Morning  “Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” / 2 Samuel 23:5

This covenant is divine in its origin. “He hath made with me an everlasting

covenant.” Oh that great word He ! Stop, my soul. God, the everlasting Father,

has positively made a covenant with thee; yes, that God who spake the world

into existence by a word; he, stooping from his majesty, takes hold of thy

hand and makes a covenant with thee. Is it not a deed, the stupendous

condescension of which might ravish our hearts forever if we could really

understand it? “HE hath made with me a covenant.” A king has not made a

covenant with me–that were somewhat; but the Prince of the kings of the

earth, Shaddai, the Lord All-sufficient, the Jehovah of ages, the everlasting

Elohim, “He hath made with me an everlasting covenant.” But notice, it is

particular in its application. “Yet hath he made with me an everlasting

covenant.” Here lies the sweetness of it to each believer. It is nought for me

that he made peace for the world; I want to know whether he made peace for me!

It is little that he hath made a covenant, I want to know whether he has made

a covenant with me. Blessed is the assurance that he hath made a covenant with

me! If God the Holy Ghost gives me assurance of this, then his salvation is

mine, his heart is mine, he himself is mine–he is my God.

 

This covenant is everlasting in its duration. An everlasting covenant means a

covenant which had no beginning, and which shall never, never end. How sweet

amidst all the uncertainties of life, to know that “the foundation of the Lord

standeth sure,” and to have God’s own promise, “My covenant will I not break,

nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.” Like dying David, I will

sing of this, even though my house be not so with God as my heart desireth.

 

Evening  “I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin,

and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.” /

Ezekiel 16:10

See with what matchless generosity the Lord provides for his people’s apparel.

They are so arrayed that the divine skill is seen producing an unrivalled

broidered work, in which every attribute takes its part and every divine

beauty is revealed. No art like the art displayed in our salvation, no cunning

workmanship like that beheld in the righteousness of the saints. Justification

has engrossed learned pens in all ages of the church, and will be the theme of

admiration in eternity. God has indeed “curiously wrought it.” With all this

elaboration there is mingled utility and durability, comparable to our being

shod with badgers’ skins. The animal here meant is unknown, but its skin

covered the tabernacle, and formed one of the finest and strongest leathers

known. The righteousness which is of God by faith endureth forever, and he who

is shod with this divine preparation will tread the desert safely, and may

even set his foot upon the lion and the adder. Purity and dignity of our holy

vesture are brought out in the fine linen. When the Lord sanctifies his

people, they are clad as priests in pure white; not the snow itself excels

them; they are in the eyes of men and angels fair to look upon, and even in

the Lord’s eyes they are without spot. Meanwhile the royal apparel is delicate

and rich as silk. No expense is spared, no beauty withheld, no daintiness

denied.

What, then? Is there no inference from this? Surely there is gratitude to be

felt and joy to be expressed. Come, my heart, refuse not thy evening

hallelujah! Tune thy pipes! Touch thy chords!

“Strangely, my soul, art thou arrayed

By the Great Sacred Three!

In sweetest harmony of praise

Let all thy powers agree.”