Bible

True Freedom in Worship

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Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold.” According to Usher’s chronology it had been twenty-three years since the dream of this same Nebuchadnezzar as recorded in the second chapter of Daniel. As a result of the experience at that time, Daniel was made counselor, sitting in the gate of the king, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were appointed rulers in the province of Babylon. Many opportunities had presented themselves to these men of God, and they had kept the knowledge of their God before the people of Babylon. Jerusalem had in the meantime been destroyed. The Jews, as a nation, were scattered throughout the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar; their king, Jehoiachin, languished in one of the prisons of Babylon. It was a time of sorrow and mourning for the chosen people of God. Could it be that they were forgotten by Him who smote Egypt, and led the hosts across the Red Sea? As far as human eye could see, it was right to think so.

Pagan Still

Nebuchadnezzar had been humiliated when Daniel interpreted his dream, and he had then worshiped God. But as the years passed, he lost the spirit which characterized true worship, and while in the mind acknowledging the God of the Jews, in heart he was pagan still. So he made an image of gold, patterning it as closely as possible after the image revealed to him in his dream, at the same time gratifying his own pride, for the entire figure was gold. There was no trace of the other kingdoms, which were represented by the silver, the brass, the iron, and the clay in the dream. On the plain of Dura it stood, rising at least one hundred feet above the surrounding country, and visible for miles in every direction.

Then a decree was issued by Nebuchadnezzar calling to the capital the governors and rulers of provinces from all over the world. He, the ruler of kingdoms, thus showed his authority. It was a great occasion, and subject kings and governors dared not disobey the mandates of this universal king.

Heaven was watching with intense interest, for this was the occasion when the highest worldly authority was to meet the government of heaven.

Babylon was not only the greatest and most powerful government in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, but it is a symbol of earthly governments of all time, and for that reason we have the record as given in Daniel 3.

As a king, he had a perfect right to call his subjects together. As subjects, it was the duty of those who were called to obey.

Command to Worship

As that great company gathered around the image on the broad plain, the voice of the herald was heard: “At what time ye hear the sound . . . of all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image. . . . Whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”

“God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit.” [John 4:24.] But of spiritual worship, paganism is entirely ignorant. Except there be some form, some image before which they can bow, there can be, to them, no worship. It was wholly in accordance with the religion, the education, and the government of Babylon, for the king to erect an image such as he did. It was wholly in harmony with the customs—educational, religious, and civil—for the people in general to respect a command to worship such an image.

While it was in harmony with worldly government, it was not, however, according to the principle of the heavenly government. Hence it is that again, in the person of the Babylonian king, Satan is challenging the government of God. When Lucifer and his angels refused to bow before the throne of God, the Father would not then destroy them. They should live until death should come as a result of the course they pursued. The Babylonian king, however, threatened utter destruction to all who refused to worship his golden image. The motive power in the heavenly government is love; human power when exercised becomes tyranny. All tyranny is a repetition of the Babylonian principles. We sometimes call it papal; it is likewise Babylonian. When the civil power enforces worship of any sort, be that worship true or false in itself, to obey is idolatry. The command must be backed by some form of punishment,—a fiery furnace,—and the conscience of man is no longer free. From a civil standpoint, such legislation is tyranny, and looked at from a religious point of view, it is persecution.

Can it be?

The vast throng fell prostrate before the image, but Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego remained erect. Then it was, certain Chaldeans,—teachers in the realm, jealous of the position and power of these Hebrews,—having waited for a chance to accuse them, said to the king, “There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, . . . these men have not regarded thee.”

Can it be, thought the king, that when the image is made after the pattern of the one shown me by the God of the Jews, that those men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, have failed to worship at my command? Can it be possible that when I have elevated those men, who were only slaves, to high positions in the government, that they disregard my laws? The thought rankled in the heart of the king. Self-exaltation brooks no opposition, and the men were called forthwith into the presence of Nebuchadnezzar.

Can it be possible, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, after all that has been done for you, that ye do not serve my gods nor worship the image, which I have set up? The reason for making the image was doubtless explained, and another opportunity offered them in which they might redeem the past offense. But if it was willful disregard of authority, the law of the land should be enforced. The furnace was pointed to by the king as awaiting traitors and rebels.

Test of Fidelity

What a test of the fidelity of these three companions of Daniel! They realized that they were in the presence of not only the richest monarch of earth, and that disobedience meant death, but before the assembled multitudes of the plain of Dura, and that they were a spectacle to God, to angels, and to the inhabitants of other worlds. The whole universe was watching with inexpressible interest to see what these men would do. The controversy was not between man and Satan, but between Satan and Christ, and eternal principles were at stake. Men were actors in the contest. They could stand as witnesses either for Christ or for Satan in this time of decision. Would they allow an unsanctified emotion to have possession of their lives, and compromise their faith? What could a religion be worth which admitted of compromise? What can any religion be worth if it does not teach loyalty to the God of heaven? What is there of any real value in the world,—especially when on the very borders of eternity,—unless it be God’s acknowledgement of us as his children?

These Hebrew youth had learned from the history of God’s dealings with the Israelites in times past, that disobedience brought only dishonor, disaster, and ruin; and that the fear of the Lord was not only the beginning of wisdom, but the basis of all true prosperity. They therefore calmly and respectfully told the king that they would not worship his golden image, and that they had faith that their God was able to protect them.

The king was angry. His proud spirit could not tolerate this refusal to obey his decree. He ordered that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual, and that the most mighty men of his army bind these three Hebrews and throw them into the fire. This was done, but God in this act began to vindicate his worthies. The furnace was so exceedingly hot that the mighty men who cast the Hebrews into the fire were themselves destroyed by the intense heat.

God suffered not envy and hatred to prevail against his children. How often have the enemies of God united their strength and wisdom to destroy the character and influence of a few humble, trusting persons! But nothing can prevail against those who are strong in the Lord. The promise is, “The wrath of man shall praise thee.”

God preserved his servants in the midst of the flames, and the attempt to force them into idolatry resulted in bringing the knowledge of the true God before the assemblage of princes and rulers of the vast kingdom of Babylon. “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” All things are possible to those who believe. “What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” God may not always work deliverance in the way that we think best, but he who sees everything from the beginning knows what will bring honor and praise to his name.

Recognizing the Son of God

Suddenly the king became pale with terror. He looked intently into the midst of the fiery furnace, and turned to those near him with the words, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered, “True, O king.” The king then said, “Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”

How did the king recognize the form of the Son of God? Evidently by the teachings of the Jews in the court of Babylon and in remembrance of his vision. Daniel and his companions had ever sought to bring before the king, the princes, and the wise men of Babylon, a knowledge of the true God. These Hebrews, holding high positions in the government, had been associated with the king; and as they were not ashamed of their God, they had honored and given glory to the Lord whenever opportunity afforded. The king had heard from their lips descriptions of the glorious Being whom they served; and it was from this instruction that he was able to recognize the fourth person in the fire as the Son of God. The king also understood the ministry of angels, and now believed that they had interfered in behalf of these faithful men who would yield their bodies to punishment rather than consent with their minds to serve or worship any god but their own. These men were true missionaries. They held honored positions in the government, and at the same time let the light of the gospel shine through their lives. This miracle was one of the results of their godly lives.

With bitter remorse and feelings of humility, the king approached the furnace, and exclaimed, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither.” They did so, and all the hosts of the plain of Dura were witnesses to the fact that not even the smell of fire was upon their garments, and not a hair of their heads had been singed. God had triumphed through the constancy of his faithful servants. The magnificent image was forgotten by the people in their wonder, and solemnity pervaded the assembly.

