Year One, October 10

His Name Shall Endure…As Long As the Sun1

Psalm 72

David wrote this psalm about his son Solomon, but it applies even more to our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,

and your righteousness to the royal son!

2 May he judge your people with righteousness,

and your poor with justice!

3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,

and the hills, in righteousness!

4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,

give deliverance to the children of the needy,

and crush the oppressor!

5 May they fear you while the sun endures,

and as long as the moon, throughout all generations!

6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,

like showers that water the earth!

7 In his days may the righteous flourish,

and peace abound, till the moon be no more!

8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,

and from the River to the ends of the earth!

9 May desert tribes bow down before him

and his enemies lick the dust!

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands

render him tribute;

may the kings of Sheba and Seba
      bring gifts!

11 May all kings fall down before him,

all nations serve him!

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,

the poor and him who has no helper.

13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,

and saves the lives of the needy.

14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,

and precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live;

may gold of Sheba be given to him!

May prayer be made for him continually,

and blessings invoked for him all the day!

16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;

on the tops of the mountains may it wave;

may its fruit be like Lebanon;

and may people blossom in the cities

like the grass of the field!

17 May his name endure forever,

his fame continue as long as the sun!

May people be blessed in him,

all nations call him blessed!

18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,

who alone does wondrous things.

19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory!

Amen and Amen!

20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended.

David’s heart was glad to look ahead to the glory his son Solomon would have as king. But he rejoiced even more as his prophetic eye looked to the greater reign of the Messiah. At the second coming of the Lord Jesus, this psalm will have a grand fulfillment. Until then, our job is to pray and work for the increase of his kingdom. If anything can warm the heart of the Christian, it is knowing the Redeemer will reign over everything and his enemies cannot stop it. The Lord Jehovah has promised to give our Lord Jesus the nations for his inheritance.2 His almighty power and faithfulness stand behind that promise and therefore, we may rest fully assured that it will be done. Jesus has fought the fight and won the victory. His reward from the Father is great! There is no reason for hopelessness or fear. God is on our side and he has sworn to give the victory. There is no danger that he will be defeated. David’s wishes had reached their summit. He had nothing more to ask for. 

He ended his prayers when he prayed for the filling of the whole earth with Messiah’s glory.  With this prayer on his lips he is content to die. In the presence of his royal Messiah he is no longer King David, but only “the son of Jesse.” He is only too happy to become nothing before the ruler of the universe. His believing eyes see Jesus reigning, like the sun, filled all around with light. His heart rejoiced. He felt like that holy man, Simeon, when he said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.”3 May our one great wish be like David’s—that the glorious name of the Lord be blessed forever and the whole earth be filled with his glory.

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¹ From Psalm 72:17

² Psalm 2:8

³ From Luke 2:29 & 30

Year One, October 9

The People Rejoiced Because They Had Given Willingly1

David never turned away from his desire to see a glorious temple built to the honor of the Lord his God. Although he was not allowed to build it himself, he worked hard to provide the materials for it and eagerly encouraged Solomon to follow through with the construction. At last the time came to gather the people and turn this great work over to his son.

  

1 Chronicles 29:1-9; 20-23

1And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the LORD God. (God must never be served in a careless manner. We should feel under obligation to do our best in all religious work, because the work is not for us, but for the Lord God.) 2So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of onyx and stones for setting, antimony,2 colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble.”

David had given a lot of thought about having the temple built and provided many things of the best quality. He has given us an excellent example of serving God with clear thinking and sacrificial giving.

3“Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: 43,000 talents (about 112 tons) of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and 7,000 talents (about 262 tons) of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house, 5and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself today to the LORD?” (Those who give freely have a clear conscience to ask others to give. Those who ask others to give but never contribute are inconsistent.)

6Then the leaders of fathers’ houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king’s work. 7They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents (about 187 tons) and 10,000 darics (about 156 pounds) of gold, 10,000 talents (about 375 tons) of silver, 18,000 talents (about 675 tons) of bronze and 100,000 talents (about 3,750 tons) of iron. 8And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, in the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.

David kept a very accurate record of what was given. God’s business should be done in a well organized way. Church funds should be very carefully accounted for. This also helps to prevent someone from stealing from the church treasury and bringing disgrace on God’s name.

9Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

The joy of giving to the Lord is a very great one. Angels might well envy us such happiness.

