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IN THIS ISSUE

It is always inspiring to hear examples of moral courage-stories of people who stand up for what is right, regardless of the personal risk involved. Some of those who come immediately to mind are

· Todd Beamer, who with the words ``Let's roll!'' led the group of passengers who gave their lives to thwart the hijackers of United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001;

· Cassie Bernall, the Columbine High School student who would not deny her allegiance to Christ even in the face of death;

· Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who were willing to be cast into a fiery furnace rather than worship King Nebuchadnezzar's golden image;

· Queen Esther, who risked her life to intervene on behalf of her people;

· the apostles of Jesus Christ, who told the high priest, ``We must obey God rather than men!'' (Acts 5:29)

This issue of Grace and Knowledge features several articles about true heroines and heroes. In the article ``The Angel of the Lord,'' we recount the story of Sharon Allen, who searched the Hebrew scriptures with the goal of proving to her husband that Jesus is not the Messiah. But when God led her to a different conclusion, she risked her relationship with her family and her position in her community to stand up for the truth that had been revealed to her. This article examines the scriptures that brought Sharon to the conviction that Jesus is indeed the Jewish Messiah.

King David of Israel, who as a teenager faced down the Philistine giant Goliath, operated under a different set of priorities than the kings of the other nations of his day. While other kings sought to display their power and wealth, David's passion was to serve and glorify the living God. This issue includes two articles about David. We discuss the wonderful promises that God entrusted to David and his descendants in the article ``King David and the `Charter for Humanity'''. And in the article ``Is There Buried Treasure in King David's Tomb?", we consider the possibility that David's deep concern for the future of his people may have led him to set aside a substantial storehouse of wealth for the generations to come.

Much inspiration can also be drawn from the tales of heroism described in great works of literature. In part four of our series on the Apocrypha, Jared Olar presents the story of Judith, a pious and resourceful fictional heroine who saved Israel from the attack of a mighty Assyrian army. Even though Judith never existed, the book of Judith serves to remind us of central biblical themes and of the lives of actual biblical heroines and heroes.

During this time of the year, we pause to remember the greatest of all heroes-Jesus of Nazareth, who came to this earth in order to give His life for all of us. We at Grace and Knowledge would like to convey our best wishes for this Paschal season to all of our readers.

Doug Ward

Issue 11 Contents

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