Ezra. Holman Christian Standard Bible

 The book of Ezra in the Old Testament occurs during Israel's exile and involves the rebuilding of the Temple. 

One thing that caught my attention in this book is the last two chapters, it talks about the people of Israel intermarrying with the pagan people of the surrounding countries. When this matter was brought up, the people of Israel repented and it was decided that they would send away their pagan wives and the children they had with them.

In our own culture, this seems harsh. And maybe it was in their culture as well. The point I took from it is this: God made a covenant with the nation of Israel to remain separate, including racially separate from those around them. Not as a matter of racial supremacy, but because God wanted them to be defined as His chosen people, chosen to bring salvation to the world. There were exceptions made in His law, but the non-Israelites intermarrying had to completely forsake their gods, religion, and culture and follow the law of the covenant to be accepted.  In this case, that is not what was happening. The pagan wives were drawing their husbands away from God into idolatry. The end result, I am sure was messy and devastating, as I am sure in some way they must have loved their wives and children. 

Sometimes hard choices have to be made when it comes to obedience to God. Sometimes we may do something that we know is outside of God's will and will never be accepted in God's eyes. Sometimes we embrace those relationships, those choices, and paths, until it becomes intertwined with us and it just seems normal. But it isn't and if we want to be right with God, we have to align ourselves with God's word and his will, and have to let it go. It gets messy, and it's painful, but then God can begin healing us, and redeeming the situation.

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1 Corinthians, Holman Christian Standard Bible

 There is so much packed into this epistle written by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian Church. There are many sermons that have been preached out of here, on love, spiritual gifts, roles of men and women in marriage and the church, doing things that might cause weaker believers to stumble. There is a long discussion about eating food offered to idols, and I think a lot of the meaning of that is lost on modern-day Christians. I think there was more to it than just eating food that was set before idols, then given to others to eat, but I am going to have to research it. We know that in many Greco-Roman temples, not only were there animal sacrifices, but also sexual offerings as well, and demonic activity. But like I said, I think this needs some in depth study before I comment any more on it.

I am going to share one little part of this book from chapter 10, verses 6-13. In context, Paul is speaking about the Israelites during the time of Moses in Exodus, how they constantly turned back to idolatry and sinful acts, and is applying it to believers: 

"Now these things became examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did. Don't become idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play.' Let us not commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in a single day 23,000 people fell dead. Let us not test Christ as some of them did and were destroyed by snakes. Nor should we complain as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as examples, and they were written as a warning to us, on whom the ends of the ages have come. So whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. "

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Old Stories of the East, James Baldwin

Old Stories of the East, James Baldwin, 1895, American Book Company

This beautiful antique book has been in my family for many years. I don't know where it came from but it is one that I remember seeing in a bookshelf in my home when I was a child. I have read this one twice, once years ago, and I just re-read it this year. 

It is a re-telling of stories from the Old Testament, geared toward children, with simpler writing and edited stories with a lot of gory details omitted.

This book was written by James Baldwin. I found some information on him from  this website, https://www.mainlesson.com/authors/baldwin.shtml . Here is an exerpt from The Baldwin Project website: 

(1841 - 1925)

According to his biography in the Junior Book of Authors (1951), Baldwin, a native of Indiana and largely self-educated, began teaching at the age of 24. After several years he became superintendent of the graded schools in Indiana, a post he held for 18 years. The last 37 years of his life he worked with publishers, first with Harper and Brothers and later with the American Book Company. In addition to editing school books, he started writing books of his own. After the publication in 1882 of The Story of Siegfried, he went on to write more than 50 others. His influence was widely felt because at one time it was estimated that of all the school books in use in the United States, over half had been written or edited by him. Unfortunately, his works are much less widely known today. So far as I know, none of his books are in print today.

I found the language in this book much more formal than what we use today. It's interesting how language changes, even through it is the same words we use today, it has a different feel to it. 

I can't forget the illustrations fount inside, by E. B. Edwards and lithographed plates but I can't make out the artist on them. Here is an example, showing Noah building the Ark. You just don't find illustrations like this anymore:

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