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“The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands … for they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons … and when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle … and sat down astonied (surprised)” (Ezra 9:1-3).

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

We see from the first verse today that there was a big problem in Ezra’s time with the people of Israel mixing with people who lived around them — people who worshiped idols, and did not know the true God. The men of Israel had intermarried with heathen women, and even had children by them. They were strictly forbidden to do this, by the law of Moses, yet they had disobeyed, and dishonored the Lord. More than this, some of those who married these heathen women were leaders in Israel — princes, rulers, priests, and Levites.

As a faithful man, Ezra was very concerned about this, but before doing anything about it, He sat down in the Lord’s presence, and prayed. This is a good way to act when we see something happen that dishonors the Lord, and it is touching to read Ezra’s prayer in this same chapter, for he takes his place as part of the failure. He does not pray as if he were faithful, and the people were guilty. Rather, he says “we have forsaken Thy commandments” (Ezra 9:10), and “we are before Thee in our trespasses” (Ezra 9:15).

He prayed to the Lord, and as a result, the people came to him and confessed that they had done wrong. They wanted to make it right, and Ezra helped them to do what was right before the Lord.

The Lord gives us the same kind of instruction today, as we read in the book of 2nd Corinthians. We are not to be yoked together with an unbeliever, whether in marriage, or in business, or in any other way. We should always be ready to help those who are not saved, and to share the gospel with them, but we should not be together with them. They may be very nice people on the surface, but they will never want to enjoy the things of Christ. They will always want the things of this world, and it will make trouble for us eventually.

Each one of us needs to remember this. In my lifetime I have known several Christians who have married unbelievers, and while it might have seemed to work for a while, eventually it caused trouble. We are never wiser than the Word of God. Let us obey it and have a happy Christian life.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses … For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgements” (Ezra 7:6, 10).

Sometimes even Christians hesitate to read the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, as they do not know much about them, and find these books hard to understand. Also, there are a lot of names in both books — names that are sometimes hard to pronounce. However, these books are quite interesting, and show how God looked after His people Israel, even after they had been carried away into captivity.

The book of Ezra actually begins a long time before Ezra was back in the land of Israel, for it begins about 536 B.C., right at the end of the seventy years of captivity predicted by the prophet Jeremiah. The Lord had worked in the heart of Cyrus, the king of Persia, to issue a command that any of the children of Israel who wanted to go back there and live, should be allowed to do so. He also specially gave a command to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. As a result of this command, close to fifty thousand Jews went back to the land of Israel, and began to rebuild the temple. The first six chapters of the book of Ezra tell us of some of the problems these people faced, and tells how people who did not want to see the temple rebuilt made trouble for those who were building. But eventually the temple was finished, perhaps about 520 B.C.

Later on, Ezra comes on the scene, perhaps about 468 B.C. He was of the priestly family, for he was descended from Zadok, and he could trace his family all the way back to Aaron. As we see from our verses today, Ezra had a concern for the people of God, and although he found himself in captivity, the Lord worked in the heart of the king to allow him to go back to Jerusalem. Not only did the king give permission, but he also said that any others who wanted to go with Ezra should be allowed to go. More than this, the king provided whatever was needed for the sacrifices to be carried on, and for Ezra to teach the law of Moses to the people.

It is wonderful to see how the Lord could work in the heart of this Gentile king, to allow him to favor the Jews, and to help them in this way. The Lord can do this today, for He controls the hearts of the authorities over us. If the Lord wants something done, He can make it happen!

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“Peter said unto Him (the Lord Jesus), Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee” (Matthew 26:35).

“Then began he (Peter) to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man (the Lord Jesus)” (Matthew 26:74).

“And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him (Peter)” (Matthew 14:31).

“And he (Peter) gave her (Dorcas) his hand, and lifted her up, and … presented her alive” (Acts 9:41).

Have you ever thought of how we learn things in this world? Right from the time we are born, we begin to learn things, but how do we learn them?

There are really only two ways to learn something. We can learn things by having other people tell them to us. Our parents, relatives, teachers at school, etc. all teach us things by telling them to us. Or perhaps we read things in books, or on the internet. Sometimes, of course, people tell us things that are not true, or we read something that is not true. Then later we may have to correct what we think we know. However, listening to others is one way of learning.

The other way of learning is by experience. For example, when I was a boy we had a wood stove in our home, and as children we quickly learned that it was hot. If we touched it, it would burn us, and we did not touch it again. That is learning by experience. No one had to teach us that the stove was hot; we learned by experience.