Truth Prevails

What the Jewish nation as a nation had failed to do in proclaiming the truth to the nations of the world, God accomplished under the most trying circumstances, with only three men. The story of the miraculous deliverance was told to the ends of the earth. The principles of religious liberty and freedom of conscience were made known. The history of the Jews was told from mouth to mouth as those unacquainted with the three Hebrews asked who they were and how they came into Babylon. The Sabbath was proclaimed. The story of Jewish education was made known. The glory of Babylon was for the time forgotten as the splendor of the heavenly kingdom and the principles of God’s government became the absorbing theme. Without doubt some men dated their conversation from that day, and forces were set in operation which paved the way for the return of the Jews a few years later.

Again the heathen monarch is brought to acknowledge the power of heaven’s King. When Daniel interpreted the dream, worldly wisdom and the learning of the Babylonian schools fell before the simple gospel teaching as carried out by faithful mothers in Israel. When the three Hebrews were saved from the heat of the furnace, the principles of God’s government—true Protestantism, as it would be called today,—were proclaimed before the nations of the earth.

It was only a partial appreciation of these principles which Nebuchadnezzar at first gained; nevertheless it led to the decree that throughout the whole dominion, wherever a Jew might be living, no man should speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. This gave freedom to every believer to worship unmolested. Satan, in attempting to destroy the Hebrews, had overstepped the bounds, and in place of the death of three, life was granted to thousands.

Test of Faith

The trial on the plains of Dura was the crowning act in the lives of the three Hebrews. We are told that they were advanced to higher positions in the province of Babylon, but we hear nothing further of them. In the testing time they did not know that the Lord would deliver them from the furnace, but they had faith to believe that he had power to do it if it were his will to do so. In such times it takes more faith to trust that God will bring about his purposes in his own way than it does to believe in our own way. It is the absence of this faith and trust in critical times which brings perplexity, distress, fear, and surmising of evil. God is ever ready to do great things for his people when they put their trust in him. “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Seldom are we placed in the same circumstances twice. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel, and others were sorely tried, even unto death, yet each test came in a different way. Each one today has an experience peculiar to his character and circumstances. God has a work to accomplish in the life of each individual. Every act, however small, has its place in our life experience. God is more than willing to guide us in the right way. He has not closed the windows of heaven to prayer, but his ears are ever open to the cries of his children, and his eye watches every movement of Satan to counteract his work.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were men of like passions with ourselves. Their lives are given to show what man may become even in this life, if he will make God his strength and wisely improve the opportunities within his reach. Among the captives of the king who had similar advantages, only Daniel and his three companions bent all their energies to seek wisdom and knowledge from God as revealed in his Word and works. Although they afterward held high positions of trust, they were neither proud nor self-sufficient. They had a living connection with God, loving, fearing, and obeying him. They allowed their light to shine in undimmed luster, while occupying positions of responsibility. Amid all the temptations and fascinations of the court, they stood firm as a rock in adherence to principle.

A direct compliance with Bible requirements, and a faith in God, will bring strength to both the will and the body. The fruit of the Spirit is not only love, joy, and peace, but temperance also. If these youth had compromised with the heathen officers at first, and yielded to the pressure of the occasion by eating and drinking according to the custom of the Babylonians, contrary to God’s requirements, that one wrong step would undoubtedly have led to others, until their consciences would have become seared, and they would have been turned into wrong paths. Faithfulness in this one point prepared them to withstand greater temptations, until finally they stood firm in this critical test on the plain of Dura. . . .

Future Test of Faith

All the world was called to worship the image set up in the province of Babylon; refusing, they would suffer death. In Revelation there is brought to view an image to the beast,—governments on earth which will frame laws contrary to the requirements of God. Life and power will be given to this image, and it shall both speak and decree that as many as will not worship it shall be put to death. All, small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, will be required to receive a mark in the right hand or in the forehead. Men will be disfranchised for not worshiping this image; for no one will be allowed to buy or sell who has not the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Who will be able to stand the test when this decree to worship the image to the beast is enforced? Who will choose rather to “suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season”? What children are now being trained and educated in these principles of integrity to God? From what homes will come the Daniels and the Meshachs? This will be the final test brought upon the servants of God. The scenes portrayed in the third chapter of Daniel are but a miniature representation of those trials into which the people of God are coming as the end approaches.

Story of Daniel the Prophet (1904), 28–38. Printed with permission of the publisher, TEACH Services, Inc., Brushton, New York, 1995.

What Manner of Persons

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In 11 Peter 3:11, the question is asked, “What manner of persons ought you to be?” This chapter of 11 Peter is the last letter from the apostle Peter. In the first chapter, he tells us that very soon he is going to die. He knows that, just as the Lord predicted to him, he will very soon be crucified. In the second chapter, he predicts a worldwide apostasy in Christendom after his death and describes the awful apostasy that will come into the Christian church. In the third chapter, he speaks of the times in which we are living, and he tells the people how they can be sure of obtaining eternal life. He tells them that the word of prophecy is surer than what they see or hear.

Verse 3 of 11 Peter 3 says, “This knowing first, that mockers shall come in the last days.” What is this mockery? What are these mockers going to say? Peter goes on to list other things that will happen in the last days.

Promise of His Coming

People will ask, “Where is the promise of His coming?” This is a statement of unbelief. The last days are described in the Scriptures as a time of great unbelief. Most of the world does not believe. Are we living in that time? Yes, it is recorded in our history books. Many historians refer to the period of time that we often call the Middle Ages and the Dark Ages as the age of faith. It was a very wicked time, a time when millions of Bible-believing Christians were martyred for their faith, but it was still an age of faith. Even those who were killing other people claimed they were Christians who believed in God and in the Bible. But the last days are described as a time of unbelief. Jesus described them in that manner—He said it would be like the days of Noah. (Matthew 24:37.) Were the days of Noah a time of unbelief? Well, there were only eight people in the ark! The last days are repeatedly described as a time of great unbelief.

I was reading recently that various mathematicians have tried to figure out what the population might have been at the time of the flood. Remember, people before the flood lived to be nearly 1,000 years of age, so if you consider that, a woman could probably have borne children for 300 to 400 years. How many children would a woman have during that time? One mathematician said that it would be the easiest thing in the world for the average family to have 18 to 20 children, so he used the lower number of 18 in his calculations. There are people in our time who have a dozen or more children, so 18 is not an unrealistic number. We know that people in the Old Testament had many children. In Genesis 5, we are told that Enoch lived for 365 years; his first child, Methuselah, was born when he was 65. Then it states that after that he “begat sons and daughters.” (Verses 21, 22.) He would have had at least two sons and two daughters in addition to Methuselah, so Enoch would have had a minimum of five children. It could have been six or eight or ten. This mathematician calculated that at the time of the flood, if the average family had 18 children, the population could have been between 700 and 800 million people! If the average family had been 20, the population would have been over a billion. Ellen White says that there was a vast population in the world at that time. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 102.) It is almost certain that, at a minimum, there were hundreds of millions of people, and there could easily have been over a billion.

Out of those hundreds of millions, there were only eight people in the ark. Was that an age of unbelief? Jesus foretold that it will be like that again at the end, and Peter foretold that it would be a time of great unbelief. The people will be mocking those who are expecting the Lord to come. They will say that we expected Him to come years ago, and we cannot contradict that.

Lust, Unbelief

People will be going after their own lusts. In other words, they will be following their own human cravings.

People will be expressing unbelief. People will say, “Since the fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.” That is the Uniformitarian Theory that was developed in the last 200–250 years. This Theory states that if you cut into a mountain to observe the sediment and you determine that two-tenths of an inch of sediment is being laid down every year in this mountain, by cutting down so many feet, you can say that this mountain is so many million years old, because you believe that the same amount of sediment being laid down now has been laying down for centuries.

