Jesus is Rejected in Nazareth

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Jesus is Rejected in Nazareth Luke 4:16-32

The angry mob tries to push Jesus over a cliff. A SAD DAY had come for Nazareth, the city where Jesus had lived since his babyhood years. And this sad day had come on the Sabbath. The Jews from different parts of the city were gathering in their house of worship, the synagog. Among their number was Jesus; for he had returned from his visit in Cana. Always while he lived in Nazareth he went every Sabbath-day to the services at the Synagog, where he heard God's words read from the books of the law and of the prophets. Now, Jesus was no longer just an ordinary person among the other Jews of Nazareth, for they had heard about his teachings in other cities and they wished to hear for themselves what this son of the carpenter Joseph would say. So when the time came for the services to begin, Jesus stood up to read to the people, and the minister of the synagog brought to him the book that the prophet Isaiah had written long years before. Jesus found where Isaiah wrote the prophecy concerning the Messiah, and he read Isaiah's prophecy to the people. These are some of the words he read: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, To preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind To set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord." After reading these words, Jesus closed the book, gave it back to the minister, and sat down. Then every one in the synagog looked at him, expecting to hear him speak; for the speaker in the synagog always stood up to read God's words and sat down to explain the meaning of what he had read. Among those who listened to Jesus that day were his neighbors who had known him nearly all his lifetime. Proud men they were, unwilling that the carpenter's son should teach them new truths. They had heard of the miracles that Jesus performed in Cana and in Capernaum, the city by the seashore. But they did not believe that Jesus was the promised King of the Jews. They knew he was only a poor man, and they did not respect him for being great and good. But those proud men were surprised when they heard Jesus' words. They did not know he could speak so well; they did not know that he was the greatest teacher who had ever spoken to men. For a while they listened very carefully; then Jesus told them that Isaiah's words were fulfilled by his coming to preach the gospel to the poor and to do other wonderful things that Isaiah had promised. "How can this be true?" they asked of each other; "for it not this Joseph's son?" Jesus knew they would not receive his words and believe them. He told them that no prophet was honored by his own people. And he reminded them of the time when Elijah, the prophet, ran away from Israel to hide in the home of a poor widow who lived in a heathen land. Because this poor widow cared for God's prophet, God took care of her. He also told them about the heathen leper, Naaman, who was healed by God's power when he obeyed Elisha's words, although many Israelites had leprosy and were never healed. The proud men of Nazareth quickly objected to these words of Jesus, although they were true happenings among the Jews long before. They believed that Jesus was trying to show them how God cared for other people besides the Jews, and they did not like to hear such words. So they refused to listen longer to his teachings, and the service at the synagog broke up in great disorder. The leading men ran to Jesus and took hold of him roughly and drew him outside their synagog. Then a mob of angry people followed, wishing to see Jesus punished because he had spoken the truth to them. This mob led Jesus to the top of the high hill upon which Nazareth was built, intending to throw him down upon the sharp rocks in the canon below. But the time had not yet come when Jesus should die for the sins of the people, and therefore they could not carry out their wicked intention. He simply walked quietly through the midst of the excited throng. No one seized hold of him again, and he left them and went away to live in Capernaum, the city by the Sea of Galilee. The men of Nazareth did not know what a terrible deed they had tried to do that day; they did not know that their foolish pride had caused them to drive right out of their midst the gift which God had sent from heaven to earth. And because they refused to believe in Jesus as the one of whom Isaiah had written, they never received the gift of salvation, which Jesus brought to men. Tomorrow: Four Fishermen Follow Jesus

Jesus Heals the Nobleman's Son

Jesus Heals the Nobleman's Son John 4:45-54

Jesus says to the nobleman, "Return to your home without me, for your son will not die." MANY PEOPLE WHO lived in the country of Galilee were eager to see Jesus. They had heard about his first miracle at Cana, where he turned water into wine, and they had also heard about his teachings and his miracles performed in Jerusalem during the Feast of the Passover. Now when he left Sychar and returned with his disciples to their country, the news of his coming spread rapidly from one city to another, and the Galilean people hoped he would come to their cities and perform miracles among them, too. But one man did not wait until Jesus should come to his home city before going out to see him. This man lived in Capernaum, a city that had been built on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He was one of the rulers in that city, and he was also called a nobleman. In the eyes of the poor who lived near his home he was a great man indeed; for he did not despise them, as did many of the rulers of the Jews. Sorrow had come into the home of this nobleman, his little son lay sick with a burning fever, and the doctors could not make him well. Hearing of Jesus, the nobleman decided to seek this wonderful prophet and beg him to come to Capernaum to heal his child. So he left his home one night and hurried to Cana, where Jesus was. When the nobleman found the place where Jesus was stopping, he called to see the wonderful prophet of Galilee. He told Jesus about his sick child lying at home at the point of death, and he asked Jesus to go with him to Capernaum to heal the child. But Jesus answered, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe that I am sent of God." The nobleman was very much in earnest. He cried out, "Sir, if you do not come down at once, my little son will be dead when we reach home." Then Jesus spoke kindly to this distressed father. he said, "Return to your home without me, for your son will not die." The nobleman believed Jesus' words and turned back to Capernaum. He did not fear any longer that death would snatch his dear child away from his loving care, for Jesus had said that the child should be well again. When he came near to Capernaum, his servants came to meet him with glad tidings. They said, "Your son is no longer sick." "At what time," asked the nobleman, "did he begin to get well? And the servants replied, "His fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour of the day." The ruler knew that Jesus had spoken to him at that very hour, and he believed surely that it was the power of this prophet that had saved the life of his child. Not only this nobleman, but all his household, too, believed in Jesus when they heard about the healing of the sick boy. Tomorrow: Jesus is Rejected in Nazareth

