

### DoctriVotional

Series I, Volume V

Natasha Gogue

Published by Natasha Gogue at Smashwords

Copyright © 2013 by Natasha Gogue

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Soli Deo Gloria

### Introduction

_Doctrivotional_ is a collection of doctrine, on an commentary level, for application. This series of application is taken from the Word of God, considering 1) the meaning of the words; 2) the times when the Word was spoken for application; 3) the parallel of the times from then to now; 4) for the application of the Word now.

God's Word is a Living Word. It is as applicable today as when it was written, as it was before it was written, when God's Spirit bore witness of the Word to be made canon. The Christian life depends on doctrine and experience of doctrine. _Doctrivotional_ gives you the doctrine, and the ways of application, for the experience of doctrine. This series is dedicated to knowing the Word for the purpose to experience the Word, through proper application. It is where doctrine meets devotional—where the Word meets individuals fully devoted to living God's Word, living by the Living Word.

The series coincides with a chronological Bible-in-a-year program (included). The chronological plan is based upon historical research of when the events in the Bible took place, upon popular belief. This plan was chosen for the understanding of application of God's Word as it was given, and the mirroring of how it can be applied for the reader today.

This volume will explores II Samuel, I Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Psalms, and Song of Solomon.

### The Book of PSALMS

The book of Psalms is a poetic book which meaning, "Book of Praises," (Hebrew); or, "pious songs," (Greek). It is not only a poetic book of praises, but a book of instruction (didactic), prophecy of Messiah (Messianic), plea for help against enemies (imprecatory), and repentance and cleansing (penitential).

Hebrew poeticism is written in parallel of rhythmic thoughts, as oppose to parallel of rhythmic words. From this, the Hebrew poetic form is paralleled in one of three ways: either synonymously (parallel of identical thoughts), or antithetically (parallel of contrasted thoughts), or synthetically (parallel of thought enhancing another).

These poetic forms meet in a book of the walk of God's people, whether in praise, plea, delight, despair, vengeance, humility, and any other state of being you might find yourself in this Christian walk. The book, therefore, contains Hebrew poeticism of any place we may find ourselves in our walk with God.

The book of Psalms is composed by at least six authors: Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph (or the families of him), the sons of Korah, and Ethan.

### Day 123

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 106-107

Application Reading:

Psalm 107:1-9:

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

" _O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."_ This is a universal call of praise to be given to the LORD, so that none is exempt from this call to praise Him. Why? – Because He is good! Not only this, but _all_ men partake and taste of this goodness. The sun shines on the righteous as well as the unrighteous; refreshing rain is given to the righteous and the unrighteous. The seasons come to both, food is given to both, the very breath of God that makes one physically life is given to both. In this, His mercy extends to all that He, in His goodness, has made (Psalm 145:9). He is good in His mercy, which is to all. He is good in that this mercy is faithful to the one as well as to the other; and good, that this faithful mercy is as faithful as the day He gives, whether it is a day of rain or shine, which is a day given to all.

" _Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy."_ Unlike the universality of the above, herein is a specific call to the redeemed. For it is the redeemed that do not only partake of the goodness of His mercy, but also partake of the goodness of His grace. These are whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy. First, let us remember that this is literal of Israel. They had been redeemed from the hand of Egypt, in a two-fold redemption: bringing out of Egypt, and bringing into the land of promise. Fundamentally, to be redeemed is to be delivered from the hand of the enemy. This is extensive. In the first, we can say that we have been redeemed from God's enemies: sin, Satan, self, the world – all of whom are the enemy of what we were originally created for, in the likeness of God's own image and professor of His goodness. They are the enemy of us because they work against our original creation. However, since the fall, we are a different creation, that in likeness of Satan our father, and his self-love. Therefore, we can say, with the use of the word _redeemed_ , that to be redeemed is to be delivered from God Himself being your enemy: to be delivered, redeemed, from the hand of God. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31), which the redeemed are redeemed from. Indeed, praise ye the LORD!

In the Old Testament, a kinsman-redeemer was a surety in a trial, one who paid a debt for another, and a restorer of the dead. He had to pass three qualifiers for the title and office: relationship to the one in need of redemption, ability to pay the requirement for redemption/restore the dead's house fully, and willingness to do so. In the case of having a debt, Christ paid the debt. In the case of needing a surety in trial, your surety had to be the equal of your opposing party; so it is that Christ is the Surety/Advocate for us against God, for He is equal to God...He _is_ God. In the case of restoring the house of the dead, Christ restored us to life by His death, by reconciling us to God, by His husbandry of taking us on to take us (that is, our sins) with Him to the grave and then take us (that is, justified) with Him where He is seated in heavenly places. To live eternally is most certainly to be restored from the dead. A mere paragraph cannot describe His glories as Redeemer; but do know this, those He has redeemed are redeemed – and you, being redeemed, need to be saying "He is good!"

" _And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses."_ We mentioned the two-fold redemption above. For literal Israel [in their Egyptian redemption], there was a wilderness between the two parts. For many redeemed, this is the same. Many encounter a wilderness prior to their crying out to the Lord. Many need this wilderness to cry out to the Lord, as many have many gods that pervert their minds from the true God. Therefore many even praise God for this wilderness, where their idols were ripped from them, where they were taken off a pedestal of being a self-god (as they couldn't do for themselves what God could do for them; vainly, they used to think they could, and worshipped what their hands could do; but now in the wilderness, they know better), where they saw God as...God. It is in a mountain in this desert of a wilderness that God proclaimed Himself as "I AM" to Moses (Exodus 3:1); and it is in this wilderness that many redeemed see that God is the "I AM," and they, and all others, are not. You need some bread, well here is God saying, "I AM; you need some water, God says, "I AM"; you need a refuge, God says, "I AM." Even if the wilderness has been a place where you liken to the Israelites when God gave them the ten commandments, and see Him as a terrible God, fearing Him who can kill both body and soul, that you cry for an intercessor/mediator as Israel cried for Moses to intercede/mediate. Oh I pray that the wilderness does do that to many souls, for then they can hear Christ Jesus say, "I AM...that Intercessor and Mediator," which will glorify Christ in their magnification of His office.

" _And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation."_ Though Israel stayed in the wilderness longer than intended (due to rebellion to move forward into the land of promise), rest assured that the wilderness was purposeful. I do hope the last paragraph began the realization of the purposes of it for you. When none else can feed us, let God feed us; when no other tailor can clad us, let Christ clad us with the robe of righteousness; when none can shelter us, let us hide in the shadow of the Almighty; when none can quench our thirst, let us open our eyes to the well, like Hagar, of Living Water. The wilderness is where and when, truly, there is none else beside Him, and we live the Word. God Himself, in the Word, tells us, "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me," (Isaiah 45:5). Praise God that He rips falseness by the wilderness.

Having Him as God, He did lead forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. You will recall when He first led them out of Egypt, there was another way (Exodus 13:17), but for reasons stated in the Word, it was not the right way. Therefore, though the way He led was through the wilderness by the Red Sea, it was the right way to lead to their habitation of Canaan. God will lead you to the right way. Faithful is He who called you, who will also do it (I Thessalonians 5:24). Regardless of the confusion of your thoughts to His, His thoughts are higher than yours. Regardless to the lack of understanding to go via the wilderness, His ways higher than yours. Indeed, His Way (the right way) is higher, for it will lead you to that high city for habitation, that high city whose builder and maker is God.

" _Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"_ We are drawn back to the start, that all men should praise God for His goodness. This is a universal call to praise. Even the unrighteous are the praise of the goodness of His mercy, considering that they do not receive (at least not while they are alive) what they truly do deserve, and the sun shines on them faithfully as it does to the righteous. They are also the praise of His goodness of longsuffering, and they will be so until they become converted and sing with the redeemed, if they are to be converted, or until they be to the praise of the goodness of His holiness in the vindication thereof.

" _For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness."_ However, if they shall be converted, and take that journey out of the land of bondage, to a city whose builder and maker is God, going through the purposeful wilderness, they will find satisfaction for a longing soul, filling of the hungry soul. They will find satisfaction and filling by God Himself, with God Himself. He will be the Bread to fill them, the Living Water to quench their thirst, the Rock to hide them, the Tabernacle to house them – all this by His goodness, that is, Himself. The redeemed not only taste the goodness of the LORD by His mercy, but they eat the goodness of the LORD by His graces – for they are in a position [that started in the wilderness] where they eat and drink the LORD Himself, who alone is the Good.

### The FIRST BOOK of CHRONICLES

The name of this book was taken from the Latin term used by Jerome. In the Hebrew, the title would be translated as, "The words of the days." Both describe, precisely, what is written in this book. It is a registry, journal, and chronicles. The registry of this book includes genealogy from Adam unto the nation Israel, to a chronicled journal of the monarchy of Israel under David, even to a registry journal of those immediate returning exiles after the Babylonian captivity. Considering this book is a short chronicle of events (the becoming of persons) from Genesis unto the books of the Kings, you will find many repeats of the books of the Kings and the books of Samuel; however, First and Second Chronicles will give you more of a theological view, as opposed to the experimental view through First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings. It is beneficial to study Chronicles side by side with the books named after Samuel and the books of the Kings.

The scribe Ezra is considered the author of this book, and is believed to have been written nearing the complete end of the exile from the captivity. Considering Ezra came back to Jerusalem to teach the people God's laws, and so that the land would be properly redivided, the book makes perfect sense as to its genealogical registries, and theological facts given.

### Day 124

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

I Chronicles 13-16

Application Reading:

I Chronicles 16:7-12:

Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD in to the hand of Asaph and his brethren. Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sin unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth.

The above is only a portion of the Psalm read after David brought the ark into the tent he had made for it. Israel gathered for this, and sacred duties were established for the Levites. This Psalm was read to the gathered congregation during the inauguration and commencement of those sacred duties David established anew and reestablished from old. The Psalm is portions of what can be found in Psalm 105:1-15; 96:1-3; and 106:1, 47-48.

This Psalm sets a standard of what should be praised (including, in song) and sought in our gathered congregations. The Psalm revolves around three things: His hand, His Name, and His face. These we are to praise and seek.

We are to praise the works of His hand. Each of His people bear testimony of the works of His hand. The Almighty has shown His power to raise from the dead in your regeneration; the graces by His hand to heal, deliver time and again, uphold, shelter, provide, construct down to the detail, preserve, edify, reveal, supply, guide, love, satisfy, demolish strongholds, and even die for. Our lives are to be the praise of His glories, and our testimony not to be about what we did, but about what His hand hath done.

We are to praise His name. His Name is I AM, faithful, strength, Providence, salvation, holy, just, good, righteous, gracious, merciful, longsuffering, Rock, Redeemer, Stronghold, love. This is revealed to us by His Word, and by the works of His hand. The beauties of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ once was secret (Judges 13:18), so _praise_ God that He has revealed His Name unto us!

We are to seek His face, and seek it continually. Many would petition the Lord for His hand but not His face. We should examine ourselves if our prayers only include wanting to see the hand of the Lord, but not the face of the Lord. We want Him for what He can do, but not for who He is. We turn to the hand of the Lord to calm us and care for us, but not the face of the Lord, which convicts us and corrects us. Scripture gives us accounts of Manoah, Isaiah, Daniel, John, et al. – chosen men who saw the image of the Lord (in a pre- or post- incarnate Christ) and were sore afraid, for beholding His image as in a mirror, they saw what reflected back was their own corruption. You will find many, even Christians, who struggle with self-love that they don't want to see corruption of themselves into conversion, and due to this, will not seek the face of the Lord. O how important this is, for to seek the face of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory! Yes, it will convert you, transform you, conform you...and even kill you. It will kill you in one of two ways: It will kill self more and more, with the realization of its corruption; or it will kill you in an eternal death when you see His face at the day of judgment after denying seeking His face while He may be found. Either way, you are going to see His face – either by seeking it now for conversion, self mortification and death of flesh, unto conformity; or without choice on the day of judgment, for an eternal death.

### Day 125

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 1-2, 22-24, 47, 68

Application Reading:

Psalm 23:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the precese of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

" _The LORD is my shepherd..."_ A shepherd leads. The first place this Shepherd leads is to Himself. Therefore, I shall have no want, for in Him all fullness dwells, and we shall see that in this Psalm.

" _He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."_ Herein are the two distinct places the Shepherd leads the Christian unto: work and rest. However, the Shepherd does not do this outside of leading you to Himself for these things. As for the work, it is not hard, but impossible, to do this Christian life. Therefore, He leads you to Himself in the times of work, for without Him you can do nothing. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it. As for the rest, He also leads you to Himself, as you will find rest nowhere else. I lie down in green pastures – rest is where my food is? Yes, this place of rest is also where I feed: in the Shepherd. The Shepherd leads, the Shepherd leads to Himself. The Shepherd feeds, the Shepherd feeds of Himself – therefore, even in this the Shepherd leads to Himself.

" _He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."_ When the Shepherd first leads you to Himself, He does so that He may restore your soul unto conversion. It was dead, and now its restored...for His Name's sake, for the testimony of His glory of grace and power. Thereafter, He leads you to Himself that He may continuously restore your soul. It is weak, He leads you to Himself who is the Strong One. It sins again, He leads you to Himself who is Sanctifier. It is sore sorrowful, He leads you to Himself who is the Joy and Salvation and who is the Joy of your salvation.

" _Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."_ There are many battles in this life, from the battle of your soul and His leading you to Himself for its restoration, to the battles of your walk and His leading you to Himself as your Stronghold. However, this is one battle that He doesn't lead us to Himself _for_ the battle, but leads us to Himself _by_ the battle. This is the final battle of the Christian, yet the Christian will fear no evil for all the times He has been led by the Shepherd to go to the Shepherd all of His redeemed life, He knows, "Thou art with me. Once again, You are leading me to yourself, and this is the last time You will have to do so. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. You have chastised me as a wandering, forgetful sheep unto coming to You continuously, and now You chastise this body that by its death it may come to You fully and eternally. That rod of chastising this body unto its physical death has been the staff to lead me to you. These comfort me, for they will lead me up to Thee."

" _Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."_ Throughout this Psalm we have seen where the Shepherd started with leading us (as shepherds do). Yet this specifically, first, leads to Himself (conversion); and all throughout our lives after our conversion, He has led to Himself. Even in work and rest, He has led us to Himself. In turmoil and sorrows, He has led us to Himself. In feed, He has led to Himself. Even by the death of the previous verse, He leads us to Himself. Yet, with that final battle, He truly leads us to Himself fully, as He did lead to Himself from the start, so He completed what He started. Therefore, when all is said and done, it has all been goodness and mercy, for it has always led me to Him. O what day when we are fully in front of Him with the completion of His leading, and that leading being to Himself: we shall then dwell in the house of the LORD. Forever. The Lords leads, the Lord feeds, and Lord completes; and in all, He does these in, and to...Himself.

### Day 126

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 89, 96, 100-101, 105, 132

Application Reading:

Psalm 101:1-7:

I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, him shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

" _I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing."_ The LORD is both merciful and just; grace and truth; shewing mercy unto thousands of those that love Him and keep His commandments, yet visiting iniquity and by no means clearing the guilty (Exodus 20:5-6; 34:7).

This Psalm is accredited to when David brought the ark of God to dwell with him in Jerusalem. David is singing of both sides of the spectrum of God's attributes: mercy and judgment. It is important that when God comes to dwell within us, we recognize that in Him is both mercy and judgment; grace and truth; compassion and holiness. There must be both, for a man will not begin to conceive mercy and grace until he knows the reason it is so called mercy and/or grace. A man will consciously, and erringly, sin that grace abounds, if he does not know and appreciate grace. If he does not know the reasons for grace, he does not know grace, but treats God as One who can add greatness to his stature with prosperity and heaven, instead of hell. Without understanding the true reasons for grace, man sees hell as something he thinks the devil bonded him to, instead of something he himself bonding him to. If he claims grace without knowing the reason for it, if he claims God's Good News is not founded on man's own bad news, he comes to God thinking God is on his side, and therefore without seeing this horrible condition that reaps judgment he will continue to sin that grace may about, for he doesn't understand the seriousness of God's holiness that reveals the seriously bad news of his own condition. Without these, a man cannot truly sing of God's mercy.

David says he will sing of mercy and judgment. Those who sing of God's judgment sing of what is a result of His holiness; therefore, they sing of God's holiness that demands the judgment. Yes, they sing of it, and even sing unto Him of it. Blessed Holy LORD, how perfect are your judgments, they are against me and for that I deny my own self for You, which is what I must do in order to follow Christ. O blessed Christ, who validated and vindicated the Father's judgment! Christ loved the Father's own holiness and righteous judgment due to His holiness, so much, that He bore it upon Himself that the Father would be vindicated. Bear in mind, that since God is eternal, the debt for violating His eternal Being is eternal. The debt will never be paid, thus eternal payment; but in Christ (who is His eternal likeness), it is fully paid. Justice is more vindicated in a sinner coming to Christ, than paying in hell: for in hell, it will never be paid; but in Christ, "It is finished." Christ didn't rid the Father's judgment, He _vindicated_ the Father's judgment with Himself. Yes, we sing of His judgment as well, because we sing of the work of Christ, and magnify Him for what He did! We sing of mercy, because knowing the truth of the judgment, we truly know mercy.

" _I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."_ David is bringing the ark to dwell with him. This is not a light thing. It is not a light thing that men invite the Lord to dwell within them. Upon this, David meditates on God's mercy and judgment, and the result is that it makes him walk within his house with a perfect heart. We should be meditating upon the God whom we bring to dwell within us, both His mercy and His judgment; and His judgment for His mercy. Those who sing of this judgment, only do so because they accept it as just. In accepting it as just, this means that they despise their own self (flesh, natural man) which demands this just judgment – and these die daily. Man is God's enemy because God is man's enemy...and this is because God is God and man wants to be as God (ruling his own life; serving himself; petitioning others to serve him, including God; building a life resume that others, and God, would serve, honor, respect, and worship him). Such as these are quick to consciously, and erringly, sin that grace may abound; but those who see a just God, which means they loathe self, are those who are much more careful with their walk, for they love God more than their own selves. Yea, they must deny themselves in order that they love Him (and His holiness that is against them). This reverence for Holiness and for God above self, will quickly charge a man to walk within his house with a perfect heart.

