READING CHAMPIONS

Abraham's Great Adventure Begins

Long ago, in a city called Ur, there lived a man named Abram. He lived with his wife Sarai and his family. In those days, most people worshiped false gods made of wood and stone. But Abram was different. He knew there was only one true Elohim.

One day, Yahuah spoke to Abram. "Leave your country," Yahuah said. "Leave your family and your father's house. Go to a land that I will show you."

This was not an easy thing to do! Abram did not know where he was going. He had to leave his home, his friends, and everything he knew. Would you be scared to leave everything behind?

But Yahuah made Abram a wonderful promise. He said, "I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing to others. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you!"

What did Abram do? The Bible tells us that "Abram went, as Yahuah had told him." He believed Yahuah's promise, even though he could not see the land yet. He packed up his tents, gathered his animals, and began the long journey with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot.

Abram was seventy-five years old when he started this great adventure of faith!

A Generous Heart

Abram traveled with his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot. They journeyed from place to place until they came to the land of Canaan. When they arrived, Yahuah appeared to Abram again.

"To your descendants I will give this land," Yahuah promised. Abram was so thankful! He built an altar there and worshiped Yahuah.

Years passed. Yahuah blessed Abram and Lot with many animals. Abram had sheep, goats, and cattle. Lot also had many flocks and herds. They both became very rich!

But then a problem came. There was not enough grass and water for all their animals. The servants of Abram and the servants of Lot began to quarrel. "Our animals need this land!" each group said.

Abram did not want to fight with his nephew. He went to Lot and said, "Let there be no quarrel between you and me. We are family! Look at all this land. You choose first. If you go left, I will go right. If you go right, I will go left."

Lot looked around. He saw a beautiful green valley with plenty of water. It looked like the best land! Lot chose that land for himself, near the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Abram was generous. He let Lot choose first, even though Abram was older and could have chosen first. Abram trusted Yahuah to take care of him.

After Lot left, Yahuah spoke to Abram again. "Look in every direction - north, south, east, and west. All the land you see, I will give to you and your descendants forever!"

Nothing Is Too Hard for Yahuah

Many years passed after Yahuah's promise. Abram and Sarai grew older and older. They still had no children. Abram began to wonder, "How can I become a great nation if I have no son?"

One night, Yahuah took Abram outside. "Look up at the sky," Yahuah said. "Count the stars, if you can." Abram looked up. There were more stars than he could ever count!

"Your descendants will be like these stars," Yahuah promised. "They will be too many to count!"

Abram believed Yahuah. Even though it seemed impossible, Abram trusted in Yahuah's promise. The Bible says that Yahuah counted Abram's faith as righteousness.

More years went by. Abram was now ninety-nine years old! Yahuah appeared to him again. "I am changing your name," Yahuah said. "You will no longer be called Abram. Your name will be Abraham, which means 'father of many.' Your wife will be called Sarah instead of Sarai."

Then Yahuah told Abraham amazing news: "Sarah will have a son!"

When Sarah heard this, she laughed! She was ninety years old - how could she have a baby? But Yahuah asked, "Is anything too hard for Yahuah?"

And just as Yahuah promised, Sarah had a baby boy the next year! They named him Isaac, which means "laughter." Abraham was one hundred years old when Isaac was born!

Yahuah always keeps His promises - even when they seem impossible!

Two Brothers, Two Choices

Isaac grew up and married a woman named Rebekah. For many years, they had no children. Isaac prayed to Yahuah for his wife, and Yahuah answered his prayer. Rebekah was going to have twins!

The first baby born was red and hairy. They named him Esau. The second baby was born holding onto Esau's heel! They named him Jacob, which means "one who grabs the heel."

The twins were very different. Esau loved to hunt in the fields. He was strong and rough. Jacob was quiet and liked to stay near the tents. Their father Isaac loved Esau best because he enjoyed eating the wild animals Esau caught. Their mother Rebekah loved Jacob best.

One day, Esau came home from hunting. He was very, very hungry. Jacob was cooking some red stew that smelled delicious.

"Quick! Give me some of that red stew!" Esau begged. "I am so hungry I could die!"

Jacob saw his chance. "First, sell me your birthright," he said.

The birthright was very important. It meant that Esau would receive a double portion of everything his father owned. It meant he would be the leader of the family. But Esau did not think about the future. He only thought about his hungry stomach right now.

"What good is a birthright if I die of hunger?" Esau said. "Fine, you can have it!"

So Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew. The Bible says he "despised" his birthright - he did not value it at all. This was a very bad choice!

A Stairway to Heaven

After Jacob took the blessing that was meant for Esau, his brother was furious! Esau was so angry that he planned to kill Jacob. When Rebekah heard about Esau's plan, she warned Jacob.

"You must flee to my brother Laban's house," she said. "Stay there until your brother's anger cools down."

So Jacob ran away from home. He traveled alone through the wilderness. When the sun went down, he stopped to sleep. He used a stone for a pillow - not very comfortable!

That night, Jacob had an amazing dream. He saw a ladder reaching from earth all the way up to heaven! Angels were going up and down on the ladder. At the very top stood Yahuah Himself!

