DAY 120    Read 2 Samuel 13 and 14.

Today's reading:  David, apparently as a result of his own sins, seems to have lost control over his sons.  This dark period is brightened by a remarkable example of human concern.

Memory gem:  "Neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished by not expelled from him"  (2 Samuel 14:14).

Thought for today:
Notice the story of the pretended widow of Tekoah.  We go first to the royal court of King David in Jerusalem.  A woman stands before the throne and says, "Help, O king...I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead."  She tells the sad story of the fight between her sons, in which one was killed.  She expresses her fear that the other son will be executed and the family name forever destroyed.  The king promises to give an order concerning her case.

The woman, having been coached by the king's general, Joab, in a clever attempt to induce David to bring back his own son, Absalom, from voluntary exile, suggests that the king himself was really at fault in not bringing home again his banished.  Then she adds, "Neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him."

As the result of this appeal, Prince Absalom did return.

We are reminded by this that God has devised means whereby those who are banished from His presence by rebellion and sin may be brought home again.  Think here of the patience of God toward sinners.  His law has been broken, but He does not immediately take away the life of those who break it.  He does not strike them dead in the act of sin, as He might justly do, but waits to be gracious

"God has suffered Absalom to live," the woman argued; "then why shouldn't David permit him to return?"  And so with our heavenly Father.  The unclean leper was banished from the presence of the people and sent away from civilization, but provision was made for his cleansing that he might not be expelled.  The state of the sinner is really banishment from God, but atonement has been made for him by sacrifice.  Christ's atoning sacrifice is God's means of the wrongdoer's deliverance; so it is the inner's own fault if he is cast off.  God is "not willing that any should perish"  (2 Peter 3:9).

DAY 119    Read 2 Samuel 11 and 12; Psalm 32 and 51.

Today's reading:  David, whom in his youth and innocence God characterized as "a man after mine own heart" (Acts 13:22), falls into grievous sin.  He finds forgiveness after heart-searching repentance.

Memory gem:  "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities"  (Psalm 51:9).

Thought for today:
God blots out our sins, the charges that were against us.  By the blood of Christ, the terrible record is gone.  It is forever obliterated.  The debt is paid, and we are free.

It is said that Napoleon once found a man implicated in a plot against the empire.  The letter which the man had written was brought to Napoleon, and the death sentence was pronounced upon the man.  The condemned man's wife came and pleaded with Napoleon to save her husband.

Napoleon had his secretary bring the letter, and said, "Is that your husband's handwriting?"  The wife admitted that it was.

"Is that the only evidence there is against him?" he asked the secretary.

"That is all," was the reply.

Then Napoleon took the letter and before the eyes of the weeping woman and the secretary, he threw the letter into the fire.

Turning to the woman, he said, "There is no evidence that your husband is a traitor; go in peace."

So, friends, if we come to Jesus and ask forgiveness in His name, God will destroy all evidence and blot out our sins and remember them no more forever (see Isaiah 43:25).

DAY 118    Read 2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19 and 20; Psalm 20 and 21.

Today's reading:  When David sent messengers to congratulate a new king of Ammon, they received insult and disgrace.  The resulting war dramatically converted David's small kingdom into a prestigious empire.

Memory gem:  "The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee"  (Psalm 20:1).

Thought for today:
The city is called Amman today.  It is the capital of the kingdom formerly called Trans-Jordan but now the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.  The interesting thing about this ancient-modern city is that in Bible times it was called Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, one of the nations that opposed the Israelites.

This city of Rabbah is about twenty miles east of the Jordan Valley, on the main highway from the east to Jerusalem.  We stopped there overnight on our way to the Holy City.  The town is situated at the headwater of the Jabbok River, mentioned in the Bible.  At this particular place it flows eastward, makes a circle to the north and finally empties into the Jordan to the north of Jericho.  A great spring, the source of the Jabbok, breaks forth right here at Rabbah.  The valley of the Jabbok is fertile, and every inch of it is farmed, in contrast to the desert hills about us.