We see both of these ways of learning in the Bible, and particularly in the case of Peter. He thought he was strong enough to follow the Lord Jesus in his own strength, even if it meant dying with Him. He said that he would never deny the Lord Jesus, yet, as we see in the second verse today, he did deny Him, and with cursing and swearing. He had to learn by experience how weak he was.

But Peter also learned by listening to the Lord Jesus, and seeing what He did. When Peter was sinking in the waves of the sea, the Lord reached out to him, and lifted him up again. Then later, Peter was able, with the Lord’s strength, to lift up Dorcas and restore her to life. Peter had learned love and compassion from the Lord Jesus, for the Lord Jesus had taught this to him. So Peter learned things in both ways, and so did many others in the Bible.

It is the same with us. We can learn many things from others, and particularly from reading the Word of God. But we also learn things by experience, for sometimes we do not pay attention to what the Bible says. Then the Lord has to teach us by allowing us to make a mistake. Learning by experience really impresses the lesson on us, but it is better, if possible, to learn by listening to others. It can save us from a lot of problems.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“But He (the Lord Jesus) answered and said, It is written (Matthew 4:4).

“Jesus said unto him, It is written again” (Matthew 4:7).

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written” (Matthew 4:10).

Yesterday we were speaking about how the Lord Jesus was tempted of the devil, and that this proved that the Lord Jesus was truly the Son of God, and did not have a sinful nature. But there is more in this story of the temptation of the Lord Jesus, and you and I can learn a valuable lesson from how the Lord Jesus answered Satan.

As the Son of God, the Lord Jesus has power over Satan, and could easily have told Satan to go away, and not to bother Him. Or, when Satan tempted Him, He could simply have said to Satan, “No, I will not do that.” If He had told Satan to go away, this would not have proved that He did not have a sinful nature; it would only have proved that He had power over Satan. If the Lord Jesus had simply said to Satan, “No, I will not do that,” it would have proved that He could not be tempted with sin, but it would not have helped you and me when we are tempted.

Instead, the Lord Jesus did something else; He quoted the Bible to Satan. He gave Satan just the right verse for each of the temptations, and Satan had no more to say. This is what we need to do too. Unlike the Lord Jesus, you and I have sinful natures, and can be tempted to sin. But if we simply remember what the Word of God says, we can use it to combat Satan. The Word of God will protect us from every temptation if we use it.

This is another good reason to read the Bible every day, and to memorize verses from it. Then the Lord can bring them to our remembrance when we need them.

See if you can find the three verses that the Lord Jesus used to reply to Satan. (Hint — they are all in the same book of the Bible.)

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“In Him [the Lord Jesus] is no sin” (1 John 3:5).

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil” (Matthew 4:1).

It is very clear from the first verse we have today that the Lord Jesus did not have a sinful nature, and could not sin. Some people say that He could have sinned, but did not. But this is a blasphemous statement, for if He could have sinned, then He must have had a sinful nature, and could not be our Savior.

Then why was it necessary for Him to be tempted [or tested] of the devil? Some people would argue, Why did He need to be tempted, if He could not sin? Where was the temptation in all this? The answer is very simple. The temptation proved that the Lord Jesus did not have a sinful nature.

Let me use an illustration. You all know that real gold is very valuable. At the moment, gold is worth nearly $1,800 U.S. per ounce (approximately 31 grams). For thousands of years people have been making “fake gold,” and then selling it as if it were real gold. Sadly, many people have been fooled by this fake gold, and have paid their money, only to find out later that what they have is not real gold. But there are special tests that can be done to prove that gold is real. Fake gold jewelry will usually leave a mark on your skin, while real gold will not. Fake gold will rust, while real gold will not. Finally, you can put a small amount of nitric acid on real gold, and nothing will happen. But if it is fake gold, a green color will appear, or sometimes a milky color, if the gold is mixed with silver. In this way people can test a piece of gold, to make sure that it is real.

The testing that the Lord Jesus went through proved that He was who He said He was — the Son of God. We who have a sinful nature can all be tempted by the devil, but the Lord Jesus simply answered him with quotations from the Word of God, and Satan was defeated. Satan could not tempt the Lord Jesus to sin, for He did not have a sinful nature. Then He began His earthly ministry, having proven who He was.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“So he [Elijah] departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him” (1 Kings 19:19).