" _I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person."_ We mentioned loving the LORD in the previous paragraph. We also mentioned that man deny himself in order to say that he truly loves the LORD. Otherwise, man loves flesh and uses a Holy God to love it some more. A man who has been given a heart to love the LORD, hates the enemy of the LORD – meaning, he hates his own sin...and in doing so, all the more he sings of God's judgment against that thing which he now all of a sudden hates himself. See how David is not only speaking of those wicked around him, but speaking of himself. We cannot judge a man, lest we be judged. Yet, we should want to be judged, and judged by the Word of God lest we grossly err and commit treason against His holiness, mercy, and grace. Therefore we judge as we are also willing to be judged, and we judge in the manner in which we are judged – which is by the Word of God. Therefore, God is the Judge, in Him is the righteousness and none else.

" _Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, him shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight."_ We are not in the position of David to be cutting off anyone, nor in a country to utterly rid someone of their right to be in our sights. However, if we should both be judged by the same Word, and one is not repentant, the Bible says (after procedure) we are to then separate.

An amazing thing happens the more we deny ourselves and behold Christ: we are changed into the same image from glory to glory. We are literally transformed, and our eyes are no longer loving wickedness to behold wickedness, but love God to behold the things and people of God. These people of God we have dwell with us. It is _not_ that we are not to be establishing relationships with the lost, but it _is_ that we are to be doing life with the faithful. A man should examine himself if he is not bearing transforming witness of this – for the transformation of loving the things of God, no longer loving the things not of God, prepares us for the Day we are with God: doing eternal life with the Faithful Him, where we are praising Him for His mercy, and, yes, even His judgment...for we have been transformed to no longer love the things that are not of God, that we may love God.

### The SECOND BOOK of SAMUEL

The First Book of Samuel ends with the death of Saul. Though the kingdom had long been rent from him and given to David, it had yet to see physical fulfillment. Therefore, the Second Book of Samuel is the kingdom, through Divine sovereignty, established under David.

In the First Book of Samuel, we went from being under judges to being under a king. We likened this, spiritually, from being under the Judge to being under the King, by Christ's placement as Saviour, Mediator, and King in our lives. We ultimately mirrored this in the fashion of the heart of David, a type of Christ.

The Second Book of Samuel is the sovereign order of God to establish the kingdom in David, magnifying David as His choice by such sovereign order, and the kingdom order under David. David organized a fine functioning kingdom that pleased God. We shall mirror this to Sovereign God establishing Christ's kingdom in place, and the order of the kingdom under Christ. We shall see that all this sovereign order to establish Christ's kingdom was to magnify Christ, which is the purpose for God's sovereign order; therefore, this is God's purpose: that He (therefore, His Son) would be glorified. The hard truths of God's sovereignty in Divine order will always root back to that purpose, just the truths of God's sovereignty in Divine order to establish David rooted to the purpose that David (from whence is the line of Christ) would be magnified prosperously.

The sovereignty of God is the main devotional theme; that this sovereignty (whether we like it or not) is exercised that God's choice and kingdom be established and magnified; that this being God's purpose, He will sovereignly accomplish to magnify Christ, and that Christ's purpose to magnify the Father in the order, reorder, reconciliation, and justice to the Father in the kingdom given Him, will be sovereignly accomplished as well. David did set order, reorder, reconciliation of the people to God, and justice of God, in the kingdom given him...and what made him a fine king in this kingdom given him; and Christ did and will, sovereignly, do the same...and what makes Him the King of kings, the Son of whom the Father is "well pleased."

### Day 127

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 6-7; I Chronicles 17

Application Reading:

II Samuel 6:3-11:

And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah, and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. And they brought it out of the hose of Abindab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even of harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God. And David was displeased because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-edom and the LORD blessed Obed-edom, and all his household.

The ark of the covenant was handled on upon a cart with the Philistines; however, God would not tolerate this from His own people. Though the heathen were insensible to handling the things of God, and, therefore, erringly handling them, God does not let His people get away with such an error, for they are the children of the Covenant, from whence came the ark of the covenant. God explicitly told His children the ark of the covenant was to be carried upon human shoulders. Sound familiar to a New Testament/New Covenant command? We will get to that later.

In the first attempt to handle the ark of the covenant, David did so according to the ways God tolerated the Philistines handling it, not God's way, and was sore vexed for it. God's people err when they see the world referring to the Ark and the Covenant in a way that God explicitly tells us is not the way He nor His covenant should be referred, and think because God tolerates it from the heathen, we can also get away with it. Tolerance does not deem God has changed His mind, but that God is longsuffering. Christians who attempt to suffer the heart of God that they claim to love, by the heathen's example on how they view and treat God, will find quick chastisement from a Father. If a Father did not chastise the child, the child would be a bastard; and yes, dear Christian, you are called to walk a fine line, even when the Philistines handle the Ark (that is Jesus) and His Covenant (that is, His love) upon the cart of homosexuality and child sacrifice, to name a few. When it appears they get away with it by doing it and then even proclaiming the love of Christ as to the acceptance of such immorality, _you_ are called to walk that fine line of not daring to profane the Ark of the Covenant (by doing the same) in this manner, because you are His child.

Uzzah quickly found out he could not get away with what God tolerated with from the heathen. The text first says David was displeased. Friend, should God chastise your brethren for handling His Ark (that is, His Mediator and Meeting Place with you; that is, His Christ) of the Covenant (that is, the New Covenant of love) in a profaning way that the heathen do, let us _not_ be displeased with God, but let us what the text later says David did: fear God who is holy. Let us learn that we are a chosen generation to be the witness of Him, and the witness of Him isn't the enemy of Him. Meaning, God is not going to profane Himself nor His glory for evil, period. Jesus (the Ark) did eat with publican and sinners, but Jesus also said despise not the little children – how much more the helpless unborn babe? Jesus did not forsake His own holiness for love (that is to say, an acceptance); and we do not put an unconditional love on a cart of sin that grace may abound. That may be what the heathen do, for they know not God nor the things of God; but we know our God, and we know better. If we don't, God will teach us. Do not be sore displeased when He does, but be ye thankful for His faithfulness to keep you in Him and His ways, for it is that err that will reap judgment.

We see it more in our days that people love themselves and love each other and do it in the Name of Christ. It is a cart they throw the Ark upon. They claim God meets them with the way they were born (homosexual), or meets them in the decision to sacrifice a child because of the circumstance that put them in that position, and they claim He meets them and loves them anyway because of the Meeting Place (Ark) that is Christ. God said we carry that Ark upon our shoulders, just as Jesus said if any will follow Him (that is, have claim of Him as the Mediatory Ark and His Covenant), He must carry His cross; and we do this just as Jesus did, and just as God said of the Ark: upon our shoulders. We carry the Ark (that is, Christ) upon our shoulders as we take on His example, which is His cross, which is denying Himself. You must die to self – yes, even your natural "born with" tendencies of homosexuality, which only further opens your eyes that you were "born with" a sin condition, against God and the things of God; which, by Christ's imputation, example, and command, you die to – and must, if you follow Him, claim His Name, or His Covenant.

For a Christian to handle the Ark of the Covenant (Jesus, His office as Mediator, and His Love in the New Covenant) as the Philistine/heathen/world attempts, God will not tolerate it as He didn't tolerate it with Uzzah. The fear this brought forced David to leave the ark with Obed-edom, where it blessed where it dwelt. The same hand that pronounced judgment on Uzzah for profaning the ark in accordance to the Philistines is that hand that blessed the home it dwelt. Jesus blesses where He dwells, but by no means clears will clear guilty of judgment their misrepresentation of His Holy sacrifice for mediation (as an Ark) or His holy love in the New Covenant. The same Jesus who blesses where He dwells is the Jesus who will pronounce judgment on those who have handled Him and His covenant profanely as a Philistine, instead of God's clearly-given way (take up the Ark/Jesus, take up the cross). The same Cornerstone of the building is the Stone that falls upon men, grinding them to pieces. The same Rock that poured out water is the Rock formed without human hands that demolished Daniel's multi-metallic figure of the world. Let us reverence He who is both Holy and Love, therefore Holy Love; and who is both grace and truth, therefore the true Jesus Christ.

### Day 128

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 25, 29, 33, 36, 39

Application Reading:

Psalm 33:13-22:

The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works. There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

" _The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth."_ The Psalmist uses the world "all" twice here, and it is to reveal to us that all, righteous in Christ and unrighteous alike, share the likeness of being God's province as God is Providence; and the Providence of God is not just His province kept strictly in heaven, but in all things He has created, fallen or not, and seeing that He is sovereignly provident, He can save that which has fallen, because it is His to save for His only glory. Likewise, it is His to not save from what their account has done against Him, for His own glory. By men's glory, and for [also, because of] men glorifying themselves (original sin, "ye shall be as gods"), all are damned and none are saved. By God's glory, and for God's glory, the creation who damned themselves will be damned, but some are saved. Yet, all are under God's eye, as all are beholden by God.

" _He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works."_ The heart, which pumps life (that is, blood – in the blood is the life thereof) to the body to sustain and bring life, is accredited to the LORD. He is the Giver and Sustainer of all life. It is the LORD, whose own breath breathed into the carcass of a body to make it a living soul, to say that it is now living, and such soul became the start of a generation of living men. He searches the heart because it is was fashioned by Him, who then can search it. Therefore, He is called the Searcher of hearts (Jeremiah 17:10). He regenerates a soul, makes alive a depraved spirit, because it is He from whence it, once having life, originally came. Therefore, He is called the Father of spirits (Hebrews 12:9).

Hence, it must be said that man's heart is within sovereign Providence. Yea, not only does Scripture validate this, but it must be. For man is a fallen creature, and if the heart of the king wasn't in the hands of the LORD (it is, per Proverbs 21:1), the heart (which pumps the life of man) and the soul (which is the breath of God to be the life of man) could not be regenerated by Life and Spirit if it were not His in some way, even through the fall, to give it life and spirit – that is, if Life and Spirit were not providential over a man's heart and over a man's soul. He is, for He is the Creator and Giver of that heart, that thing which pumps life, in the blood thereof, through man; and He is the Creator and Giver of that soul, which is the breath to make man a living creation. He is not just a Creator of vessels (soul/man and heart), but He is the Creator of life in those vessels, that which made life (soul), and that which sustains life (heart), in life/that vessel itself (in man). The wickedness that inhabits that heart and soul: of this, He is not the Creator. Since man's wickedness has killed him, God is still Creator of the instrument/vessel that used to give him abundant and spiritual life but now only gives him dead life. It is vastly thought in prejudice that the lack of free will over spiritual matters (man is dead spiritually, therefore cannot will anything spiritual) makes man a robot. Nay, it is that wickedness that has made man but a robot: he has life, but he doesn't; life pumps through him, but it doesn't. The heart and soul are but machines without true life regenerated to make it living and pumping the living through it, but even God is the Creator of that machine...which is that instrument and vessel, the heart and the soul in itself, with or without restored abundant and spiritual life. In preparation for our next phrase, this goes on without saying, that God, being Creator and sovereignly providential over the vessel and instrument in order to restore it to life, is likewise sovereignly providential over those who are not restored to life, because He is sovereignly providential as the Creator of the _vessels_ (heart and soul) themselves, whether or not they do [due to His grace] or do not [due to their own accord!] have life.

" _There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength."_ Numbers can do nothing for the king, for God is the Creator of not only his heart, but of all under the sun. None can contend with this sovereignty, and fools despise it to think that they can. Mind you, it has been been much said to the comfort of the saints in this study series, that this sovereignty _is_ the comfort of saints. Let history, Biblical and secular alike, testify to you, that neither numbers, ranks, nor strength (mentioned here) stand against sovereign God. If numbers did, the Grecian empire would have remained; but it didn't, and neither did the rank of the golden empire before it, nor [will] the strength of the empire after it. For God has spoken; and God, sovereign over all that is not just in His heights in heaven, but under the sun, not only decreed it (this is written all over Daniel) that ye may know the absolutes of His sovereignty, but that by it ye may find comfort in your wearisome lack of knowing and controlling. You need not controlling, nor can you control, but you do need knowing, and knowing that He is the One controlling.

" _An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength._ " A horse is an instrument in war, of great strength. However, a horse is still a thing under the sun. All that is under the sun is still under God, and man's best defense for safety is God. Any other thing, is just a thing under the sun, and under God.

" _Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine."_ The last phrase really led us to the beginning of this one: "Behold!" The whole purpose of the past verses, and their truths, are so that we may behold that LORD! We are singling down upon those in God's sovereign providence who are His people: those who fear Him because of the truth of who He is, and therefore stop fancying some thing under the sun, including of themselves, to save their souls from death, and to keep them alive from famine. The LORD is to be feared for all that we have said of His Divinity, sovereignty and omnipotence thus far, and the LORD is to be acknowledged that, due to these being His character, and due to the dead living man who is not alive to spiritual things, the spiritual life is accredited fully to God by the same Divinity, sovereignty, and omnipotence that we have mentioned thus far. God is able to save the soul from death by the same Divinity, sovereignty, and omnipotence we spent the last few paragraphs studying, but God won't by these alone. By these alone, God will judge the wicked; but by these plus mercy that is manifested unto grace, God will regenerate and save that which man wickedly changed. For God to judge by His Divinity, sovereignty, and omnipotence, what man wickedly changed, God is just; but for God to _restore_ by His Divinity, sovereignty, and omnipotence, what man has wickedly changed, God is merciful. Therefore, man hopes in the mercy of God, the mercy that is manifested unto grace. That is the hope of man, because when God can find nothing else to please Him (and what man has done with God's copyright does not please Him), He will find pleasure in His own mercy. Therefore, it is for God's own glory that you are able to be saved, and should be to the praise of His glory of grace, for it is His mercy and grace (not you) that has pleased Him Himself.

This being said, if He is able to deliver the soul from death, He is able to keep alive in the famine. This speaks of the spiritual vs. the physical (soul = spiritual; famine = physical). For God to touch that spiritual which we were not able to touch, let this speak to you, O ye of little faith, that God is more than capable to touch the physical. Let it comfort you, that should He or should He not touch the physical, it is strictly of His own accord, not of His incapability. He has more than shown His capability with that which is much higher: the spiritual. If death by eternal cannot touch us due to God, death by famine (or any other physicality) cannot touch us, until God accounts for it. Even if God accounts for it, death by famine (that is, the physical) did not kill as death by spiritual cannot kill us. It is not to say that He has then allowed for us to be killed, so much as it is to say that He allowed (if He does not keep alive in the physical/"famine") that by the kill, we can be killed no longer. By the warrant of the kill, He kills the kill.

" _For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."_ Now that the Psalm briefly mentions the physical, it goes back to the spiritual of which leaks into the physical, persevering the physical. This heart that He has spiritual restored, no longer just a machine, shall rejoice in Him and be the praise of His work, for it has trusted solely in Him who can do what I can't do for myself. Let your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee. Let us not fool ourselves to think we have spiritual life if we cannot see that life came solely from You as mercy unto grace. We have not favor if we know we are not covered by the work of His hand, and none that we have done, but what He has done. "A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them," (Ezekiel 36:26-27). You credit these to your doing, your willing, your will, O LORD. It is what I hoped in; and, therefore, it is what is upon me.

### Day 129

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 8-9; I Chronicles 18

Application Reading:

II Samuel 9:1-8:

And David said, Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake? And there was a of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, Art thou Ziba? And he said, Thy servant is he. And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet. And the king said, Where is he? And Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Anmiel, in Lo-debar. Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant! And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father: and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

David organized a kingdom. The Son of David has, does, and will complete, the same. This organization included removal, restoration, and reconciliation – of which, David was a man. In chapter eight, he removed kingdoms of the world that were against God; restored lands to God; restored the division of a kingdom (Judah in him, and Israel in Saul's house by Ish-bosheth) back to one in him; restored people to their land that the enemies took by their times of apostasy; reconciled the people to the worship of God, and reconciled the ark of the covenant to the people. He removed idols made of gold, but restored vessels of gold to God. All these, by His incarnation and completed work thereby, the Son of David has done. Being of man, where man held dominion in God's kingdom (incarnate on earth as a man), he removed the enemy's (sin by Satan and his sons in it, who once were the sons of God, thereby) dominion of it from the apostasy of men, and restored it to God. He removes men from being idolatrous of themselves for the precious gold that they are, and restores this gold as vessels to God. He reconciles covenant to the people, as He reconciles God to the people.

In this passage, we see David specifically restore one man to his family's possession. He can do this by 1) his inheritance of that family's land by his marriage to that family (Saul's daughter who became David's wife); and 2) the rebellion of that family in which God gave the kingdom to him. By these, the family's possession was his for the giving unto restoration of Mephibosheth. Let us compare and contrast this to Christ. God had created His one kingdom in two places: heaven (where in the angels and heavenly hosts doth reside), and earth (wherein man doth reside). In sin, man had divided God's kingdom, that the earthen part was separated from God, as it became corrupted and cursed, and man along with it. We know that it pleased God to give David the kingdom, and that he restored two divisions of one kingdom back to one, under himself; and we know that it pleased God to give His kingdom to Christ, and that he restored two divisions (made due to sin) of one kingdom back to one, by, in, and under Himself. We shall see how this was done by comparing how David was able to have the kingdom in order that he could remove, restore, and reconcile it, as the sovereign of it. David's marriage gave him the land of the man he was to restore. Christ Jesus married our flesh – that is, He took it on, as a man takes on the affairs of his wife. For the man, our affairs happen to be our sin and its consequence. Therefore, that which is ours became His, when He set out to marry our nature for our sakes and the sake of restoring God's kingdom. We understand that He took on our sin consequence and trials of the sin condition. What we also need to understand is that when He took on our sin and its consequence, in order that He could pay for it, He took on the earthen kingdom. This means that He became incarnate/of earth, and only could have done what He did for us, in the taking on incarnation and being of this divided partition of God's kingdom. In Christ, and in His marriage to the flesh, that is, obtaining this division, and conquering it, it then became His for the giving...and the giving is that He restored it as one kingdom (heaven, having already been His as God, and earth, having now been His as man and conquering it), gave it to God, and gave God to it (the earth) and its man. The former and first king that God set over Israel, rebelled; therefore, the kingdom was given to David. The former and first king of the earth (Adam) rebelled; therefore, Christ became the Second Adam, the sovereign of it. The loins of Saul were no longer the dominion over the kingdom, but it was henceforth David's. The loins of Adam are no longer dominion of this division, but it is Christ's – for Christ hath taken on this division, conquered it, and restored it by the conquering. For God, David restored the borders of the land (which were fallen to enemies of Israel in their apostasy; and for man (herein, specifically, Mephiboseth), he restored the kindness of God in what God had originally designed to give him by what He gave his family before his family's apostasy (Gibeah to the tribe of Benjamin in Saul's loins). For God, Christ restored this division of His kingdom back to Him, a division of His kingdom which fell to the enemy of God in His creation's (man's) apostasy; and to man, He restored the kindness of God in what God had originally designed to give man before man's apostasy: dwelling with Him, and enjoying Him forever.