Today Amman is a Moslem city; there are few Christians here.  However, there are some churches.  A good friend of the Voice of Prophecy held Bible studies and won some of the inhabitants--descendants, no doubt, of the ancient Ammonites--to the message of Christ.

This city has been rebuilt and destroyed, rebuilt and destroyed, time and time again in its long history.  What does the future hold for it?  We do not know, except that all cities and all nations someday will be replaced by the kingdom of Christ when He shall sit, not upon a throne of silver and gold, but upon the throne of God's promised kingdom.

DAY 117    Read 1 Chronicles 18; 2 Samuel 8 and 9; Psalm 60 and 108.

Today's reading:  David searches for some remnant of Saul's house.  Why?  For vengeance?  No!  He wants to honor that person--a cripple!

Memory gem:  "Thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds"  (Psalm 108:4).

Thought for today:
Before Louis XII became king of France, he suffered terrible cruelties and indignities at the hand of his cousin, Charles VIII.  He was slandered, thrown into prison, and was in constant fear of death.  However, when he became king himself and his close friends urged him to avenge himself for this shameful abuse, he would not heed any of their suggestions.

His friends were amazed to see him preparing a list of the names of all the men who had been guilty of crimes against him.  They noticed that beside each name he placed a red cross.  His enemies heard about this list, and they were filled with dread.  They thought that the sign of the cross meant that they were sentenced to death on the gallows, so, one after another, they fled the court and even the country.

But when the king learned about it, he called a special session of the court.  There he explained that the little red crosses on his list of names did not mean the execution of his enemies.  No, indeed.  "Be content," he said, "do not fear.  The cross which I drew by your name is not a sign of punishment, but the pledge of forgiveness."  And it is a seal for the sake of the crucified Saviour, who upon His cross forgave all His enemies, prayed for them, and blotted out the handwriting that was against them  (see Colossians 2:14).  It is through the blood of the cross that the enemies of God are forgiven.

DAY 116    Read 1 Chronicles 16 and 17; 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 24 and 132.

Today's reading:  David, secure on his throne and dwelling in a fine palace, wants to build a house of worship for the God he has learned to love.  His desire is denied him, and he has to be content with promises of blessing for his descendants.

Memory gem:  "I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy"  (Psalm 132:16).

Thought for today:
"It was David's purpose to make Jerusalem the religious center of the nation.  He had erected a palace for himself, and he felt that it was not fitting for the ark of God to rest within a tent.  He determined to build for it a temple of such magnificence as should express Israel's appreciation of the honor granted the nation in the abiding presence of Jehovah their King.

"But...the word of the Lord came to Nathan, giving him a message for the king.  David was to be deprived of the privilege of building a house for God, but he was granted an assurance of the divine favor to him, to his posterity, and to the kingdom of Israel....

"David knew that it would be an honor to his name, and would bring glory to his government, to perform the work that he had purposed in his heart to do; but he was ready to submit his will to the will of God.  The grateful resignation thus manifested is rarely seen, even among Christians.  How often do those who have passed the strength of manhood, cling to the hope of accomplishing some great work upon which their hearts are set, but which they are unfitted to perform!  God's providence may speak to them, as did His prophet to David, declaring that the work which they so much desire is not committed to them.  It is theirs to prepare the way for another to accomplish it.  But instead of gratefully submitting to the divine direction, many fall back as if slighted and rejected, feeling that if they cannot do the one thing which they desire to do, they will do nothing.  Many cling, with desperate energy, to responsibilities which they are incapable of bearing, and vainly endeavor to accomplish a work for which they are insufficient, while that which they might do, lies neglected.  And because of this lack of cooperation on their part, the greater work is hindered or frustrated.``--Patriarchs and Prophets,pp. 711-713.

DAY 115    Read 1 Chronicles 14; 2 Samuel 6; 1 Chronicles 13 and 15.

