Not 100 Words: VBS Week

I wrote a sketch for puppets on Tuesday. I have been doing lesson plans every night. Those 600+ words will have to do for this week, although I hope to be able to write tomorrow since I won't have anymore lesson plans to do.

Here is the sketch: "Do I have to Eat That?"

Narrator: In the third year of the Reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzer king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand. The king Nebuchadnezzer ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the kings palace. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

(Enter Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel)

Shad: I really miss home.

Mesh: Me too. We were rich, had everything we needed, had slaves to serve us.

Abed: Now we are the slaves. And far away from our homes,

Shad: And our families,

Mesh: And our stuff,

Abed: And everything we once knew

Daniel: Except God. He is here with us.

Shad, Mesh, Abed: Except God.

(Enter Official)

Official: Here is your food, meat and wine, just offered to the pagan gods. Eat it and get their strength and favor.

Daniel: Excuse me sir, but we would rather not eat food that has been offered to other gods.

Official: Hmm, but if you don’t eat the food the king has ordered for you, I will lose my job.

Shad: Maybe we could eat something else?

Mesh: Maybe some vegetables?

Abed: And drink some water?

Official: But you won’t be as strong as the other young men from Israel. And I might lose my head.

Daniel: Please, can you give us a test? For ten days, let us eat nothing but vegetables and drink only water. 

Abed: At the end of ten days, compare our appearance and health with the other young men

Mesh: The ones who eat and drink the food offered to the other gods 

Shad: And then decide what would be better for us, based on what you see.

Official: Alright, for ten days.

(Exit Official)

Abed: Ooh vegetables! and water! Good thing I like those things.

Mesh: But what matters more is that we are obeying God.

Shad: What would we have done if he didn’t let us?

Daniel: God will always provide a way for his people to obey him.

Abed: Sometimes it means asking, like we did.

Mesh: And sometimes it means facing death.

Shad: Like maybe a fiery furnace,

Daniel: Or a lions’ den. I’m glad it was so easy this time. I wonder what God is teaching us?

(Enter Official)

Official: Role Call! Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. (They enter as they are called, and stand at attention.) Ten days are up. Let me look at you. Wow. You look healthier than the other young men. Better nourished! Stronger! I’m impressed. That means you don’t have to eat the choice food and wine, but can have all the vegetables that you desire.

Narrator: At the end of their training time, God had blessed them. When King Nebuchadnezzer talked with them, he found none equal to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, so they entered the kings service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.

And they did learn an important lesson because later Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego did have to choose between obeying God and being put in a fiery furnace or disobeying God to obey the king. And Daniel had to choose between obeying God and being thrown to the lions or disobeying God and worshipping the king. But God always protected them and provided a way for them to obey Him.