Christ, as God, is heaven's King. Christ as man, and having, by the completed work of Himself, removed (sin's dominion, curse, and consequence to the division of the kingdom that is the earth), restored, and reconciled, God and man. In this, all fullness dwells in Him. Of heaven, He became of earth, and by His wisdom, reconciled the both. Therefore, of both, and by the removal and restoration required for the reconciliation (by the fullness of His secret wisdom that hadn't been revealed before His incarnation) of both, both are His. He is the King of both, for He, having been of one, came to be of the other, conquered it and restored it. He is most magnified in this organization of God's Kingdom, which is the restoration of the two divisions (heaven and earth) divided, by and through Himself as the God (of heaven) – Man (of earth; that is, having been incarnate).

Having the kingdom restored and reconciled in him, David sought a son of Saul's house, that he might show him the kindness of God and restore him, and that he may dine with David all his days. Having the kingdom restored and reconciled in Him, Christ seeks sons of Adam, that they may be sons of God by Him and His completed work. Christ sought you out. Therefore, though you may be a dead dog, fear not, for He seeks to show you the kindness of God in such grace to restore you to the house of your Father; and He may, by the precious, infinite, redemption offered by His being of heaven to complete His work on earth, that gave Him power of heaven and earth to take you [of the earth] to your Father [of heaven], and dine with Him at His table all the days of your restored, redeemed, purchased, and eternal, life.

### Day 130

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 50, 53, 60, & 75

Application Reading:

Psalm 75:

Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare. When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah. I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them. But I will declare for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

" _Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks..."_ "Rejoice evermore," (I Thessalonians 5:16). Evermore goodness and mercy deserves evermore rejoicing and thanks, and this goodness and mercy is evermore because God is evermore. It is not by us that anything is done, the Psalm will disclose this further, but by Him, Elohim: the Strong and Faithful One; the One omnipotent and immutable. "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you," (I Thessalonians 5:18). As the Psalmist mentions the thanks to the Lord repetitively, so should the Church of God thank God repetitively, which is to do so in everything, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. In Christ Jesus, we give thanks. In the plan set forth before the foundation of the world, we give thanks. Therefore, in the execution and manifestation of that plan (which was created by none other than Almighty wisdom and omnipotence to make something out of nothing) in Christ Jesus, we give thanks, which is to say this day is of that plan, and this day, the Lord deserves thanks. Should we forget of whose hands and plan the manifestations of our lives (that is, that we have life, and all that is in that life) have come to pass, we shall forget to give thanks. If we forget God, let us remember Israel who forgot the LORD their God, and credited the manifestation of their lives to their own hands. These sorts become proud, as we shall later see.

" _...for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare."_ Genesis tells us that from the foundation of the world, God set forth to have a people and to dwell with those people (Genesis 1:26-31). This was a very good plan. Yet, Scripture further tells us that this very good plan was set forth even before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4; Romans 8:29-30). Before the foundation of the world, God purposed to have a people, and that He would dwell with that people. Now since the world, the destruction of it by sin reveals God's wisdom manifested to ensure His plan. Look at all the Lord has done to ensure His plan! By wondrous works, He created the world of that plan that He may dwell with man, who He created for His Name. By wondrous works, He redeemed a covenanted people, Israel, who bore His Name, out of Egypt. By wondrous works, God became man in Christ Jesus, and literally dwelt with His people. By wondrous works, He revealed His plan, by the setting forth of it, to redeem the people He might dwell with, and dwell with them forevermore (redemption in Christ's imputation). Some may even shun Israel for being Lo-Ammi, but it is by this, and a part of a plan of Divine wisdom, that God, by wondrous works, made a Name for Himself among that Gentiles; that it is by wondrous works and plan, that God so planted His Name among us. They are beloved for the fathers' sake, but they are enemies for our sake, the sake of God establishing His Name among the Gentiles. Divine wisdom indeed! See that how no plan is a diversion of His, for though it doth appear a catastrophe, God's ways are higher than ours; and we thank God for such catastrophe, for you and I would not be saved should they had not denied Him. What we see is that when God's Name is made manifest, when God manifests His plan to set forth His Name by making a people and dwelling with them (this very good plan), in all that Divine wisdom displays that this may come to pass, wondrous works have been declared! His Name is near, yea, even within. For this, the Lord did not only dwell with man in the time of Adam, dwell with Israel by the tabernacle for atonement's redemption and ark of the covenant for mediation, dwell with the people by Christ Emmanuel – God with us – but yea, He hath even dwelt with them forever. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Then, God will dwell with them forevermore. Near? Yes, within, underneath me as my pillar and foundation, above me as my hope and heights, and all around me as to seal me, my Author and Finisher – and this is done by none other than His wondrous works. The LORD God omnipotent, mighty to save, hath raised from the spiritually dead, and hath taken an infinite gap between Infinite God and finite man, and filled it with the Infinite Son. By wondrous works His Name is near.

" _When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly."_ This, in the Hebrew, is otherwise translated as, "When I shall take a set time." We know a time will come when God has gathered forth His congregation, His people that He placed His Name before the foundation of the world, and thus will then judge uprightly: His people according to the image of His Son (not natural, but Spirit, and must be Spirit-led), which is righteousness; and man, according to the image of Adam (which is our natural image, as we are natural man), which is unrighteousness in an offspring rebellion of Satan.

" _The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it."_ This is two-fold and expounds on the previous. To understand how it further describes the previous, we have to see how wisdom has allowed us to understand, and that is by how dead men yet liveth now. By Adam's rebellion, the world sees God's judgment, which did not take place a moment after. For since then, the earth was cursed, man was spiritually dead, and separated from the garden as he had been separated from God. The earth, and all the inhabitants thereof, have indeed been made spiritually dead. They are dead on arrival. Yet, being dead, they yet live [that death]. Not hearing, they hear; not seeing, they see; not living, somehow they live. How is that? It is because of God, for He bears up the pillars of it. I will remind you of the LORD God omnipotent of whom we are speaking! In the second fold, we liken this to after the judgment of the above verse. Being dead, they yet live that they live that death, therefore it is an eternal death and eternal punishment, for death (by annihilation) quenches, and this we know that the fire is not quenched, for annihilation has not come forth to relieve. Being consumed, they are not consumed because the smoke never goes out (Revelation 14:11) and the worm will never die (Isaiah 66:24), as we know smoke goes out when fire has done its job, and a worm will die when there remains nothing left for it to feed. It is not finished. How is this possible that a man can die eternally, can live though being dead, as to not be finished with death, be thrown in a fire and not be consumed/annihilated? It is possible by God. He bears up the pillars of the living dead _now_ by omnipotence; therefore, all are dependent upon Him even in their spiritually-dead physical lives. Therefore, you credit your life to Him, and to not, and see our lives as the works of our hands (like we mentioned above with the lesson of Israel), one will see what this omnipotence to hold up the dead that they shall live though dead (living for the death that it is eternal), will mean in eternity. There will be a set time when the LORD God omnipotent will gloriously manifest this power we clearly see, this power that though they are dead, yet they live, even further in the consuming fire that doesn't consume: doesn't end, for a fire will end once it has consumed all that is there for it to consume, and surely a fire's smoke goes out when it is done burning, and the worms die for there is nothing left for them to feed. We know this is not the case with eternal judgment. Therefore, burning, they are not burned; God consuming them, they are not consumed; and as we attempted to liken it to the physical living dead, though dead they are alive to live the death eternally – and it can be eternal for God is eternal and He bears up the pillars of it that they "live" their death eternally, die eternally.

" _I said unto the fools, Deal not foolishly: and to the wicked, Lift not up the horn: Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another."_ Therefore, knowing what we know, this is our exhortation to the foolish and wicked. God hates the proud, for self worshipping is the root of it, the root of this worship being Satan. Therefore, to be in the likeness of Satan in being his son, you shall see the same doom as him. Let us remember that self as a god is idolatry committed against God as God. Promotion comes not from another nor your own hands, this is adultery/idolatry against God, for they are not what sets up the pillars. Promotion comes from God, for He setteth up the pillars; and when He puts down these pillars of earth where we reside, He will set up other pillars. We exhort such a message that the people may find themselves, in Christ and dead to themselves as the son of the devil, to be promoted upon the pillars of eternal life that await the Body of Christ for those in Christ; instead of the pillars of eternal death that await the devil and the body of the devil in his offspring. For God sets up, and bears by His eternalness, both.

" _For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them."_ The wicked are drunk all the way to their eternal death, and which time God will pour out their drunkenness upon them. He does not clear the guilty, for they reap what they sow. Even deeper than the reaping and sowing of drunkenness is that they reap and sow what we see in the redness of wine: blood for blood – which is to say, life for life, or death for death. Scripture tells us the wages of sin is death, a life is owed for sin. In the blood is the life thereof. For this cause, atonement for sins had to be by blood shed, and blood shed meant death. They shall pay for their own sins with their own blood, and unlike the Infinite once-for-all blood of Christ that paid Infinite God, their blood is not infinite, so shall it be paid with an infinitely, eternally.

" _But I will declare for ever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked also will I cut off; but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted."_ We should be declaring forever, and that starts now. What we declare depends on the pillars of eternity one is set upon. Upon the pillars of eternal life, we shall be the praise of His glory of grace; and Beloved, that should have been started already, as much as God makes possible for a finite being in the current pillars of this earth. We do know that not everyone will be a vessel of God's glory of grace, and set upon grace's pillars; but everyone _will_ be a vessel of God's glory, and set upon some pillar (to have an eternity, therefore held up for that eternity for the only One who is eternal). Therefore, the other pillars of eternity must be mentioned that God may be glorified. The pillars of eternal death are the praises of His glory of holiness, righteousness, and justice. Let us be found to not be exempted from singing any praise of God's glories, for the eternal death will not sing the grace of God, but the eternal life will sing the praises of not only His holiness, righteousness, and justice, but His grace.

### Day 131

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 10; I Chronicles 19; & Psalm 20

Application Reading:

II Samuel 10:9-12:

When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him from before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians: and the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon. And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me: but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee. Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

In today's readings, we see the enemies of God's people (therefore, the enemy of God) are the starters and provocation of war. God did not go against His creation, but His creations hath gone against Him, and furthermore, provoke Him. We see how foolish assumptions of the enemies of God have formed their set-up and provocation of war. David wanted to pay kindness to Hanun for his father's death, and the Ammonites invented some ill-will David had toward their house. How often the Son of David chooses to pay kindness to the His own enemies by His own death, yet, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, they invent some superstitious ill-will He has toward them, and start and provoke war accordingly. The servant of the Lord lives this for the Lord this day. Therefore, David's story does not surprise us. We pay kindness with sending the gifts of the Gospel, but are accounted enemies for doing so. This generation chooses enemies as their friends, choosing those who tell them a lie of invented superstitions and do nothing for their friends when their house is burning down; and chooses their real friends as their enemies for not lying to them and offering a mansion in lieu of their burning house. Instead of accepting the kindness, Ammon and its king tore the beard and clothes of the servants of David. Instead of accepting the kindness, the world's superstitions and 'friends' (who are actually their enemies) cause them to tear the very people that are paying them kindness, just like they tore the Lord Jesus' garments and body (and we are His continued Body) for His kindness.

Upon hearing of a war-set up and provocation, David sends his servant Joab to fight. We do see later in the chapter that David does physically fight himself, and had many times, for he was a man of war. However, to David's credit, he may have had other kingdom purposes to care for during this specific battle that called for his absence at this time; as well, he organized positions in the kingdom that the people would be partakers of the kingdom. The Son of David, omnipresent, is not so busy in one place that He must be absent in another; but, He hath set up His kingdom that we are partakers in it. David took care of the battle at the end, but before, let his partakers do something about it. The Son of David will take care of the battle at the end, but until then, you are partaker of this kingdom, and what are you going to do about it?

We liken this to Israel coming from the wilderness to the promised land. In the wilderness, they had manna. This stopped once they were across the Jordan. Now, they had to be partakers of that which fed them: God provided the wheat, the rain, the sun, but they had to work to make it bread. The promised land is where God invited His people to be partakers of something He could take care of Himself, but allowed the partaking that they may partake in His glory. What are we going to do about it? Jesus Christ _WILL_ take care of this battle, but by inviting us to be partakers of His suffering and the work of His glory (all that we do shall glorify Him), we are partakers of His glory.

...All that we do shall glorify Him. We shall work that He is glorified, that we are partakers of His glory. This brings us to the choice of passage. Joab says, "Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good." They had enemies all around them, and edified one another, supported one another, in this. Let us do the same. However, though the enemy is all around, they fought for God's glory and submitted to letting, trusting, God to do what seemeth good to Him. Let us do the same. Fighting, that means one may very well lose his life, but what is my life in comparison to God's glory? Let His outcome be His outcome. For you to understand Joab's heart, you understand Job's heart: "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." For I am in it for what seemeth Him good...for His glory. The partaker of the Lord holds His Word more precious than his necessary food; cherishes God's glory more than his own life, loving Him and denying himself. That means that I must fight, and suffer in it, yea, even die in it as Christ did; but having done so, as partaker of His suffering, I shall be partaker of His glory. That is what we are going to do about it, that we may be partakers with Him in glory. Praise God that He has organized His kingdom that may be. Now let us be.

### Day 132

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 65-67, 69-70

Application Reading:

Psalm 65:1-5:

Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed. O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causeth to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.

The portion of the Psalm we are reading will be in regards to approaching God, and the ways in which we do and will.

" _Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed."_ The Psalm is written after building and preparations for the ark to dwell in the tent David had made for it. You will remember the role the ark played in approaching God. Its mediation and the processes before it (sacrifice, atonement, cleansing, incense...all within the tabernacle courts) were precisely how they approached God. Chaos, in the preparations and building of the tent that it was to dwell, and the order of the church in regards to worship having been set up, has ended. Now the ark, the point of mediation, is here, and praise waits for Him. There will be a day when the chaos has ended; a day when the preparations and building of His kingdom has ended with the gathering of the church. At that time, the Mediator Himself, our Mercy Seat and Propitiation, our Ark, will come into His holy place. Praise waits for that moment, to give its most for that moment, and the vow (His sacrifice of Himself for His all, our sacrifice of all that He may be our all) is unto Him for that moment. In the Hebrew it is otherwise said, "Praise is silent for thee." Divine inspiration on the heart awes a man, and man will be silent before God. Either now or when Christ Jesus returns, or both, man will be silent before God. Those who fear the Lord, are silent before Him now. Those who are not silent before Him now, shall be later; but to not fear the Lord now, is to see the terror of the Lord later.

" _O thou that hearest prayer...."_ God hears the prayers of His people. There was one case in which He didn't hear the prayer of the righteous, and that was with Christ Jesus: "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" – which is to say, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Therefore, because He didn't hear His, He hears ours. Old Testament Israel approached God in prayer by the Umin and Thummin, and by the ark and its holy articles set-up for mediation and intercession in a tabernacle/tent or temple when it was finally built. We approach God in prayer by Christ, who is the True Temple, Mediator, Intercessor.

" _...unto thee shall all flesh come."_ We have mentioned a day when all will be silent before the Lord, that shall be the day that all flesh shall come to Him. The LORD God omnipotent who has shown you He can raise from the dead, will bring all flesh to Him. However, not just flesh, but spirit which shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Therefore, fear not he who can kill body, but He who can kill both body and soul and hell, because both are going to approach Him. It is unlike God to emit something forth from His hand and it return to Him void, to say that it will not return to Him at all, or that nothing returns to Him. That soul is His breath He breathed into you, and it will return back to Him, along with the works of His hands that made an amazing creation out of dirt and clay (the body/flesh). Man, body and soul, will approach Him, regardless if man took the time to approach Him while it had earthen life in the day of salvation; and when it does, God will be glorified regardless of how body and soul approach Him. However, for the sake of man's goodness, I hope it will be found in the righteousness of Christ, and not in the trespasses of itself: with the imputation and fruit of Christ's righteousness, instead of the imputation and fruit of natural man in Adam.

" _Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away."_ A finite being committing iniquities against an Infinite Being...O yes, your iniquities prevail against you. You cannot pay that debt, for you are not infinite to do so, so you must pay infinitely. Even the moral law implanted in man bears witness that the crime is relative to the one it violates. It is not necessarily the act, but the object of the act, that determines the punishment. Killing alone is a sin, but I will use moral law to explain that the trespass against God can be understood. The fact that I killed says that I am a trespasser, but moral law determines the _object_ of my killing relative to my sentence for trespassing. If I kill a fly, a thing that is under me, it is but a light thing, and I receive no punishment. If I kill a dog, I may be serving some time, pay a fine, and be done with it, like moral law meeting judicial law sentenced for Michael Vick. If I kill a human, a thing that is equal to me, I pay with the equality, which is my own life. The people with their moral law (whether or not it is judicially determined), though they may take away the death penalty, will never think justice is served if I do not pay with my life, even if that means my life in prison, my life to shame as long as I live it. How much more for that which is above me; yea, even my Creator? I shall never pay, but even He has to give me eternity that I can pay His eternal Being...which is what He does, hence, eternal hell. Per God's law (cf. Romans 6:23), the trespass (sin) says that you need to pay a wage (death). Yet, the object determines the sentence duration of that wage. God is eternal, so it is eternal death. The sentence is relative to the object, and the object is Eternal God. Your iniquities prevail against you? Certainly. They prevail against you in your conscience (Romans 1:18-20), life's battles, and the courtroom of the Living God.