In 1979, I toured the geology building at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. I went through the entire building—looking for their evidence that things were many millions of years old. I went to every display in the whole building, and there is only one piece of evidence—the Uniformitarian Theory. The whole field of geology is built on this Theory. Almost 1,800 years before this Theory was developed, Peter said that that is what people would say in the last days. According to Bible prophecy, this Theory is proof that we are living in the last days.

Willingly Ignorant

People are willingly ignorant that this world came into existence by the Word of God. This world is not something that just developed over a long period of time. It came into existence by the Word of God. People want to be ignorant; they do not want to remember this. We have the most startling proof of this today. I have read a book about the researches of an orthodontist who went to Europe and other areas to study the skulls of people such as the Neanderthal man and the Promagnum man, who were supposed to be millions of years old. He secured permission to take x-ray pictures of some of the skulls. He began doing some measurements and calculations and found information that was so startling—and that so startlingly disproved previous theories—that his life was actually in danger.

Robert Gentry, the man who wrote Creation’s Tiny Mystery [Earth Science Associates, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1986], which describes how stones were created, challenged some organizations in court. He has written 11 different research reports of his findings on his rock research. No one has been able to fault his research. In court, when the evolutionists were asked to refute his research, they said, “That is just a tiny mystery that we cannot explain.” He has submitted his reports for publication, but the journals refuse to publish them. Do you know why they refuse to publish them? Because the Bible says that in the last days people willingly, wantonly desire to forget. It is exactly what the Bible says. They do not want to remember that the heavens and earth came into existence by the Word of God.

The world that was deluged by water during the Flood was destroyed. The Flood is one of the things of which the people are willingly ignorant. If any of you find a geology or biology textbook that teaches that there was a worldwide flood about 4,400 years ago, let me know. I have never seen one. Our textbooks never acknowledge a worldwide flood; they only tell of an ice age. Notice what Peter says: “But the heavens and the earth which now are, by the same Word, are kept treasured up for fire unto the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” Verse 7.

Fire Coming

The Bible teaches that there is fire coming. The third angel’s message teaches that there is fire coming. I have never preached much about hell. I do not like to think about it. I do not like to preach about it. I do not like to talk about it, but it is in the Bible. We need to recognize that each one of us has a heaven to win and a hell to shun. (See Selected Messages, Book 1, 96.) We need to always have this in mind when we are speaking with other people. Perhaps it would help us overcome some of our timidity. When we are witnessing, we are trying to save them from hell and motivate them to choose heaven, if they will listen.

Peter says that fire is coming; a time of judgment for the ungodly is coming. Jude 15 talks about the same thing. Jesus spoke about it in Matthew 13.

Big Surprise

An overwhelming surprise is coming upon our world. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief.” 11 Peter 3:10. It is going to be an overwhelming surprise. The verse continues, “. . . in which the heavens with a great rushing sound will pass away and the elements will be burned up. The earth will be destroyed and the works in it.” It is all going to be burned up—our cars, our houses, our possessions. The only possessions we have that will not be burned up, if they are saved, are our children. People can be saved; things cannot be saved. Realizing that everything is going to be burned up helps us to evaluate what is important and what is not important.

Peter’s Query

It is in this context—seeing that everything around us is going to be destroyed—that Peter asks, “What manner of persons should we be in all holy manner of life and godly conduct?” Verse 11. Is this something important to study? If everything around us is going to be destroyed, and we hope to escape the destruction, what manner of people should we be?

Peter gives us hope. He says, “New heavens and a new earth, according to His promise, we expect, in which dwells righteousness.” Verse 13. He tells of the re-creation wherein righteousness dwells. What is righteousness? It is right doing. Romans 7:12 says, “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good.” A righteous person lives according to God’s Law. An unrighteousness person is someone who does not live according to God’s Law. (See 1 John 5:17.) “Little children, do not let anyone deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous. He that sins is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning.” 1 John 3:7, 8.

Peter asks what manner of persons we should be. Consider these things:

Moral Excellence

Moral excellence is a holy manner of life. In 1 Peter 1:15, it says, “You be holy, because I am holy.” Holiness is God-likeness or piety. So often, in religion, we use certain words over and over again, and most of our children cannot understand them. The average child probably cannot tell you what the word holy means. Piety, sometimes translated virtue, means moral excellence.

“Wherefore, beloved, expecting these things, be diligent, spotless, and unblemished [or blameless] to be found by Him in peace.” 11 Peter 3:14. What does it mean to be spotless? Paul uses this term repeatedly. What makes the character spotted? Sin. So, if you are without spot, you are without sin. Remember that the sacrifices were to be without spot or blemish.

The Bible tells us what it is that brings the character into condemnation and what constitutes a person with a righteous or holy character. You may study this in 11 Peter 1:3–8 and Galatians 5:22, 23. The Bible actually gives us more lists of those things that bring the character into condemnation. (See Romans 1:29–32; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Galatians 5:19–21). Jesus says that these are the things that defile a man (Matthew 15:17–20); and John gives three lists in the last of the Book of Revelation.

God must have known that we needed to have these things spelled out. In Revelation 21:5–8, it talks about the one that overcomes, and then it gives a list, and it says that the people with these defiling characteristics are going to be in hellfire. Revelation 21:27 includes a short list; a longer list is cited in Revelation 22. We usually quote verse 14 regarding those who keep the commandments and who will enter in through the gate, but then, if you look at verse 15, a list is given of people who will be on the outside. The Bible gives us lists so we will know which people are spotted and which people are blameless—who will be accounted pious and holy.

Notice 11 Peter 3:17: “Therefore, you beloved, knowing these things beforehand, guard yourself in order that not with the error of the unprincipled one, sometimes referred to as the wicked one, you might be led away and fall from your own steadfastness.” This is a command. Do you suppose, when the Bible gives us a command, that we should pay special attention to what we are to do?

Guard Your Association

This is a general command, but it is a command. It says, “guard yourself.” From what are we to guard ourselves? “The one who walks with wise men, also he will be wise, but a companion of fools will be destroyed.” Proverbs 13:20. According to this verse, we need to guard ourselves concerning our associations. Will there be those who will lose their faith because they associated with the wrong crowd? People think this happens only to children and young people, so we are very concerned with whom our children associate. As adults, however, we are not immune from our associations. Do you realize that every social association has an effect on us? We affect the other person, but they also affect us. This verse can make all the difference between hell and heaven for a lot of people.

The very same principle is discussed in Psalm 1. We need to guard ourselves regarding our associations. Someone may wonder, then, whether we should be social in order to save people. Yes, we should. But Ellen White says that is our only reason for being social with the ungodly—we should associate with them for one purpose only, and that is if we are trying to save them. “Let us ever bear in mind that our Saviour left the heavenly courts, and came to a world polluted by sin. By his own life he has shown his followers how they can be in the world, and yet not be of the world. He came not to partake of its delusive pleasures, to be swayed by its customs, or to follow its practices, but to seek and to save the lost. With this object, and this only, can the Christian consent to remain in the company of the ungodly.” Sketches From the Life of Paul, 299.

Yes, we have to do business with the ungodly. We could not exist in this world if we did not do business with them, but we do not need to associate with them socially, except as we are trying to win them to Christ. If we are not doing something for their salvation, we had better watch out, because we will be destroyed in the process. “The world is not to be our criterion. We are not to associate with the ungodly and partake of their spirit, for they will lead the heart away from God to the worship of false gods. . . . It is by leading the followers of Christ to associate with the ungodly and unite in their amusements that Satan is most successful in alluring them into sin.” The Adventist Home, 459, 460.