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:18-19).

“And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us” (Matthew 20:6-7).

As you look at these three verses, you might wonder how they are connected. Two of them talk about those who were called to serve the Lord, while the third one speaks about men who were waiting in the marketplace to be hired. Let me explain the connection, for we can learn from these three verses.

First of all, we see that the Lord called Elisha to replace Elijah as prophet in Israel, and if you read the passage, you will see that Elijah threw his mantle over Elisha. Elisha knew immediately what that meant, and he quickly put his affairs in order, and followed Elijah. Likewise, in the New Testament, we find the Lord Jesus calling Peter and John to leave their fishing business, and to follow Him. He wanted to make them “fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed the Lord Jesus.

The important thing to see in both of these cases is that the Lord chose busy people to work for Him. He did not look around for people who were lounging about, doing nothing. No, when the Lord picks people to serve Him, He picks those who have energy, and who are busy doing things. So it is today. The Lord does not look for those who are lazy, and call them to work for Him. He picks busy Christians, who do their regular work well, whether it is school work, or in some kind of a job. It is important for each one of us to do what we see needs doing, and to be busy doing. The Lord can use that kind of a Christian.

However, in the third verse we find those who were not working, although they wanted to work. In those days men did not always have regular jobs. Those who wanted to work would go down to the marketplace and wait for someone to hire them for the day. At the end of the day they would get paid, and then have to go to the marketplace again the next day. What does this teach us?

Sometimes in this world there are people who want to work, but there is no work for them. This is hard, and it can be very difficult, especially for those who have a family to support. For those who are believers, we can go to the Lord to ask Him to help us in such a situation.

But we never have to worry that the Lord does not have something for us to do. There is always work for the Lord, even if it is just doing our schoolwork or regular job. We are to “do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). Also, if we really want to do something for the Lord, He will show us what to do.

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“Angels … are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” (Hebrews 1:13-14).

“For unto angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come [the millennium], whereof we speak” (Hebrews 2:5).

Yesterday we talked a bit about angels — who they are, and what they do. We saw that they are stronger than men, and are God’s servants, whom He uses to maintain order in this world. But in our verses today we see something wonderful! God hath given us new life in His Son, and now those same angels are serving you and me. This does not mean that you and I actually command them to do certain things, but rather that the Lord commands them to look after us, and tells them what to do. You and I are “the heirs of salvation,” meaning that someday we will be taken up to heaven, with bodies of glory. But while we are down here, the angels are like our “secret service,” whom the Lord uses to protect and care for us.

Most of the time we are not aware of these angels who look after us, but sometimes the Lord allows others to see them. Many years ago, a missionary was preaching the gospel in a country in South America, and several times those who did not like him tried to attack his home and kill him. But each time they tried, they saw a large shining light in front of his house, so bright that they could hardly see. They did not dare attack. When they asked the missionary later who shone that light, he told them that he did not see anything. But the Lord allowed the attackers to see that bright light, no doubt His angels were shining that light, and they were afraid to attack the missionary.

Now the world is being governed by angels, but a change will come when the Lord sets up His millennial kingdom. As we read in our second verse today, God is not going to govern His millennial kingdom with angels. No, He is going to replace them with Christ, and you and me. Do we realize that? We are going to govern this world with Christ, for it tells us in Revelation 20:6 that you and I “shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” Angels will still be there in heaven to praise God, but they will not be governing in the same way they are today. God has a wonderful future for you and me.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways” (Psalm 91:11).

“Depart from Me … into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).

“His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments” (Psalm 103:20).

Angels are mentioned many times in the Bible, yet many people do not understand exactly who they are. It is clear from the Word of God that they are spirit beings, who were created before man. We cannot normally see them, although they can, if necessary, appear as men and women with normal bodies. They can also appear very strong and frightening, as the angels did at the tomb of the Lord Jesus, after He had risen from the dead. The Bible tells us that they are “greater in power and might” than man (2 Peter 2:11).

They are God’s servants, who do what He tells them to do. From our verses today we see that there are good angels and bad angels. Good angels are those who never rebelled against God, and who continue to serve Him faithfully. In the Old Testament they acted as messengers for the Lord, as well as keeping order in this world, and preventing even whole nations and governments from going against the will of God. They continue to do this today.