Yet, there is a second part of that sentence, which is that He shall purge away our transgressions. He shall for Israel, for He said that He shall. No man can read the prophetical book and say otherwise. By Christ, they are purged, and this is even for the church until that point of Israel's deliverance. Christ paid what you couldn't pay, and paid it with His once-for-all Being, which happens to be just as Eternal as the Eternal Object from which you trespassed wherein your sentence is relative; therefore, only in Him it is once-for-all. Praise Jesus! Jehovah Saves! Our hearts surely are silent upon this thought, and Jesus will have to give eternity to us that we may praise His eternal payment...which is what He does, hence, eternal life. The laborer is worthy of His reward. He labored with His Eternal Being, and will receive an eternal reward: you, eternally.

" _Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causeth to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple."_ He chooses. Let us remember that. It is His willing (Ezekiel 36:26-27), His good-will, His will alone, that you come; because as for your will, you destroyed yourself and actually separated yourself from Him, and earned an eternal prison. The reader will permit me to write that you will not come lest the Father draws you (John 6:44). Again, it is His willing that you do come. Therefore, it is His choosing, and His causing. I might also say that this verse will furthermore establish your knowledge of election, sure calling, justification, and glorification. This verse is latent of what a New Testament verse patents: "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified," (Romans 8:30). Those who He hath chosen, and causeth to approach Him, shall have this unbreakable chain, for the Word does not leave room for doubt or other presumption. The man who is predestined, will be called; the man who is called, if he is truly called, will be justified; and the man who is justified, will be glorified. We mention "will" may times in that sentence, and all this willing is by His willing – His will. Your will hath placed you in a path of destruction, as God hath warned. God is not be blamed that you were left to your own reprobate mind in a path you, by your own will, were headed anyway; but God is to be praised for His grace that some are saved despite themselves. God is just that all perish (for what all have done against Him), but God is gracious that not all do.

" _By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea"_ King David of Israel reflects back to terrible works that started in Egypt, that proved God to be the God of their salvation. Since then until the time of his writing, God has performed works of righteousness for the salvation of His people. They are terrible works because they are righteous works and those against Him are not natural creatures of righteousness; therefore, they are terrible to them. Sometimes these terrible works are even terrible to His people, for His people alone are not natural creatures in righteousness. The Old Testament proves that true with Israel repetitively. Israel saw some terrible works of God towards themselves, that though they worked unto their righteousness by His righteousness, they were still terrible in this doing; and they shall see it again for their righteousness by Christ in their ultimate restoration. Moses was not shy in declaring God a terrible God. I sure hope that any reader does not have to see the terrible God in order to understand the terrible God. I pray seeing is not believing in this case.

It is by terrible things in righteousness that You doth answer us, O God of our salvation! Indeed, it is by the terrible things in righteousness that befell Him who became sin for us (Christ) by the hand of the terrible God in His righteous wrath, that He doth answer us. God is satisfied on behalf of those who are justified by and in Christ, for the terribleness that was placed upon Christ. If you do not have this justification by Christ, you shall see this terribleness for yourself. Let His life enfold yours for this sake. By Christ, we can approach the throne of grace boldly. We can approach this terrible God boldly. If you weren't silent before, let that cause you to be silent now.

### Day 133

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 11-12; I Chronicles 20

Application Reading:

II Samuel 12:15-25:

And Nathan departed unto the his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, nether did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious unto me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: ad the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

This passage has comforted many who lost an infant or in-utero child. Notice that David doesn't say the saving of the child's life would have been grace unto the child, but grace unto him. It comforts parents for this purpose: the belief that in God's kingdom, there is an age of accountability, in which God's sovereign grace covers the ages before. If this is so, by life, the child may or may not receive grace, for the child may grow and continue in his sin nature and never repent; but by death as a child, the child has received grace. Therefore, for the child to live it is grace for the parents, because as for the child, in death, he has received grace.

This is not the only passage we have to place children under the sovereign grace. When Israel sinned in the wilderness, God required the lives of the people, minus the younger generation (Numbers 14:28-31), and Joshua and Caleb (for these two only did not sin). The children were spared. Jesus said Himself, in Matthew 18:10, "Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." To say that they have angels, and that these angels are before the face of the Father as to report to the Father and be commissioned from the Father, it speaks lengths on sovereign grace. Obviously, when considering children, we cannot leave out the daughter of the Gentile woman who was demon-possessed (Matthew 15:21-28), or the demon-possessed boy a few chapters later (Matthew 17:14-21). Therefore, let us remember that children are not exempt from evil, for they are born of the flesh; but somehow, in a way that is higher than ours, the Word gives hope for belief that a child (especially one whose intelligence is not developed that they think, let alone act upon that thought) can be sovereignly covered by God's grace.

Not everyone reading this has lost a child, or has comforted someone who has, but in case there are any out there, let the Word show you the importance and placement of children in the kingdom of the Son of David.

However, for those who have not, this testimony serves to edify the Church otherwise. One season brings life and the next season kills that same life. One season kills life, the next brings anew from whence the last killed. You start missing summer as it ends, and mourn the winter's coming. Yet, once winter hits, you no longer miss the summer of the past, but look forward to the next one. When seasons of life are being brought to an end, we are giving a moment to mourn, but when they have been made dead, it is time to look forward to the next season – otherwise, we would be living for the dead. After all, that is the lesson of the Christian life: there cannot be a newness of life, without the ending of the old; there cannot be a resurrection, without a death. Sometimes, God wants to give a newness of life – which is like "Jedidiah": a beloved gift of the LORD.

### Day 134

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 32, 51, 86, & 122

Application Reading:

Psalm 122:

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together. Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

" _I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD."_ From the time of the Ark's building and the house (tabernacle) enclosing it, for more than a thousand years, it traveled in tents with the people. It was as if the Ark of the Covenant pilgrimed with the people of the covenant. There came a time when the Ark was then to be affixed in Jerusalem, then came the desire of a temple to be built by David, but refused for his son instead. Solomon was that son that built the temple that settled the Ark, but it was truly the true Son of David, Jesus Christ, who was that Temple. By Christ, God dwelt with His people (Emmanuel, "God with us"); and by the fixation of Himself in Christ (Christ is the express image of the Father, John 14:6-10), He continues to sojourn with His people until it is us that He fixates and settles in Him. This will be in the life eternal where He brings us to dwell with Him after so long of Him dwelling, and even fixating Himself, among us.

" _For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David."_ Since there is a set throne in Jerusalem – and there is, for God hath decided that is where He would settle in the fixation of the Ark of the Covenant in Zion and the temple to be built there – surely that includes the throne of judgment. For where a King is, that is where He shall judge. King David resided in the city of David, and judged from the city of David. The Son of David, crowned with a crown of thorns, and to be crowned King of kings, in Jerusalem, shall judge from His throne the same.

" _Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."_ That is, bless the Ark of the Covenant, pray for the peace of its dwelling, and the people of its covenant. We shall get to the peace of its dwelling in the next verse. In this verse, we shall target the people of its covenant. As it stands, the people of the covenant, are Lo-Ammi ("Not my people", a child that is not His child), for they are apostate from their God and denied their Promised Messiah, the Son of God who is also their own Brother to reconcile them, by Himself, to sons of God.

" _Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces."_ Herein is the peace of its dwelling; by the walled city of Jerusalem. Walls that were made of rock, they prayed were sufficient to bring them peace; though, for the Church, and for the promises made to Jerusalem, the Rock that is Christ, is sufficient to supplant peace within the dwelling place of the Lord. For the Church, this dwelling place the Body – in which, Christ is sufficient a Rock to protect His own dwelling: you. For the Jew, when they shall meet that great affliction in tribulation, they shall meet their Lord, the Rock sufficient for protection and peace.

" _For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee."_ David, a Hebrew, is referring to his own brethren, the Hebrews. As for us, whom Christ hath called "brethren," we shall say peace be unto the Jerusalem which is His, for He is the thorn-crowned King thereof, and will be the King of kings crowned thereof. For His sake, He who called us "brethren," and our most faithful companion, we say, "Peace be within thee, Jerusalem." For the Church, David to his brethren, gives us a further typology of us to our own Christian brethren. Peace be with thee, brother, for the sake of the house of the Lord within you; for the sake of He who made us brethren, and He who is our best companion.

" _Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good."_ Since that is place where God chose to dwell, David seeks that place's good. Since that is where your Lord, Brother in the Father who hath made the Father our Father, and Most Faithful and Best Companion, hath been crowned and will be crowned, we shall seek that place's good. For this cause, we look not to the people, Lo-Ammi as they are, for their good, but we look to the LORD, by His immutability for the faithfulness of His covenant, and by His omnipotence to bring their deliverance to pass (which, by the way, is the same way He hath saved you, by His faithfulness to election and omnipotence to bring to life that which was dead), of the people; and for the sake of the LORD, His Word, and all that He is, we shall seek their good, for it is determined that all things will work together for their good. Yes, this even means their affliction in tribulation will work together for their good, for it is at that moment of tribulation to come that they shall seek the Lord and shall find Him. You will quite remember God either initially called you by affliction as well – after all, you did not know the Good News was good until you new there was first bad news, and God gave you reason to seek Him – or He called you to tarry close, thereafter, to walk with Him, or transformed you in your walk, by affliction (possibly many of them) the same.

For the Church, because the Lord hath chosen to dwell within each of us, for His sake, lest His Body be torn more than what was needed for our reconciliation to God, we shall seek each other's good. We shall not tear our Lord's body again, but we shall seek the good of the Body of Him who sought the good of us. Even if Israel is apostate, and we cannot have a love of complacency towards her, we shall have a love of good-will towards her. Even if one of your brethren turns apostate, and you cannot be complacent with them for their continued rebellion, you must exercise good-will. Even with the world: as much as we know they are utterly lost and enemies of the God we love, we must have a love of good-will towards them, for His sake, for the love of good-will is what He has for them and had for us when we were them. We were once of the world, and even when we didn't have His complacent love, He had a love of good-will towards us; and that good-will turned into a calling wherein we claim the love of complacency in God. Who knows, for how many of them we are to love with good-will, though cannot complacently, shall have the same. By God's Word, it shall be for Israel; therefore, for His sake, we shall seek her good.

### Day 135

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 13-15

Application Reading:

II Samuel 15:25-30:

And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation: but if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him. The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art thou a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there. And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

We are considering the organization of the kingdom of God through II Samuel. David is ascended on the throne, king of the kingdom; and we have formed a typology of the kingdom under the Son of David, King of kings, by this. This is one passage where we will not focus on David as a type of Christ, but we shall focus on David literally: elect, but by the perfection of God, in His kingdom, is under God's law. Each kingdom has a set of laws, and for God's kingdom, He also has laws. Yes, Christ Jesus has fulfilled the law, and we are not under the law...for justification or salvation. Yet, within the laws of God's kingdom, is the law of sowing and reaping, and the law of forgiveness. We shall first look at sowing and reaping, knowing that we shall reap that which we sow, whether in the law or against the law. Galatians 6:7 tells us, "Be not deceived: God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

David sowed sexual sin and murder. God had forgiven him (the law of forgiveness will come into David's life shortly), his life was spared (II Samuel 12:13). Yet, in his sin, David caused the people to blaspheme a holy God, profaning His holy Name. He was not representing God in holiness with his sexual sin and murder. God did forgive him, and God does forgive us – and as God forgives us, there is a law of forgiveness now over us. Yet even though God forgives His elect, but His elect will still sow what they reap. It is not karma, it is God's law.

David happened to reap a child who committed sexual sin against his own daughter, and another child who committed murder against that rapist son. Sexual sin and murder amongst his children is what David reaped for his own. God did also pronounce that since David slept with another man's wife (which was his own sexual sin), another would sleep with his wives, and that other happened to be his own son (II Samuel 16:22). David's son Absalom committed the murder, reaping and sowing; yet God forgave David's murder, and not only is David reaping what he sowed with the murder, but he is called to forgive his son for the murder as God forgave him as a son for his murder. Now we are getting into the law of forgiveness; which often works side by side with the law of sowing and reaping. This is so, that when we sow trespass against the Lord, we often reap trespass against us. Now when the Lord forgives that sown trespass, we then must forgive that reaped trespassed against us. That is not exactly what we see happen. Absalom fled. David authorized his return after plotted petition; yet David ordered his son out of his house, to reside in his own house. In regards to Absalom, David sowed murder, and reaped his own son murdering against him. How David responded to Absalom is not how God responded to David in his murder. In talking about the Kingdom of God, Jesus also declared that it is likened unto a certain king, which forgave a servant's debt of ten thousand talents, and that servant immediately left to cast a fellowservant into prison for the debt that fellowservant owed him (Matthew 18:21-34). His lord said, "O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?" (Matthew 18:32-33). The passage finishes, "The lord was wroth and delivered him into the tormentors, will he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses," (Mathew 18:34-35). God did not give David a half-hearted forgiveness, but a full one that spared his life, and allowed David's tarrying in His habitation and remain in His presence. Yet, look at when reaping of his sin immediately happens in Scripture! What does David do? One might say the same as that servant to his fellowservant. David, who had full forgiveness, half-heartedly forgives his son; was given grace to remain in his Father's presence, but casts his own son away from his face; was given grace to tarry God's habitation, but commands his son to not come into his own habitation. Should not God act as the king in Jesus' parable, according to His own kingdom law? Mind you, David did not lose his salvation, and neither do any of God's elect, but David did lose that part of forgiveness in the privilege to be in the presence of the Ark, and to dwell in His habitation, when it came time for him to pay the same forgiveness toward his son, by not giving him the same grace to remain in the presence of his face, and welcome to dwell in his house. David first demonstrates the law of sowing and reaping, and then the law of forgiveness. Likewise being elect, we can learn from David in the perfected organization of sowing and reaping in sin and in forgiveness.

The elect do not lose their salvation, but for sowing and reaping, the elect can be placed in a position to reap what they sow; and sometimes when they reap they are called to forgive as God hath forgiven them their sowing. When we sow in trespass against the Lord, we often reap in trespasses against us; but as God hath forgiven our trespasses, so shall we forgive those who trespassed against us. Galatians 6:1 tells us, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou be tempted." David cried unto the LORD that He would restore the joy of his salvation from his sin with Bath-sheba; and God restored him. David should have restored his son, because that is what God did for him. Brethren, unless we don't want God to restore us, we shall restore that man who trespassed against us.

You will note that in this passage, David doesn't complain about it, but straightway gets up and flees to the wilderness. Quite often, when living the law sowing and reaping and the law of forgiveness, if we do not do unto others as God hath ALREADY done unto us, we find ourselves heading to the wilderness. We do like to complain and resent our wilderness of reaping, even the reaping of partial forgiveness and lack of granting grace in reaping for the grace we were given in sowing, instead of submitting to it. It is likely that David is expressing the fruit of repentance, later revealed by Paul, which one has a vehement desire for justice (II Corinthians 7:11). David did not try to evade the wilderness of not forgiving as he had been forgiven. When David sowed, God did not make him flee His habitation, or suffer him to not come into His presence; but David did not pay the same privileges of forgiveness in his reaping having suffered his son to flee, be removed from his face and habitation. Therefore, that fruit of forgiveness is now revoked, and David is surely now fleeing the presence of the God's habitation and His Ark, and straight into the wilderness. Let us not complain when this happens, for we know the Word. We cannot evade the Word, it is Truth. Therefore, let us not be surprised that although God will not revoke His forgiveness, He may revoke the privileges in the restoration of that forgiveness – which is surely a wilderness – should we deny the privileges of restoration to another.

### Day 136

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 3-4, 12-13, 28, & 55

Application Reading:

Psalm 28:

Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit. Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up. Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

" _Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock..."_ The LORD is a Rock, strong and immutable – infinitely so. Elohim is the revelation of the Strong and Faithful One; therefore, the Rock. Here now, see that Jehovah (LORD) is He. The attributes that establish His Name Elohim, declare His Name Jehovah. God is all of God. It is much encouraged and incumbent upon you that you study the attributes of this God; and in doing so, you shall find they really all work together (His love is not without His justice, His mercy is not without His holiness, His grace is not without His power, and on...), and are summed up in one: God. Let us keep in mind the strength and immutability, thus the Rock, for the duration of the Psalm in understanding some differences that distinguish the end of the righteous in God and the unrighteous. The Psalmist cries unto Him; because He is who He is, and the Psalmist is who the Psalmist is. This is something we will further explore in the following:

" _...be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit."_ We see here a desperate call that God would not be silent unto the Psalmist, as to be separated from the Psalmist; for if God were silent (that is, separated) from the Psalmist, the Psalmist would be in the pit. Seeing that Psalmist is elect, we can conclude the literal meaning is that the Psalmist recognizes he needs God every moment; otherwise, he would be dead. It is of the immutability, faithfulness, and strength of the Rock that we are preserved. The Christian needs Him every single moment of his earthen life. God upholds all things, elect or not. For the elect, the flesh would lust against the Spirit, we would lose our salvation, if it weren't for His immutability, faithfulness, and strength as the Rock. For the wicked, he even needs God's goodness, faithfulness, and strength to give him breath that he uses to curse God with; senses that he uses to profane the body God created in wisdom to honor Him; a mind, heart, and soul that he uses to stand in contempt against God, which God created to be in infinite fellowship with infinite Him.

However, this part of the Psalm can also apply to the silence of God that reaps eternal death. One of the torturous things about hell is being separated from God eternally. Only God is good, and He is the only reason for the good you see, even in people, even in the unbeliever. The reason this world, and its people, have any good moral in them to remotely distinguish evil is because of the goodness of God that is still imprinted in a fallen man who was once created after God's own image: an express image and representative of God's own goodness. An amazing God we have. We can look at a perfectly good house which has been destructed by a category five hurricane, and you can't see the traces of the house. That is not the same with destructed man. That is not to say the fall wasn't as bad as a hurricane; but it is to say that God built a more amazing creation with His infinitely good and wise hands than man's finest building. The people do know how to _do_ good, and that is only by the trace of God still left in them, and God's sovereignty over the matter; but it is their motives, their thoughts of doing the good (judging themselves better than the person they did the good for, expecting a return from them or God, to receive praise by flaunting what good they did) that often slaughter that it is good. The goodness of God is not only executed upon the elect in free grace, but upon all of the world. The fact that any living person is NOT 100% in pain 100% of the time (that is, in hell), days, seasons, weather, oxygen, food, water, shelter, clothing, breath, sanity, pleasure...is good, and all because of God. We mention the good, because one thing about the hell's separation from God, is that it is to be eternally separated from the goodness of God. Therefore, to be in a place without any good, is to be in a place where wickedness abounds, without organization, nor time that sets forth the end of a day for relief, pleasure, food, water, sanity; which means you are in hell. The Psalmist is one who would go down into the pit if it weren't for God. In the Psalm you see this is given for the wicked; therefore, we are just as the wicked without God. We need to recognize that this is who we are. We cry unto Him who can not only save us from the wicked, but save us from ourselves – for it isn't the wicked others, but our own wicked selves, which will lead us into the pit.