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well John 4:1-43

Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, "Whoever drinks of the water I give them, will never thirst again." BETWEEN JUDEA AND Galilee was a little country called Samaria. This country used to belong to the kingdom of Israel; but when the Israelites were carried away as captives by the king of Assyria, strangers from other lands came into that country and made their homes. These strangers learned about the God of the Israelites, but they never worshiped God at the temple in Jerusalem. Instead, they built a temple in their country and worshiped there. They became bitter enemies of the Jews, and at the time of Jesus they were still despised by the Jews. In going to or returning from Jerusalem, the Jews of Galilee usually would not take the shorter road, through Samaria, but would travel the long road, which led first to and across the Jordan River, then along the border of the land where the people lived whom they despised. Although Jesus was a Jew he did not share the bitter feeling of the Jews toward the people of Samaria, who were called Samaritans. He knew they were just as precious in the eyes of God as were any other people, and he longed to teach them about their country on his journey back to his home in Nazareth. Because Jesus wished to take the shorter road, through Samaria, his disciples were willing to go that way too, in order to be with him. So they journeyed together as far as a little city called Sychar. Near the city was a wayside well, which had been dug hundreds of years before probably by Jacob, the grandson of Abraham. And in honor of him it was still called Jacob's well. When they reached this well, Jesus was tired, and sat down by it to rest from his long walk. His disciples went on to the city to buy food, leaving him there alone. Presently a woman from Sychar came down to the well to draw some water. She glanced at the stranger sitting there and saw that he was a Jew. Knowing that Jews paid no attention to Samaritans, she passed by and hurried to lower her water-jug with the long rope that she had brought. When the jug was filled she drew it up and was ready to start back to the city, when Jesus asked for a drink. Surprised at his request, the woman answered, "How is it that you, being a Jew, will ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans." Jesus replied, "If you knew who it is who asks a drink from your jug of sparkling water, you would ask of him and he would give you living water to drink." These words aroused the interest of the woman at once. Who could this stranger be? she wondered. She knew he was not like other Jews, for they would rather suffer from thirst than ask a favor of a Samaritan. So she said, "Sir, this well is deep and you have no rope to draw out the water, how then could you give me living water to drink? Are you greater than Jacob, who gave us this well, and drank of it himself, and his cattle?" "Whoever drinks of this water in Jacob's well becomes thirsty and returns again and again for more," answered Jesus, "but the living water which I give does not come from such a well. It bubbles up like a continual spring within one, and that one never grows thirsty again." Now the woman was an eager listener. She did not know that the living water of which Jesus spoke was his free gift of salvation to all people, and she said, "Sir, I want that kind of water so that I shall not need to return and refill my water-jug in this tiresome way." Jesus saw that she was interested, so he began to talk to her about her sins. He knew she was a very sinful woman, and he told her about some wrong things that she had done. She wondered how he, a stranger, could know these things. He seemed to see her thoughts and to read them all. "You are a prophet," she exclaimed. Although this woman was a sinner, she wondered often whether God was more pleased with the religion of the Jews than with the religion of her own people, the Samaritans. Now she asked Jesus whether people should worship God in Jerusalem or in the temple of the Samaritans. Jesus answered that God had planned to bring salvation through the Jews, but he said the time had come when true worshipers need no longer go up to Jerusalem, for they might pray to God everywhere and worship him. "God is not found in only one place," he said; "for God is a Spirit. And those who worship him in the right way must believe that he is a Spirit." Then the woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming from God, and when he comes he will tell us everything." "I am that Messiah," answered Jesus, and the woman looked in joy and wonder upon him. But at that moment the disciples returned from the city bringing food to eat, so she turned away and leaving her water-jug, ran back to tell her friends about the wonderful stranger whom she had met at the well. The disciples wondered why Jesus would talk with a despised woman of the Samaritans; but they did not ask him any questions. They brought food to him, and when he refused to eat they urged him. Then he said to them, "I have food to eat which you know nothing about." They asked each other, "Has some one brought food to him while we were away?" But Jesus knew their questionings, so he said, "My meat is to do the will of my Father, who has sent me into the world." When the woman reached the city she went into the streets and told the people about Jesus, the stranger who had understood all about her life. "He told me all the things that I ever did. Is not he the Messiah?" she asked. And the people decided to see this man for themselves, so they went with her to Jacob's well. Jesus talked with the Samaritans about the things of God, and they invited him to stay in their city and teach them more of these wonderful truths. He spent two days in Sychar, teaching the people. Then he went on his way to Nazareth, leaving behind him some believers among the Samaritans. Tomorrow: Jesus Heals the Nobleman's Son

Jesus in Jerusalem for the Passover

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Jesus in Jerusalem for the Passover John 2:13 to John 3:21

Jesus upsets the tables of the money-changers and drives them from the temple. THE TIME HAD come again for the yearly Passover Feast in Jerusalem, and from every part of the land groups of people came flocking to attend this great religious meeting. In one of these groups were Jesus and his friends, Andrew, Simon, Philip, and Nathaniel. These men were also called his disciples, or learners; for they often went with him from one place to another to learn more about his wonderful teachings. You remember that only the priests were allowed to enter the rooms of the temple, and that the people who went there to worship stood in the courts outside the rooms and prayed while the priests offered sacrifices upon the altars. When Jesus came with his disciples and friends to attend the Feast of the Passover, he found much disorder in the court where the people were supposed to worship God. This beautiful court looked more like a market-place than like a house of prayer, for men had brought oxen and sheep and doves in there to sell as sacrifices to those who came from distant country places to worship God. And other men, who were called money-changers, were sitting by small tables exchanging pieces of silver money, called half-shekels, for the coins people brought from distant lands. Every Jew, we are told, who was twenty years old or older, gave one of these half-shekels to the priests each year to buy sacrifices and to supply other needs in the temple worship. No other coins except half-shekels could be received by the priests, so the Jews who came from other lands had to exchange their coins for half-shekels before they could pay their dues to the priests. Jesus was grieved to see the disorder in the temple court. He knew that worshipers could not enjoy praying in such a noisy place, where buying and selling and money-exchanging were going on around them. So he made a whip by tying small cords together, and then he drove out the oxen and sheep and the men who kept them. He even upset the tables of the money-changers, and he told them that his Father's house was a place of prayer and should not be used for a market-place. No doubt other people had been grieved to see the disorder in the temple court at the time of the Passover feast. But none of them had ever dared to do as Jesus did at this time. None of them had courage enough to try to correct this great evil. But not all of the Jews were pleased to see Jesus drive the money-lovers and the owners of the oxen and sheep and doves into the streets outside the temple. Some of them came to Jesus and asked him for a sign to prove that he was some great man, with authority to do such things. But Jesus knew they would not accept him even when they should see a sign, so he answered, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it." He spoke about himself, meaning his body, which he knew the Jews would cause to be crucified, and which he would raise up from the dead after three days. But the Jews did not understand, and they thought he meant the temple on Mount Moriah, which Herod, the king, had rebuilt for them. They said, "Many years were spent in building this temple, and you say you could rebuild it in three days!" Then they shook their heads doubtfully and walked away, for they did not believe his words. At this Feast, Jesus began to teach the people and to do miracles among them. And many believed in him when they heard his words and saw the great works which no other man could do. One of those who believed in Jesus was a ruler among the Jews, a Pharisee. His name was Nicodemus, and he was a very rich man. There were many Pharisees among the Jewish rulers, and these men were proud and unwilling to accept either John the Baptist or Jesus as being teachers sent from God. They themselves wished to be the religious leaders of the Jews and they despised humble men like John and Jesus. But Nicodemus was not like his proud friends. He heard Jesus teach the people who had come to worship at the Feast, and he believed that surely Jesus was some great man. While the other Pharisees were finding fault with Jesus, Nicodemus longed to hear more of his teachings. So one night he came to the place where Jesus stayed while he was in Jerusalem, and asked to have a talk with this man from Galilee. Jesus received Nicodemus gladly, and talked to him about the kingdom of God. He told this ruler that no man could enter God's kingdom unless he should be born again. Nicodemus wondered how this could be possible, so Jesus explained to him the secret of the new birth, which we call a change of heart. Never before had this wise ruler of the Jews heard such strange words, and he listened wonderingly while Jesus told about the great love of God. "This love," said Jesus, "caused God to give his only Son that whoever believes in him may not die because of sin, but have life forevermore." Then Jesus reminded Nicodemus of the story of Moses in the wilderness when the people had sinned and God had sent fiery snakes into their camp. Nicodemus remembered the story, and Jesus said, "Just as those people who were about to die from the snake-bites found relief from their pain by looking at the brass snake that Moses put up on a pole in their camp, so the people who have sin in their hearts may find relief from sin by looking at the Son of man, who shall be raised up among them." Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus was speaking about the cruel way in which he should some time be put to death to save the people from their sins. But Nicodemus did believe more strongly than ever that Jesus was a great teacher who had come down from heaven to dwell among men. Faith in Jesus as the Redeemer of the world gives everlasting life. Tomorrow: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Jesus' First Disciples - Five Men Meet Jesus