Guard What You See

“I will not put before my eyes the wicked thing.” Psalm 101:3. Peter says to guard yourselves lest you be led away with the error of the unprincipled ones and you fall from your own steadfastness. (11 Peter 3:17.) This is happening today with frightful speed among those who profess to be waiting for the coming of the Son of man, because they are not guarded. Are you guarding yourself? Are you saying, “I have a moral responsibility to God, not just for with whom I associate, but for that at which I am looking?” When you look at something, are you evaluating whether you need to know about it, whether it is going to help you to be ready for heaven, or whether it is some base, wicked thing, just for entertainment?

In my observations, I have learned that people in our society believe that they are simply being entertained by what they are looking at, but the fact of the matter is, they are being educated, and it is not the Holy Spirit who is educating them. Always remember that.

If you are a Seventh-day Adventist, you claim that you are waiting and preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus. Peter cautions to guard yourself, and David says he will not put any base thing in front of his eyes; he speaks of his hatred for such things. This is an important principle, and the Bible emphasizes it in more than one place. This is something to take to the Lord in your own devotions. Pray about it and ask the Lord to give you wisdom and willpower and self-control to look only at that that is pleasing in His eyes. Ask yourself, “Would the Lord be pleased with what I am looking at? Could the Lord sit right beside me on the sofa and could we watch this together?”

I am very fearful that many, many Seventh-day Adventists will lose their way to heaven and end up in hellfire as a result of what they are looking at on their videos and on their television sets. I am not out to point fingers; I just want people to think about what they are looking at and what they are listening to—is it helping them get ready for heaven or not?

“The sinners in Zion are terrified. Terror has seized the profane ones. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? The one who does righteousness; who speaks uprightly, who rejects the gain of oppressions, the one who will not accept a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed, and who shuts his eyes from seeing evil.” Isaiah 33:14–16. When there is terror in Zion among the profane ones, who is it that is going to dwell with the devouring fire? Remember, the Bible says, Our God is a devouring fire. (See Exodus 24:17; Isaiah 30:27.) When God comes, wherever sin is, it will be devoured.

Do you want to be one of those who shuts his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from seeing evil? That is how we must be living if we are going to be ready when Christ comes. We will have to be guarding what we hear and see.

Guard What You Hear

We not only need to be guarding what we see, but we need to be guarding what we hear as well. To what are you listening? To what kinds of music are you listening? What kinds of videos are you watching and to what kinds of programs are you listening? Are the programs you look at or listen to ones you could enjoy with Jesus sitting beside you? Could you have a good conversation and enjoy the programs together? We need to be guarded.

Guard Your Appetite and Imagination

We need to guard what we taste, what we eat, and what we drink. There are many texts in the Bible regarding this, such as Isaiah 55; 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21; Daniel 1:8. The Bible teaches us that we need to be guarded concerning what we eat and drink. Paul says, “Whatsoever you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

We need to guard our imaginations. Very often sin begins in the imagination. After a person has been thinking about something for a long time, he begins to talk about it, and than he eventually does it. The Bible has a lot to say about the imagination. Psalm 19:14 speaks about the words of the mouth and the thoughts or imagination of the heart—that they may be acceptable to the Lord. In 11 Corinthians 10:5, we are told that every thought is to be brought into subjection to Christ. We are not ready for Jesus to come until that occurs.

Guard your imagination, “In order that you might not be led astray by the error of the unprincipled ones.” 11 Peter 3:17. What does it mean to be unprincipled? The unprincipled ones are lustful or licentious. It has reference to unbridled lust, shamelessness, outrageous conduct, unchaste handling of males or females, and lawless works. That is the way it is described in 11 Peter 2:6–10.

There are good things on which to exercise the imagination. Ellen White says that we should try to picture the home of the saved; we should spend time trying to imagine what heaven is like. (See Marana-tha, 319, 355.) It is a good exercise for the imagination. There are good uses for the imagination, but the devil tries to divert the imagination to evil causes so that it is like it was before the Flood.

Avoid These Things

Those are the five things. We need to guard our association; we need to be guarded in what we see; we need to be guarded in what we hear; we need to be guarded in what we taste; and we need to guard our imaginations.

We must avoid these things, or we will all perish. “And the Lord saw that great was the evil of man upon the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all day long.” Genesis 6:5. That is how it was before the Flood. The people’s thoughts were evil all day long. That is the reason for the Flood, and Jesus said that it will be this way again just before the Second Coming of Christ.

Grow in Grace

To the people who have guarded themselves, who are not being led away by the error of the unprincipled ones into lustful, lawless conduct, the Bible says, “But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” 11 Peter 3:18.

Very soon after penning these words, Peter would be crucified. He knew it, because the Lord had told him that he would be crucified just as He had been. Before his death, he had wanted to write one last time to the churches. As he came to the close of his letter—the last communication that he, as a human being in this world, would have before his own crucifixion—he wanted to appeal to the Christians to not become part of the great apostasy that he saw coming (described in detail in 11 Peter 2). He was telling us how we should be guarded and prepared, without spot and blameless, and as he closed his letter, he made this final appeal: “Grow, grow in grace.”

Will there ever be a time in this world when we do not need to grow in grace? No, there will never be a time in this world when this will not be applicable. This is something that we can pray about every morning. We can say, “Lord, I am commanded in your word that I am to grow in grace, and I am surrendering my life to you today, choosing to guard myself, choosing to do my part, but Lord, only You can supply the grace.” We need to do our part—to guard ourselves—but we need to ask the Lord to bring that miracle of grace about, because only He can supply it. The promise in the Scriptures is that He has all of the grace that we need for whatever our struggles may be—appetite, passion, the desire for pleasure, impatience, losing our temper. We need grace if we are going to overcome, and God has all of the grace that we need. We only need to ask for it.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

Pastor Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastor of the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: historic@stepstolife.org or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Sound an Alarm! Build an Ark!

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Friend, maybe it is said too much. Maybe you have grown weary with hearing it or reading about it, but when the Bible speaks of sounding an alarm or blowing a trumpet, there is a reason for it. We hear it from the pulpit and in Sabbath School class. We read it in our own studies, and we feel conviction from the Holy Spirit that there needs to be an awakening among God’s children.

The awakening is necessary because we have grown accustomed to the world and the things of the world, and we are somewhat asleep. That is very, very sad. It is not pleasant to be told repeatedly that we are in a sleepy state, but friend, we need to be reminded that an alarm must be sounded and preparation needs to be made. We need to be building an ark, because a flood is coming. Destruction is coming upon this earth.

As we reflect upon the Flood in Genesis, I am overwhelmed with what those people must have experienced, and what they must have witnessed. We have not seen anything like what they saw. If it is this message that applies to God’s last day people, then we need to be sounding an alarm as never before, and we need to be building an ark.

There may be an alarm being sounded to a certain degree, but I wonder if there are any arks being built. We can sound the alarm all we want, but unless we are building an ark—an ark of safety, an ark of faith, an ark of refuge—we are not going to be preserved. How many of us are building that kind of ark? Noah could have preached his 120 years and not have built the ark. What good would all that preaching have done him? It did very little good anyway. Today, we need to be preparing.

Ark of Safety

Contemplate some important facts in Genesis 7 to see whether or not you are building an ark in your life. You are either building an ark or you are destroying the one that was made to preserve you. This is the ark of safety. In Genesis 7:1, it says, “And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.” How sad that was, in the sense that, as God looked over the face of the whole world, He looked at Noah and said, “In thee I see the righteousness.” Of all that He had done and all that He had provided for His children, He could not find any righteous.