" _Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle."_ The call to be heard is repetitive. Our literal interpretation for the elect is as I Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing." The effectual fervent prayers of the righteous availeth much, and sometimes they availeth much in time. Sometimes God chooses you learn longsuffering (which you must learn in order to be a son by Christ, the express image of God; the same God is longsuffering) in your prayer life.

For the unconverted, seeking is something that is very profound. The Psalmist is seeking. Knowing where we would be without God, the call is worthy to be repeated and God's hearing is worthy to be sought, even unto death. Actually, the seeking should lead you to the death of you, for we know that you must be dead to self if ever you are to raise in newness of life with Christ Jesus to approach the throne of grace boldly. Sometimes, that is precisely why seeking in repetitive calling takes place: a man is refusing to be dead with Christ, and God is not going to profane His own salvation. Yet, let this encourage you: a Gentile woman cried repetitively to the Lord who did not hearken to her at first, but He hearkened through her repetitive persistence (Matthew 15:21-38); a blind beggar was at first rebuked with his petition for Christ, but received His sight after repetitive persistence (Luke 18:35-43).

The text mentions the holy oracles in this repetitive cry. For the elect, we know that many of our answers are in the Word of God, even in regards to our sufferings from the wicked that have us beseeching Thee with such a Psalm. The Word of God tells us these things shall come to pass, and gives us comfort, promises, and hope in such times. For the unconverted, especially the one that must truly go through a season of persistent seeking for salvation, in repetitive cries to the Lord that He hear you. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God. The Word of God is sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Perchance your intent is not pure, nor your thoughts accurate on who you are, who He is, and precisely why you need Him; and maybe that is why you are left to persistently call upon Him. God will not profane His own salvation, by giving a full salvation to the knowledge of a half truth. Let faith have its perfect work, and lift your hands to the holy oracles, the Word of God, and let Him teach you His salvation; whereby faith may be established by the hearing of this Word.

" _Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts. Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavors: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert. Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up."_ Their desert is the terror and separation of the LORD, because they have separated their own selves from the LORD; therefore, they are given according to their own deeds. It is unjust if they weren't. They have stood against the work of the Lord's hands that all that are of Him and through Him are to be for Him, by not being thus, but by being for themselves. The works of their hands is that, precisely, they have played the part of a devil's son, instead of God's Son. They have fashioned a likeness after the devil in self-pleasing, self-governing, self-exalting, self-rewarding, self-concerning, contempt, and it is only just that they receive his desert.

" _Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever."_ Of His own hand comes justice, and of His own hand comes justification; and for the elect, this justification is God's justice. God is the Just who executes justice; Christ is the Just who offers Justification by Him. Of the Lord's saving strength and immutability, these justified are helped, kept, His...for ever; infinitely; as infinite as the satisfaction of their infinite justification, of an infinite Christ, over their infinite debt, that the wicked will be infinitely paying themselves. God is Just on both accounts. The wicked's portion Their portion is His desert, for they have been, by Him, God's son.

### Day 137

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 16-18

Application Reading:

II Samuel 16:20-22:

Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go into thy father's concubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred of thy father: then shall the hands of all that are with thee be strong. So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

First, we know that this was a Divine punishment toward David, because God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap. David had taken his neighbor's wife; therefore, his own son had taken his wives. David had done his sin in the dark, God had punished David in the light. Be sure your sin shall find you out! When God gets involved, sin and its recompense is exposed in the light that comes with God – for God is Light.

Second, let us consider the man Absalom, for spiritual application. He was a son of a sovereign, who even had the Ark readily available for him to beseech counsel. It is absurd that, instead of seeking God's counsel, he listened and acted upon Ahithophel's counsel to take that which was his father's as his own, that he might oppose and cast away his father. This advice did exactly that. This instance happened beforehand with Reuben, who took his father's concubine as his own. Reuben lost his birthright for this, no longer his father's firstborn. Man, as the son of Sovereign God, had such a dwelling and available communion with God. It is absolutely absurd that we had God dwelling with us, sweet communion, and the advice of His will, and instead decided to listen to the devil, whose advice given was to oppose our Father and take that which is His as our own ("ye shall be as gods"). Like Reuben, we have lost our birthright for this; as Absalom, we opposed our Father in this, and cast Him away ourselves. We are the sons of whom we have fashioned our contemptuous behavior and whom we have listened. Acting like a devil (who did the same thing to Sovereign God) we are sons of the devil. We have taken from our Father, and shall we be restored? In the case of Reuben, the birthright had then passed onto Judah. Amazingly, that even shows us the case with Adam: the birthright is Christ's of Judah, the Firstborn among many brethren; and through Him, we can be restored. Of Adam, we are Reubens and Absaloms; of Christ, given the birthright as the Firstborn among many brethren, we are sons of God.

Let us also consider the heart of the man Absalom, the rebellious self-making cast-away of a sovereign, and the heart of David. Absalom would have this sovereign's death, by listening to this same devil advice. David would have this man who sought his life, to be spared of his own. The Kingdom of the Son of David is that He spares lives that sought His own; spares lives that didn't spare His; that He saves lives, that can be saved by the giving of His own. David says, "Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" God would _NOT_ have it; but God would have that His chosen Sovereign, the Son of David, _would_ die for thee.

### Day 138

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 26, 40, 58, 61-62, & 64

Application Reading:

Psalm 58:

Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men? Yea, in heart ye work wickedness, ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth. The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their portion is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth, charming never so wisely. Break their teeth, O God in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD. Let them melt away as waters, which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces. As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

" _Do you indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?"_ The mass are the sons of men. Do they speak and judge in righteousness? David challenges this. Men coming together in a mass, determining what is right and wrong, casting lots over it, does not judge a thing right. What we do know is that when the masses of Israel came together to judge what was right and wrong (practically a democracy) in Judges, it was actually an anarchy. What we also know is that the world is speedily turning into this democracy/anarchy, as the masses declare what is the right and wrong thing. It proved itself to be an uproar anarchy for Israel; and it shall prove itself such for us today. When I say anarchy, I mean it is an anarchy against the very righteousness that the masses try to establish, because it is an anarchy against God for the sake of the masses doing what is right in their own eyes. Must men be reminded of what their eyes doth continually see? There is none righteous, no, not one. How can a man, a mass of them, the sons of them, determine what is right that they may judge it to be so? God is our only righteousness; and when we forsake His government of monarchy/dictatorship where Jesus Christ is King and the Word of God dictates what is right and wrong, for the government of the masses by man, then no we are not righteous, nor judging uprightly – for we are not speaking and judging according to the only Righteous Judge. Right and wrong is not determined by the masses known as the sons of men, but by God and the Son of God; and when we abandon the only Righteous Judge, and speak as a democracy for righteousness, as unrighteous sons of men, we have actually abandoned righteousness.

" _Yea, in heart ye work wickedness, ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth."_ This is still referring to the sons of men: their heart and their hands; their motives and their actions. First, let's start with the heart. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually," (Genesis 6:5). "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). You don't even know it, it even deceives itself; but the LORD knows it, and do not let your heart deceive you in this: God is not deceived by man's heart that deceives himself. "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings," (Jeremiah 17:10). God tries the reins and gives man according to his own ways. Man's heart is evil, and just as quickly as his hands attempt to betray the evilness of his heart by falsifying it as good with some good work, the heart outdoes this betrayal by falsifying the works of the hand: that it doesn't do what it does do, and that it most certainly doesn't do it for the heart/motive that it certainly does it for...which is for...its own self. Do you see the violence and curse upon the earth that self-god/free-will rebellion has done, instead of God-governing, God-will righteousness? Be sure to know this thing, that for every crime committed, it has rooted to this self-god/free-will motive that is the heart, that is the devil. To follow this, ye are, as Christ said, sons of the devil. God gives you God's will; the devil gives you freedom (free-will) of a self-will. There are no good and righteous sons of the devil; nor is there any righteousness in a devil's doctrine and philosophy.

" _The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies."_ Every man is estranged from the womb; and therefore, every man is wicked. A man is wicked even before the birth itself, as wicked men only conceive wicked things. David said in sin his mother conceived him; and thus, the virgin conception of Jesus Christ, wherein he was not conceived of man, but of the Holy Spirit. Upon testimony of the infinite righteousness in God, God doth only conceive righteous things.

" _Their portion is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely."_ David is calling the sons of men, the wicked, snakes. The Lord Jesus Christ called the masses of His day a "generation of vipers." If they act like a serpent, then their portion is that of a serpent; and they did. Like it or not, Adam is representative of this human race: he acted as a serpent by listening to a serpent, and doing exactly what the serpent did in contempt against God in attempting to be his own god; and then he conceived. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree; in fact, an apple is from an apple tree, and this tree is Adam.

They are like the deaf adder, or asp, in that they cannot hear. Snakes don't have ears; and they might as well be snakes because as true to our depravity which the Lord Jesus further cites from the book of Isaiah: "For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them," (Matthew 13:15). Their own cunning charm has made them so suspicious, they could not listen to wise charming. I don't know any better benevolent wise charming than God's own demonstration of love to us, in the condensation of the Lord Jesus Christ for sinners. Yet, that generation of vipers' superstition and suspicion of their own viperous instinct of cunning charms worked against them in their suspicion of such an act of God on lowering to His footstool, Jesus Christ incarnate as God on His knees, to charm and win them, in a design ever so wisely.

" _Let them melt away as waters, which run continually..."_ Melting insinuates heat, or a fire. Yet, water is also mentioned, for its continual running. The serpent and his generation of wicked sons of men shall melt in a fire. Let us pay reverence to God's justice by paying heed to the Psalm: the melting shall run continually as continually running waters. In order that God be a just God, this is a continual/eternal melting, because God is eternal, and His eternalness is what is violated. It is just that the trespass against God's eternalness is paid with eternalness to satisfy; and it will be. There are two ways this is going to get paid: 1) Payment by an eternal Being to satisfy God's eternal Being, while at the same time doesn't violate God's eternal being (sinless), else He would have to use His eternalness to pay for Himself and would not be free to pay for you. I can't pay your rent when I have to pay mine; but should I be free of this debt, not having rent of my own to pay, my money is free to pay for yours. God gave you Christ, there is none other who is eternal, who didn't have to use Himself to pay for His own debt (sinless) but could use Himself to pay your eternal debt; and since He is eternal Himself, it was once-for-all. 2) All other non-eternal payers will have to pay eternal debts...eternally – or God is not a just God.

" _As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath."_ This life is but a vapor, it goes by quickly. Too often, it goes by quicker than a man can feel the thorns, the curse, of the earth and his sin. In truth, it goes by, and then he feels the curse. Yet, all that survive him will confirm and say that his life went fast, but plead that he lived in a curse and now God has given him peace, he is in a better place. The true curse is what the sons of men will find on the other side of the grave. The living and the vessels of wrath both return unto God. Let a man be found returned unto God, as living, in Christ Jesus; otherwise, he will be melting as the snail, not in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness, and dying an eternal curse as a vessel of God's wrath in vindictive justice.

" _The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked."_ Let the righteous in Christ form a righteous heart in this matter. God Himself takes no pleasure in death of the wicked, but that the wicked would change his ways (Ezekiel 18:23, 33:11) by being found not in his own devil-doctrine righteousness, but in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Yet, God will see the death of the wicked. Why? Because He is a just God. This is where our heart needs to be, not that we take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that we take pleasure in God being glorified as Holy and Just. Christ Jesus took pleasure in His Father's holiness and justness, that He offered Himself; otherwise, His Father would not have ever been fully satisfied. God (in justice) is not satisfied in the sinner's payment, for how can a sinner ever pay Eternal God? He can't, thus his sentence is eternal. Yet, with Christ, God is fully satisfied; for Christ is eternal, and paid with Himself. There is more justice done for God in the the atonement of Christ, than the sinner paying his own debt. We rejoice when sinners convert to Christ, for God's glory in justice is now fully satisfied on that person's behalf. Yet, we will rejoice in God's justice regardless, and desire, rejoice, when He exercises it: whether in a new conversion in the atonement of Christ, or with the angels crying, "Holy, Holy, Holy" in the day of judgment for the unconverted. We love our God: His satisfaction, His glory, has become our chief end.

" _So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth."_ First of all, if you are righteous, it is only through Christ. Let us now point to the reward of Christ: glorification, and an intercourse of love with the Father, and all fullness (that is all of the Father's is His). When the Father thinks upon Himself, who do you think He sees? God loves Himself, and in Christ, God still loves Himself. God is so complacent with Christ, as the Son is the express image of Himself, and God loves Himself. In Christ, God is still loving Himself. The Son loves the Father that He gave Himself for His vindication. We often like to remember that He gave Himself for a people; but seeing that He fulfilled the law, He must have a love to God first, and first did He give Himself that His Father would be satisfied on behalf of the wickedly rebellious creation of His hands. He gave Himself then that people be counted righteous, brought into such an intercourse of eternal, adoring, complacent, complete, love, by the Holy Spirit: such as He has with the Father. The righteous in Christ are partakers of His glory and partakers of this love of the Father as a son in whom He is most pleased. Second, the reward for the righteous is this: they see this God they love, glorified forever (in vindictive justice), are vessels themselves of God's glory forever (in grace), and enjoy Him forever in a communion of holy love between Father and Son, expressed through the Holy Spirit.

He judgeth all in earth. May He find complacency and satisfaction in sons, by the Son, and judge them accordingly; which, due to the absolute satisfaction, is His greater glory; rather than a viper, or a son of a viper, paying eternally. To God be the glory! May He be eternally glorified, and may you be accounted a son, by the Son, to eternally glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.

### Day 139

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 19-21

Application Reading:

II Samuel 19

We are going to handle the full nineteenth chapter of II Samuel, as it speaks to us of kingdom matters most prevalent. The division is as follows: 1) Mourning in enemies conquered; 2) Persuasion of a king's invite; 3) Forgiveness; 4) The loss of all for the sake of a king; 5) Division of a king by the king's refusal to wait.

David mourns for his son's death. This is the same son that revolted against the kingdom established by God under David. The armies have conquered the enemy of David's kingdom, and David is found to be mourning. He has given the people discouragement by this mourning that shows his disapproval of the justice done for the sake of the kingdom. In this, Joab respectfully advises the king that he has chosen the kingdom's enemy over his friends. One must be careful to not find himself in the state of David, as to mourn the enemy of God at the hand of God's own justice for the sake of the Son of David's kingdom, nor for the sake of His Best Friend. We shall NOT be found to discourage our own Lord's hand of justice in this matter! The kingdom of the Son of David is full of eternal praises, inclusive of the praise of His hand in justice. The angels cry to Him, "Holy, Holy, Holy" in this exercising; the fifth seal martyrs cry out how long till He avenge the blood spilled for His sake, as to say, "How long until justice is served on Your behalf?" The eternal praisers of the Lord cry for the Lord, not the enemy of the Lord. A man should examine himself if he can be found in this crowd of angels that please Him, fifth seal martyrs that cry for His justice, for this is the crowd in His eternal presence.

Judah had yet to invite David back to his throne in the land. He send word to Amasa to win over Judah. By his persuasion, Amasa bowed the heart of Judah and all Judah sent word for David to return to the throne. David waited for this invite to come. The Lord Jesus Christ sets up His throne in the hearts of men, but not a moment before the invite. He waits until then. Yet, the invite happens to be persuaded by the Father's drawing and the Spirit's bowing of the heart. Both the drawing and the bowing of the heart are vital for your invitation of the Lord Jesus; for just like Judah without persuasion of David, you would not invite the Son of David otherwise. Yet, having invited Him, He shall surely come and reign in the heart as His throne. Sin remains, but does not reign; for the Lord, conquering sin, now reigneth.

Last we heard of Shimei, he was cursing David in his journey along a low ridge of chalk hills. Yet, here he comes in haste, falls downs at the feet of David, and pleads forgiveness. Every single man that has found himself in this state of Shimei in chapter nineteen, has first been a man that cursed the Son of David in His journey along the low hill of Golgotha. He forgave you, in haste, more quickly than the hastiness of your falling to His feet. Zeruiah seeks Shimei to be put to death. How can we deny the Lord another servant, or another heart to enthrone? David responds he knows he is king, he needn't this man's blood spilled to declare it. Christ doth not need a man's blood spilled to declare Him King; He is King because it was His blood that was spilled. Should a man seek the atonement of the King's blood, He is King to that man.

Mephibosheth was the lame son of Jonathan, who was given his father's land. By conspiracy of his evil servant Ziba, the land became divided between Mephibosheth and Ziba. It became divided by the evil done by Ziba in the false report of Mephibosheth to David; and the lack of Mephibosheth's following David, for Ziba saddled not up the ass for his lame master that he may follow the king. Ziba, having given a false report, and his master absence in order that he defend his own loyalty, results in Ziba entitled a portion of the land. Herein, Mephibosheth shows his loyalty all the more; in that, he is given opportunity of defense to keep all his land. Yet, he counts it all a loss, and a worthy loss, for now the king is back on his throne. His concern is that the king is given back his portion, and not that he is given one of his own. In fact, he gives his portion that the king is peaceful in returning to his own. "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ," (Philippians 3:8). Whatever it costs us that Christ reigns in our hearts, let us suffer the loss of it. Let us forsake our portion, that He may have His, peacefully; and His portion being...you.

David seemed to be so concerned with his own brethren's invitation, that he came back in to reign upon Judah's bringing, forsaking the gathering of the other tribes. Remember that the other tribes were the ones who first accepted David's return to reign, and now they were not given opportunity to partake in this. This mistake ends the chapter in a division amongst the people. The Son of David will not make this mistake. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," (Matthew 25:31-34). When He shall come to sit upon the throne of His glory, all shall be gathered before Him.