Today's reading:  David decides that the ark of God should be moved to better quarters; a tragic episode interrupts proceedings, but God blesses one man's home while the ark remains there for three months.

Memory gem:  "The Lord blessed the house of Obed-edom, and all that he had"  (1 Chronicles 13:14).

Thought for today:
When people enter your house, they should know that it is a Christian home, for the presence of God is there.  The Bible is on the table, and it is read to the whole family every day.  The voice of prayer is heard there too.  The children who go out from such a home are armored against sin and trouble that they are bound to meet in this old world.  In the days in which we are living now, there is a great need of a revival of home religion.

It is said that Coleridge, the poet, was once talking with a man who did not believe in giving children religious training.  He thought that they should be allowed to grow up without any religious instruction so that they would not be prejudiced in any direction; then, when they come to the years of discretion, each should be permitted to choose for himself.  The poet said nothing, but invited the man out to see his garden.  There was nothing growing there but weeds--weeds everywhere!  The man looked at his host in surprise and said, "Why, this isn't a garden; this is just a weedpatch."  Coleridge replied. "Oh, yes, it's a garden.  I am giving it a chance to express its own personality."

So, friends, like Obed-edom, we need the ark of God in our households.  It would be good if the holy commandments of God were indeed engraved upon our doorposts, if we taught them to our children when we rise up and when we sit down (see Deuteronomy 6:7).  Every home ought to be Christian school.  The same hand that punished Uzzah's proud presumption rewarded Obed-edom's humble boldness.

Note:  "Nachon's threshing floor" of 2 Samuel 6:6 is called "the threshing floor of Chidon" in 1 Chronicles 13:9.  This is one of many instances in the Bible of two (or more) names for the same person or place.

DAY 114    Read 2 Samuel 3 through 5; 1 Chronicles 11 and 12:23-40.

Today's reading:  David does not immediately become king of the whole nation.  More than seven year of strife, intrigue, and heartache intervene before the people accept him.

Memory gem:  "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say on the Lord"  (Psalm 27:14).

Thought for today:
"After the death of Ishbosheth, King Saul's son, there was a general desire among the leading men of Israel that David should become king of all the tribes.  Thus through the providence of God the way had been opened for him to come to the throne.  He had no personal ambition to gratify, for he had not sought the honor to which he had been brought.

"More than eight thousand of the descendants of Aaron, and of the Levites, waited upon David.  The change in the sentiments of the people was marked and decisive.  The revolution was quiet and dignified, befitting the great work they were doing.  Nearly half a million souls, the former subjects of Saul, thronged Hebron and its environs....The hour of the coronation was appointed; the man who had been expelled from the court of Saul, who had fled to the mountains and hills and the the caves of the earth to preserve his life, was about to receive the highest honor that can be conferred upon man by his fellow man.  Priests and elders clothed in the garments of their sacred office, officers and soldiers with glittering spear and helmet, and strangers from long distances, stood to witness the coronation of the chosen king.  David was arrayed in the royal robe.  The sacred oil was put upon his brow by the high priest; for the anointing by Samuel had been prophetic of what would take place at the inauguration of the king.  The time had come, and David, by solemn rite, was consecrated to his office as God's vicegerent.  The scepter was placed in his hands.  The covenant of his righteous sovereignty was written, and the people gave their pledges of loyalty.  The diadem was placed upon his brow, and the coronation ceremony was over.  Israel had a king by divine appointment.  He who had waited patiently for the Lord, beheld the promise of God fulfilled."--Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 701, 702.

DAY 113    Read 1 Chronicles 12:1-22; 1 Samuel 31; 1 Chronicles 10; 2 Samuel 1 and 2; Psalm 7.

Today's reading:  Saul and all but one of his sons die in battle.  Does David rejoice at the death of his enemy?  No!  Rather, he mourns.  The people of Judah make David their king, but the other tribes at first accept Saul's son.

Memory gem:  "I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high"  (Psalm 7:17).