I guarantee you, friend, that there were many that were professing. I guarantee that there were many that were saying, “We are Christians. Yes, we are prepared. We are a part of the family of God, and we understand things are going to happen.” I hear all the time, “I am doing the very best I can do.” The best you can do on your own is to be totally lost! The very best that you can do is as filthy rags. (See Isaiah 64:6.)

You and Your House, Come

I like what the Lord said to Noah before destruction came. As He looked at Noah, He said, “I want you and all your house to come.” That would be wonderful to hear today! Oh, friend, if God said to you, “You and your entire house, come,” do you realize what a blessing that would be?

At the time of the Flood, I do not believe God took any into the ark that were not ready, were not willing, or did not believe. He did not take unbelievers into the ark. The people who were in the ark wanted to be there. They believed what dad was preaching! Today, children often do not believe what their parents are teaching or what they stand for in the home. They have their own thoughts and their own ways. But it was a real blessing for Noah’s family to have believed their dad. As Noah preached, they did not grow weary; they stayed right in there with him.

So God told Noah, “Come on, all your house, come on into the ark.” Verse 13 says, “In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark.”

No Youth

Did you notice that there were no children, no youth, and no teenagers who went into the ark? There were only adults. Of all the people on the face of the earth, there were no young people who went into the ark.

I do not claim to have an answer for this, but I was astounded as I thought of it. Was it possible that the parents had not instilled within the youth reverence and respect for God? Were others too young to make the choice on their own to go into the ark? Did mom and dad, through their witnesses, influence what the children did or did not do? Can you possibly think of all those babies—the little ones in the arms of the moms and the grandmas and grandpas? Were the parents asleep, or dead in trespasses and sins, losing all sense of their accountability to God?

Oh, friend, where were the young people? Were they out partying and having a “good time”? Something was going on, because they did not show up. But then, Scripture tells us that they lived in a time of partying. The young always wanted to be active—interacting with people of their own age, having fun, going places and doing things. None of them were ready to go into the ark. After all, that was a dismal, old place. Who wanted to go on an old boat where there was only one, little window? Who was going in some stinky ark with all those smelly animals? They would rather be with their friends.

You can weigh that however you want to today, but we need to look at it closely. It is very difficult to blame the children, because training and accountability start in the home with mom and dad. Ellen White wrote, referring to the sins of Eli’s sons (1 Samuel 3:11–14): “Such is the fearful reaping of the harvest sown when parents neglect their God-given responsibilities,—when they allow Satan to pre-occupy the field which they themselves should carefully have sown with precious seed of virtue, truth, and righteousness. If but one parent is neglectful of duty, the result will be seen in the character of the children; if both fail, how great will be their accountability before God! How can they escape the doom of those who destroy their children’s souls?” Review and Herald, August 30, 1881.

Yes, children may stray, go their own way and make their own decisions as they become older, but “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. He or she may stray, but if you have fulfilled your responsibility as a parent, praise God! Your child has that truth. “Our first work is to bring our families to understand their accountability to God.” The Signs of the Times, December 3, 1885.

Prison or a Haven?

Noah and his family entered the ark that same day, and when it began to rain, the waters rose “fifteen cubits upward,” above the highest mountain peaks on the earth at that time. (Genesis 7:20.) Verse 24 says, “And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days.” That does not mean that the experience was over. Genesis 8:13 tells us that “it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth,” and verse 14 says, “in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.” From this we can calculate that Noah was shut in the ark 365 days, for he entered the ark the seventeenth day of the second month, in the six hundredth year of his life. (Genesis 7:11, 13.) A year! For a year Noah and his family were in the ark. Who would want to be in there for that long?

Who wants to go through what you are going through today? If you are preparing for heaven, you are going to have to go through some things. It will be very uncomfortable at times and, may I say, stinky at times.

It may have seemed they were imprisoned, because they had not shut the door, and they could not open it. The unbelievers looking at it from the outside probably considered it somewhat of a prison, but the believers inside looked at it as a haven. They were thanking God the door was shut, because they believed it was going to rain, and if the door was open, the ark would flood and they would drown. “And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 7:18.

Do you realize that after it began to rain, it was too late to have started building a shelter? Many tried to build their own little boat while there was a deluge coming down; it did not work. Many tried to beat and bang and saw and hack their way into the ark; their efforts were in vain. I can only imagine the screams and the pleadings for help, as the water was rising. The bodies of little ones began to float on the water, as their parents lost their grasps on them and they drowned. The people began to climb up the highest peaks in an attempt to save themselves.

Ellen White wrote: “Some clung to the ark until they were borne away by the surging waters, or their hold was broken by collision with rocks and trees. . . .

“The beasts, exposed to the tempest, rushed toward man, as though expecting help from him. Some of the people bound their children and themselves upon powerful animals, knowing that these were tenacious of life, and would climb to the highest points
to escape the rising waters. Some fastened themselves to lofty trees on the summit of hills or mountains; but the trees were uprooted, and with their burden of living beings were hurled into the seething billows. One spot after another that promised safety was abandoned. As the waters rose higher and higher, the people fled for refuge to the loftiest mountains. Often man and beast would struggle together for a foothold, until both were swept away.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 100.

Oh, friend, we do not realize the magnitude of what went on at that time. The earth was literally torn apart. Many of the people wanted to find salvation, but they were searching for it with a wrong motive. How are your motives today? Why do you serve Jesus? Are you looking for Him today?

Genesis 8:4 says, “And the ark rested.” That is wonderful to know. Inspiration and the Bible tell us that that boat was beaten violently in the wind and the rain. “The massive ark trembled in every fiber as it was beaten by the merciless winds and flung from billow to billow. The cries of the beasts within expressed their fear and pain. But amid the warring elements it continued to ride safely. Angels that excel in strength were commissioned to preserve it.” Ibid.

Test of Faith

God preserved that ark, but for five months, day in and day out, 24 hours a day, it was twisting, rocking, and creaking. You know there had to have been creaks! How would those creaks have affected you? Would some doubt have started creeping into your mind? Would you have begun to wonder if it was going to sink, if something was going to give way, if it was really made the way God wanted it to be made? Or would you have said, “I know it is going to hold up. This ark was built exactly the way God said to build it. We did the very best we knew how to do, and God will do the rest.” I wonder; where would our faith be?

Five months! We have a problem if we experience rough waters in our lives for an hour or two, but five months! God’s watchful eye and hand were on that ark. “As the waters began to subside, the Lord caused the ark to drift into a spot protected by a group of mountains that had been preserved by His power. These mountains were but a little distance apart, and the ark moved about in this quiet haven, and was no longer driven upon the boundless ocean. This gave great relief to the weary, tempest-tossed voyagers.” Ibid., 105.

When the drying up period began, God called up the wind to blow on the face of the earth. “[God] caused a powerful wind to pass over the earth for the purpose of drying up the waters, which moved them with great force—in some instances carrying away the tops of the mountains like mighty avalanches, forming huge hills and high mountains where there were none to be seen before, and burying the dead bodies with trees, stones, and earth. These mountains and hills increased in size and became more irregular in shape by collections of stones, ledges, trees, and earth, which were driven upon and around them.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, 80, 81. I cannot even imagine such a forceful wind. How frightening that would have been, but Noah and his family were safe in the ark, resting in the protected area God had provided for them. Do you think God does not care?

