DAY 141    Read 2 Chronicles 2 through 5.

Today's reading:  We cover essentially the same subject as yesterday's, with some different details.  Try to visualize the beauty of the marvelous building and its furnishings.

Memory gem:  "The house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods"  (2 Chronicles 2:5.)

Thought for today:
Notice that the arraignment of the articles of furniture in the temple formed a cross, with the foot at the great altar outside, the head at the ark in the most holy place, and the crossbeams reaching from the golden table to shewbread to the golden candlestick.  And well this was, for the services of the sanctuary pointed forward to man's salvation through the Redeemer-Messiah who was to come.

Those who had broken God's law--in other words, those who were sinners--brought their sacrifice, usually a lamb, to the great altar.  There it was slain, and the blood, which represented its life, was shed.  Some of the flesh of the offering was burned upon the altar.  Sometimes the blood of the victim was carried inside the holy place and sprinkled before the veil. In other cases the flesh was eaten by the prients.

All through the year the various sacrifices offered daily in the temple pointed forward to a Redeemer who would come and give His life as a sacrifice for men.  Each sacrifice was a sort of enacted prophecy of the coming Redeemer.

There was a yearly round of service, closing with the service called the "cleansing of the sanctuary," in which the high priest alone entered the most holy place with the blood of a sacrifice which he sprinkled upon the mercy seat of the very ark of God itself.  How appropriate this appears when we read in the Scriptures that the transgression of God's law is sin.  These sacrifices, with the shed blood of the victims, pointed forward to the Redeemer, who would come and die for the sins of the world.

DAY 140    Read 1 Kings 5 through 7.

Today's reading:  Solomon, secure on Israel's throne, now begins the great task outlined for him by his father--building a magnificent temple of Mount Moriah.

Memory gem:  "I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake my people Israel"  (1 Kings 6:13).

Thought for today:
The great temple of Solomon was in Jerusalem.  It was built of stone, including marble, and other valuable materials--gold, silver, and cedar wood.  This mighty building stood for many hundreds of years as the center of God's worship in the earth.

The temple was composed of two compartments, the holy place and the most holy.  In front of the eastern entrance was the altar of sacrifice, where the bleeding lambs and other victims were offered in sacrifice to God.  Between this altar and the great central door stood a brass laver, or water container, with facilities for washing, so that the priests might always be clean.

In the first room, the holy place, on the north side, was a golden table on which twelve loaves of bread were placed fresh every Sabbath, representing the twelve tribes of Israel and God's care for them.  On the left, or south side, stood the golden lampstand or candlestick on which seven lamps burned continually.  Immediately ahead, in the center, was a golden altar on which incense was offered every morning and evening.

Behind the incense altar a great and costly veil hung from the ceiling to the floor, dividing the holy place from the most holy.  In the most holy place was one article of furniture, and one only: the holy ark, covered with pure gold.  On each end stood a golden cherub, angel, with wings outstretched, each toward the other.  Between these cherubim the presence of God often shone forth in blinding glory.  The cover of the ark was called the mercy seat.  Beneath the mercy seat, and inside the ark, were placed the two stone tablets of the Ten Commandments written by the finger of God.

NOTE:  The numbers given for Solomon's officers in 1 Kings 5:16 and 9:23 differ with those in 2 Chronicles 2:18 and 8:10.  Kings lists 3,300 plus 500 (3,800).  Chronicles gives 3,600 plus 250 (3,850).  The difference can be explained as a variation of 300 in the "chief officers" in the two accounts.

DAY 139    Read the Song of Solomon.

Today's reading:  Probably sometime during his early reign Solomon wrote this intricate original love poem.  Many Bible students believe it represents Christ's love for His church.


Memory gem:  "I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys"  (Song of Solomon 2:1).

Thought for today:
Let us look to Christ, our Intercessor, now while He still pleads His blood for our sins.  Dear friends, will you yield your heart to Him now?  Repent and turn to God, whose grace is greater than all our sins.