20Then David said to all the assembly, “Bless the LORD your God.” And all the assembly blessed the LORD, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and paid homage to the LORD and to the king. (They gave worship to God and respectful honor to the king.) 21And they offered sacrifices to the LORD, and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the LORD, 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. (The threshing floor of Araunah was saturated with blood. The foundation of the temple was built on the blood of sacrifice. Happy are those who are built on the substitutionary death of Jesus.) 22And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. (Our sacred worship should not be done in sadness. It should be considered a special celebration.)

And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the LORD, and Zadok as priest.

23Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king in place of David his father, And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him.

For a while, Solomon acted as his father’s representative, then he succeeded him with the approval of the whole nation.

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¹ 1 Chronicles 29:9

² antimony - A shiny, silvery white metal often mixed with other metals to produce a higher quality metal.

Year One, October 8

The LORD Has Chosen Zion1

Psalm 132

This psalm brings us to the close of David’s active life. It introduces us to his last thoughts and concerns. He had a strong desire to see the temple built on the holy spot where the Lord stopped the angel that brought the plague against Israel. He repeats the story of his longstanding hope to build a house for the Lord. Then he talks about the covenant2 that the Lord, in his mercy, made with his servant.

1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,

all the hardships he endured,

David endured many of these hardships for the Lord’s sake and because he worshiped the Lord. He talks at length about his desire to build a temple for his God and asks the Lord to remember him.

2 how he swore to the LORD

and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,

3 “I will not enter my house

or get into my bed,

4 I will not give sleep to my eyes

or slumber to my eyelids,

5 until I find a place for the LORD,

a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;

we found it in the fields of Jaar.

As a boy living in Bethlehem Ephrathah, he had heard about the ark and loved it. At last, he found it in the forest city of Kiriath-jearim. Happy are they who love the cause of God in their youth; who are determined to be with his church and his people, even if they are as hard to find as a small object in a great forest.

7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;

let us worship at his footstool!”

David wanted to be where God was worshiped. Let us have the same holy desire. Even if the saints are few, poor, and despised, we would rather worship with them than with the great congregations of the worldly rich.

8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,

you and the ark of your might.

This was the song of Israel when the ark was moved from place to place. We may use it in these days when we are pleading for the presence and power of the Lord in his church.

9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,

and let your saints shout for joy.

10 For the sake of your servant David,

do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

Let this always be our prayer. Pray that the church will move forward and that the Lord will be praised by his people. David, as the anointed king, asked the Lord to not turn away from him. Let us ask the Father, for the sake of our anointed greater king Jesus, to not turn away from us.

11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath

from which he will not turn back:

“One of the sons of your body

I will set on your throne.

12 If your sons keep my covenant

and my testimonies that I shall teach them,

their sons also forever

shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling place;

14 “This is my resting place forever;

here I will dwell, for I have desired it.”

What God has chosen, let us choose. Where he dwells, let us dwell. Where he rests, let us rest. The church of God should be very dear to our hearts. We should be eager to unite with those who follow the Lord in all things. And when we are joined to their fellowship we should work toward building up the church by our prayers and efforts. What precious promises are these that follow!

15 “I will abundantly bless her provisions;

I will satisfy her poor with bread.”

The gospel is our food. May the Lord give us grace to feast on this rich provision and make us poor in spirit so that this heavenly bread will always be sweet to us.

16 “Her priests I will clothe with salvation,

and her saints will shout for joy.”

No one is so full of joy or so determined to show it as those who fellowship with God.

17 “There I will make a horn to sprout for David;

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.”

The glory of Jesus, the Son of David, is great in his church. He is the light of truth that shines from her among mankind.

18 “His enemies I will clothe with shame,

but on him his crown will shine.”

King Jesus shall reign. Oh, to be found among his friends! Who would wish to wear the clothes of shame?

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¹ Psalm 132:13

² covenant - A contract, promise, guarantee, pledge or agreement between two or more persons.

Year One, October 7

It Is Enough; Now Stay Your Hand1

David’s pride tempted him to number the people. Seventy-thousand of those men were swept away by the plague God sent by his angel.

  

2 Samuel 24:16-25

16And when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the calamity and said to the angel who was working destruction among the people, “It is enough; now stay your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. (The angel of pestilence appeared in visible form. Actually being able to see the angel added special terror to the judgment. What frightening thoughts must have entered their minds as they saw the destroyer unsheathe his sword to strike the empire’s capital city.) 17Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Behold, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Please let your hand be against me and against my father’s house.”

