APRIL 3

        In today's reading David succeeds Saul to the throne. He 
would reign a total of forty years, 33 years as king over the entire 
nation of Israel. David chooses and captures Jerusalem for the 
capital city.

        Chapter 6 records the returning of the Ark of the Covenant 
to Jerusalem. 
Psalm 132:1-6 tells of David's intense desire to honor the Lord by 
returning the Ark to its proper place. For nearly 20 years it had 
been in Kirjath-Jearim, and it took David about three months to 
finish the task of bringing it back to the special tent he had 
prepared for it in Jerusalem.

        Chapter 7 records the Davidic covenant. The phrases, "thy 
seed" (verse 12) and "thy throne" (verse 16) summarize the main 
lesson of the chapter. The Davidic covenant is important to God's 
program, because in it God promises certain eternal blessings to the 
Jewish nation. In His covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15) God had 
promised a seed, a land and a blessing to all nations. In the 
Davidic covenant God reveals that the promised Messiah would come 
through David's line (Romans 1:3,4) and would rule over the kingdom 
of Israel from David's throne. That promised Messiah is Jesus Christ 
and He is coming soon. He will sit down upon the throne of David in 
Jerusalem and rule over His people for 1,000 years. As Christians, 
we have a glorious future ahead. Are you prepared for His return?