The Animals

Have you ever thought about all those animals that came into the ark? We generally consider it to be a children’s story, but it is awesome. God sent out angels to collect the animals and gather them into the ark. The people who were around the ark heard and saw the animals. They thought that it was the strangest thing they had ever seen, and they knew something miraculous was taking place. The animals came in such an orderly fashion—by twos and by sevens. They appeared in pairs, a male and a female of every species.

During the time before the Flood, there was an occurrence called amalgamation that we find in the world today. Of all the animals in the ark, not one of them was “man-made.” God was preserving His own creations. Inspiration tells us that “Every species of animals which God had created was preserved in the ark. The confused species which God did not create, which were the result of amalgamation, were destroyed by the Flood. Since the Flood, there has been amalgamation of man and beast, as may be seen in the almost endless varieties of species of animals, and in certain races of men.” Ibid., 78. The angels were not sent for the “confused species,” because such were not of God.

As the people saw this miraculous loading of the animals for seven days, they could not understand it, but it did not change their minds. “Philosophers were called upon to account for the singular occurrence, but in vain. It was a mystery which they could not fathom. But men had become so hardened by their persistent rejection of light that even this scene produced but a momentary impression.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 98. Can you comprehend how many animals were loading for seven days into a boat that was three stories high? But still the people did not believe.

Seven days before the rain began, the people witnessed the glory of the angel closing the door of the ark. They saw that massive door being closed and locked and still they tried to reason it away. They did not want to believe. Then it was too late.

Patience a Virtue

“And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.” “But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.” Genesis 8:6, 9. After seven days, Noah sent out the dove again. That time she returned with an olive leaf. No one in the ark knew that the waters were abated off of the earth.

Imagine not being able to look out and see what was going on. What faith that must have taken.
I would have wanted to peek! I would have wanted to get out of that place! But God had told Noah when to go into the ark, and Noah was going to wait on God to tell him when to go out of the ark. What a lesson for us today!

Compare the experience of these eight individuals to your own Christian experience. What we sometimes think is brutal and a curse, friend, can actually be a haven. They considered the ark to be a haven, a protection. They understood what was going on out in the elements. It was awful out there, and they were afraid to be out there. They wanted to be under the care of the Lord.

Waiting on the Lord

What joy for the ark occupants to know that the water was abated, but verse 12 says that they stayed yet another seven days. I would have been ready to get out as soon as I saw the olive leaf, but they patiently waited seven more days. “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first [month], the first [day] of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.” Verse 13.

I would say, “Come on, let’s go,” but not Noah. He waited almost the entire next month (verse 14)—almost two months after he saw the ground—before he left the ark. Do you realize how long those two months must have seemed?

What was Noah doing? In Genesis 7:1, we read, “And the Lord said unto Noah, come into the ark.” In Genesis 8:15, 16, we read, “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark . . . .” Noah was waiting on God’s instruction and direction. When God says to you, “Go and do,” do not do anything different until God tells you to do something different—not even if you see the ground and it looks dry. Noah never questioned God nor, evidently, did any of his family.

Thank You

“And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord . . . .” Verse 20. The Bible continues that the burnt offering was a sweet smell, a welcome fragrance, as it were, in the nostrils of God. There is something exceedingly beautiful and interesting to know that the first act of this devout patriarch was to return thanks for the signal instance of mercy and goodness, which he and his family had experienced. He was grateful to the Lord for preserving their lives.

Friend, how many of us, when we have come through a terribly difficult situation, first give God praise and honor and glory? Many times we do not. How many times has God shown mercy to you over the years? If it were not for His mercy, none of us would be here. The devil is beating at us with a tempest that we could not endure if it was not for God’s hand over us. The psalmist tells us to “give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.” Psalm 136:2. Mrs. White wrote: “Every manifestation of His mercy and love toward us should be gratefully acknowledged, both by acts of devotion and by gifts to His cause.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 106.

Devotion is prayer time, piety in our hearts. Loyalty is what it really means or, in other words, deep affection. We want to give God deep affection, and we want to give Him our hearts and our minds. We want to spend more time with Him. Every blessing that we receive means we need to spend time on our knees, thanking God.

Then Mrs. White said we need to do one more thing. We need to deny self and show that we are really grateful by giving a gift to His cause. Friend, if we did that every day, the coffers would be full. For every act of His love, His graciousness, and His goodness, these two things—devotion and a gift—are to be given. One will not suffice.

God daily preserves our lives in His ark of safety. There is still opportunity for others to enter into this ark. The door is still open, but soon it will shut forever. That day is just upon us. “The picture which Inspiration has given of the antediluvian world represents too truly the condition to which modern society is fast hastening.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 102. The world has become so vile and so violent. It is worse than it was at the time before the Flood. We need to daily show our devotion to God and acknowledge His goodness by giving a gift to His cause.

We have all passed through violent storms—loss of health, of material goods, of businesses, of dear friends and loved ones—but we still have numerous blessings to count. God still loves us and cares for us, and He has prepared a haven for us. We need only to follow His instruction, to wait upon His direction and obey it.

Pastor Kenny Shelton is speaker for the television ministry of Behold the Lamb in Herrin, Illinois. He may be contacted by e-mail at BTLM@GTE.net or by telephone at 1-800-238-2856.

Are You Connected?

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In the book, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, 79, Ellen White writes that the attitude and philosophy of the Pharisees is the attitude of human nature.

“The principles cherished by the Pharisees are such as are characteristic of humanity in all ages. The spirit of Pharisaism is the spirit of human nature.”

Universal Problem

Pharisaism is something that is almost universal in the religious world, so please do not think that we are trying to point a finger at this church or that church. It exists throughout historic Adventism. It exists throughout conference Adventism. It exists throughout the Catholic Church, the Methodist Church, and the Baptist Church. It exists all over the world.

Even though it is almost universal, God has decided to remove this Pharisaism from the church. He removed it when He first came to this earth, and when He was finished, Ellen White states that there were only 11 men and a few women left in the church. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 130.) So this is an alarming topic to study.

I have offered many prayers that our church would not be engulfed, swamped, flooded, taken over, and controlled by the spirit of Pharisaism. I consider this to be one of our greatest dangers. I would rather be in a church of 6 people empty of Pharisaism than a church of 600 people full of Pharisaism. It is dangerous, because it is so subtle. It is much subtler than Sadduceeism. It is one of the reasons for the splits that we see, both in conference churches and in historic Adventist churches, all over the world. It is rife in historic Adventism, as it was in the day of Christ. People can see that something is wrong, but they cannot figure out what it is, because it is so subtle that their minds cannot grasp it.

No Righteousness

Jesus, speaking in the Sermon on the Mount, made the following statement that left the people in a state of shock: “For I say to you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20.

Are there going to be any Pharisees in heaven? No! I want you to understand how serious this subject is. No Pharisees will be allowed into the kingdom of heaven. Not one! God will not allow it! Why? Because they do not have enough righteousness.

The people could not understand this. The Pharisees were the most righteous people in the church. If they could not go to heaven, who could?

Many home churches have been established as protest against Sadduceeism. Many historic Adventist leaders have spent the last few decades protesting Sadduceeism in Adventism. We have no argument with these people. But remember, friends, in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy, the Holy Spirit spends at least ten times more time dealing with Pharisaism than with Sadduceeism.

We have no argument with those Seventh-day Adventist leaders who are writing books, publishing magazines, and sending tapes all over the world, protesting Sadduceeism in the church. But friends, if we concentrate on that and miss the big point, we are in trouble! The big point is not Sadduceeism. That is a huge problem, but it is not the biggest problem.

The Problem

The really big problem is that Pharisaism is endemic in the home church movement, in the denomination, in other Protestant churches, and in the Catholic Church—it is all over Christendom.