Yahuah spoke to Jacob in the dream. "I am Yahuah, the Elohim of Abraham and Isaac. I will give you this land. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth - too many to count! They will spread in every direction. And through your family, all the nations of the earth will be blessed."

Then Yahuah made Jacob a wonderful promise: "I am with you. I will watch over you wherever you go. I will bring you back to this land. I will never leave you until I have done everything I promised."

When Jacob woke up, he was amazed! "Surely Yahuah is in this place, and I did not know it!" he said. "This is the gate of heaven!"

Jacob took the stone he had used as a pillow and set it up as a marker. He poured oil on it and named the place Bethel, which means "house of Elohim." Then Jacob made a vow to serve Yahuah forever.

From Jacob to Israel

Jacob stayed with his uncle Laban for twenty years. He worked hard and married two wives, Leah and Rachel. He had twelve sons and one daughter. Yahuah blessed him with many animals and servants.

Then Yahuah told Jacob it was time to go home. But Jacob was afraid! What would Esau do when he saw him? Would his brother still want to kill him after all these years?

Jacob sent servants ahead with gifts for Esau - hundreds of goats, sheep, camels, cattle, and donkeys. "Maybe these gifts will make my brother forgive me," Jacob thought.

The night before Jacob would meet Esau, something amazing happened. Jacob was alone when a man appeared and began to wrestle with him! They wrestled all night long until daybreak.

Jacob would not let go! "I will not let you go unless you bless me," Jacob said.

The man asked, "What is your name?"

"Jacob," he answered.

"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man said. "You will be called Israel, because you have struggled with Elohim and with humans and have overcome."

Jacob realized he had been wrestling with Yahuah Himself! He named that place Peniel, meaning "face of Elohim."

The next day, Jacob saw Esau coming with four hundred men! Jacob bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. But Esau did something wonderful - he ran to meet Jacob! He threw his arms around him and embraced him! Both brothers wept with joy.

Esau had forgiven Jacob. The brothers were reconciled at last!

Learning in Two Schools

You remember baby Moses - how his mother put him in a basket, and the princess found him and raised him in the palace? Moses grew up as a prince of Egypt! He learned to read and write. He learned about war and government. He wore fine clothes and lived in a beautiful palace.

But Moses knew he was not really an Egyptian. He was a Hebrew - one of Yahuah's people! When he saw how the Egyptians treated the Hebrew slaves, it made him very sad and angry.

One day, when Moses was forty years old, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. Moses looked around. When he saw no one was watching, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

The next day, Moses saw two Hebrews fighting each other. When he tried to stop them, one of them said, "Who made you ruler over us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?"

Moses was afraid! Pharaoh heard what Moses had done and tried to kill him. So Moses ran away to a land called Midian, far from Egypt.

In Midian, Moses became a shepherd. He married a woman named Zipporah and had two sons. For forty years, Moses lived quietly in the desert, taking care of sheep.

But Yahuah was not finished with Moses! During those forty years, Yahuah was preparing Moses for something very special. Sometimes we have to wait and learn before Yahuah uses us for His purposes.

Back in Egypt, the Israelites cried out to Yahuah because of their slavery. And Yahuah heard their cry...

The Night of Deliverance

After the burning bush, Moses returned to Egypt. He stood before Pharaoh and said, "Thus says Yahuah, 'Let My people go!'" But Pharaoh refused. So Yahuah sent nine terrible plagues on Egypt - blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock disease, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness.

Still, Pharaoh would not let the people go. Then Yahuah said, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that, he will let you go."

Yahuah gave Moses special instructions. "Tell each family to take a lamb without any spots or marks. Kill the lamb and put its blood on the top and sides of your door frames. Roast the lamb and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Be dressed and ready to leave quickly!"

"That night," Yahuah said, "I will pass through Egypt. Every firstborn son will die. But when I see the blood on your door, I will pass over you. The plague will not touch you."

The Israelites did exactly as Yahuah commanded. At midnight, Yahuah struck down all the firstborn in Egypt. There was loud crying throughout the land - but in the homes with blood on the doorposts, everyone was safe!

Pharaoh called for Moses that very night. "Get out!" he cried. "Take your people and go! Leave my country!"

The Israelites left in such a hurry that their bread didn't have time to rise! After 430 years in Egypt, they were finally free! About 600,000 men, plus women and children, walked out of Egypt that night.

Yahuah told them to remember this night forever. Every year, they would celebrate the Passover feast to remember how Yahuah delivered them from slavery.

Bread from Heaven, Water from Rock

After crossing the Red Sea, the Israelites traveled into the wilderness. There were millions of people - how would they find enough food and water in the desert?

Soon the people began to complain. "We wish we had died in Egypt!" they grumbled. "At least we had food there! Did you bring us out here to starve?"

Moses prayed to Yahuah. And Yahuah answered in an amazing way!

"I will rain down bread from heaven," Yahuah said. "Each morning, the people will gather enough for that day."

The next morning, the ground was covered with something white and flaky, like frost. "What is it?" the people asked. That's exactly what "manna" means - "What is it?" It tasted like wafers made with honey. Every morning for forty years, Yahuah provided manna for His people!

