea, per Hosea eleven

Israel strayed despite being rescued, said God in heaven

But although the Israelite nation continued to refuse to repent

God’s compassion will overcome his anger at their dissent

He promised not to devastate Ephraim or to come in wrath

For God knows that they will eventually follow his path

The Lord spoke to the prophet Isaiah, per Isaiah six

God was on His throne, glorious as everyone depicts

The seraphs’ voices of praise shook the room

For the whole earth God’s glory does consume

Isaiah rued that the people had unclean lips

His guilt and sin, the seraph’s coal eclipsed

The voice of the Lord Isaiah did then hear

In response, “Send me!” Isaiah did volunteer

The Lord spoke to the prophet Micah, per Micah one

God promised judgment for what the people had done

The Lord will come down from His dwelling place

Because Israel’s transgression did Him debase

Then He “will make Samaria a heap of rubble”

Breaking idols into pieces, for they are trouble

2 May 2014 - Jonah: The Reluctant Prophet

Per Jonah one, God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to preach

Because into that city's wickedness God wanted to reach

But Jonah resisted the call and from the Lord tried to flee

He set out to Tarshish by crossing the Mediterranean Sea

God sent a violent storm that threatened the ship and crew

After talking with each other, Jonah was at fault they all knew

Jonah said that he should be picked up and thrown into the sea

The crew eventually did so and from the storm they were free

God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, verse seventeen cites

Jonah stayed in the fish's stomach for three days and nights

From inside the fish, to God Jonah did earnestly pray

“In my distress I called to the Lord”, he did first say

Jonah acknowledged that God had saved his life

And apologized for causing such serious strife

“Salvation comes from the Lord”, he did then understand

God commanded the fish to vomit Jonah onto dry land

Jonah then went to Nineveh in order the Lord to obey

He warned the city of impending doom on the first day

The Ninevites believed God and declared a fast

They all prayed that God’s wrath would be recast

God saw that from their evil ways they did turn

A reprieve from utter destruction they did earn

2 May 2014 - Elijah: The Fiery Prophet

Per First Kings sixteen, over Israel Ahab twenty years did reign

More than any other, he provoked God to anger again and again

Elijah told Ahab that there would be a severe drought

But God would take care of Elijah, there was no doubt

Ravens brought him bread and meat; he drank from the brook

At the Lord's words to Solomon, the people refused to look

For He forewarned them, per Second Chronicles seven

God would heal the land if their pleas He heard in heaven

 

After more than two years, per First Kings eighteen

God told Elijah to return and rain would be seen

Ahab met Elijah and blamed him for all the trouble

Elijah said that Ahab's actions were sinfully double

To gather the prophets of Baal and Asherah, Elijah did instruct

Although one against eight hundred fifty, a test he would conduct

Two fires would be laid but not lit - with a bull on the top of each

"The god who answers by fire - He is God" was the lesson to teach

 

Elijah allowed the Baal prophets to choose and go first

From morning until noon, Baal their god they coerced

There was no response and then Elijah started to taunt

Even at the end of the day, there was nothing to flaunt

Elijah repaired the altar and had water poured on the wood

He prayed and God lit the fire as only the true God could

The people saw this and fell prostrate to honor God

The Baal prophets were all killed for their facade

13 April 2014 - The Kingdom Divides

After being king in Jerusalem for forty years, Solomon died

Per First Kings eleven, his son Rehoboam did then preside

But when the people asked him to lighten their heavy load

He ignored his elder advisers and the people he did goad

By saying he would make their load heavier and with more pain

The people of Israel were upset and did more than just complain

Except for the tribe of Judah, they did against him all rebel

This fulfilled God’s promise, First Kings twelve does tell

The rest of Israel decided to name Jeroboam their new king

Per First Kings twelve, he feared what the future might bring

So he made two golden calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan

Hoping the people would support him instead of God’s plan

The people worshipped the calves and it was indeed a sin

Jeroboam even appointed priests who were not Levite kin

Therefore “this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led”

“To its downfall and…destruction”, First Kings thirteen said

11 April 2014 - Solomon: Temple and Temptation

When Hiram heard about Solomon, per First Kings five

He was pleased for with David the relationship did thrive

To Hiram, a message about a temple Solomon did send

Saying that to build one for God was what he did intend

For there were no more wars and Israel was finally at rest

It was the right thing to do, for the nation was blessed

Solomon asked Hiram that cedars from Lebanon be cut

Hiram said Solomon was a very wise man, not some nut

Solomon “devoted [himself] to study”, per Ecclesiastes one

While king of Israel, he explored by wisdom all that is done

He said that he had seen all the things done under the sun

And concluded that all of them were meaningless, even if fun

“There is a time for everything”, per Ecclesiastes three

And under heaven, there is “a season for every activity”

“”A time to be born and a time to die”, it does reveal

A time to plant and to uproot, to kill and to heal

To tear down and to build, to laugh and to weep

To mourn and to dance, also to sow and to reap

To keep and to discard, to be silent and to speak

To love and to hate, to be bold and to be meek

“Two are better than one”, it says in Ecclesiastes four

By working together, they can achieve so much more

They can help each other out in times of trouble

For their combined strength is more than double

Per Ecclesiastes twelve, “Not only was the Teacher wise”

“But also he imparted knowledge” to people of every size

He found the right words and “wrote what was upright and true”

Without change, the proverbs he wrote told everyone what to do

“The conclusion of the matter” is that God should be feared

Man’s duty is to keep the commandments that appeared

Per First Kings eleven, Solomon loved women from many a nation

Although doing so broke God’s orders and risked His condemnation

“As Solomon grew old, [to other gods] he wives turned his heart”

Unlike his father David, from God’s ways Solomon did depart

God told Solomon that He was angry that Solomon did not obey

As a result, after his death his kingdom would be taken away