There is an old story of a royal prince who, under the disguise of a beggar, wooed and won his bride.  He brought her to the capital city and right into the audience chamber in the king's palace.  There he left her on some pretext or other, and she became fearful and shrinking.

When at last she looked up, she saw there on the throne her lover, her husband, in royal robes.  Then all her fear was gone.  He was the one she loved, and "perfect love casteth out fear"  (1 John 4:18).

So the believer, wooed and won by Christ who took upon Himself the form of a servant, lifts up his eyes at last and sees upon the throne the face he has learned to love.  Then all fear is gone; love is made perfect.  And he has boldness in the day of judgment and will go to dwell with love forevermore.

So, friend, may God give us all the faith that gains the victory over the world.  And may our faith be fixed upon Jesus Christ, the One altogether lovely and the fairest of ten thousand to our souls.

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Difficult or obscure words:
Song of Solomon 1:5.  "Black"--better; dark-complexioned.
Song of Solomon 2:5.  "Stay me with flagons"--rather: sustain me with cakes of dried grapes.  Then, as now, raisins were considered desirable for a quick supply of energy.
Song of Solomon 2:12.  "Turtle"--turtledove.

DAY 138    Read 2 Chronicles 1; 1 Kings 3 and 4.

Today's reading:  We return to the story of Solomon, Israel's most glorious king.  His reign had an auspicious beginning.

Memory gem:  "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad"  (1 Kings 3:9).

Thought for today:
Solomon as the great king of Israel, noted for his wisdom, his glory, and his riches.  We are told that when he went to offer sacrifice to God at the great altar in Gibeon, the Lord appeared to him in a dream by night and said, "Ask what I shall give thee."  And Solomon requested wisdom to rule justly and righteously.

In this dream the Lord told Solomon that He was pleased that he had made this request rather than asking for long life or riches or the lives of his enemies, and that his request would be granted.  But, when Solomon awoke, it was only a dream.  Yet it was a dream given him by God.  It was not a dream caused by worry, nervous tension, or the wrong diet.  It was a divine intervention in the affairs of men.  Solomon had dreamed about God because God wanted to bring him a message.

NOTE:  The "high place" referred to in 1 Kings 3:2, 4 and 2 Chronicles 1:3 is simply a place of worship.  This should not be confused with other uses of the term to indicate places of idolatrous worship.  At this time Solomon still "loved the Lord."  The sacrifices offered in "high places" were apparently often done by legitimate priests in good faith (see Judges 6:25, 26, and other references).

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Difficult or obscure words:
1 Kings 4:6.  "Tribute"--better; levy, the conscription of forced laborers for public works.
1 Kings 4:19.  "The only officer"--meaning unclear.  The Septuagint has "one officer in the land of Judah."
1 Kings 4:26.  "Forty thousand stalls"--given as "four thousand" in 2 Chronicles 9:25.  Possibly a copyist's error, since the Hebrew words for "four" and "forty" are very similar.  In either case it indicates a large military force, in violation of Deuteronomy 17:16.

DAY 137    Read Psalm 117; 118; 122; 123.

Today's reading finishes the psalms--except for a few we are saving for special occasions later on.  The first one in this group, known as the Passover hallel, is the shortest chapter in the Bible.  Let's memorize the whole chapter.

Memory gem:  "O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever.  Praise ye the Lord"  (Psalm 117).

Thought for today:
"It is a law of nature that our thoughts and feelings are encouraged and strengthened as we give them utterance.  While words express thoughts, it is also true that thoughts follow words.  If we would give more expression to our faith, rejoice more in the blessings that we know we have,--the great mercy and love of God,--we should have more faith and greater joy.  No tongue can express, no finite mind conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and love of God.  Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing, because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God.

"Then let us educate our hearts and lips to speak the praise of God for His matchless love.  Let us educate our souls to be hopeful, and to abide in the light shining from the cross of Calvary.  Never should we forget that we are children of the heavenly King, sons and daughters of the Lord of hosts.  It is our privilege to maintain a calm repose in God."--The Ministry of Healing, pp. 251-253.

