Dail}) Devotional Home Readings Connected with International Sunday) School Lessons FREDERIC W. FARR, D. D.
FR IDAY, June 3. Daniel 7:1-8. A Divine Viewpoint of National Life. In th e second chapter of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar, the man of th e world, sees worldly empire under the aspect of a stately, imposing and colossal image. In the seventh cha'pter, Daniel, th e man of God, sees the same thing as a suc cession of ferocious wild beasts rising from the sea. What a difference the point of view makes! Man contemplates the fabric of modern civilization with some such severe satisfaction and swell ing pride as Nebuchadnezzar surveyed ancient Babylon. Daniel 4:30. Gloria mundi! How humiliating it is to human pride to open the Bible and find it all referred to slightingly and contemptu ously! 1 John 2:16-17. Ought we not to rectify and re-adjust our vision by seek ing the Divine viewpoint on all m atters? Some things which are highly esteemed among men are an abomination in the sight of God. Conversely, some things which rank high in Heaven are reckoned as of no account on earth. SATURDAY, June 4. Matthew 25:31-46. The Judgment of the Nations. There are seven distinct judgments in Scripture. They all differ in respect to subject, object, time and place. This particular one seems to be th a t of the living nations in the valley of Jehosaphat at the beginning of the millennial age. The ground of award is the treatm ent of Israel during the present age. Obviously the basis is not evangelical. Scripture clearly shows th a t while individuals are not punished to the full in the present life, 2 Pet. 2:9, nations always are and necessarily so, having no future life. The prophecies of the Old Testament which relate to the several nations that had dealings with Israel bring this prin ciple to view and history abundantly confirms it. Christ is called not only the King of Israel but the King of nations and as such He will be their Judge. SUNDAY, June 5. Psalm 33:1-22. Christian Ideals in National Life. More than the usual amount of adverse criticism was heaped upon the adminis tration of Woodrow Wilson, whether
WEDNESDAY, June 1st. Genesis 9:1-7. Man’s Failure Under Government The object of government is to promote order and to repress disorder. Noah, to whom th e sword of the m agistrate was given, failed to govern himself. A world in disorder attests the failure of man to govern himself and his fellow men. There never has been but one perfect govern ment on earth but men soon wearied, of th at and changed it. 1 Sam. 8:7. Since then every other form has been tried. Autocracy is the rule of one, oligarchy the rule of the few, aristocracy th e rule of the best, plutocracy the rule of the rich, democracy the rule of the people. Every form has failed, even anarchy, which is no government at all. A Chris tian is not an autocrat, nor an aristocrat, nor a plutocrat, nor a democrat. He is a theocrat looking forward to th e promised day when the kingdoms of this world shall become th e kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ who shall reign forever and ever. Rev. 11:15. THURSDAY, June 2. Genesis 4<-16-26. The Beginning of National Life. The human race early divided into two families, Cain and Seth being the re spective heads. The descendants of Cain are the representatives of the world. They built the first city and cultivated music and the arts. The descendants of Seth by unholy alliances lost purity and prestige. The dispensation ended with the judgment of the flood. The race be gins anew in Noah as it did in Adam. From Noah’s th ree sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, come th e Semitic, Turanian and Aryan races. The prophecies concerning them are found in Gen. 9:24-27. Shem is distinguished by religious privilege. Most of the religions of th e world have a-Sem itic origin. Japh eth had a multiplied pos terity and national prosperity. The pol itical control of human history has long since passed into Aryan hands. The Aryan nations are the most highly civil ized and powerful on earth. The Divine purpose in the location and distribution of the nations is seen in Acts 17:26 and Deut. 32:8.
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