These were brave and well spoken words. Like a true patriot, the king is moved by the misery of his subjects. Like the father of his country, he would rather perish himself than see Israel in such great distress. These people had often acted like wolves to him, but he forgets all their injuries and calls them sheep. They had been guilty of a thousand sins, but, in his zeal for their safety, he makes himself out to be a far greater sinner. He would rather have the punishment fall on him and his, than on those who had sinned against him. In the same way, “our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep”2 stands between the destroying angel and his own redeemed. “If you seek me,” he says, “let these men go.”3

18And Gad (the prophet) came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, raise an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” (God held back the sword of the destroying angel at the very spot where his angel had held back Abraham from killing his son with a knife.) 19So David went up at Gad’s word, as the LORD commanded. 20And when Araunah looked down, he saw the king and his servants coming on toward him. And Araunah went out and paid homage to the king with his face to the ground.

21And Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be averted from the people.” 22Then Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. 23All this, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.” 24But the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will buy it from you for a price. I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God that cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

Here we have two generous spirits entering into holy competition. One hardly knows who to admire most. True devotion is never stingy. For godly people, the more costly service to God is, the sweeter it is. When giving to God, nothing is too precious. The cost of the gift is not to be thought about when the gift is for him. Some only give to God what they can collect from other people. Our gifts should be from what we actually possess.

25And David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel.

The hill where this threshing floor was located became known as Mount Zion, where Solomon built the temple of the Lord. The temple is a picture of Zion, the church of God, which was also established on a hill of sacrifice. Spiritual Zion, the church of God, is a living memorial in praise of the mercy of God that spared his people. It is where the sword of justice is forever sheathed. Have we come to Mount Zion? Are we safe in the precious blood of sprinkling? These are extremely serious questions that must be answered. Each one of us will one day be required to answer them before the great heart-searching God of heaven.

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¹ 2 Samuel 24:16

² Hebrews 13:20

³ John 18:8

Year One, October 6

Let Me Fall Into the Hand of the LORD1

After many trials, David again enjoyed a time of peace. But this inactivity again brought him into temptation. He decided to take a measurement of his own greatness so he could glory in it.

  

2 Samuel 24:1-4; 9-15

1Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.” (In the Book of Chronicles, we read that, “Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel.”2 Satan certainly was the one who tempted David and the blame for doing so falls completely on him. But the writer of the Book of Second Samuel saw the hand of the Lord in it. He informs us that the Lord used the sin of David as the way to punish the sins of the people. Both statements are true. There is no reason to try to force them to agree, because one truth must agree with another whether we see it or not.) 2So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, “Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people.” 3But Joab said to the king, “May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?”

This time, Joab was not only right, but courteous as well. He knew that the people would think the reason for the census was for either new taxes or a military draft. Either way, numbering the people would make them uneasy and rebellious. Therefore he thought David’s plan was unwise. According to the law of Moses, “Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering.”3 Even though this law had been ignored, Moses numbered the people because God instructed him to. But David acted as if they were his own people and counted them without asking God. The Lord would not put up with this.

4But the king’s word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.

9And Joab gave the sum of the numbering of the people to the king: in Israel there were 800,000 valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were 500,000.

10But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. (David ordered the census to give him something to brag about, but in the end, it only gave him something to be ashamed of. His army of over one-and-a-quarter million warriors gave him no joy, because he ended up bringing sorrow to his God.) And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” (God’s grace was in David and when it came to the front, he was quite ready to regret his mistake. Oh, that we all had a tender conscience like David’s!) 11And when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12“Go and say to David, (Just “David”. Not “David my servant” as it had been before. If we oppose God, he will oppose us.) ‘Thus says the LORD, Three things I offer you. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.’”

13So Gad came to David and told him, and said to him, “Shall three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to him who sent me.” 14Then David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into the hand of man.” (He had a hard decision, but he chose wisely. David showed that for all his straying from the will of God, he still had a solid and loving trust in the Lord his God. A child of God always feels safest in his Father’s hands.)

15So the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel from the morning until the appointed time. And there died of the people from Dan to Beersheba 70,000 men.

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¹ 1 Chronicles 21:13

² 1 Chronicles 21:1

³ Exodus 30:14

Year One, October 5

See How He Loved Him1

While the great battle was raging in the forest, the elderly king was anxiously watching for news.

  

2 Samuel 18:24-33

24Now David was sitting between the two gates, and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate by the wall, and when he lifted up his eyes and looked, he saw a man running alone. 25The watchman called out and told the king. And the king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” And he drew nearer and nearer. (If there were many men running from the fight they would probably be deserters, but only one would naturally be a messenger from the camp.) 26The watchman saw another man running. And the watchman called to the gate and said, “See another man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings news.” 27The watchman said, “I think the running of the first is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” And the king said, “He is a good man and comes with good news.” (It is a great blessing when this can be said of the son of a priest. The children of pastors should always be blessings, but it is not always so.)