DAY 136    Read Psalm 109; 110; 113 through 116.

Today's reading:  These psalms breathe the message: "Have faith, dear friend, in God."

Memory gem:  "Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield"  (Psalm 115:11).

Thought for today:
One evening in 1919, a mother in the Northwest sat with bowed head as a little white-clad figure knelt at her knees and prayed before she was tucked into bed: "God bless Mamma; and oh, please take care of Daddy--he's awfully far away!"

As the child whispered "Amen," she opened her eyes and looked up into her mother's face and said, "Thank You, God!"  The mother stroked her little one's curls and wished for the perfect trust of a child as she murmured a prayer for the safety of her husband.

That night a telegram came saying: "I am safe and sound.  More by letter.  Daddy."

The mother did not understand until later in the night when the phone rang and a man's voice asked, "Are you alone?  No?  Well, your husband was killed this evening in a railroad accident."

She answered ,"Oh, no!  I had a telegram from him a few minutes ago, and he is safe."

The morning paper carried the headline: "Sheep Train Wrecked; all on Board Killed."  Then followed the story of how the failure of a brakeman to give the right signal had resulted in the collision of two trains and the death of all on board.

Now, that father was a strong-willed man and could hardly understand his own actions when, on the afternoon before the wreck, he was approached by a stranger whom he had never seen before and never saw again.  This man also had sheep on the train, and he suggested that they get off and feed their sheep at a certain stockyard and take a later train for Omaha.  Although this meant more expense, the father yielded to the suggestion and thus escaped the wreck.

"O for the faith of a child!" we may say.  Well, it may be yours and mine.  but it comes by hearing and obeying the Word of God (see Romans 10:17).  Let us say, "Thank You, Lord," for what His providence may bring, and so "have faith in God"  (Mark 11:22).

DAY 135    Read Psalm 81; 82; 91; 102.

Today's reading:  Again we read a number of psalms that breathe a spirit of quiet trust in God despite the troubles that plague our lives.

Memory gem:  "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust"  (Psalm 91:2).

Thought for today:
You know, dear friends, the clouds may sometimes hide the sunshine in life.  In fact, they often do.  But we may always have radiant inward life.  And in the far land of trial and tribulation--yes, even in the cave of discouragement--we may hear the voice of God in our hearts.  As the prophet Isaiah says: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left"  (Isaiah 30:21).  Faith in Christ as our Saviour will keep us to the end.

Eisleben is just a little German town, but one of the most interesting in the world.  At one end of the town, in a house which was then an inn, Martin Luther was born on a November night in 1483.  At the other end of the town stands the inn in which he died.  It is a strange coincidence that one of the greatest men of the last ten centuries should have been born in an inn and also have died in one.

Luther had returned to Eisleben to reconcile two brothers.  He spent the last days of his life working for Christ.  On the night of February 18, 1546, he awoke in great pain and cried out: "Lord God, how I suffer!  I believe I am going to remain here in Eisleben, where I was born and baptized."  Then he sank into a stupor.

Later, a friend aroused him by asking, "Reverend Father, do you stand firm for Christ and the doctrines you have preached?"

He barely whispered, "Yes."  Then those impressive eyes, which had opened for the first time sixty-three years before in that same town, closed for the last time, and Luther was at rest.  But his faith had sustained him.

DAY 134    Read Psalm 71; 73; 77; 80.

Today's reading:  Many of the psalms express the truth that trials often bring the afflicted soul to a new understanding of God's tender care.

Memory gem:  "I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search"  (Psalm 77:6)

Thought for today:
It has often been said that character is what a man is in the dark.  Well, a song in the night is what a Christian is in his heart.  It is said that in training the very best songbirds, they are often taken into a dark room and kept there for a long time.  There they are permitted to hear only the song of some other good bird.  In the darkness they learn to sing the beautiful song they hear.  So it often is with us.  We learn to sing in the night of trouble.