Thought for today:
One of the most touching incidents recorded of the late Duke of Windsor, when he was Prince of Wales, tells of his visit to a small private hospital where thirty-six hopelessly injured and disfigured veterans of World War I were cared for.  He stopped at each cot, shook hands with the veteran, and spoke words of encouragement to him.  He spent about an hour doing this.

Finally the head nurse led him to the exit; but before leaving he said: "I understand you have thirty-six patients here.  I have seen only twenty-nine."  He was told that the others were hideously disfigured, and that was the reason he was not taken into their ward.  On learning of this consideration for his feelings, he insisted on seeing them.  He was led into the room and bent over every cot long enough to thank each soldier for the sacrifice he had made and to assure him that neither he nor England would ever forget it.

When he had finished, he said to the nurse: "I've seen only six men here.  Where is the seventh man?"  She replied that no one was permitted to see him.  He was blind, maimed, hideously disfigured, and was kept alone in a room from which he would never go alive.  "Please do not ask to see him, Sir," the nurse pleaded; but the prince insisted.

Reluctantly she led him to the darkened room.  As the prince approached the bed, his face was white, his lips drawn.  In that dim light he looked down and saw what had once been a man but now seemed only a horror.  Tears came to his eyes.  Then impulsively he bent down and kissed the cheeks of that poor broken hero.  This was his tribute to the British Empire's 900,000 dead and her 2 million wounded men.  You see, he did not forget his comrades in arms.  He did not desert or betray them.

DAY 112    Read 1 Chronicles 7 through 9.

Today's reading finishes off the family trees.  As we see how carefully the Hebrews preserved the names of their ancestors, our faith in the inspired Word should be strengthened.

Memory gem:  "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold"  (Proverbs 22:1).

Thought for today:
Dr. Chrales L. Goodell tells of meeting a mule driver in Palestine whose name was Abuscandra.  On asking what it meant, he was told that it meant "the father of Alexander."  The doctor thought that was strange, and told the man, "In America we name our children after their fathers, but here you seem to name the fathers after their children."  And, you know, there might be something good about such a custom.  If every father had to bear the name of his child, men would estimate his worth by the character of the children he had trained up for life.  In that case, a good many fathers would probably give a little more time and attention to the most important job any man can ever have.

A good name cannot be taken away from anybody, because it represents character.  No matter what enemies may do, the character represented by that name will stand until the judgment day.  The one who trusts in God may always rest in the assurance of Job, who said:  "Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high"  (Job 16:19).

By God's amazing grace, your name may be made more eternal than the stars of heaven.  Are you a Christian?  If so, you may be glad for the promise of your Lord Jesus Christ and rejoice that your name is written in heaven, as we read in Luke 10:20.  And let us not forget that the power of Christ alone creates and sustains pure personality.

DAY 111    Read 1 Chronicles 5 and 6.

Today's reading:  More names!  But sprinkled along in these genealogies you will find interesting bits of history also. 


Memory gem:  "To him that overcometh will I give...a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it"  (Revelation 2:17).

Thought for today:
Did you ever hear of a man without a name?  We sometimes hear of people who have forgotten their names or whose names for some reason are not known, and in such cases efforts are made at once to identify them.  When a man's name cannot be found, we give him a name and call him Mr. X or John Doe.

Someone may ask, "But what's in a name, anyway?"  And the answer is, "A good deal, usually."  A man's name is the thing that sets him apart from all others and establishes his personal identity.  The first question asked in any case of identification is, "What is your name?"  The name you bear has a history behind it.  And when we ask, "How did you get it?" you reply, "My father and mother gave it to me."  Perhaps it is in honor of some great man or good friend, and every time it is spoken it memorializes noble deeds.

When we turn to the Bible we find that names, for the most part, were a declaration of the faith of men who feared God and received their children as from His hand and made in their names a dedication to Him.  So Hannah names Samuel "God has heard," and Elijah means "Jehovah is my God."