Jesus' First Disciples - Five Men Meet Jesus John 1:35-51

Jesus calls His first five disciples. MANY PEOPLE WHO heard John preach by the riverside believed his words, and they began to look for the coming of the King from heaven. From day to day they waited, eager to hear the glad news that the King had arrived. They believed that he would set up a kingdom of Judea, like the kingdom of David had been. And they believed that the Jews would be the favored people in this great kingdom. One day after Jesus had returned from the lonely wilderness, John the Baptist saw him walking along the road near the river. And John cried out, "Behold the Lamb of God, who bears the sin of the world!" Two young men from Galilee were with John that day and heard him speak. These young men had been disciples, or learners, of John, for they were interested in the teachings of God. When they heard John's words concerning Jesus, the Lamb of God, they turned at once to follow this wonderful person. Perhaps they wondered why John had called him the "Lamb of God." And perhaps they wondered how he could bear the sin of the world. Jesus knew these young men were following him, so he stopped and called to them. He asked what they wanted of him, and they answered, "Master, where do you dwell?" Then Jesus took them with him and talked with them all the day. We do not know what Jesus told those men, but we do know that his words proved to their minds that he was the King, or Messiah, for whom the Jews were looking. How glad they were because they had found him! One of those young men was Andrew, who afterwards became a disciple of Jesus. Just as soon as he believed that Jesus was the promised King he remembered how eagerly his brother, Simon, was waiting to see this great person, too. So he hurried at once to find Simon and bring him to Jesus. Both Simon and Andrew lived by the seaside in Galilee, but at this time they were numbered among the many people who daily sat listening to the words of the strange preacher in the wilderness. Never had they heard such wonderful teaching before, and they were sure that John was a prophet. But Jesus' words had convinced Andrew that he had found a new teacher who was even greater than John. So he called Simon aside from the multitude and said,"Come with me, for we have found the Messiah!" When Jesus saw the two brothers coming to his lodging-place he looked at Simon and said, "You are Simon, the son of Jona; but you shall be called Peter." Simon wondered how Jesus knew so much about him, but after he listened to Jesus' words he, too, believed that the long-looked-for King of the Jews had come. And he followed Jesus with his brother Andrew. On the next day Jesus began his journey back to his home country in Galilee, and these men went with him. As they went they met a man named Philip, who lived in the same town as Simon and Andrew lived in. Jesus called Philip to follow him, too; and Philip obeyed. As he walked along the road with Jesus and the other followers Philip listened in wonder to the wise sayings of his new-found friend. He had longed for the coming of the Messiah, and now he, too, believed that Jesus was the promised Savior and King. Philip had a neighbor named Nathaniel who had often talked with him about the glorious time soon coming when the King of the Jews would appear. And now he ran to tell Nathaniel about Jesus. He knew how greatly Nathaniel longed to see the coming King, and he called to him, saying, "We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth." Nathaniel knew the Scriptures, and he did not believe that the King of the Jews would come from Nazareth, for the prophets had said he would be born in Bethlehem. So he said to Philip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" But Philip answered, "Come and see." Because Philip was so eager, Nathaniel rose and followed him. When they came near, Jesus saw Nathaniel, and he said, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" "How do you know me?" asked the astonished Jew. Jesus answered, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig-tree, I saw you." What Nathaniel had been doing under the fig-tree we can only guess, but he may have been kneeling there and praying that God would hasten the coming of the promised King. When he heard Jesus; answer, he was filled with wonder and surprise that Jesus could know what he had been doing and where he had been staying before Philip called him. At once he believed that only God can see all things, and can reveal them to men, so he exclaimed joyfully, "Master, you are the Son of God! you are the King of Israel!" Jesus replied, "Do you believe just because I said I saw you under the fig-tree? You shall see greater things than these. Some day you shall see the heavens open, and the angel of God all about the Son of man." Tomorrow: The Wedding In Cana - Jesus' First Miracle

John the Baptist - The Preacher in the Wilderness

John the Baptist - The Preacher in the Wilderness Matthew 3; Mark 1:2-11; Luke 3:1-23; John 1:15-34

John the Baptist preaches that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. WHILE JESUS WAS growing to manhood in the city of Nazareth, in Galilee, John, the son of Zacharias, was growing to manhood in the desert country of Judea. John spent much of his time alone in this desert country, listening to God's voice. And when he became a man he left his lonely home in the desert and began to tell God's words to the people. John did not go to the cities of the land to preach God's message, but stayed in the wilderness of Judea near the River Jordan. And the people came from every part of the land to hear him speak. There had been no prophet among the Jews since the days of Malachi, more than four hundred years before, and now everybody was eager to hear this strange preacher in the wilderness tell the words that God had spoken to him. They believed he was a prophet, sent from God, and they came in great numbers to hear his words. And John's words were indeed wonderful. He told the people that they should turn away from their sins and begin to do right, for God's kingdom was near at hand. He said that the King for whom they had been looking would soon come among them. And those who confessed their sins he baptized in the River. For this reason they called him "John the Baptist." All classes of people came to John to be baptized by him. Among them were even the religious rulers of the Jews--the Pharisees and the Sadducees. These men were very religious, and very careful to appear righteous before others. But God, who looked into their hearts, saw that they were proud and sinful. God saw that they despised the poor unfortunate people who lived among them, and that they believed themselves to be more righteous than other men. And when they came to be baptized of John, God caused him to know that these Pharisees and Sadducees were only making believe that they were good. So John said to them. "Who has warned you evil men to flee from God's wrath? You can not be prepared to enter God's kingdom until you first turn away from your sins." John taught the people who came to him that they should be unselfish, and kind to the poor. He told those who were rich to share their food and their clothing with the needy. He told those who were soldiers to harm no one, and to be contented with their wages. He tried in this way to teach them that God's kingdom would be a kingdom of love and peace, and "good will toward men," just as the angels sang to the shepherds on the night of Jesus' birth. News of the strange preacher in the wilderness spread to even the farthest corners of the land, and everywhere the people were talking about his message. They were wondering whether John was the prophet Elijah come back to earth again, for John did not dress like other men. He wore only a rough garment woven of camel's hair, and tied about his waist with a skin girdle. And he ate the simple food that he found in the wilderness, dried locusts and wild honey. And he was bold, like Elijah had been, and unafraid to speak the truth to even the wicked King Herod. But when John heard about the wonderings of the people, he said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, and warning you to prepare for the coming King. After me there is coming one greater than I--so much greater that I am not worthy to unfasten his shoes. And though I baptize you with water, he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, sent down from heaven. After these things happened, one day Jesus came from Nazareth to the Jordan River, where John was preaching and baptizing the people. And Jesus asked to be baptized also. John did not believe that Jesus needed to be baptized, and he said, "You are so much greater than I that I should be baptized by you. Why do you come to me?" But Jesus answered, "It is necessary that I should be baptized by you, because this is God's plan." So John took Jesus into the River and baptized him there. When these two were coming up out of the water, suddenly the heavens opened above them and the Spirit of God, in the form of a beautiful dove, came down and sat upon Jesus' head. Then a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." And John knew by this sign who Jesus was; for God had told him that some day he would see the heavens open and the Spirit of God descend upon the coming King. After this time John continued to preach, and sometimes Herod heard him. Although Herod was troubled because John told him about his sins, his wife was much displeased with this fearless preacher of the wilderness. She wanted her husband, Herod, to kill him; and to please her, Herod shut John up in prison. Tomorrow: The Temptations of Jesus

