T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S SATURDAY, June 24. Psalm S 3:1-12. National Blessedness. Where is the nation today whose God is the Lord? _ One nation builds a mighty navy to give it the mastery of the sea. Another nation builds and bows before a colos sal war machine. One prostrates it self before the altars of mammon and a shrine of gold. Another in red-hand ed anarchy trails the name of God in the dust. This is why there is distress of nations upon the earth with per plexity. Luke 21:25. What does it mean? The nations are in subjection to the god of this age who is a god of hate and war, and so they are moving on toward Armageddon. That nation is not blessed whose god is Mars or Mammon, 'that nation is not blessed whose god is Confucius, Buddha or Mohammed, that nation is only blessed whose God is Jehovah. It is now the business of the church to bring the knowledge of the one true and living God to the whole wide world. “ Go ye and teach all nations." Matt. 28:19. SUNDAY, June 25. Jer. 1 1 :1 -8 . Judah’s Prosperity and Adversity. The duration of the kingdom of Ju dah was about four hundred years. There were twenty rulers, nineteen kings and one queen. It survived the kingdom of Israel one hundred and thirty-six years. Both the histories of Judah and Israel teach in letters of liv ing fire that the only way of national prosperity is the highway of righteous ness and devotion to God. Nothing is really good for a people or a person that is not right. God gives rest and peace to those who trust and serve Him. There are greater perils in prosperity than in adversity. Prosperity tends to beget pride and a sense of self-suf ficiency, and pride is the precursor of destruction. We need the Holy Spirit to keep us humble and dependent upon God. He will keep us steadfast in both prosperity and adversity. Though the afflictions of the righteous may be many, yet the Lord delivefeth him out of them all. MONDAY, June 26. Ezek. 2 :1 -1 0 . Ezekiel’s Commission. Ezekiel was a prophet of the captiv ity, all of his prophetic ministry being spent in exile. We know little or noth ing about his family. Since he was a priest he must have belonged to one of thé leading priestly families. He was married and dwelt in his home among his fellow captives, ch. 8:1; 24:18. He
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was a prophet of Israel, his prophecies pertaining almost wholly to that nation. The first three chapters deal with his call and commission to the work. He is often addressed as the “ son of man” , a phrase applied to no other prophet save Daniel and only once to him, Dan. 8:17. He was charged to deliver God’s message regardless of consequences. The people might reject him and perse cute him, but he was to preach the mes sage that God gave him. Every preach er of God’s Word has a similar commis sion and when the message has been faithfully delivered the responsibility rests upon those to whom it was given. TUESDAY, June 27. Ezek. 3 :16 -21 . The Watchman of Israel. As the watchman upon the walls of the city was expected to see any danger to which the inhabitants were exposed and therefore give prompt and suitable warning, so the prophet having been informed of the danger which threaten ed God’s people, was expected to sound the alarm which had been divinely given. When the watchman has been faithful to his trust, the responsibility of escape rests upon the person or per sons who have been warned. If the prophet fails to warn the wicked and they die without repentance they will be lost and their blood will be upon the head of the unfaithful and silent watch man. The watchman’s duty is to save life/ The fact that a watchman is needed implies danger. When men re ject the truth they do not reject the hu- - man messenger but the Divine Sender. No faithful man can rid himself of the burden of the Lord except by faithfully declaring it whether men will hear or whether they will forbear. Ezekiel was to perform his duty without fear for the fear of man bringeth a snare. WEDNESDAY, June 28. Isaiah 2 1 :5 - 12 . The Burden of Dumah. Isaiah is standing on his watch-tower in Jerusalem when he is challenged by a voice from beyond the mountains of Seir, saying “Watchman, how far is it in the night?” As a man sick and sleepless in bed longs for the morning so this Edomite inquirer longs to see the dawn. The prophet gives a double answer. “ Morning cometh and also night.” Morning is coming for Israel and night for Edom. Israel is the people of the morning land. Their darkness will be banished- by the eternal day. It is not thus with
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