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naught. Every system th a t is based on the sh ifting sands of m an’s devising shall be overthrown. SATURDAY, March 15. Heb. 6:13-20. A Sure Refuge In ancient tim es when a ship came to th e m outh of a harbor, a sailor who was called the pródromos or forerunner, took a cable over th e harbo r b ar and made it fast on th e fa rth e r side. The o ther sailors laying hold, w arped the vessel over th e b ar into th e desired haven. A ship upon th e sea is an chored downward. A C hristian is an chored upward. When Christ ascended He carried the anchor up behind the vail and made it fast to th e throne of God. He is therefo re called th e fore ru n n er of our salvation. H is presence in heaven is th e pledge and prom ise of our fu tu re presence there. John 17:24. “The cables passed from His h ea rt to /mine, Can defy th e blast th rough streng th divine.” SUNDAY, March 16. Psalm 91:1-10. Jehovah a Refuge The P salm ist applies to God all kinds of titles suggesting protection and security.. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my buckler, the ho rn of my salvation and my high tower. The name of th e Lord is a ¿strong tow er; th e righteous runn eth into it and is safe. Prov. 18:10. Spurgeon says, “When he shu ts th e door of th e righteous in our faces, we can run in by th e sinn er’s door.” A name reveals th e n atu re and represents some a ttrib u te of th e one to whom it is applied. A study of th e various names of God in S cripture and the circum stances under which each one is revealed and used, is most enlightening and edifying. “They th a t know thy name w ill p u t th e ir tru s t in th ee.” MONDAY, March 17. Joshua 23:1-13. Israel Warned Against Compromise A compromise between two or more parties involves m u tu al concessions. R ighteousness can never concede any thing. It is in to leran t. The su rrender of its sligh test claim destroys its char acter. It can no t even discuss condi tions for th ere are none. God sought to create a nation th a t should preserve a pure religious faith and be a perpet
u al testim ony to him self among th e nations of th e earth . He surrounded them w ith prohibitions. The “ Thou sh a lt no ts” of th e Old T estam ent are moral safeguards. Civil contracts and social alliances th a t m ight involve spir itu a l affinities were strictly forbidden. H erein may be found the reason of the command to extirpate th e Canaanites. W arnings and prom ises were insepar ably united in Jo sh u a’s address and they are found in all God’s messages to man. We can no t choose th e prom ises and reje ct the penalties. God is equally faith fu l in fulfilling both prom ises and th reats. Saul lost his kingdom th rough dis obedience. He claimed, however, to have fully obeyed th e Divine command. God told him to u tte rly destroy all th e Amalekites and th e ir possessions. He spared Agag th e, king of Amalek and th e best of th e cattle as he said to sacrifice unto th e Lord. He presumed to be w iser th an God to thu s change God’s command. He tried to compro mise th e m atter. He obeyed only so far as it suited his convenience. As much disrespect may be shown in p artial and half-h earted obedience as in direct and positive disobedience. Saul claimed credit, however, for full obedience and by so doing increased his guilt. Out w ard victory m atters little if th e re be inw ard defeat. Indeed the outw ard situ ation will surely and quickly con form to th e inward condition. Nothing can tak e the place of implicit obedience. “To obey is b etter th a n sacrifice and to h eark en th a n th e fa t of ram s.” Isaiah 1:11-15. W arnings Against E vil Companionships A proverbial saying combines th e wis dom of many w ith th e w it of one. The book of Proverbs is a collection of heavenly rules for an earth ly life. Solo mon lived five hundred years before the seven wise men of Greece and seven hund red years before A ristotle and Socrates. H is wisdom was a Divine gift sup ern atu rally bestowed. 1 K ings 3:12. L ike the o ther inspired w riters of Scrip tu re, he knows bu t two classes of men. th e righteous and th e wicked, or as he calL them the wise and th e foolish. TUESDAY, March 18. 1 Sam. 15:10-23. Defeat Through Compromise WEDNESDAY, March 19. Prov. 1:7- 19.
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