The Wise Men Who Followed a Star

Friday, June 22, 2012

The Wise Men Who Followed a Star Matthew 2

When the wise men from the east see the star, they know that Christ the King has been born. IN THE COUNTRY far to the east of Judah there lived some wise men who studied the stars. One night they discovered a new star in the sky, one that they had never seen before. And God caused them to know by this star that Christ, the promised King of the Jews, had been born. These wise men feared God, and they wished to see the child whom he had sent to be the Savior of the world. They supposed that the Jews must be very happy because God had at last sent to them the King he had promised. Because these wise men were rich, they planned at once to make the long journey to Judah and bring precious gifts to the new-born King. Then they would worship him as their Savior. For many days they traveled across the sandy desert, and at last they came to the fertile country where the Jews lived. They hurried on to the city of Jerusalem; for they expected to find the wonderful child living in the most beautiful place in the land. And surely Jerusalem, the famous city of the Jews, would be the most beautiful place. Herod, the man whom the emperor of Rome had set up over the land of Judah, was living in Jerusalem at that time. He was surprised when these strangers, riding on camels, came into his city and asked, "Where is the child that is born King of the Jews? We have seen his star in the far east country, and have come to worship him." Herod had heard nothing about this new-born King, and he was troubled. What could this mean? he wondered. And even the rich people in Jerusalem were puzzled, too. They had heard nothing about Jesus. No doubt the wise men were disappointed when they found that the rulers of Jerusalem knew nothing about the birth of the Savior. Perhaps they feared that they might have been mistaken, after all. But they waited anxiously while Herod called the chief priests and the scribes and asked them where the Savior should be born. Now the chief priests and scribes were the men who read the books that the prophets had written long ago, and they understood that Christ should be born in Bethlehem. This they told to the excited Herod, and he called the wise men and told them that they should look for the child in Bethlehem. Herod had been troubled, because he did not want Jesus to become the king of the Jews. He thought this new-born King would take away his throne, and he wished to be king himself. But he did not let the wise men know about his trouble feelings. He called them and asked very politely when they had first seen this unusual star in the east, and they told him. Then he urged them to hurry on to Bethlehem and search diligently to find the child. "When you have found him,' said Herod, "bring me word at once, that I, too, may go and worship him." And with these words he dismissed them from his presence. The wise men mounted their camels again and took the south road, leading to Bethlehem. All they had waited impatiently in Jerusalem, and now the shadows of night were falling over the land. But it would not be a very long ride to the birthplace of the new-born King, and, urged on by Herod's words, they hastened to find Jesus. When once outside the city gates, they saw the star, the same beautiful star that had shown so brightly in the east country, moving slowly before them, as if leading them on to the right place. Now they were sure that they had not been mistaken; and they rejoiced greatly, for they believed that God was in this manner trying to help them to find Jesus. When they reached Bethlehem the star stood still over the place where Mary and Joseph were living. And the wise men knew they had followed the right guide, for here they found the wonderful child of whom the prophets had written. They knelt in humble worship before him, and then gave to him the rich treasures that they had brought from their homeland. God spoke to the wise men in a dream one night while they were in Bethlehem, and warned them not to tell Herod that they had found Jesus. So they returned to their own country by another road, and Herod never saw them again. Not long afterwards an angel of the Lord spoke to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I bring word to you to return again; for Herod will seek for Jesus and try to destroy him." Joseph rose up at once, and while it was yet dark he took Mary and the baby Jesus and hurried out of Bethlehem. For many days they traveled to the southwest, until they came to the land of Egypt. There they lived until an angel came to tell them that the wicked Herod was dead. But Herod did not die for some time after the visit of the wise men. He waited long for them to return, bringing him word from Bethlehem as he had commanded them to do. But when many days passed and they did not come, he began to suspect that they had gone home without telling him of their wonderful discovery in Bethlehem. He believed they had guessed the reason why he had been so eager to see Jesus, and now he was angry because he had missed the opportunity to find the new-born King of the Jews. Determined to destroy this King of the prophecies, Herod commanded his soldiers to go to Bethlehem and kill every baby there from two years old and younger. Not only to Bethlehem did he send them, but to the country places round about. And when this cruel deed was done he believed that he had surely gotten rid of this child whom the wise men sought to worship. But all the while Jesus was living in safety among the people of Egypt, and fast growing out of his babyhood years. Then the wicked Herod died, and an angel came again to speak to Joseph, telling him to return with his wife and her child to their own land. Joseph was glad to receive this message from the angel, for he loved to live among his own people. And he started back to Bethlehem. But when he came into Judah, he heard that Herod's son was now the ruler of the Jews in Judah, and he feared that this new king might be cruel like his father had been. Because of this fear Joseph journeyed on to Nazareth, in the country of Galilee, where he and Mary had lived before Jesus was born. And there he made a home for his wife and wonderful child. Tomorrow: Jesus in the Temple at Twelve Years Old

The Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:1-39

An angel appears to the shepherds and tells them that the Savior has been born. OUT ON THE streets of Nazareth the people were standing in groups, talking excitedly. News had just reached their city that the great emperor of Rome had commanded all of them to go to the town or city from which their families had come and have their names written on lists. The emperor wished to have a list of the names of all the people in this great kingdom, or empire. And no one dared to disobey his command. Soon travelers were seen going in every direction, for the emperor's command had been read in every city in the land. Out from Nazareth a company of people started toward the south, and in that company were Joseph and Mary, for they were both of the family of David, and they were going to Bethlehem, the city of David, to have their names written upon the list at that place. The road to the south led through the country of Samaria, then over the hills of Judah into Jerusalem. From Jerusalem Joseph and Mary went farther south, till they came to Bethlehem. Some of their company had left them in other cities along the way, while others had joined them. And when they reached Bethlehem they found that it was swarming with people who belonged, as they did, to the city where David was born. From every part of the land these people had come, and they had filled the lodging rooms till no more place could be found for the new arrivals. The long journey from Nazareth had been very tiresome, and Mary longed for a place to rest. But Joseph could find no place except in the stable of the inn. And here they stayed during their first days in Bethlehem. God had not forgotten his promise to Mary, and one night while she was in Bethlehem he gave her the child, Jesus. And Mary wrapped him in soft cloths called swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger where the cattle fed, because she could find no better place. The people of Bethlehem did not know that the angels were watching over the city that night. They did not hear the angels' glad song when Jesus was born. They did not see the joy of Mary and Joseph as they bent over the wonderful child in the manger. And so it was that God's greatest gift to men came right into that neighborhood and those people did not receive it as a gift from God because they did not expect a Savior to be born of such a humble person as Mary. But there were shepherds watching their flocks that night in a field near Bethlehem. Perhaps David, the shepherd king, had tended sheep in that same field many years before. These shepherds knew about David, and about God's promise to David that one of his descendants would be the Savior of men. And they may have been talking about God's promise when the angel of the Lord suddenly came near and a glorious light broke upon them through the darkness. Trembling with fear, they looked upon the angel and wondered why he had come to them. Then he spoke, and said: "Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the lord.. And you will find the baby wrapped in swaddling-clothes and lying in a manger." What a wonderful message! The shepherds listened eagerly to the angel's words, and when he finished speaking they saw a multitude of angels join him and begin to sing. Such music this world had never heard, for the angels were singing one of heaven's glad songs, giving glory to God in the highest. And they also sang, "Peace on earth, good will toward men." When the song had ended, the angels went back into heaven and the glorious light faded again into the darkness of the still night. But the shepherds never forgot the sweetness of that song nor the joy it brought to their hearts. They did not wait until daylight to hasten to Bethlehem in search of the wonderful child, but said to each other just as soon as the angels disappeared, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord has made known to us." So they left their flocks and hurried to Bethlehem, and there they found Mary and Joseph in the stable, with the infant Savior lying in the manger as the angel had said. The shepherds told Mary and Joseph about their angel visitors and about the wonderful song that the angels sang. And no doubt they knelt before the manger and worshiped the little babe who lay quietly sleeping in the hay. Then they ran into the streets of Bethlehem and told every one whom they met about the angel's visit and about the wonderful child who had been born that night in a stable of the city. And the people wondered about the strange things that the shepherds told. When the baby was eight days old, Joseph and Mary gave him a name, and they called him by the name the angel had chosen. That name, Jesus, means "salvation," and it told to men the work that God had sent this child to do. There was a law among the Jews that an offering should be made to the Lord for the first boy child born into each family. Among the rich people this offering should be lamb, but among the poor people the offering of only two young pigeons would please God just as well. When Jesus was forty days old Joseph and Mary took him to the temple at Jerusalem to give their offering to the Lord. They brought two pigeons, for they were poor and could not bring a lamb. An old man named Simeon was in the temple when Joseph and Mary came to bring their offering. This old man had served God for many years, and he longed to see the Savior whom God had promised to send into the world. God knew about this longing in Simeon's heart, and one day he spoke to Simeon and said, "You shall not die until you have seen the Savior." When Mary brought the baby Jesus to the temple, God's Spirit caused Simeon to know this child was the promised Savior. He came eagerly to meet Mary and took her babe in his arms. Then he said, "Now may God let me depart in peace, for I have seen with my eyes the salvation which he has sent." Another faithful servant of the Lord was in the temple that day, an old lady named Anna, who spoke words of prophecy to the people. When she saw Jesus, she too gave thanks to God, and to the people who stood in the courts of the temple she spoke about this child of promise which had been sent from God to man. Mary never forgot the words of these dear old people concerning her wonderful child. She remembered, too, the story that the shepherds had told, about the angel's visit to them, and about their words and song. Always in the days that followed Mary thought about these strange things and wondered how her son Jesus would finally become the King and Savior of the world. Tomorrow: The Wise Men Who Followed a Star