The bad angels, or fallen angels, are those who, along with Satan, rebelled against God, wanting to be gods themselves. Some of those fallen angels sinned so seriously that God has imprisoned them until the day of judgment. You can read about these angels in 2 Peter 2:4, and in Jude, verse 6. But others of these fallen angels are free to go about, and since they are spirits, they move about in the air, unseen by us. But they are very real, and are often called devils in the KJV Bible. The word should properly be translated demons, for there is only one devil, that is, Satan. These fallen angels, or demons, are the servants of Satan, and go about making as much trouble as possible.

You have read in the Bible about people being possessed of demons, and this is still happening today. Sometimes these demons actually live inside people, and take over their lives. They tell them what to do, and how to act. It is an awful thing to have this happen to someone, but it does not happen to real Christians. It happens only to those who choose to involve themselves with demons, and then eventually the demons get control of them.

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“And we went before to ship, and sailed unto Assos, there intending to take in Paul: for so he had appointed, minding himself to go afoot [to walk]” (Acts 20:13).

Today’s verse has an interesting detail recorded in Scripture that tells us something about Paul — another example of what we were talking about yesterday.

It is a nice idea to find yourself a Bible atlas and keep it handy when you are reading. Then you can look up places like Assos and Troas. If you read the story that precedes our verse, you’ll remember that this was the occasion when Paul preached all night in Troas and a young man named Eutychus fell asleep and fell out of the window. It says that Paul continued preaching till the break of day.

Then he, and the disciples with him, were going to get on a ship and sail to the next place. But … . we are told that Paul decided to walk to the next city and the others would sail there, and pick him up. So Paul loved to hike and walk! And maybe too, he liked some time alone to “recharge” before he was to preach again! This is where your Bible atlas would come in handy as you would find that this was a hike of 20 miles (or about 32 kilometers). This would have been hiked wearing sandals and was likely over rough paths.

It is also nice to have a Bible dictionary, as the Bible often refers to distances and measures that we do not use today. With the two walking away from Jerusalem in Luke 24, we are told that they walked threescore furlongs. What is a score and what is a furlong? See if you can find out.

In Acts 27:28 we find the sailors measuring and finding the depth of the ocean twenty fathoms, and then fifteen fathoms. What is a fathom? And then we read about shekels and cubits. The Lord has put all these details in His Word for us, and you will find some interesting things if you search them out.

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Growing in Grace Blog by Bible Truth Publishers

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime [in the Old Testament] were written for our learning” (Romans 15:4).

As we know from the Bible and the timelines set out in it, the creation of man on the earth took place about 6000 years ago. We measure, or “record” time in B.C. and A.D. The letters B.C. stand for “Before Christ” and A.D. stands for Anno Domini (which is Latin, and means “in the year of our Lord”). So at the moment of writing this we are in the year 2022 A.D. There were 4000 years of man’s history in the world before the Lord Jesus was born into this world.

Of course, during the very early years, man did not write down his own history. For one thing, he had no written language in which to put it down, or paper and ink (or a laptop!). Although men may have used a written language before the flood of Noah, it is doubtful if any ancient writings that have been discovered date from before the flood. But writings since the flood are available to us, dating back to shortly after the flood took place. (The flood took place about 2350 B.C.) Early writings were scratched on clay or stone tablets with tools, but when man began to keep records, it was mostly accounts of battles, the numbers in armies, and the names of captains and kings.

But then, the Lord directed Moses by inspiration to write the first five books of the Bible. And we know he wrote by inspiration, as Moses was not alive to see creation, or to have met Abraham and Jacob or the other people we know so well from the stories in Genesis. And the amazing thing about these stories is that the people in them are so alive! We can really get to know them. If you like to picture things as you read them, no doubt you have a mental image of Abraham’s tent pitched out in a vast plain. He welcomed the angels there and gave them a good meal. And then we hear Sarah laugh when she hears she is going to have a child in her old age. Do you know that that is the first time, in any of the ancient writings, that anyone is mentioned as laughing? God is a God of details! His people whom He loved very much are shown to us in what we could call “3D.” That is, in three dimensions, not just “flat” accounts of names and numbers. And we can get to know them too, and learn very good lessons from their lives. They were people with struggles and problems, just as we have.

Think of many of your favorite people in the Bible stories you know. You know what Moses’ personality was like. He was shy, and wanted his brother Aaron to go with him to talk to Pharaoh. David was courageous, and musical. Ruth was tender-hearted and loving (and hard working!). Stop and think a little about this as you have your daily reading.

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