There were special rules about manna. They could only gather enough for one day. If they tried to keep extra, it would get wormy and smell bad - except on the sixth day! On the sixth day, they gathered double because no manna fell on the Sabbath. Yahuah was teaching them to trust Him day by day and to keep His Sabbath holy.

Another time, the people complained because there was no water. They were so angry they wanted to stone Moses!

Yahuah told Moses, "Take your staff and strike the rock. Water will come out of it."

Moses struck the rock, and water poured out - enough for millions of people and all their animals! Once again, Yahuah provided for His children in the wilderness.

Ruth's Promise

Long ago, there was a famine in the land of Israel. A man named Elimelech took his wife Naomi and their two sons to live in the country of Moab, where there was more food.

While they lived in Moab, sad things happened. First, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow. Then her two sons married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. But after about ten years, both sons also died. Now there were three widows: Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth.

Naomi was very sad. She had lost her husband and both her sons! She heard that Yahuah had blessed Israel with food again, so she decided to return to Bethlehem, her hometown.

"Go back to your own mothers," Naomi told her daughters-in-law. "May Yahuah bless you for being kind to me and my sons."

Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye and went back to her family. But Ruth would not leave!

"Don't ask me to leave you," Ruth begged. "Where you go, I will go. Where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your Elohim will be my Elohim. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahuah punish me if anything but death separates you and me!"

When Naomi saw how determined Ruth was, she stopped trying to send her away. The two women traveled together to Bethlehem.

When they arrived, everyone in town was excited. "Is this really Naomi?" they asked. But Naomi said, "Don't call me Naomi (which means 'pleasant'). Call me Mara (which means 'bitter'), because Yahuah has made my life very hard."

They arrived in Bethlehem just as the barley harvest was beginning. Little did they know that Yahuah had a wonderful plan for them!

A Kind Man Named Boaz

Ruth and Naomi were very poor. They had no money and no food. But Ruth had a plan. She knew about Yahuah's law that said poor people could follow behind the harvesters and pick up any grain that was left behind. This was called gleaning.

"Let me go to the fields and glean grain," Ruth told Naomi. "Maybe someone will be kind to me."

Ruth went out to work. She happened to come to a field that belonged to a man named Boaz. He was actually a relative of Naomi's husband! Ruth didn't know this yet - but Yahuah did!

Ruth worked hard all morning, bending down to pick up stalks of grain. When Boaz came to check on his workers, he noticed Ruth.

"Who is that young woman?" he asked his servants.

"She is the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi," they answered. "She asked permission to glean and has been working hard since morning!"

Boaz went to Ruth. "Listen, my daughter," he said kindly. "Stay in my field. Don't go to anyone else's field. Stay close to my servant girls. I have told the young men not to bother you. When you are thirsty, drink from the water jars my servants have filled."

Ruth was amazed! She bowed down to the ground. "Why are you so kind to me?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner!"

Boaz answered, "I have heard about everything you have done for Naomi - how you left your own country to come with her. May Yahuah bless you for your kindness! May you be rewarded by Yahuah, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!"

At mealtime, Boaz invited Ruth to eat with his workers. He gave her so much food that she had leftovers to take home! He also secretly told his workers, "Let her glean among the sheaves. Pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up."

When Ruth returned home that evening, she had gathered a whole basket of grain - much more than most gleaners! Naomi was so happy. "Where did you work today?" she asked. When Ruth told her about Boaz, Naomi exclaimed, "Yahuah bless him! That man is one of our kinsman-redeemers!"

A Family Redeemed

Ruth continued to glean in Boaz's fields through the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. Naomi began to think about Ruth's future.

"My daughter, I want to find you a home where you will be cared for," Naomi said. She told Ruth about a special custom. According to Yahuah's law, a relative could marry a widow and take care of her. This was called being a kinsman-redeemer.

Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer! But there was one problem - another relative was closer than Boaz. That man had the first right to redeem Ruth and Naomi's family land.

Boaz went to the town gate where important business was done. He found the other relative and gathered ten elders of the town as witnesses.

"Naomi is selling her husband's land," Boaz explained. "You have the first right to buy it. Will you redeem it?"

"Yes, I will redeem it," the man said.

"But," Boaz continued, "when you buy the land, you must also marry Ruth, to carry on her husband's family name."

The man changed his mind. "I cannot do that. You redeem it yourself!"

So Boaz became Ruth's kinsman-redeemer! He bought the land and married Ruth. All the people at the gate blessed them, saying, "May Yahuah make this woman like Rachel and Leah, who built up the house of Israel!"

Ruth and Boaz had a son! They named him Obed. Naomi, who once said her life was bitter, now held her grandson with joy! The women of Bethlehem told her, "Praise Yahuah! Your daughter-in-law, who loves you, is better to you than seven sons!"

But the most amazing part of Ruth's story is this: Obed grew up and had a son named Jesse. Jesse had a son named David - King David! And many generations later, from this very family, came Yahusha the Messiah!

A foreign widow who gleaned in the fields became the great-grandmother of the greatest king of Israel, and an ancestor of our Savior!