Zacharias and Elizabeth Name Their Child

Zacharias and Elizabeth Name Their Child Luke 1:57-80

Zacharias writes in plain letters, so all could read, "His name is John." A TIME OF great rejoicing had come to the quiet little home in the hill-country of Judah, for God had sent the promised child to Zacharias and his aged wife, Elizabeth. And all the neighbors and relatives were rejoicing with these happy parents of the baby boy. When the child was eight days old preparations were made to give him a name, for this was the custom of the Jews. The friends and relatives said,"Let us call him Zacharias, after the name of his father." But Elizabeth answered, 'No, do not call him Zacharias, for his name is John." Why do you wish to call him John?" they asked in surprised. "You have no relatives who are called by that name." Then they turned to the old father, who had not spoken since the angel talked with him in the temple, and by making signs they asked him what they should call the child. Zacharias understood what they wished to know, and he motioned for them to bring a writing-table. This they did. Then he wrote in plain letters, so all could read, "His name is John." "How strange!" thought the people. And all at once Zacharias began to speak to them again, just as he used to speak before he had seen the angel. And he praised God for giving him this wonderful baby boy. News of this wonderful baby spread all through the hill-country, and people became much interested in him. They heard how the angel had appeared to Zacharias in the temple and promised that God would give the child, and they heard how Zacharias had been unable to speak from that time until after the baby was called by the name that the angel had given. They wondered much about these strange happenings, and they believed that surely the baby John would grow up into a great man. Zacharias received wisdom from God and spoke words of prophecy to his neighbors and friends about his little son. He blessed the Lord. And then he said to his little boy, "You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Highest, for you shall go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways. You shall give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God." Many other words did Zacharias speak; and his words came true, for the Spirit of God caused him to speak those words. And Zacharias cared for his little son as long as he lived. He watched with pride the changes that came with the years in the life of his little boy. And he saw that God was blessing John and causing him to grow strong and brave. Perhaps Zacharias and Elizabeth did not live to see the day when John become a very useful man for God, for he did not begin his great work until he was thirty years old. Until that time he lived quietly in the desert country, and studied the books that God's prophets had written. He also listened much to the voice of God, and learned to understand God's will. Tomorrow: The Birth of Jesus

A Heavenly Messenger Visits Mary

A Heavenly Messenger Visits Mary Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to speak to Mary, and announce the coming of the Savior. MARY WAS A Jewess. She had grown to womanhood in Nazareth, a city of Galilee. And she was expecting soon to marry a good man named Joseph. Both Mary and Joseph were descendants of King David, but they were poor people. Joseph was a carpenter, and he worked with his tools to make a living for himself and to prepare a home for his bride. One day God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to speak to Mary, for God had chosen this young woman to become the mother of the Savior who would soon be born into the world. Mary was surprised when she saw the angel, and she was more surprised when she heard his words. For he said, "You are highly favored and blessed among women, for the Lord is with you." Seeing that Mary did not understand his meaning, the angel told her that God was well pleased with her and he had chosen her to become the mother of Jesus, the Savior of men. He told her that Jesus, her son, would be a King, and that he would rule forever. Even yet the surprised young woman could not understand his words, so the angel told her that this wonderful child would be called the Son of God. While Mary listened the angel told her about the promised child of Zacharias and Elizabeth, the old people who lived in the hill-country of Judah. And he said, "Although they are old people, nothing is too hard for God to do." Then Mary knew that God could give her this wonderful child which the angel had promised, and she said, "Be it unto me according to thy word." So the angel left her and went back to heaven. Now, Mary knew Elizabeth, the old lady of whom the angel spoke; for Elizabeth was her cousin. And she knew how Elizabeth had longed to have a child for many years. She believed that her cousin must be very happy since God had promised to give her a child in her old age. Although the distance was great, she wished to see Elizabeth. So she decided to make her a visit. As soon as Mary entered the home of her cousin and spoke words of greeting, God caused Elizabeth to know the secret which the angel had told this young woman in her own home. And Elizabeth rejoiced that Mary had come to visit her. She knew that Mary would some day be the mother of Jesus, the Savior of men. The two women spent many happy days together, then Mary hurried back to her own home in Nazareth. There God's angel spoke to Joseph, the carpenter, in a dream, and told him about the wonderful secret of Jesus' birth. And Joseph was glad, for he had been longing for the time to come when the promised Savior should be born. He took Mary into his home and they waited for the angel's promise to come true. Tomorrow: Zacharias and Elizabeth Name Their Child