### Day 140

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 5, 38, 41-42

Application Reading:

Psalm 38:1-9:

O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart. Lord, all my desire is before thee: and my groaning is not hid from thee.

" _O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure."_ This sentiment is a mixture of the fear of the Lord, lest one sees the terror of the Lord; and a love that can rejoice not in iniquity. David, a man after God's own heart, doth love the Lord; and, therefore, does not rejoice in iniquity against the Lord, even if it is his own iniquity that perchance brought him pleasure in the moment. Therefore, David is not asking injustice of the Lord in not rebuking him, but David is asking the mercy of the Lord in doing so. For he does fear the Lord, lest he sees the terror of the Lord; and those that rightly fear Him, do so, lest they see the terror of Him; and petition not that we would be spared at the sake of Him being unjust in non-punishment, nor for the sake of His heart being transgressed, but that He would be merciful in delivering it, and teach us to love Him in true repentance. One so close to the heart of the Lord he does love, is pierced in the transgression against Him, even when that transgression is done by his own hand. He who loves the Lord must love Him more than himself (or love Him in lieu of himself, in denying himself); and most gladly, therefore, would rather be pierced than transgress against the Lord, and should he transgress, takes his affliction with a vehement desire that his Lord is glorified, and that he would be taught a lesson of no longer transgressing against his greatest Love and only good.

" _There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin."_ Again, we are speaking about David, a man after God's own heart, a man who loves the Lord. Therefore, he rejoices not iniquity, for love doth not rejoice in iniquity; nor is there any love in a lie. For this cause, for a man to love God, he must deny himself. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and a man cannot serve both. For a man to love his flesh, he is a liar of his love to the Lord, and does not love the Lord, but loves himself and wants to use the glory of God to add to his stature. There is a big difference between wanting to save yourself and loving the Lord. Herein is a man who loves the Lord, and due to this, he does end up saving himself. To save yourself you seek a reward, and those who seek one, Christ says they already have one. O but to love the Lord, you must deny yourself; and denying yourself, you actually save yourself. In loving Him, you receive both Him and reward; but in loving reward, you already have yours. In denying yourself, a man takes up the Lord as his sovereign. A lord is a sovereign and there is not an exception when it comes to Jesus Christ the Lord; in fact, it is only magnified, because this Lord is infinitely all in all. This means man's flesh is not the sovereign, nor the keeping and saving of it. A man of God abhors the enemy of the Lord, starting with his own flesh; and a man who truly loves the Lord will find no rest in the flesh, in the season that his flesh is his sovereign, until the Lord is made his sovereign once again.

" _For mine iniquities are gone over my head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh."_ The Psalm is a prayer of penitence, "to bring to remembrance." A penitent heart, as one in such the descriptions you are reading above, surely brings a man to remembrance of the Lord. Such a man cannot do for himself what needs to be done; and in his penitence, is brought to remember the Lord who can do for him what he can't do for himself. Afflictions are designed to have us seek the Lord, bring us back into remembrance of Him, further magnify the completion and utter satisfaction of His work...not just in paying our debt, but in reigning. Sin remains, but sin doth not have to reign. You have sins that go over your head, He is an Infinite King that decrees an infinite pardon with grace enough to cover. Your wounds stink, He has hands to heal a leper. Your apparel is corrupt, He has robes of righteousness. You are diseased, He is the Great Physician. It seems like Christ is your Best Match; and He is only the match for those of a penitent heart who need Him. For He came not for the righteous, but for sinners. He is _their_ Best Match. Only the sick see a physician. Let us bring to remembrance who we are, with penitent prayers, that it magnify who He is; and that we see nothing short of Christ, the Great Physician, the Best Match for sinners.

" _I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart."_ The amazing thing is, this is a good thing; but our wisdom that isn't the wisdom of God, scarcely sees that sometimes. We only see such a penitence, and such a statement of truth, as a good thing by the grace of God to open our eyes unto the goodness of it. It is a good thing for a man because a feeble and broken man will cry out for the disquietness in his heart; he will seek the Lord. He wouldn't seek a Physician if he weren't sick; and he wouldn't seek the Lord if he already had one (in himself). Therefore, praise God He breaks this darling lord of self, and we are free to seek Him. Of a certainty, we were created by God, through God, and for God; this creation will always be disquieted without this God. Praise God such broken and contrite men, having this disquietness in a season of affliction, find that it saves them from it in eternity.

" _Lord, all my desire is before thee: and my groaning is not hid from thee."_ It is truly a supernatural transformation when God makes hearts to love Him as He is worthy to be loved. These are hearts whose groaning and desires are before Him; for they groan for what only He can give, and therefore desire Him. Praise God for afflictions that rip false gods and leave One left standing. Place your groaning before Him, and see how He is an infinite match, that He'd be your heart's true and only desire. He infinitely is worthy of this reception.

### Day 141

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading

II Samuel 22-23; Psalm 57

Application Reading:

II Samuel 22:17-20:

He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

This chapter is full of the beautiful song of David, which can be found entered into public worship in Psalm eighteen, in reverencing the Lord God with His omnipotence, intertwined with His grace. In this book, we have been discussing the kingdom of God under the King of kings; and herein we shall see what brings us a part of this great kingdom of the Majesty of heaven and earth, and the Lord Jesus Christ as our King!

" _He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters..."_ He drew me. You are commanded and invited to come to Christ, but you will not come lest the Father draws you (John 6:44). We need to be praising God that we came, because it was by a grace that we did; for we wouldn't have come lest we were drawn, and we were drawn by Him from above. Hence, He has given us grace (to come), that He may give us grace (to save); therefore, the fact that we were drawn (which was grace because we did not draw ourselves, nor come ourselves) that we come to receive grace, we have received grace for grace.

He drew you out of many waters. Differing levels of depravity have been considered in Christendom. Some hold to depravity as if they are a man dying, not yet dead, but drowning, and calling out for a Lifesaver, lest they do die; while some view their depravity as not drowning, not dying, but already dead. To some, we are still on the surface of the water, or in the midst of the water, sinking quickly into the midst below us in a drowned death; and to others, we are on the bottom, with the waters over our heads, as dead. To one, the depths of the water are over us; to the other, it is still under us. More or less, I am going to argue that we are dead on arrival, because Scripture tells us so; and that we are, on our own, fully depraved. According to Ezekiel 36-37, we are a valley of dried, dead, bones. How do dead bones hear? – By the Spirit. The Spirit is accredited full regeneration. This is not naturally possible, nor logical to natural man. Sadly, even Christians argue that. What can we say? – The things of God, and His Spirit (including this supernatural regeneration) are foolishness to natural man (I Corinthians 2:14). Either that or man still is holding onto some pride that he helped his salvation, which is to rob grace. Are we forgetting the omnipotence of the Spirit? God says it is by His Spirit dead bones are made to hear, to live, to breathe. Ephesians 2:1 says that He has quickened (regeneration) us who were _dead_ in trespasses and sins (because sin reaps death or God is a liar). How can the Spirit regenerate that which is not dead? Christian, do not find yourself as the natural man of this world conspiring a thought of foolishness and impossibility, for the sake of your pride (that you, dead man, helped in a supernatural event) that you have to claim some part of this absolute grace of God and that you helped Him in your regeneration, that God did not raise you from the _dead_. If it is impossibility that you argue, Jesus Christ Himself said, in response to salvation, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible," (Matthew 19:26). Give the Holy Spirit His credit due, and thank Him for the grace of regeneration for the grace that saved. Again, by God's power, He hath bestowed grace for grace.

" _He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were strong for me."_ Earlier in the chapter, David accredits Saul as his strong enemy. In I Samuel, we typified Saul as a type of Adam, and David as a type of Christ; and spent days paralleling this metaphorically, while we looked at it literally. That being said, if we continue in metaphor, taking David's literal meaning that Saul was his great and strong enemy, for the sake of application, we shall say that God even delivers us from our strong enemy: our Sauls, our Adams; namely, ourselves. It is ourselves that got us dead, and it is ourselves who are dead. It is our own self who reaps more coals upon our own heads in the day of salvation (which happens to be today, in this mercy of a period called 'life' before eternal death) for the eternal death. One of the factors that gets us into this kingdom is death of self. We just got through saying man is dead. He is, and the dead has to be made dead, and that is only by Christ. First of all, in His death He paid your debt (the wages of sin is death); paying your debt, He freed your stronghold, that you were free for His purchase; and purchasing you, He hath imputed Himself in you, even His death and resurrection. Secondly, He canceled out the power of the death with His death. He even conquered it, by rising victoriously, that by His omnipotence intertwined with grace, He makes those imputed to be dead to death, by Him, to walk in newness of life, by Him. "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; blotting out the handwriting of ordinances against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it," (Colossians 2:13-15).

" _They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay."_ Earlier in the chapter, David gives seven Names to God, all of which he experienced of God in the day of his calamity. These were days when the enemy was strong against him, when he fled outside of his own habitation to the caves or the wilderness. Though he moved often, he was not moved; the LORD was made his habitation. One of the wonderful things we partake of, in experiencing the miraculous, supernatural, event of conversion that brings us into the Kingdom of Christ, is to have this promise by His Holy Spirit: "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world," (Matthew 28:20). The Lord is your stay, if He is your Lord. He is your life, your way, your home, your heaven.

" _He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me."_ If you believe in the above mentions of depravity and grace for grace, free-will of spirituality has not been an option. Then why are men brought into the Kingdom of God? – Not because of their will, but because of His delight and His will: "A new heart also _will I_ give you, a new spirit _will I_ put within you: and _I will_ take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and _I will_ give you an heart of flesh. And you shall dwell in the land that I gave your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and _I will_ be your God," (Ezekiel 36:26, 28 – emphasis mine). According to His will, and His good pleasure, hath He given you grace for grace. God has canonically expressed that He accredits your salvation to Himself, grace for grace.

The following verses in the chapter seem to insinuate that David worked for the favour of God, by walking in God's statutes. Nay, but David was given grace to walk in those statutes, that he may receive grace in the reward of them. Ezekiel 36:27 says, "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." Jesus Christ, by the purchase made with His blood and the conquering of death, is Lord. He is the sovereign of the heart that He doth inhabit; and as sovereigns do, He will cause you to walk in His statutes, and keep His judgments. Ye shall know them by their fruit, if man bears the fruit by His walk, that Jesus Christ is indeed his Lord. To have the Lord Jesus Christ cause your heart to love Him (for He hath purchased your heart) – therefore obeying His commandments, as you cannot separate love and obedience, per Deuteronomy and John 14:15 – and by His purchase and conquering, cause you to walk in obedience to His statutes and judgments in likeness of Himself, even this was omnipotence intertwined with grace, and grace [to save] for grace [to walk]; and grace [to walk as Christ] for grace [to partake of the glory of Christ]. And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for Thee." Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ, intertwined with His grace, may rest upon me. To Him be the glory now and forevermore. Amen.

### Day 142

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 95, 97-99

Application Reading:

Psalm 97:

The LORD reigneth, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled. The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all people see his glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

" _The LORD reigneth, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad thereof."_ The LORD reigns and it is to our benefit that He does! Could you imagine an earth where God didn't reign over it? How do you suppose this earth's mass would be upheld in a mass of nothingness? Do you believe the laws of science would stand without the very God who established these laws to enforce the laws? This is God's earth, and for that He reigns over it and it is worked through Him. It is not held nor worked otherwise. He holds up the pillars of it (Psalm 75:3), for He reigns over it. This is also to be considered of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel message. Let the earth rejoice! Our Lord reigns, and has conquered sin and death of this earth, that He is given power of it as Lord. "All power is given unto me in heaven and earth," (Matthew 28:18). Therefore, we rejoice that even though we should have tribulation here in this earth, He has already conquered it (John 16:33) – the Lord of heaven and earth, in whom all fullness dwells (Colossians 1:19) – and by Him, do we.

" _Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."_ God's glory is a consuming fire, the epitome of light. Let us refer back to the wilderness wanderings to grasp the meaning of clouds that are about Him. God revealed Himself in a cloud's descent, for His Deity's glory is such a pure light that it consumes darkness until it is no more – in an instant even. Lest God destroy the dark sons of men, and the dark world they inhabit, He veiled Himself as shown in Sinai. Even the reflection of God's glory upon the face of Moses was so bright, the mere reflection had to be veiled. What privilege to behold the Father in the face of Jesus Christ; and through Christ, unveiled. Ultimately, He hath done this veiling with the Lord Jesus Incarnate; where, by this wisdom, God was able to dwell with His people, save them, and transform them that they may behold Him without destruction; that God and man may meet by the God-Man Jesus Christ (where both God and man dwell), in His condescension, in whom all fullness dwells. O what wisdom and condescension is this! What grace!

Darkness is not in Him, but anything outside of Him is indeed darkness. Therefore, darkness is round about Him. God is righteous and God is judge, because God is perfect. When we consider that God is perfect, let us not only envision that God is perfected in who He is, but that there is no disorder with God nor with what comes forth from Him, and all the perfected things that go forth from Him are expected to return to Him the same. God doesn't just make good things, God makes amazingly perfected things. Consider the human body and its perfected functions. Each toe, each blood vessel, each organ – the anatomy and physiology of the human body is not of a disorderly assembling, but a perfected masterpiece. It is so amazingly perfected that this is a trace we still have left of God's work. Yet, this was not the end of God's perfected work in the human race. It doth also include the whole of the human, as God is perfect and dealt with creation perfectly; that is, entirely. The soul was perfected in morals and relationship of its Maker. When those perfected things are no longer perfect, trust that Perfect God shall judge it; and He shall judge it according to Himself in righteousness, because He is a Perfect God that doth love perfection.

" _A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world: the earth saw, and trembled."_ Again, we are brought to consider and reflect Mt. Sinai. When God came to deliver the ten commandments, the sky couldn't contain His glory. The people trembled and entreated Moses to intercede; but as for God, begged that He would not speak to them directly, lest they die. Moses declared God to be a terrible Majesty. He is a terrible Majesty to corruption. We happen to all be corruption, but for God's perfected retention in wrath that meets God's perfected longsuffering, the earth currently doesn't tremble. Yet, when His terrible Majesty came upon Christ Jesus for our sakes, Christ met His death, and the earth did tremble; and when it does upon those without Christ, it will tremble to its own death.

" _The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the LORD of the whole earth. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all people see his glory."_ Massive hills we know as volcanoes melt in the ways the Word is describing. The heavens and this earth have given you an unwritten revelation of the glory of God. Yet, herein we find that written revelation is making patent what unwritten revelation declares as latent.

" _Ye that love the LORD, hate evil..."_ To love the Lord, one must hate evil. Then how can a man love the Lord, for he is pronounced evil in nature? Let the Lord Jesus Christ show you how man must do this, with the example He gave with Himself: deny yourself. The wisdom of God is that, in one event, not only did Christ vindicate the Father's wrath for justice to be satisfied to the Father, and satisfied on our behalf, with denying Himself, but He also showed you how to love the Father as He did: deny yourself. You must, to love the Lord. For He that loves God, loves God; and not the enemy of God.

" _Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart."_ For the sake of those who were elect to be righteous, Light was indeed sown. Christ was buried, then resurrected, that the elect would be partakers of the righteousness in, and by, Him.

" _Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."_ Therefore, those in Christ, rejoice! Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness. Do not slight His holiness, but remember it...upon the cross; and remember what Christ hath done to vindicate it...and make you righteous. We rejoice in His holiness, for it magnifies the Lord Jesus Christ! To Him all fullness is given, and to Him be the glory now and forever. Amen.

### Day 143

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Samuel 24; I Chronicles 21-22; Psalm 30

Application Reading:

I Chronicles 22:5:

And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of the fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.

You will remember David wanted to built a house for the LORD, but David was used for a different purpose by God. The kingdom was established under David, God's enemies were given to David; therefore, David was a man who shed blood, so that those after him would have peace. God allowed that another would partake in glorifying Him with work for His kingdom; that other was David's son, Solomon, and that He would be glorfied in the building of His house. However, David does make preparation for the house. Everything was gathered and organized, all Solomon had to do was utilize what was given that the house would be built. At the end of the chapter, David tells his son that all the enemies of God were given unto him to defeat; and now defeated, his son shall have rest and peace to build a house unto the LORD after his death. David wanted to do many great things for God; but the great thing he was given was to have the kingdom established under him, and the enemies of God defeated by him. Others were called to be partakers in other works of the kingdom of God.

At the end of His life, the Son of David said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father," (John 14:12). The Son of David was given our enemies to defeat, and He has defeated them. He shed blood, and that was His own. Behold, He came and was given our enemies, given to shed blood, that we may have rest and peace. In peace and rest, sons by Him, with all the spiritual gifts [in preparations] the Son of David has given unto them, are made to be partakers of glorifying God after His death...and let us glorify God until our death with what He has given for us to do so.

### Day 144

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 108-110

Application Reading:

Psalm 110:

The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore he shall lift up the head.

" _The LORD said unto my Lord."_ This Psalm is what we consider one of the Messianic Psalms. This one speaks of none other than the Lord Jesus. It is unlike the many prophetic words that speak of an immediate and then a forthcoming, but this speaks strictly of Christ. Christ Himself said that David spoke this in spirit, referring to Him (Matthew 23:41-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 20:41-44). The Lord-Adonai, the Lord Christ, the Son of David, is David's Lord. The LORD Jehovah said unto the Lord Jesus... The Psalm declares the New Testament revelation of the dominion of Christ; that it pleased the Father that in Him all fullness dwells (Colossians 1:19); that in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9); that to Him all dominion is given (Ephesians 1:20-23). Therefore, He is the LORD's chosen Lord, and we shall explore that meaning.

" _Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool."_ What this Messianic Psalm of the Old Testament declares as latent, the New Testament makes patent. "Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead..." (Ephesians 1:20a). Let us pause and focus on this raising of the dead. Christ, as the Second Person in the Trinity in the bosom of the Father from eternity in heaven, came to the dominion of God's kingdom known as earth; conquered it by conquering its death. He did this with the raising thereof, canceling death with His death, triumphing over it, making a shew of principalities that had ruled in death, with His conquering of it by paying it fully then raising from it into glory. Risen, therefore conquering, most certainly He is Lord, of whom the Father is well pleased. (For this complete explanation please cf. Colossians 2:14-15). "...And set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, far above principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all," (Ephesians 1:20b-23). Of course we know this Ephesians passage is speaking of Christ; and therefore know this Psalm cannot possibly speak of any other, for the one patents the latent of the other.

