The Faithful
Bible Stories
Stories every generation retells
About 4 minutes to read, more if you open Go deeperHeads up: Some of these stories have danger in them: a flood, a giant, and a den of lions. Each one ends with God keeping a promise.
Scene card
- Who's here
- Noah. Built the ark and trusted God's promise.
- Joseph. Sold by his brothers, then saved them in a famine.
- Moses. Led God's people out of slavery in Egypt.
- David. A shepherd who faced a giant.
- Jonah. A prophet who ran from God.
- Daniel. Prayed even when it was against the law.
- Where
- Across the Bible lands: Egypt, Israel, Babylon, and the city of Nineveh.
- When
- The stories span well over a thousand years before Jesus.
Luther believed the Bible belonged to ordinary people, in their own language. Most people could not read Latin, so he wanted a Bible they could understand. Families have long learned the faith through a few Old Testament stories. Think of Noah and the ark, and Moses leading his people out of Egypt. Think of David and Goliath, Joseph and his coat, Jonah and the big fish, and Daniel with the lions.
They aren't Luther's stories. Most are thousands of years older than he was. But Luther wanted every family to know them, and he filled his own prayer book with Bible pictures for children. Old stories, told gently, passed down from one generation to the next.
Read them, or play them
Free Scripture, our sister site, retells each story in plain language, one short scene at a time. FablePixels, another sister site, lets younger brothers and sisters (about ages 4 to 12) choose what they would do, then see what really happened. Keep your own Bible open beside either one.
Go deeper
Open any of these. Skip the ones you don't need.
Your turn
A quick question just for you
Which old story do you know best?
Read it scene by scene, then look up Genesis 6 to 9 in your own Bible. Read it now ›
Read it scene by scene, then look up Exodus 14 in your own Bible. Read it now ›
Read it scene by scene, then look up 1 Samuel 17 in your own Bible. Read it now ›
Read it scene by scene, then look up the book of Jonah in your own Bible. Read it now ›
Nothing you pick is saved or shared. If something here feels heavy, talk with a pastor, leader, or other trusted adult.
Back then
What life was like at the time
Luther's 1529 prayer book included fifty Bible pictures, made for children and for adults who couldn't read well.
Luther translated the Old Testament too. His full German Bible came out in 1534.
Story or history?
Things people often get wrong
- You might have heardJonah was swallowed by a whale.What we knowThe book of Jonah says “a large fish.” It doesn't say what kind. Some older English Bibles use “whale” when Jesus retells the story in Matthew.
- You might have heardJoseph had a rainbow coat.What we knowThe Hebrew words are hard to translate. Many Bibles today say a long robe with sleeves.
Taking it literally
Words that can trip you up
- How tall was Goliath?Old copies of 1 Samuel give different numbers. Some say nearly ten feet, others nearly seven. Either way, he was huge.
- Did the whole story of Noah happen in forty days?No. It rained forty days, but Noah's family was on the ark for about a year.
How people felt
The feelings behind the story
| Who | Felt | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph | Betrayed, then forgiving | He told his brothers, “Do not be afraid.” |
| Moses | Afraid to speak | He told God he wasn't good with words. |
| Jonah | Angry | He was upset that God forgave his enemies. |
Play this stop
Same story, three ways to learn it.
At the kitchen table
A 10-minute guide for parents, grandparents, and mentors
You don't need the answers. Just ask, and listen.
“God, thank you for the stories that have been told for so long. Amen.”
What's a Bible story you remember from when you were little?
Listen for
Noah, David, Jonah, the Christmas story. Ask what they remember about it.Which person in the Bible would you want to have lunch with, and what would you ask?
If they're stuck
Offer yours first. Peter and Mary Magdalene are good conversation starters.What does this mean for us this week?
Why this question
Stories become ours when we ask what they mean for us.
Share: Tell which Bible story has meant the most to you, and why.