An Angel Visits Zacharias

Monday, June 18, 2012

An Angel Visits Zacharias Luke 1:1-23

The angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife shall have a son, whom you shall call John." ZACHARIAS, THE PRIEST, was an old man. All his lifetime he had been in the priesthood, for he was a descendant of Aaron. And he had married a woman named Elizabeth who also belonged to the family of the priests. Zacharias and Elizabeth loved God and lived to please him as well as they knew how. They thought often of the promises God had given to the Jews by the old prophets who lived and died many years before their time. These promises were that some day God would send a Saviour into the world, a son of David, to rule over his people forever. Now Zacharias and his wife had grown old, and God had never given them any children. They had prayed many times and asked God to give them a little son or a little daughter, but their prayers had never been answered. And they had lived alone in their quiet home, thinking that God was not willing to bless them with the joy of parenthood. Still they served him faithfully; for they knew God always does what is best. Zacharias did not always work in the temple. There were many priests, and these priests served in the temple by courses, just as David had planned when he arranged for the building of the first temple in Jerusalem. There were twenty-four courses of the priests, and Zacharias belonged to the course of Abia. When his turn came to serve he left his quiet home in the hill-country of Judah and went to Jerusalem. There he did the work that fell to him by lot. And his lot was to burn incense on the golden altar, in the holy place, or the first room of the temple, where only the priests might enter. Twice each day, at the time of the morning and the evening sacrifices, Zacharias took his censer of burning coals from the great altar and went into the holy place alone to offer sweet perfumes upon the golden altar before God. And while he lingered in that room, the people who came up to the temple to worship stood in the court outside and prayed. This was called the hour of prayer. One day while Zacharias was offering incense upon the golden altar he was surprised to see an angel standing on the right side of the altar watching him. At first Zacharias was very much afraid, for he had never seen an angel before. But the angel said, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, and your wife shall have a son, whom you shall call John. This child shall bring you much joy, for he shall be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never drink wine or strong drink, and he shall have God's Holy Spirit dwelling in him and giving him power such as Elijah had, to turn the people from their sins to serve God." Zacharias listened, filled with wonder as to whether these words could be really true. He thought he and Elizabeth were too old to have a child, and he asked the angel to give him a sign that he might know for sure these things would happen. The angel answered, "I am Gabriel, the angel who stands in the presence of the Lord, and I have been sent by the Lord to tell you this glad news. But you have not believed my words, because you ask for a sign. Therefore this sign shall be given to you: You shall not be able to speak another word until the child is born." And then the angel disappeared as suddenly as he had come. The people stood outside waiting and wondering why Zacharias was so long in the holy place. When he came out to them he could not speak, but showed them by motions that he had seen a vision from God. Not long afterwards Zacharias finished his course of service at the temple and returned to his home in the hill-country of Judah, as speechless as when he came out of the holy place. But he knew that the time would come when his voice would return, for he believed the sign that the angel had given to him. Tomorrow: A Heavenly Messenger Visits Mary

Nehemiah-The King's Cupbearer

Nehemiah-The King's Cupbearer Nehemiah 1:1 to 2:18

Nehemiah rises up quietly during the night and takes a few soldiers with him to see the condition of the wall of Jerusalem. IN THE PALACE of King Artaxerxes was a noble young man who daily waited on the great ruler. This young man's name was Nehemiah, and he was a Jew. Although he was very rich, and favored more than any of the King's servants, yet Nehemiah was a humble-minded young man. And this is a story that tells us about a part of his eventful life: "In the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign I was in the palace of Shushan as cupbearer of the King when my brother Hanani and certain other men came from the land of Judah. I was eager to see them and to hear news from the land of my fathers, so when my duties were done I asked them about Jerusalem and about those Jews who had gone back to rebuild the temple of the Lord. "My brother and his companions shook their heads sorrowfully, and replied that things were not going well in the city where David once ruled so gloriously as king of God's people. They told me that the wall which Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers had torn down and burned many years ago had never been repaired, and that the place looked very desolate, and unworthy of the great name that once had made it a glory in the earth. They also told me that the Jews who had returned were now poor and greatly oppressed by their enemies round about. "When I heard these words I sat down and wept, for my heart was grieved, and I longed to see the prosperity of my people. Then there stirred within me a desire to help them, so I fasted and prayed earnestly to the God of heaven, and besought him to grant me the favor of the King. For I knew I could do nothing to help my people except the King should give his consent. "One day while I stood by the King's table pouring wine into his goblet, I could not keep my thoughts on my work. And I could not speak so cheerfully as was my usual manner, for my heart was saddened by the great needs of my people. The King noticed my sad countenance, and he asked what had caused my sorrow of heart; for he knew I was not sick. Then I was afraid, for I thought surely he was displeased with me. But I told him that I had heard sad news from my people in Judah, and I told him about the broken walls of Jerusalem and the oppressed condition of the Jews. "The King listened patiently, then asked what I desired of him. Before answering, I breathed a prayer to the God of heaven, and then I said, 'If it please the King, and if I have found favor in your eyes, I ask that you send me to Jerusalem to rebuild the city of my fathers.' The Queen also was sitting by, listening, and the King asked how long I should be absent from his palace. I told him how long my journey would be, and that I might not return for many days. But it pleased him to send me, and to give me letters to the rulers near Judah, telling them to help me on the way. He also gave me a letter to the man who was the keeper of his forest, telling him to permit me to get trees from the forest with which to rebuild the gates of the city walls. "I did not start out on this long, dangerous journey alone, for the King sent captains and soldiers of his army with me, and we rode on horses, which he provided. After many days we came to the rulers of the countries near Judah, and I showed to them the letters that King Artaxerxes had written. These rulers were not friendly with the poor Jews at Jerusalem, and they were sorry because I had come to strengthen the city. But they dared not hinder me, so I passed on and soon came to Judah. "For three days I rested, then I rose up quietly during the night and took a few of my soldiers with me to discover the true condition of the city wall. We passed out through the entrance by the valley gate and I rode around the city. No one except my companions knew what I was doing, and none of the people of Jerusalem knew why I had come to visit them. But after my ride that night I felt prepared to talk to them about the task that I had come to accomplish. For I found the broken walls lying in heaps of ruins, and in some places my horse could not find a path. "Then I talked to the rulers and to the priests and told them why I had come. I told them that Jerusalem was a reproach among all nations, and that God was not pleased to have his people let it remain in this broken-down condition. I told them how God had answered my prayer causing the king to allow me to come; and when the rulers and the priests heard my words, they said, 'Let us arise and build the wall.'" Tomorrow: Nehemiah Rebuilds the Walls of Jerusalem

Jesus in the Temple at Twelve Years Old

Jesus in the Temple at Twelve Years Old

Luke 2:40-52

Mary was surprised when she found her boy in the temple among the wise men.

AZARETH, THE BOYHOOD of Jesus, was nearly seventy miles from Jerusalem. The Jews who lived in this city could not go every week to worship God at the temple, so they built a house of worship, called synagog, in their home town. Here they attended religious services, and listened to the reading of the books written by Moses and by the prophets.

As a little boy Jesus lived in the humble home of Joseph, the carpenter, and played among the shavings that fell from Joseph's bench. He also like to run about and play in the warm sunshine, as little children do today. But when he grew old enough to go to school his parents sent him to the synagog, where other Jewish boys were taught to read and to write.

We are sure that Jesus studied his lessons well, and that he gave careful attention to the books he read each day. These books were copies of the Psalms and of the writing of Moses, the lawgiver, and the prophets. Like other Jewish boys, he learned to repeat many of these scriptures from memory, for he never had a Bible of his own.

One spring morning after Jesus was twelve years old a company of Jews started from Nazareth to attend the Feast of the Passover, at Jerusalem. Every year since their return from Egypt, Joseph and Mary had attended this feast, and now, as usual, they were in this company. But this time they were taking with them the boy Jesus.

Other children, too, were going, and they would enjoy the long trip of nearly seventy miles much more than would their parents and grown-up friends.