28Then Ahimaaz cried out to the king, “All is well.” And he bowed before the king with his face to the earth and said, “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delivered up the men who raised their hand against my lord the king.” 29And the king said, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” (There was a tender place in David’s heart for his son. If we see such love in an earthly father, how much greater is the love of our heavenly Father! He certainly does not delight in the death of any, but prefers that they would turn to him and live.)  Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, your servant, I saw a great commotion, but I do not know what it was.” (He had learned to hold his tongue. He was in no hurry to grieve the king.) 30And the king said, “Turn aside and stand here.” So he turned aside and stood still.

31And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the King! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” (The honest Cushite told his devastating news as reasonably as he could, but a dagger went to the father’s heart as he heard it.) 33And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (This was love! Intense, great, passionate love. But the love of Jesus to us was even greater. Jesus did not say, “Would I had died instead of you,” but he has actually died that we might live. Oh love, amazing and incomprehensible! David’s tears were a display of his love, but Jesus actually dying is an even more incredible expression of love!)

  

2 Samuel 19:2; 4-8

2So the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the people, for the people heard that day, “The king is grieving for his son.”

4The king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, “O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!” 5Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, 6because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased. 7Now therefore arise, go out and speak kindly to your servants, for I swear by the LORD, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this night, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.” (Joab was probably right, but his manner was rough and unfeeling. It is always good to speak gently, even when we are required to be firm.) 8aThen the king arose and took his seat in the gate. And the people were all told, “Behold, the king is sitting in the gate.” And all the people came before the king. (Joab’s harsh intervention produced a good result. Good people follow sound advice, even when it is presented incorrectly. We must not act foolishly just because the person giving the advice is not courteous.)

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¹ John 11:36

Year One, October 4

He Will Sustain You1

This psalm most clearly describes David’s condition when he had fled far away into the wilderness to escape from his son. He bitterly describes the treachery of Ahithophel, and prophesies his doom. But his psalm ends with most faithful and cheerful advice. Advice we will all do well to follow.

  

Psalm 55

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God,

and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!

2 Attend to me, and answer me;

I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

because of the noise of the enemy,

because of the oppression of the wicked.

3 For they drop trouble upon me,

and in anger they bear a grudge against me.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;

the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

5 Fear and trembling come upon me,

and horror overwhelms me.

6 And I say, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!

I would fly away and be at rest;

7 yes, I would wander far away;

I would lodge in the wilderness;     Selah.

8 I would hurry to find a shelter

from the raging wind and tempest.”

9 Destroy, O Lord, divide their tongues;

for I see violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they go around it on its walls,

and iniquity and trouble are within it;

11 ruin is in its midst;

oppression and fraud

do not depart from its marketplace.

12 For it is not an enemy who taunts me--

then I could bear it;

it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me--

then I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a man, my equal,

my companion, my familiar friend.

14 We used to take sweet counsel together;

within God’s house we walked in the throng.

15 Let death steal over them;

let them go down to Sheol alive;

for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.

16 But I call to God,

and the LORD will save me.

17 Evening and morning and at noon

I utter my complaint and moan,

and he hears my voice.

18 He redeems my soul in safety

from the battle that I wage,

for many are arrayed against me.

19 God will give ear and humble them,

he who is enthroned from of old,     Selah

because they do not change

and do not fear God.

20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends;

he violated his covenant.

21 His speech was smooth as butter,

yet war was in his heart;

his words were softer than oil,

yet they were drawn swords.

22 Cast your burden on the LORD,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

23 But you, O God, will cast them down

into the pit of destruction;

men of blood and treachery

shall not live out half their days.

But I will trust in you.

Let us dwell a moment on the twenty-second verse, “Your burden.” Whatever burden your God lays on you, lay it “on the Lord.” In his wisdom, he brought this burden on you. In your wisdom, you should give it right back to him. God will give you your share of suffering. Accept it with cheerful patience and then take it back to him with confident assurance. “He will sustain you.” He who placed the burden on you will also give you the strength to endure it. Everything you need, and then some, will be provided for you to live through all your labors and trials. “As your days, so shall your strength be.”2 “He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” He may seem to move away from us, like a tree bends away from the windy storm, but he will never be moved like the tree that is torn up by the roots. The person who stands with God stands firm. Many seek to destroy the saints, but God has not allowed them to perish and he never will. The godly stand like pillars, “steadfast, immovable,”3 to the glory of the Great Designer.

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¹ Psalm 55:22

² Deuteronomy 33:25

³ 1 Corinthians 15:58