At times, when I hear some of the sermons and tapes and read the books against Sadduceeism, I recall that, in Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were against the Sadducees, too. But you know, you can spend your whole life proving that the Sadducees are wrong, and still be lost. Thousands of people did it in Jesus’ day. Jesus and the apostles identified where the really big problem was—and it was not with the Sadducees! The big problem was with the Pharisees.

We read, in Matthew 5:20, why the Pharisees were not going to the kingdom of heaven—because their righteousness was not enough! How could that be? They were the most particular people. Because, friend, they did not understand righteousness by faith. They had no conception of it. Paul spoke of it. He said that they go about to establish their own righteousness. (Romans 10:3.)

Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Remember that? And when Jesus told him that he would have to be born again if he was going to be saved, he was in a state of shock. In fact, he was so upset that he became sarcastic with Jesus about it. (See John 3:4.) Jesus did not back down. He just said the same thing again, only stronger. (See verse 5.) Why was Nicodemus in such a state of shock when Jesus told him that he must be born again? To understand why Nicodemus was in such a state of shock, we need to understand what the Pharisees believed.

Connection with Israel

“The Jews based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel.” The Desire of Ages, 675. This is a major point in connection with Pharisaism, and is actually one of the few beliefs shared by the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Although they both believed it, the Pharisees enforced it.

Nicodemus, we are told in John 3, was a leader of the Jews. In their church organization, He was the equivalent of a leader in the General Conference. Was Nicodemus connected with Israel? He was not only connected with Israel, but he was one of their leaders. If anyone was going to be saved, it should be he.

Pharisaism Today

Did you know that that principle teaching of Pharisaism is still in existence today? In my own observations—and these are just my own observations—the two churches which are more steeped in this Pharisaic teaching than any other churches in the world are the Roman Catholic Church and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I am not saying that there are no others, but these two denominations are more steeped in this Pharisaism than any others I have seen.

The Roman Catholic Church is steeped in Pharisaical teaching. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the pope stated in a papal bull that, to guarantee salvation, it was necessary to believe that you must belong to the Roman Church. They have never retracted this edict. I am not speaking inadvisably, friends. I have a 1994 Roman Catholic Catechism in my office with the signature of Pope John Paul 11 on it.

The other church that is steeped in this teaching is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Let me read the quote again: “The Jews based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel.” If you believe that you are going to be saved because of your connection with Israel, what is going to happen to you if you lose the connection? You will be lost.

That is why, during the Dark Ages, the Roman Catholic Church could put a city under what they called interdict. They would say, “We have the power of the keys. We have cut you off from the kingdom of heaven.” When a city was under interdict, they would not even perform a marriage inside the church, and they did not recognize the marriages performed outside the church as valid. If you wanted to get married lawfully, you had to go to a city that was not under interdict.

Not only that, but when people died, their funerals could not be conducted in the church; they said that no one was going to heaven because only the church had the keys. They could not even bury the dead in the churchyard. People became terrified. We would not believe anything like that, would we?

I remember when I was disfellowshipped from the Seventh-day Adventist Church for ordaining people. The church told me that I could not ordain people without going through it. That is what the Pharisees believed. They said that your salvation is based on your connection with Israel, and we are Israel, and everything the Lord is going to do in the world is going to come through us. The church said that I was ordaining people without going through them and baptizing people without going through them and organizing churches without going through them and preaching that they are in apostasy, so they disfellowshipped me. And I said, “Yes, all those things are true,” and I still stand on those things.

Do you believe that people should not be able to go to church unless they secure permission? And do you believe that people should not be able to be ordained or baptized unless they secure permission? “The Jews based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel.”

One of the main problems with Pharisaism is that it is almost the truth. That is why it is so deceptive. It is almost the truth. In fact, it could be the truth, if you understand it in the right context.

Sectarianism

How is a person saved? Are you saved because you say that you believe these doctrines, so now you are going to be baptized, and thereby you are connected with the church? Is that what makes you saved? The fact that you are baptized does not guarantee that you will be in the kingdom of heaven, because a church cannot save you. You see, that is sectarianism. And the two churches I know of that are the most sectarian today are the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

This spirit of Pharisaism was so rife in Jesus’ day that it permeated all of the disciples. That was their major problem, as you will find in reading the Gospels. The whole time Jesus was here they were permeated with Pharisaism and did not know what was going on. The Pharisees were sectarian, so the disciples were sectarian, too.

We read, in Mark 9:38–40: “John gave answer to him, and said, Teacher, we saw a certain person casting out demons in your name, and we forbid him, because he did not follow us. And Jesus said, Do not forbid him, for there is no one who does a miracle—or a work—in my name, and then is able soon to speak evil of me. For whosoever is not against us is on our part.”

Do you comprehend what Jesus is saying here? Let us think this through. Was this church apostolic? If there ever was an apostolic church, this was it! This church was composed of Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. John was a member of the apostolic church; he was one of the apostles, and he saw someone performing miracles but not fol-lowing or being a part of the church organization of the 12 apostles. So he brought a curse on him and told him to stop, because he was not doing it through the apostolic church. That was sectarianism. Did Jesus agree with them? No, Jesus rebuked them for their sectarianism. He said, “Whoever is not against Me is for Me. He is doing it in My name, do not forbid him.”

Sectarianism has been a curse of the church in all ages. It is one of the first and principal identifying marks of Pharisaism.

Pharisaism Brings Division

The apostolic church had this problem. The first three chapters of 1 Corinthians disclose the fact that they were having divisions in the church. Pharisaism always brings divisions in the church. It brings church splits and all kinds of problems.

Within the Corinthian church, there were some people who said they believed the gospel the way Paul taught it. There were other people who said they believed it the way Apollos taught it. And there were other people saying they believed it the way Peter taught it. They had three splits in the church!

Paul talks about this. One person says, I am of Paul; one says, I am of Apollos, and one says, I am of Cephas, that is, Peter. (1 Corin-thians 1:12.) Since Paul is writing, would you not expect him to set everyone straight and show him or her that he is the one who is right? He rebuked them. He asked, “Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you?” Verse 13. He told them that when they were acting this way and had all of this strife among them, it proved they were not converted. They were still carnal. (1 Corinthians 3:4.)

Jesus rebuked sectarianism to His disciples. The apostle Paul rebuked sectarianism to the Corinthian church. Sectarianism is always a result of Pharisaism. Wherever you see people thinking in a sectarian way, you can be absolutely sure that there is Pharisaism at work, because it is one of the identifying marks.

How Saved

What did Jesus teach concerning this? How is a person saved? The Jews said that they “based their hope of salvation on the fact of their connection with Israel,” and if you were cut off from Israel, you were lost. That is why, when the Jews came to the parents of the blind man whom Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, and asked, “Is this your son who was born blind? How does he now see?” they said, “This is our son, and we know that he was born blind, but how he sees now, we do not know, and who healed him and gave him sight, we do not know.” (John 9:19–21.) That was an absolute falsehood. That was not a white lie. That was a black lie. That was breaking the Ten Commandments.

They were willing to break the Ten Commandments in order to not be disfellowshipped from the church! Why were they willing to break the Ten Commandments to stay in the church? Because they had been taught that if someone was cut off from the church, they would lose eternal life. But the fact of the matter was that they were going to lose eternal life for breaking the Law of God. That is what Pharisaism does.

When you believe Pharisaic theology, the very thing that you believe is going to ensure your salvation actually ensures your damnation. Is that not demonic? So what did Jesus teach concerning this?