As the company moved slowly along the road, other Jews from cities and villages near by joined them. And when they came to Jerusalem they met people from every part of the land. What an exciting time this much have been for the children! How wide their eyes must have opened when they saw the beautiful temple on Mount Moriah, with its wide porches and immense pillars of stone! And perhaps they stayed close by their parents during the first days of the Feast, lest they should get lost in the throng of people who daily crowded the temple courts.

Jesus enjoyed this Feast as much as did this parents and grown-up friends. Although just a child, he was beginning to realize that God was his Father, and that he must work for God. So he listened to the readings of the law, and to the words of the chief priests and scribes, who taught the Jews every day. But we are sure that he acted very much like a healthy twelve-year-old boy, for his mother did not notice how deeply interested he had been in the services at the temple.

After the Feast had ended, the company started on its homeward journey. Mary did not see her young son; but since she supposed that he was among their kinsfolk and friends, she did not feel uneasy. However, when at evening he did not come, she and Joseph began to search for him. All through the company they went, asking about Jesus; but no one had seen him that day. Then they turned with anxious faces back toward Jerusalem, and for three days they searched for their missing child.

On the third day they found him, not playing with other boys in the streets, nor learning to swim in the Pool of Siloam, but sitting in the temple among the wise teachers, and asking them questions, which they could hardly answer.

Mary was surprised when she found her boy in the temple among the wise men. She had looked every other place for him. She knew he was a boy, just a boy, and she was surprised to find him so deeply interested in the teachings of God.

She came to him and said, "Son, why did you stay here when we were starting home? Your father and I have been anxiously seeking for you everywhere."

Jesus answered, "Why did you seek for me? Did you not know that I must be about my Father's business?" He meant, "Why did you not know where to find me at once? For I must be about my heavenly Father's business."

But Mary did not understand, though she wondered much about the meaning of his words.

The wise men in the temple had been much surprised to hear the wisdom of the boy Jesus. They had gathered round him to ask questions that only wise persons could answer. And Jesus answered them, every one.

But when Mary and Joseph came to the temple, Jesus left the teachers there and returned with his parents to Nazareth. He was an obedient child, and as the years passed by he grew into a noble young man. Not only did he learn how to explain the Scriptures, but he watched Joseph at his work until he, too, became a carpenter. And by his kind, thoughtful ways he won many friends.

In this humble home in Nazareth, Jesus lived until he was about thirty years old.

Haman's Plans to Destroy All the Jews

AMONG THE PRINCES at the royal palace in Shushan was a proud man named Haman. He was very rich, and clever, and he knew how to behave in the most pleasing manner whenever he appeared before the King. So the King honored Haman above all the princes, and commanded all his servants to pay respect to this proud man.
Among the King's servants who sat in the gate of the palace was Mordecai, the Jew. And whenever Haman passed through the gate the King's servants were supposed to bow down before him, with their faces in the dust. And they all did so except Mordecai. He would not bow down before any man to give him the honor that belonged to God only.
The King's servants were not pleased when they saw that Mordecai refused to bow down before the honored prince. They asked him why he dared to disobey the command of the King. And Mordecai told them that he was a Jew; and doubtless he told them that the Jews worshiped God only and would not reverence a man as if he were a god. Then the servants hurried to tell Haman of Mordecai's unwillingness to bow before him.
Haman's pride was deeply wounded when he heard Mordecai, the Jew, refused to give him honor. He became very angry, and determined to punish Mordecai. But he thought that because he was such a great man it would look petty to punish only one Jew; he must resort to some great form of punishment. So he planned to kill all the Jews. He did not know that Esther, the beautiful queen whom the King loved, was a Jewess.
Now Haman helped to rule in the great kingdom of Persia, and he often came before the King. He thought it would be an easy matter to get the King's consent to have the Jews killed. And he planned carefully, that Ahasuerus might not know he was angry with the Jews because Mordecai would not bow before him.
Then he came to the King and said, "O King, there is a certain people scattered throughout your counties whose laws are contrary to your laws and they refuse to obey you. They are different from other people and they are unprofitable to our kingdom, therefore if it please you, let a law be mad that those people be destroyed. And I myself will pay the money to hire soldiers to kill them."
Ahasuerus did not know much about the Jews nor their strange religion. He did not know that his beautiful queen was a Jewess. And he supposed that Haman, his great prince, knew all about the people who were so unprofitable to his kingdom, so he told Haman to write letters to the rulers in every part of the kingdom, telling them that on a certain day they should destroy all the Jews in their part of the country, every man, woman, and child.
After the letters were written, Haman gave them to postmen, who carried them to every part of the kingdom. Then he believed he had done a great deed that would bring him much honor, and he went to the palace to dine with the King. He felt that no one in all the realm of Persia was quite so important as himself, for even the King allowed him to do just as he pleased.
Soon the news of this letter reached the ears of the Jews in every part of the land. And they wondered why Ahasuerus had suddenly become so displeased with them. They had always lived peacefully among his people, and had never given him any trouble.
They had worked at honest toil and many of them had become very rich. Now they were to be destroyed and their riches were to be seized by wicked men. They could not understand why this cruel law had been passed against them. And everywhere they wept with loud cries, tearing their clothes and dressing themselves in sackcloth. Many of them sat in ashes, and mourned and fasted and prayed.
Mordecai was among the first of the Jews to hear about the cruel law; for he lived in the city of Shushan. And he knew at once that Haman had made the law. He knew that even Esther would have to suffer death if the law were obeyed, for every Jew was to be destroyed. And his grief was very great.
Tearing his garments, he wrapped himself in sackcloth and threw ashes upon his body. Then he went out into the streets and cried with a loud and bitter cry. But he did not dare to pass through the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the gate when dressed in sackcloth. And he could not come near the palace to send a message to the Queen.
He hoped that Esther might hear about him, and send a messenger to learn why he was so deeply troubled. Then he would tell her all about the cruel law, and then perhaps she could think of some way to help them and save their lives.
Tomorrow: How Queen Esther Save the Lives of Her People