" _The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies."_ The LORD did send the rod of Christ's strength out of Zion, for He is to rule over all His enemies as we compared with our Ephesians passage. The Bible tells us He has three enemies: Satan, self, and the world. Therefore, His strength goes out from Zion unto all of the world, to conquer the death of some by His death, and to vindicate Himself of some by their death.

" _Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth."_ Let us now address the conquering of some by His death, in this strength of His going out. The verse accredits two things: power that is His, and willingness of the people. It is God's own power that raised Christ from the dead, and this same power raises the dead from the dead that they are conquered. They are willing by His willing, for He hath said it is HE who gives the heart of flesh, the circumcised heart. None other gives this.

Let us bear in mind this is current for the Lord's conquering of some by His death in our current church age, but it is also the same for the nation Israel in their restoration. The verse says, "Thy people..." We have seen how this is applicable to the Church, as the Church is His people; but it is also applicable to God's covenant people Israel (though Lo-Ammi of themselves, they are His people, for God does not change) in their salvation. The same power and work of God in circumcising a heart to declare the Lord Jesus your Messiah, is the same power and work of God to circumcise their hearts to declare the Lord Jesus as their Messiah. Yet, they didn't then, and that was for our salvation. They are cursed for our sake, but they are beloved for their fathers' sake, of whom the immutable God made a covenant. As a nation, they are considered a covenant people to be saved. Of the Gentiles, we cannot find that, nor should we try to replace ourselves (though in the One Body there is neither Jew nor Gentile) as that nation, for God hath declared by the One in beauty and holiness from the womb (see our verse reference), they shall be willing that He is their Messiah. This, of course, we also know as the spoken birth from the end of Revelation twelve.

" _The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."_ This is the heart of the Psalm, and purpose of God's giving the Lord Jesus. The order of Melchizedek is the order of a priest and king (Genesis 14; Hebrews 3-7). God hath chosen a Priest-King. One makes intercession and atonement for sins; the other rules. We did not find this in the Levitical order. The Levites made intercession and atonement for sins, but God Himself ruled. This was so, until the pleading for Saul, when Israel sought themselves a king. Still then, priest and king were not put into one, and though David seemed to have been allotted some privileges of a priest in his office as king, it is truly the Son of David to whom both offices are upon. Now God hath chosen a King, and a Priest, the Lord Jesus making atonement for sins, ever living to make intercession, and King whose dominion is over all (Matthew 28:18). Not only has it been given Him, but He has been the office of both. Having heaven, He conquered earth, that it is His as King; but in conquering it, He was also a Priest, atoning our sins. From Jesus Christ becoming incarnate, the Lord at the right hand of my LORD, truly has all fullness dwelling within Him, for He hath done not just great things, but all things. "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to to be the head over _all_ things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth _all_ in _all_ ," (Ephesians 1:22-23, emphasis mine). Therefore this fullness in Him is all...in the all for whom He is Priest-King.

" _The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath."_ Jesus Christ Himself will strike as the LORD's right hand, seated at His right hand. Having vindicated His Father by the offering of Himself that the Father may be fully satisfied for those who the Father elected would be covered under such redemptive payment; while at the same time making intercession as a priest; while at the same time making atonement as a priest, with His own blood as none other would atone, for none other was as Holy as the Father, to whom the sin-debt was owed; while at the same time canceling death with death, which is the wages of sin; while at the same time conquering the death with the raising from it as King above it...can we see that He hath done all for His all (His all is His Father and His elect alike), and He is therefore more than qualified to do the full vindication of His all.

" _He shall drink of the brook in the way: therefore he shall lift up the head."_ From the cup referenced in the garden of Gethsemane, we see that He drank that cup in the way, that He would be all to His all – be all to His Father and all to His elect. In another perspective, we see the hastiness with this final verse. He doesn't take a rest that He may stoop down to drink, but drinks along the way. Let us reflect to how God advised Gideon in the last draft which left him with three-hundred to go to war. Those who went down upon their knees were told to go back, but those who lapped, as if showing they would not stop to stoop and rest, but lap as they go...these were God's chosen. Christ will not rest in this final act of God's enemies as His footstool, but He will lap along the way. Christ is God's chosen for war, and it hath already been declared it is the Lord Jesus Christ's Day. "Therefore, He shall lift up the head..." May you be found as one whose head is lifted unto the Lord in heavenly places. He has made His Body to be seated with Him in heavenly places, that you may see His coming. Our Lord will not rest, that we may have rest.

Let us finish with a word from this Priest-King, the chosen Lord of the LORD, found in the gospel according to Luke: "These are the words which I spake unto you, while was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in psalms, concerning me." This one-hundred and tenth Psalm is no exception.

### Day 145

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

I Chronicles 23-25

Application Reading:

I Chronicles 23:1-6:

So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel. And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites. Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward: and their number by their polls, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand. Of which, twenty and four thousand were to set forward the work of the house of the LORD; and six thousand were officers and judges: Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith. And David divided them into courses among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

The Levites grew in number, and the Ark of the Covenant was coming to a settlement, which means that more were employed in the uses of worship and service to the LORD. Of this, David was sure to place these men in their offices before his passing, in accordance to God's establishment of the service and worship of the Levites. This was very important that the differing offices of Levites were filled with the ample men in their service to the LORD, that they would be found to edify their ample brethren, people of the kingdom, and that the ample people in the kingdom would be found to be kept in the Lord, in love, truth, and obedience. Christ hath done the same, and established the many brethren into offices for edification and keeping of the people to the Lord. Let not one be found slacking, but be found in love, truth, and obedience to the effectual working of His body.

Ephesians 4:10-16:

He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

### Day 146

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 131, 138-139, 143-145

Application Reading:

Psalm 131:

LORD, my heart is not haugthy, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

It will not cease to amaze me how raising children makes children...of yourself. Many times I find myself reprimanding my children over their childlike wants taking precedence over what is best, and then a lightbulb turns on that this is what I do to my Father. No matter the age group, there are wants in which parents know, "If only they knew." If only they knew what went into making a safe and nurturing home, provisions, protection, and even pleasures; what goes into the logic of saying no to cookies before dinner, late nights with friends, electives for the sake of discipline to obligation. Surely, if they knew such the thoughts of a parent in training their children, then they would not exercise themselves in great matters left to a parent, in striving with the parent; but would simply trust the wisdom given to a parent toward their own children, and trust in them for a home, provisions, protection, and even pleasures.

Some things come natural to a child towards a parent, which are not natural to the sons of God to their Father. We learn from children, how to be children. My son believes my kisses heal all things, my clothing is his snot rag, my body his rock climb wall, my arm his warmth, my stomach his pillow, my hand wipes and washes his body. The supernatural thought we can learn from children to be childlike is: With the love as if a kiss from heaven, He heals us; with the glory of His righteous robe, He wipes our tears; His body is our rock, wall, and our strong tower; His arm is our warmth and comfort; His bosom, the place where we rest our head – O sweet Jesus who Himself had nothing to rest His head upon; His nail-pierced hands have wiped and washed away our filth and leprosy.

My son learns a new thing, by riding a bike, and cries, "Mommy," as if to say, "hold me lest I fall." We enter a new part of life and do we cry, "Abba, hold me lest I fall"?

My son and I climbed a tree that left him shaking in demeanor. I place my hand on his stomach and he was at peace. The lady with an issue of blood cried if she could just touch the hem of His garment. O He gives us so much more than a hem. Surely, with just His hand, we should find comfort in the fear of falling. How much more at peace to have all of Him, which He has surely given, every last drop of blood, and His eternity?

My son is urgent to reconcile. In the immediance of my reprimand, his tears don't come from the rearing but from the let down, for he loves his mother, and is not at peace until he feels her embrace and that she still loves him. Child of God, it was the vehement desire of reconcilation to God that placed you reconciled to God. Do not forget this childlike characteristic in your walk. Surely His chastisement hurts, but consider when you let down the one your soul loves...which has hurt you more? Let us take any chastisement, what is more important is the reconciliation and the embrace of His love in reconciling the matter. The thought that His love has departed is one we cannot bear!

A child is easily forgiving. As a parent we make many mistakes, and the Good Lord has placed a seed of forgiveness in our children that our remembrance long outdoes theirs. Our God hath not a mistake upon us, but His other children often do. Let him who has wronged outdo the remembrance of his trespass than you do of the same.

My son is the most vibrant thing I have set my eyes upon. He can afford to live in complete joy, for he is free by the hand of parent to be a child. He hath come that you may have joy and that your joy be complete, freed by His hand.

Then there are the things we must discipline our children in, that are not natural to them nor to us. We learn from raising children, how to be children. These are such things like sharing, loyalty over loathing (especially amongst siblings), responsibility, listening, trusting, obedience, truth. Surely we know the child must be obedient to wait for us before crossing the road. Should he, how quickly he could meet harm. Surely he must know that, even then, when we say, "Stop," it demands an obedience to immediately hearken, for but a split second separates him from the car. Surely when we say don't touch the burner, it doesn't mean touch the burner, for the burner will burn you. If Adam and Eve would have but realized that.

Take this statement by the Lord Himself in Matthew 23:37: "O Jerusalem , Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" His love He likens unto a hen for its children, for by Him we have the love of a Father towards a son. May you be blessed by this story of how much He wants to free and save you, O child of His, if you would be but a child: In the times of wood-burning locomotives, sparks were known to set entire fields on fire. One farmer saw a fire from afar threatening his property, so he set backfires of his own wheat fields to prevent the fire from consuming his buildings as well. The fire did pass over his burned fields, sparing his buildings. As he walked through his burned fields, he came across a charred hen. He tipped the hen over with his shoe, and when he did, out ran live baby chicks. The chicks lived because the hen gathered them under her wings, to protect them. She gave her life to spare theirs. He gave His life to spare ours. Are we willing to be a child under His wings?

One final thought...all the life of a child, there is one thing you will often hear. "He/she looks just like..." and this is finished with the child either being a resemblance of mother or father, or both. The child is a reflection of its parent. It is when the child isn't, that paternity comes into question. My daughter often picks up where I can't finish. I have often worked on a piece, took an important phone call, did the yard work, even slept...and she has, on her own account, been the extension of my hand in other duties when my hand was too short to take it myself. I will enter from my duties and see she has made dinner, cleaned, brushed her brother's teeth, did the dishes, and I didn't even have to ask her. We are to behold His glory, and beholding His glory, changed into the same image from glory to glory. Let not one question our paternity, but may we be a reflection, an extension, of our Father by the Lord Jesus Christ. For only such in His likeness can enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:2-4

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself, as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

### Day 147

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

I Chronicles 26-29; Psalm 127

Application Reading:

I Chronicles 17:23-24:

But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under: because the LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens. Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but he finished not, because there fell wrath for it against Israel; neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of king David.

When David was first given the throne, God allowed a census. David was a man of war; and as a king of war, God saw fit that David knew what he was taking on, who he had to go to war with him, and how many he was protecting with war. Then, he was to walk by faith. This is quite often the same with the faith. God calls us to walk by faith, but faith is not outer space. God often gives us many things we can clearly see to establish Himself to us, to let us see who we have to go to war with (namely, Himself by showing Himself clearly to us, which establishes us in Him); and once established, He expects us to walk by faith in the things of Him, now knowing Him. Once God established David, he was to walk by faith in God's promise that He would increase the people as the stars of the heaven. Once God establishes Himself to us, we are likewise to walk by faith in God's promises based upon Himself, clearly let us see Himself in establishing us in Himself.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him; for if a man walks not by faith, his heart is disclosing that his mouth is a liar. With his mouth he believes God, with his heart he does not. Faith is belief; and the lack thereof is...unbelief. This is a chief sin, for it is a sin that not only displeases God, but places people in the same position as Satan, it places men in hell. Indeed, I Chronicles 21:1 tells us that this census, rooted in unbelief and pride of the amount of people David had under him, was provoked by Satan himself. There was no need for this rebellion, which was David's chief sin, for he listened to Satan in this. God allowed David to see what he had, by numbering the people when he was established; but as far as any other numbering outside of this establishment, "LORD had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens" – the LORD said, and that is sufficient based upon our knowing the LORD and having seen Him. God hath given you many things you can see that you may be established in Him; but now established in Him, are you walking by faith? Do you believe what the Lord hath said; and that Him saying it, is sufficient to believe it?

One final point we will draw from this passage is that the fruit of this sin was not recorded. There are many things that David was not able to get away with, that others may have. You see, David was called to be a king over God's people, and he was to give an example to the people of walking righteous before God. When David sinned with Bath-sheba, he was not able to keep the fruit of that sin – which was his son. Now here is another sin, and David willingly doesn't attempt to keep the fruit of it in chronicling the numbers. As you grow, I hope you can relate with David, that God won't let you get away with certain things that you used to, or even things that others get away with; that God won't let you have any part of that sin, including the fruit of it. I hope you don't see it as opportunity to rebel more against Him, but see it as a blessed calling, for you are called to walk worthy of His calling you and to be a witness of His light and likeness in a world of darkness. See it as a consecration of you to Himself, for He says He is the LORD your God who sanctifies you – Beloved Friend, let Him sanctify and separate you!

### Day 148

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalms 111-118

Application Reading:

Psalm 113:

Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised. The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

" _Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD."_ Herein is an invitation to praise the LORD. His Name is mentioned. The root of the Psalm is His Name and its condescension. Above all, the condescension in expelling His Name to such worms that we are, hath made servants. Indeed praise ye the LORD, O ye servants of the LORD.

" _Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore."_ The Name, again, is our focus. What is in a name? To our generation, a person is no longer his name; a name doth not tell the character of a person. Yet, we know in accordance to God's choosing names, by His Word, a name is the revelation of a person. Adam was given his name because he came from clay, Jacob was given his name because he was a supplanter, Esau was given his name because he was red, Jesus was given His Name because He was Jehovah's salvation. Often, God changed the name of a new convert to one suited to them as a new man, like Abraham and Israel. Therefore, we conclude that to God, a Name is a revelation. What is the Name of the LORD? The Name of the LORD is the LORD, the Great I AM, I AM THAT I AM. Why do we bless this Name from this time forth and for evermore? – Because the Name is for evermore. The Name hath revealed that He is forever, because the LORD's Name means YHWH, I AM THAT I AM.

" _From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name is to be praised."_ Now herein is the condescension. The Name extends to things so much lower than Himself, and reveals Himself. God says He is Elohim (Faithful and Strong One; also Trinity); and we see His faithfulness and power when the sun rises and goes down, as it does both faithfully and powerfully. In the same, the seasons come faithfully and purposeful. That which was created under the sun is found to be perfect in purpose, as nothing He has created is without purpose; orderly, though fallen; creative and unique, and a spiritual eye can observe that unique creativity to be beautiful. Does not the extensive of His Name tell you who He is? He is perfect, purposeful, orderly, creative, unique, and beautiful. The LORD's Name is to be praised, for all that He has created declares the One who created it in an extension and revelation of His Name, which is a revelation of Himself. Why do we praise Him from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same? The sun's rising and setting declares the faithfulness in Elohim. He deserves to be faithfully praised for His faithfulness, especially when those who are to faithfully praise Him are the express recipients of His faithful Name extended, and extended upon them. It is absolute rebellion when this doesn't happen. Elohim has fashioned the sun with His hands, and it turn it expresses the faithfulness and power of the Name Elohim. It rebels not, in ceasing to declare the Name that created it, for it is both faithful and powerful, as the Name that created it, to rise and set. This same cannot be said for man, he who God fashioned to be in His likeness, far above what the heavens and firmament declare. Praise ye the LORD, O ye servants of the glory of His Name!

" _The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!"_ The LORD is high above the heavens; after all, He rules the hosts of the heavens. Of a certainty, therefore, He is high above nations. This is a core declaration of the His Name's condescension. O blessed Name that condescends upon us, Name by which we operate. Therefore, all things are dependent upon Him; dependent upon His Name, in the meaning [of the Name] extending to its creations. Blessed be the Name of the LORD, the Name above all names.

" _He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD."_ Upon the knowledge of how His Name Most High, high above the heavens and the earth, we know He doth humble Himself in dealing with anything outside of Himself. For God to humble Himself, and man to exalt himself, this is a contempt against the condescension of a Name most High. Therefore, humble yourself, and taste and see the Lord is Good to those who reverence His humility with their own, and reverence the glory of His Name extended upon them by being bearers of that Name as servants of the glory of His Name. Therefore, they are the praise of His glory, and they indeed accept the invitation and yearning cry to "Praise ye the LORD." O ye created man by the LORD's strength, wisdom, and goodness, what are you revealing about the Name that made you? God deserves, that to what He has extended His Name to create, would indeed reflect that Name which created. Christian, what are you revealing of the Name of Christ?

### The FIRST BOOK of the KINGS

The first and second books that are given the title of being the books of the kings, are precisely books of the kings. These are records of the kingdom under various kings after the death of David. God established the kingdom under David, and now went the down the path of the rest of the earth and slept with his fathers. The book starts with his successor, and God's chosen, Solomon. We will start to notice a decline in the kingdom for the lack of godly leadership. We take this account from the consideration of man: man's view. You will find mirrored accounts in I & II Chronicles, where the theology is considered: God's view. Jeremiah is accepted as the author of this book.

### Day 149

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

I Kings 1-2; Psalms 37, 71, & 94

Application Reading:

I Kings 2:36-46:

And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passeth over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. And Shimei arose, and saddle his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? And thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. Why then has thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return all wickedness upon thine own head; and king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

It appears from this chapter that Solomon is cleaning house. He is listening to his father's good advice given him before his passing. In regards to Shimei, Solomon had mercy and told him to build a house in Jerusalem, and to remain there. He was given boundaries; which, at the time, Shimei said it was a good thing. In the day that Shimei turned back from within his boundaries, he would die. As you see, he turned back and turned away.

