which the entire family can share. What about playing Bible games with your family, or sharing a song fest together? Or you might enjoy making a trip into the woods or hills together to enjoy the marvels of creation. These are activities that refresh while at the same time drawing you closer to the ones you love.

Wherever you are, whatever you do, if you use Bible principles to govern your course you will be blessed as a result. Though the world around us is filled with influences to corrupt our minds, pay heed to the excellent counsel at Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things.”

Paving the Way for ‘Freedom Indeed’

“IF THE Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” An electrifying statement to a people who considered themselves to be the freest people on earth, and true worshipers of the Almighty God. They had been set free from Babylon five centuries beforehand by God’s own power. True, they chafed somewhat under Roman rule, for they wanted political autonomy, but they never thought of themselves as slaves. As to worship and as to righteousness, they considered themselves free. They looked for the Messiah to throw off the Roman political yoke, but made the mistake of thinking their righteousness was such as to be received by him with special favor. They saw no need for religious reformation. The speaker of the statement that shook them so greatly was Jehovah’s greatest Prophet, Jesus Christ. On what basis could he say this?—John 8:36, AV.

Following their release from Babylon in 537 B.C.E., a remnant of faithful Jews had returned to the desolate site of Jerusalem. They had repented and cleaned up from the idol worship that had brought God’s disfavor and disciplinary action. They rebuilt the city and its temple and settled again as a religiously free people in their own God-given homeland. They had their vicissitudes after this, for while true worship was restored at that time, the kingship of David’s line was not. Successive pagan world powers dominated them, just as had been foretold by Daniel and his fellow prophet, Ezekiel. (Ezek. 21:27; Dan. 4:25) But never had they again been carried completely off their land as slaves, leaving it entirely desolate, as had been done by Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar. Nevertheless, by the end of the first century B.C.E. they had come to be under a far more restrictive and enslaving bondage,