Esther-The Beautiful Girl who Became a Queen

Esther-The Beautiful Girl who Became a Queen Esther 1,2

Esther comes before the king. ESTHER, THE JEWESS, was only a little girl when both her parents died and she went to live in the home of her cousin, Mordecai. Her new home was in the great city of Shushan, where the King of Persia lived. Her cousin, Mordecai, had an office in the household of the king. He was very kind to Esther, and loved her as his own child. After Esther grew up to young womanhood the King of Persia made a great feast in his palace. He invited all the nobles and rulers of his kingdom. Then, at the last of the feast he invited all the men of Shushan, both great and small, to come to the palace and share in his entertainment. Perhaps mordecai was there, too. Women in that country always wore veils over their faces when in the presence of men other than their own husbands, and they could not attend the same feasts with them. So the Queen, Vashti, gave a feast to the women at the same time as the King's feast to the men. On the last day of the feast, which continued for a whole week, the King grew very reckless because he had drunk much wine. And he wished to see his beautiful wife, the Queen. He wished that all the people attending his feast might see how beautiful she was. So he sent some of his servants to bring her into his part of the royal palace, where all the guest could behold her beauty. But Vashti, the Queen, refused to appear in the presence of all the men of Shushan. And she told the King's servants that she would not come. She believed that the King's request was unwise because it was contrary to the customs of her people. King Ahasuerus was very angry when the servants returned alone and told him that Vashti would not come with them. He called his wise men and asked what should be done with Vashti, the Queen, who had dared to disobey him. And one of the wise men said, "The queen has done wrong, not only to you, O King, but also to the princes and to all the people who dwell in your kingdom. For when this deed becomes known, the women everywhere will no longer respect their husbands as they should. Therefore let her be queen no longer, but choose another who is better than she to take her place." This advice pleased Ahasuerus, and he refused to let Vashti come into his presence again. He refused to let her be queen any longer, and decided to choose another beautiful young woman to become queen in her stead. So he sent commands through all his kingdom that the most beautiful young women should be brought to his palace, where he might choose among them the one who would please him best. This one he would make queen instead of Vashti. Mordecai knew that Esther was a beautiful young woman, and he believed she would make a beautiful queen. So he sent her to the palace with the other young women who came from different parts of the kingdom. And there she was taught the manners of the courtlife, so she would know how to please the King. But Mordecai told her not to let the fact become known that her people were the Jews. After living in the palace for some time, Esther was brought before the King; and she pleased him so much that he chose her at once to become the queen instead of Vashti. He placed the royal crown of Persia upon her head, and gave her rooms in his palace and many servants to attend her. Then he made a great feast for his princes and nobles, called Esther's feast, and he published the fact that Esther had been chosen as the new queen. Mordecai could no longer see the young woman whom he had cared for as tenderly as his own daughter. But every day he passed by the palace where she lived, and she could see him from her window. She would send messages to him by her faithful servants, and they would bring back the messages Mordecai wished her to receive. Then Mordecai would return to the king's gate and sit there as a watchman. While sitting in the gate, Mordecai saw two servants of the king who whispered together about some secret matter. He watched closely and learned that they were angry with the King and were planning to kill him. So he sent word to the King by Queen Esther, and she gave the warning in Mordecai's name. The King investigated the matter, and found that the men were guilty, so he put them to death. Then the warning of Mordecai, and how he had saved the King's life, were written in a book. But the King forgot about Mordecai's kindness to him, and did not promote him in the kingdom. He did not know that Mordecai, the Jew, was a relative of the beautiful young woman who wore the royal crown. Tomorrow: Haman's Plans to Destroy All the Jews

The Home-Coming of the Jews

The Home-Coming of the Jews Ezra 1:1 to Ezra 3:7

The Jews begin their journey back to Judah. A GREAT COMPANY of people were gathering in the valley along the Euphrates River, preparing to start on a long journey. There were old people, and young people, and even little boys and girls. These people were the Jews, and they were arranging soon to start back to the land of their fathers--Judah. For Cyrus, the new king, had sent this message to the Jews scattered everywhere throughout his kingdom: "The Lord God of heaven was given me all the kingdoms of earth; and he has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Now who is there among his people--the Jews--who will go up to Jerusalem and build this house for God?" Daniel was too old to return on this long journey to Jerusalem. And perhaps the King would have been unwilling to spare this great man from his work. But there were others, many others, who were just as eager as Daniel to see the temple of the Lord rebuilt. And one of these persons was Zerubbabel, a brave young man who belonged to the family of David. He became the leader of the people who returned to Jerusalem, but he ruled as a prince under the command of King Cyrus; for the throne of David was not restored in Jerusalem again. When the long journey began, the people moved slowly up the highway that led northward from Babylon, the same highway over which some of them had traveled seventy years before. Many of them walked, but some rode on horses, others on camels or donkeys. Now they were singing songs of joy, and they were carrying their beautiful harps back to their own land. There they would be glad and there they would play sweet music in the new house of the Lord which Cyrus had commanded them to build. Cyrus had given them the vessels of gold and of silver which Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from the temple before he set it on fire, and they were taking those vessels back to be used in the new temple. And Cyrus had commanded their neighbors and friends to give them rich gifts of gold and of silver. So they were well laden for their journey. Not all the Jews returned to Jerusalem; for many were becoming rich in their new homes, and they did not care to go back to Judah. But they sent precious gifts to help in the building of the new temple. And they were glad because some of their own people were returning to build up the altar of the Lord, which had been torn down. When at last the long journey was nearing its end, the people came in sight of the crumbled walls of Jerusalem. Some of them remembered how the city looked before it had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, and their hearts where filled with sadness. But many of them had never seen Jerusalem, for they had been born in the land of captivity. They had heard their parents tell about the land which God had given to them long ago, and which he had allowed King Nebuchadnezzar to take away from them because they had worshiped idols. And they were glad to come back and build homes in that land which Nebuchadnezzar had taken away from them. In the ruins of Jerusalem the people found the place where the temple of the Lord used to stand. They found the rock where the altar of the Lord had been built. And here the priests and the Levites cleared away the rubbish and gathered stones to build a new altar. Then they began to offer sacrifices to God each morning and each evening, just as the law of Moses commanded them to do. Tomorrow: How the New Temple was Built in Jerusalem

Daniel's Angel Visitor

DANIEL HAD LIVED many years in the beautiful capital cities of the eastern kings, and he had helped these
kings rule the people. But during those many years (for he was now old) he had never forgotten his childhood home in Jerusalem nor the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar and his soldiers had destroyed.
Daniel had read the letters that Jeremiah the prophet had written to the captive Jews in Babylon, and he knew Jeremiah had prophesied that the Jews might return again to their own land after seventy years.
And now, when he was an old man, Daniel knew the seventy years would soon be passed, and he longed to see his people return again and rebuild the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem.
Instead of praying three times everyday for himself and for his people, now Daniel sometimes prayed all day long. Sometimes he refused to eat his food because he wished to have more time to spend alone, talking with God.
And he even dressed himself in sackcloth and sat in ashes when he prayed, to show God that he was very sorry for his sins and for the sins of his people.
And Daniel's earnest prayers were heard. One evening while he was praying an angel came to talk with him. This angel had come one time before, when God had caused Daniel to see a wonderful vision; but this time the angel came to comfort Daniel to see a wonderful vision; but this time the angel came to comfort Daniel.
He said, "O Daniel, you are a man greatly loved by the Lord, and you shall know what shall come to pass in after years."
And the angel told Daniel about the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ, who should suffer and die for the sins of the people.
Daniel, after he became a very old man, continued to do business for the King. And when Darius died, the new King, Cyrus, took Daniel to his capital city in Persia and kept him there for a helper. And Daniel continued to pray earnestly even while he did business for the new King.
One day during the rule of king Cyrus, Daniel and several companions were by the riverside when all at once Daniel saw a heavenly visitor stand before him. The face of this heavenly visitor shone like lightning and his eyes like fire.
Even his arms and his feet shone like polished brass. Daniel could not look upon him, and fell to the ground. The men who were with Daniel did not see the heavenly visitor, but they felt the earth trembling beneath their feet and they ran away in fear.
As Daniel lay on the ground like one dead, the angel came and touched him. Then Daniel rose up on his knees, and the angel spoke. And his voice sounded like a multitude of voices. At first Daniel could not answer, for he had no power of speech left in him. But the angel touched his lips and caused strength to return into his body. And Daniel talked long with his heavenly visitor. And all these things he afterwards wrote in a book.
Daniel was one of the greatest prophets, as well as a great man in the country where he lived. By his courage and trueness to God he caused several heathen kings to respect the religion of the Jews, and he lived to see the time when King Cyrus allowed the Jews to return again to Judah.
Tomorrow: The Home-Coming of the Jews