Boundaries appear to be Biblical – not just from this passage, but all throughout the Word it is given to the people of God, starting with the garden of Eden. However, this passage is very important to helping us realize the importance of boundaries in the Christian life. Solomon extended grace and mercy upon Shimei; however, he is to remain with certain boundaries. Shimei says it is a good thing; that is, until a couple depart, and he follows them. Jesus extends grace and mercy; however, we have boundaries, mainly because we are not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and true regeneration. We say it is a good thing...until someone else departs and we want to follow them. Shimei's turning back and leaving exposes the wickedness of his heart; namely, the falseness of his word. Solomon calls this out. Jesus Christ said, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God," (Luke 9:62). When a man does turn back, that fruit exposes the wicked falseness in his heart. He is a Judas Iscariot: a man who gave the appearance of godliness, but it had no power over him thereof. Therefore, he is a man whose own desperately wicked heart has deceived him (Jeremiah 17:9) in a matter most troubling: his love for Christ. "For the love of Christ" does many things. To wit, it "constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new," (II Corinthians 5:14-17). The Word does not lie, neither is there love in a lie; but the Word has said that the love of Christ constrains us that we are dead with Him and walk in newness of life. His love is not going to lie, it is going to do exactly that.

We are sinners. We are not perfect, nor we will walk in newness of life, perfectly, here on earth. However, let us not blaspheme against a good thing: the Lord's grace and mercy – even with blessed boundaries that are designed for His glory's sake (invested in you as the vessel thereof), and our sanctification, for He hath separated us unto Him. Every man should examine himself, to wit, if he be in the faith. Has his heart deceived him; or has he not only the appearance of godliness, but the power thereof? Does the love of Christ constrain him, or the love of self? Whichever does, it is his sovereign. The man of the faith lives as a living testimony of the love of Christ, the love that doesn't lie and indeed constrains a man to be out of the flesh; and lives as a living testimony of the power of Christ to walk worthy of his calling.

### Day 150

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Psalm 119

Application Reading:

Psalm 119:1-8:

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

We are actually going to be considering the whole of this Psalm; yet this first portion sets the basis of the Psalm, and the thought is expanded throughout. All of this Psalm deals with the law; the basis of the Psalm is the blessed man who keep His ways. We are commanded to do so (v. 4). Even under the New Testament/Covenant, in the law of love and free grace, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments," (John 14:15).

The law is holy, just, and good. It was man's sanctification and righteousness before God, because it revealed God's righteousness. It is a standard man was to measure himself for righteousness. However, the sum of the truth of the law, the transition between the Old and New Testaments is that the law is designed to bring man to the end of himself, that he cannot do it; in that, he would be covered under the One who did it for him; that God would be exalted for who He is, and man would be humbled in regarding himself in the reflection of God's righteousness; that man would stop trying to proudly do the impossible, and that God would be exalted in doing the impossible that God does best.

This impossible, first, is our conversion. In Matthew 19:16-26, we are given an account of a rich man who wishes to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus replies it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. The disciples then ask, "Who then can be saved?" (Matthew 19:25). It seems the disciples missed the point; may we not miss the point. The point is that when man has esteemed himself to have something, he robs from God. When man increases himself, he decreases God. When man can think he possess something in which to petition God, he robs God of God's work. This is most true in conversion with the point of faith. Faith is supernatural thing; it is by faith that we believe we are covered under grace. We are saved by grace through faith; not of works, lest any man should boast. Jesus is the Author of our faith, we possess not this faith without it itself being a grace given, that we may receive grace. It is impossible for a dead man to come to a supernatural thing (faith...for grace) that saves him. Who then can be saved? Listen to the Lord Jesus' response: "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible," (Matthew 19:26).

Let us consider Ezekiel thirty-seven. Ezekiel is brought to a valley of not only bones, but dry bones. I don't know how much more dead you can get, especially when God likens them unto being in a grave. "Son of man, can these bones live?" (Ezekiel 37:3). This is a reality check. Can the dry dead possess faith? This is impossible, but with God all things are possible. "Thus saith the LORD God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live," (Ezekiel 37:5). This is regeneration, for we know that the very breath of God is the Holy Spirit. He says that it is His cause. If man take God's cause away from Him, and credit it to himself, and he is like that rich man. He hath decreased God, that he may increase. God takes stony hearts, dry and dead, and turns them into hearts of flesh. For all the circumcising that was commanded, it was to bring man to the end that he is not a rich man, that God Himself has to do the heart circumcising. The flesh can only deal with the flesh (fleshly circumcision); God has to deal with the spiritual matter at hand (heart circumcision). Let Galatians five teach you that you cannot do those things that ye ought, but the Spirit must perform – which is precisely what God declares in Ezekiel thirty-seven. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh," (Ezekiel 36:26).

The second impossible is the Christian walk, which is to keep the commandments of the Lord, for we love the Lord. The last paragraph dealt with conversion: God's converting the heart. Let us be reminded that God makes hearts that love Him as He is worthy to be loved. Therefore, loving Him, Jesus said, "keep my commandments." It is not a suggestion, but a commandment, to keep the commandments. It is not a hard thing to walk worthy of your calling, it is an _impossible_ thing. For man to know grace, he already knows it is impossible that he keeps the commandments, for he is covered under grace precisely because he cannot fulfill the law, Jesus fulfilling it for him. Paul says in one sentence, "ye are not under the law, but under grace," (Romans 6:14); but then in another sentence says, "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law," (Romans 3:31). For man to know grace through faith, with a converted heart to love the Lord, he also loves the law; for it hath revealed God's righteousness and morality, and He esteems Him higher than himself. Even when it had cursed him, he loves it with a converted heart, for the sight of God's righteousness makes him empathize with Isaiah, "Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts," (Isaiah 6:5). Let God be magnified for who He is, and His grace – it has covered, and if you lay down your riches, and decrease, how much more will you see that? O don't rob Christ of His glory, for the sake of pride stored as riches, that we can do something that is impossible for us to do. To Him be the glory of grace for converting and conforming. "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them," (Ezekiel 36:27). With man, walking worthy of your calling is impossible, but with God all things are possible. He credits it to Himself.

From the start of the Psalm until the end, read the words of the Psalmist in blessed decrease of self, and praise to God's increase in the matter. There are plenty of repeats, but let it be as Christ's "verily, verily," and stress the importance: "O that my ways were directed to keep thy statues," "O let me not wander from thy commandments," "Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word," "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law," "Hide not thy commandments from me," "Quicken thou me according to thy word," "Teach me thy statues," "Make to me understand the way of thy precepts," "Strengthen thou me according unto thy word," "Grant me thy law graciously," "Enlarge my heart," "Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statues," "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law," "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments," "Incline my heart unto thy testimonies," "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity," "Quicken thou me in thy way," "Stablish thy word unto thy servant," "Quicken me in thy righteousness," "Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth," "Thou hast caused me to hope," "The word hath quickened me," "Teach me thy statues," "Teach me good judgment and knowledge," "Teach me thy statues," "Give me understanding," "Let my heart be sound in thy statues," "Help thou me," "Quicken me after thy lovingkindness," "Thou through thy commandments has made me wiser," "Quicken me, O LORD, according unto thy word," "Uphold me," "Hold thou me up," "Teach me thy statutes," "Give me understanding," "Look thou upon me," "Order my steps," "Deliver me," "Make thy face shine," "Teach me," "Save me," "Quicken me," "Deliver me," "Quicken me," "Quicken me," "Quicken me," "Give me understanding," "Deliver me," "Let thy judgments help me," "seek thy servant." He seeks you.

Converting grace is Divine inspiration, conforming grace is Divine inspiration. Soli Deo Gloria.

### Day 151

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

I Kings 3-4

Application Reading:

I Kings 3:5-14:

In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and has not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but has asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.

We know Solomon was a wise man, and we also know that this was a gift from God. We also know, by the text, that wisdom was not specifically what he asked. He asked for an understanding heart to judge the people, and God gave him exceedingly abundantly more in that understanding; in that, God gave him wisdom like none other than him. We are but children; and even in our asking, we are children. We give our children an inch, and they expect a mile. The Father's children ask for an inch; and if they recognize that inch is a grace, He often gives the mile.

Does it not astonish you that God is the one who says, "Ask,"? It is just as the Lord Jesus saying, "Ask"; then again, in James, especially in regards to wisdom, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be give him," (James 1:5). In his asking, Solomon starts off with God's mercy to his father, then God's choosing of the people, and was concerned with God's people. Essentially, he was concerned for God's Name, which the people bore. He was concerned about virtue; he was concerned about God. He was not concerned with reward. He did not ask for riches, honor, nor long life; but asked for God's honor in the image of the people, who were God's people. He was concerned about God, not God's reward.

We learn from the Lord Jesus, that he who concerns himself with His Name, shall have his reward (Matthew 10:41-42); but he who concerns himself with reward...already has his (Sermon on the Mount). The Name of God is to be our primary concern, not reward: God, but not God's reward; virtue, but not virtue's reward. We are not trying to add unto our stature, remember? However, concerning ourselves with God, we learn that He blesses manifoldly: exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever ask or think.

If a man is seeking spiritual blessings, let him wrestle with the Lord that he may operate in the Lord's Name. If a man is seeking earthen blessings, let him forsake them, and the adding unto himself, for the Lord's Name; and he will find that he has both the Lord and the Lord's reward.

### The SECOND BOOK of CHRONICLES

As a continuation of the First Book of the Chronicles, it is themed similarly, as the Hebrew translation states it to be, "The words of the days." It is a registry, journal, and chronicles of the days of the kings unto the captivity. The registry of this book includes starts with King Solomon, unto King Zekediah, the captivity, and the decree to free the captives. You will find many repeats of the books of the Kings; however, the Chronicles will give you more of a theological view, as opposed to the experimental view through the Kings. The Kings will give us man's view; the Chronicles will give us God's view. It is beneficial to study both books of the Chronicles side by side with the books named after Samuel and the books of the Kings.

The scribe Ezra is considered the author of this book, and is believed to have been written nearing the complete end of the exile from the captivity. Considering Ezra came back to Jerusalem to teach the people God's laws, and so that the land would be properly re-divided, the book makes perfect sense as to its genealogical registries, theological facts given – God's view given. Often, when we consider our views, forsaking God's, we err. When we err in this manner and must our learn our lesson the hard way, let it be a lesson learned and not to be relearned.

### Day 152

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

II Chronicles 1; Psalm 72

Application Reading:

II Chronicles 1:7-13:

In that night did God appear unto Solomon, and said unto him, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said unto God, Thou hast shewn great mercy unto David my father, and has made me to reign in his stead. Now, O LORD God, let thy promise unto David my father be established: for thou has made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people: for who can judge this thy people, that is so great? And God said to Solomon, Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honour, nor the life of thine enemies, neither yet hast thou asked long life; but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge my people, over whom I have made thee king: wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like. Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the congregation, and reigned over Israel.

We just explored this exact story yesterday in I Kings, except there is a big difference in the two passages that give record of the same event. In I Kings, we said Solomon asked for understanding (Hebrew, _shama_ ). God gave him an extravagant understanding, He gave him wisdom (Hebrew, _chokmah_ ). In this passage, it says that Solomon asked for wisdom, and God gave him wisdom. The Word of God is inerrant. This is not an inconsistency. We must remember the differing viewpoints from the Kings and the Chronicles: the Kings are man's viewpoint, the Chronicles are God's. Man thinks to ask for something, but God sees the heart ("Because this was in thine heart" – I Chronicles 1:11) and knows what man really wants. Praise God that He is a searcher of hearts.

Romans 8:26-27:

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The Chronicles are God's view. Praise God for His view, His ways, His searching of hearts, His intercession by His Spirit to pray for the things we know not what to pray, nor even utter.

### The SONG of SOLOMON

The Song of Solomon is the Song of songs, because it is a book of love. Love is the Song of songs, for it is the highest of the high, the all of the all, the thing that endures when all else fails. God is love, and just as God is love, our Christ is the King of kings, the same as this Song is the Song of songs.

There are three ways to consider this book: 1) literally – It is a dramatic love poem between man and woman, with God's stamp of approval on the contents of courtship, wedding, honeymoon, and marriage; 2) allegory – The Jews often interpret this book as a relationship between Israel and God; 3) typology – Christians often interpret this book as a relationship between Christ and the Church.

Solomon is considered its author. It is believed to have been written in Solomon's younger years.

### Day 153

Chronological Bible-in-a-year Reading:

Song of Solomon

Application Reading:

We will be considering the full book of the Song of Solomon, taking a passage in each chapter (except joining chapters six and seven) and expanding upon its fundamental truth, as applicable by Divine allegory between the Bridegroom, Christ, and the Bride, the Church.

Song of Solomon 1:4-5:

Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee. I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

The Shulamite beseeches, "Draw me." The sinner must beseech, "Draw me." The drawing of the Father is the beginning of our courtship in espousals to Christ (John 6:44). No man will come lest the Father draws Him, and no man will be reconciled unless he comes. Reconciliation begins with God. The tabernacle was reconciliation of God to man, of which, the Ark of the Covenant, upon where God would dwell, was to be made first. God first loved us, and gave us His Son, that we may be reconciled to Him, by His initiative. Beyond this, the Father draws. Reconciliation always begins with God.

The response of the drawing is that the Shulamite confesses herself. She is black, as are we; and as the same with us: we confess our blackness. Yet she also confesses she is comely, as comely as the tents of Kedar and the curtains of Solomon. We are as comely as the tent of God, the tabernacle Himself (who is Christ), and as the veil (who is Christ) – for the Father sees us, and sees that Temple and Veil, the One whom He is most pleased.

Song of Solomon 2:1-7:

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to his banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please.

Male and female is mentioned here, Solomon and his Shulamite are exchanging mutual admiration. The amazing part is this: one gets lost in whose statement is whose. One would have to pay careful attention to see when it is Solomon speaking, and when it is the Shulamite speaking.

Of this we know, that God loves us. Of this we know, that He converts the heart; and of this we know, that we have converted hearts that love Him...because He first loved us. The relationship between Christ and the Church is one of mutual love and admiration. One of the most amazing things about God's own hand to change the heart is that He forms hearts to love Him as He loves. This is oneness with God. Herein we know that we are in God, and God in us: that we love as He loves. Of course, we are not Divine and our love is not in any way as whole or perfect as His is, but it is His work that it will be. In time, may the love of you and Christ be so mutual that one cannot see whose admiration and love is whose, but that it is truly mutual and truly one, as the Lord Jesus prayed for you as His dying wish.

Song of Solomon 3:1-4:

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

The Father's drawing, that started our seeking, placed us in this espousal to Christ. He is the One whom our soul loveth; therefore, our seeking continues. We are not satisfied until we have Him, we are not satisfied until we are consummated with Him. That is the fundamental truth of this chapter, we are not satisfied until we are one with Him, in all ways. Our seeking ceases not. We are always, always yearning for more of Him, until we are one in consummation with Him. This is the perseverance of His beloved: His beloved yearn for Him, and are not satisfied until they have Him, and have Him fully.

Song of Solomon 4:6-9:

Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense. Thou art fair, my love; there is no spot in thee. Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions' dens, from the mountains of the leopards. Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.

The verse calls one out of Lebanon, out of the lions' dens, out of the mountains of leopards, to come. Christ is always leading us out of darkness, lions' dens, and mountains of leopards. The Bridegroom wants His bride, and will go to great lengths for her until He has her, that He may have her. This is the perseverance of His beloved: the knowledge that He yearns for His beloved, and is not satisfied until He has her, and has her fully.

Song of Solomon 5:8-16:

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love. What is thy beloved, O thou fairest among women? What is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us? My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. His eyes are the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set with beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

You can count on one thing while you are in love: the one you love is always on your mind, and therefore the speech of him flows from your lips. Just as Christ's speech of us is ever flowing from His mouth to the Father, that He ever lives to make intercession for us; so is our speech of Him who our soul loveth always flowing from our lips. God has brought us into being vessels in adding to His kingdom by what this speech does. Abraham's servant gained a bride for his master's son without Rebekah ever meeting Isaac. In his wooing her for his master's son, he shared the riches of his master's son, and the comely speech of him, which wooed her before she even knew him. We woo others as servants of our Master, that there may be a bride for His Son, in the sharing of a comely speech of Him and His riches, before this bride even knows Him, that she may be drawn (by the Father's work in using us as vessels) to know Him.

Song of Solomon 6:4-9:

Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army of banners. Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me: thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks. There are threescore queens, and fourscore concubines, and virgins without number. My dove, my undefiled is but one; she is the only one of her mother, she is the choice one of her that bare her. The daughters saw her, and blessed her; yea, the queens and the concubines, and they praised her.

Here we have another expression of love from the Bridegroom, which continues on into chapter seven. However, this expression is after a denial of the bride to Him. Has her foolish action changed His love? Observe from the first expression, to the wedding expression – is this expression, even after her withdrawal of Him, any less intense? Nay. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8). For I am persuaded that nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Song of Solomon 8:7:

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would be utterly contemned.

The translation is rooted on what the "it" is referring: love, or the house. We can apply the "it" relative to who we are speaking of in this union: Christ or the Church. For the Church, the "it" would be the love. If the Church gave her house for love, the love would be despised. The love and grace of Christ is free to the Church. Although we often give because of it, we give nothing for it. For Christ, the "it" would be the house. If Christ gave all the substance of His house for love, the house would be utterly despised. Love rejoices not in iniquity; therefore, love would take all of the house, but leave the rubbish iniquity behind. Therefore, what's left of the house would be despised. The love of Christ took all the house, and left the garbage. What is left over of the house: that garbage, that shame (for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame) is left behind in the sepulcher...and He sees it no more.

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### About the Author

Natasha Gogue is a faithful seeker and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Writing since her tender adolescent years, she has fully devoted her writings to the One she accredits for them. A collection of her article writings can be viewed on her blog site, where she shares much testimony in the application of the Living Word in her own life. She spends her spare time with her two children, writing even more, studying God's Word, encouraging/edifying others to seek the Lord in Divine essence of His attributes, or in fellowship with other believers in Christ. She currently resides in Pensacola, FL with her two children. The author relies on the Inspired Word of God, otherwise known as the Holy Bible, for her writings. She also cross references her writings with "Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible," by Matthew Henry; "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments," by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, and David Brown;" Strong's concordance; and various works by the Puritans for critical confirmation and evaluation of her writings. She may be contacted at the following:

Email: natasha.a.gogue@gmail.com

Blog site: http://www.bittersweetrevelations.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natashagogue

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/natashagogue