It is said that Jenny Lind, the great singer, once sang in a public performance where Otto Goldschmidt heard her.  As he walked out of the opera house someone asked him how he liked her voice.  "Well," he said, "there is something about it that needs changing, needs toning down.  If someone would marry her and break her heart and crush her feelings, then she could really sing."  Strange to say, he himself married her later on, and he broke her heart too.  He crushed her feelings.  And then Jenny Lind sang with the sweetest voice ever heard, some say so sweet that the angels wished to stop and hear her sing.  It was in the night of suffering and heartbreak that Jenny Lind learned to sweeten her song.

No matter how the darkness may be gathering about you, friend, God will give you a song, and through that song He will bless you and bless others.  And someday the morning will come, the eternal morning.  Heaven's gates will open, and then, with nights all passed and shadows gone, you will sing in heaven, and there will be no night there.

DAY 133    Read Psalm 50; 53; 55; 62; 70.

Today's reading:  One never ceases to be amazed at the universal appeal of the psalms.  These poems, written in ancient times, still speak to the modern mind.

Memory gem:  "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God"  (Psalm 50:23).

Thought for today:
Do you know that God speaks to the bad as well as to the good?  Certainly He does.

I heard of a boy who played with his sister around their mother's chair.  As they grew up, the sister became a Christian, but the brother became wild and wicked.  He finally found himself in prison, but his sister never stopped praying for him.

One day, as he was led back to his cell from the courtroom, he was cursing God, cursing the judge, cursing the law, cursing himself and everybody else.  While in this desperate mood, the first thing he saw as he walked into his cell was a Bible.  It had been there before, but he had not noticed it.  He just opened the good old Book, and his attention fell on Psalm 50:16.  "Unto the wicked God said..."  He was surprised.  "Well," he said, "does God talk to the wicked?  I thought He just talked to the good."

So he read on and came under conviction.  Then he fell on his knees and turned back and forth through the Bible and read here and there.  The Spirit of God must have guided him, for, before he arose from his knees, he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour.  A wonderful peace came into his soul.  He began to love the Bible and studied it every day for the eighteen months that he had to remain in prison.  As soon as he was freed, he was baptized and became a faithful worker for Christ.

Yes, Christ's love brings a message to the wicked, and if a bad man will listen and respond to it, he will become a good man.  God will not drive him--He will draw him 'with cords of a man, with bands of love," as we read in Hosea 11:4.

DAY 149    Read Proverbs 19 through 22.

Today's reading:  Another truth that Solomon teaches over and over is the importance of proper parental training.

Memory gem:  "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"  (Proverbs 22:6).

Thought for today:
William Cady tells about a visit his mother made with her three small children out to the farm of Uncle John and Aunt Sarah.  The greatest wonder of the many the little boy saw there was a square bottle containing an apple much larger than the neck of the bottle.  He couldn't figure it out, so he took it to Aunt Sarah and asked her about it.  She said, "Ask Uncle John; he did it."  So he carried the bottle to Uncle John, who looked at it thoughtfully, then into the boy's eyes, and said, "Someday, Willie, you will know!"  And all Willie's begging could get no more from him.

The next summer Willie was determined to learn the secret, and he spent hours searching the whole farm.  Finally in the orchard he found another bottle fastened to a limb, with a little apple growing in it.  He ran and told Uncle John that he had found out his secret.  "Yes," he said, "I put it in there when it was little--and it stayed."

The best time to get people into the kingdom of God is when they are young.  Professed Christian mother, are you working at this--or are you too busy?  With the father, you share the apostolic command concerning the children, to "bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord"  (Ephesians 6:4).

Thousands of children are now practically parentless, because so many mothers are working.  But we must not neglect the work God has given us as parents.  Don't expect the judge to teach your child obedience--you must teach him if he ever learns it.  The earliest years are the most important.

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Difficult or obscure words:
Proverbs 21:14.  "Plowing"--better; light, or prosperity.
Proverbs 21:18.  "Ransom"--not in the sense of payment.  Rather, the idea is that the trouble from which the righteous are saved will come upon those who refuse salvation.