Jesus Taught

Now the Jews taught that their hope of salvation was based on the fact of their connection with Israel. Isaiah said that Israel is a vine that the Lord planted, and one must be connected with this vine to be saved. (See Isaiah 5.) So Jesus decided, the night He was betrayed, to correct His disciples’ thinking on this point. They had believed and had been taught by the Pharisees their whole lives, that Israel was the vine. Now notice what Jesus says about this. “I myself am the true vine.” John 15:1. (See also The Desire of Ages, 675.)

I have often wondered if those few words did not hit them, as we would say, like a ton of bricks. It was totally contrary to what they had been taught their whole lives. The prophet had taught that Israel was the vine, but Israel was only the vine if it was connected. We are only part of the vine, if we are connected. So, if Jesus is the true vine, to what do we need to be sure we are connected?

The Pharisees taught that if you were connected to the church, you were saved. That is what the Catholics teach. That is what the Seventh-day Adventists teach. If you are connected to the church, you are going to be saved. If you are not connected to the church, you are going to be lost.

What did Jesus say? “I myself am the true vine.” So, if the church is likened to a vineyard, how does one become connected to the vine?

Fatal Flaw

The Pharisees will say that you have to profess faith in the doctrines, become baptized, and then your name is written down on the church books. They vote you into membership, and then you are connected. Remember, the problem with Pharisaic theology is that it is almost right, but there is always a fatal flaw in it.

The following statement from the Spirit of Prophecy will show you what the fatal flaw is. “There are two kinds of connection between the branches and the vine stock.” The Signs of the Times, July 27, 1888. How many kinds of connection are there between the branches and the vine stock? There are two kinds.

“One is visible, but superficial.” Ibid. You can see it. When you declare that you believe the doctrines, you become baptized, and the church votes you into fellowship, you then have a visible connection with the vine stock. That is an outward connection. It is a visible connection, but that connection, by itself, will not get you into the kingdom of heaven.

“One is visible, but superficial. The other is invisible and vital.” Ibid. If you have ever raised grapes, you know there is an inward connection, and an outward connection and if the inward connection is not complete, the branch dies. Then, when you prune the plant, you cut off that dead branch. That is what Jesus talks about in John 15:6. Eventually, the branches that have only the outward connection are going to get pruned. You cannot see it, but inside there is a vital connection, and the sap from the vine runs into the branch, clear to the outermost twig. That is the really important connection.

Notice how Ellen White explains this: “There is an apparent union, a membership with the church, and a profession of religion, which, though in itself good, is too often unaccompanied by saving faith in Jesus or living obedience to the commandments of God. The branches that are connected with Christ, the living vine, will make it manifest by bearing much fruit in good works to the glory of God. But the branches which have nothing but an apparent union, will be fruitless. As the branch cannot possibly bring forth fruit without a vital connection with the parent stock, so the Christian can be fruitful in good works only as union with Christ is made and preserved. The ruin of those who are not connected with Christ, is as complete as though they had no name to live; for they are dead. Christ compares them to lifeless branches that are gathered and burned in the fire.” Ibid. “Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes it away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges [prunes] it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2.

Who to Believe

Jesus said, “I am the Vine.” The Pharisees said, “Israel is the vine.” Do you want to have eternal life? If so, you have to be connected to Jesus. We are not criticizing Israel. We just want to recognize who the vine really is. If you want to have eternal life, Jesus said, you have to be connected to Me. Another time, He said, ”No one”—how many is no one?—“comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6.) Do you want to be saved? Do you want to go to heaven? Do you want to have eternal life? There is only one way. You are only saved because you are connected to the true Vine, Jesus Christ.

There were people in the apostolic church who ended up losing eternal life. Yes, there were, because the New Testament mentions several by name. You can read through the New Testament and find the names of several people who had been members of the apostolic church, but they still lost eternal life even though the human leaders of their church were the 12 apostles. You see, being connected with the church will not save you—you must be connected with Jesus.

I am so glad that Peter finally figured that out, because when he got it figured out, he shared it. Peter did not teach the people that they were going to be saved because they became members of the apostolic church. He did not teach that, and neither did the other apostles. The people who were being saved joined the church, but notice what Peter said in Acts 4:12: “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which it is necessary for us to be saved.”

Ephesians 1:22, 23 and Colossians 1:18 identify Christ as the head of the church. The church is likened, in the New Testament, not only to a vine, but also to the body of Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12.) Now, if Jesus is the Head of the church, it just follows that if you are going to be part of the church, you have to be connected to Him. Does that make sense? And if you are not really connected to Jesus, you are not really part of the church.

Profession or Reality

When we began preaching these things about 12 years ago, the Pharisees in the church went ballistic. The Pharisees in the church cannot figure out the difference between profession and reality. The Spirit of Prophecy teaches very clearly that there is a difference between the professed church and the true church. Ellen White draws a line so clear that I cannot comprehend how anyone can miss it. But if you are a Pharisee, you can miss it, because Pharisees have a different idea in regard to the church. They believe that if you are connected with the church, you are going to be saved, and if you lose that connection, you are going to be lost.

In 1993, a person wrote to me expressing great sorrow for my disfellowshipping—since I was not part of the church anymore. And I said, “What? I am not part of the church anymore? When did I decide not to keep the commandments of God? Ellen White says that the church is the people who love God and keep the commandments. When did I decide to turn my back on the Lord?” I am a sinner, but friends, I have not turned my back on the Lord. I am still part of His church.

If Jesus is the Head of the church, then to be part of the church, really—not just by profession—you have to be connected with Him. Ephesians 5:30–32 says, “Because we [the church members] are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones, on account of this, a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave [stick] to his wife, and they shall be the two unto one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I am speaking about Christ and the church.” You see, if you are really going to be part of the church, you have to be a member of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.

The Pharisees said that they were connected with God. We cannot contradict them; they had the outward connection. But, having an outward connection with the church will not save your soul. If you do not have the inward connection with Jesus—if you are not part of His body, if you are not bone of His bone, flesh of His flesh, if you are not really connected with Christ—you are not really part of Him. You only have the outward connection, and the Lord says that you will be cut away.

I am not concerned that I have been told by certain groups of people that I could no longer be part of their church and that I would be disfellowshipped and defrocked. I am not concerned about that. But I do not want the Lord to come and say to me that because I have only the outward connection, I am not truly connected, so I must be severed from Jesus. This is something about which I pray. It can happen to preachers; it can happen to deacons; it can happen to anybody; and when it happens, you are no better than is any other Pharisee in the world. You are still connected outwardly, but the inward connection is gone.

Do you want to be vitally connected to Jesus Christ? Do you want your life to be connected with Jesus Christ so that you are bone of His bones, flesh of His flesh, a member of His body? Do you want the inward connection? Ask the Lord in prayer for that vital, inward connection. He will give it to you.

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

One Ounce is Heavier Than One Ton

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The story of David and Goliath is very familiar to each of us, but I want to look at it from a different perspective. We will study it in the context of the Week of Prayer theme, “What Will it Take to Stand in the Last Days?” I personally believe that the entire Bible addresses this theme. All through history to the final culmination of the end of time, God has been and is working to bring about in His people a complete and conclusive victory over sin.

Story Setting

This story, as found in 1 Samuel 17, has as its setting the slaying of Goliath by young David. When telling this story to our children, we usually emphasize the bravery of David in taking a stand against Goliath, but that is not solely what this story is about. I wish that we could tell our children more of what God’s plan and purpose is in this whole story, but I am thankful that they do have the introduction to the story of David and Goliath.

Beginning with 1 Samuel 17:1, we read: “Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which [belongeth] to Judah.” Where were the Philistines, in relation to the children of Israel? They were almost right downtown! They were in Judah! They were not over in Philistia—the place they claimed as their own. They were in the area that belonged to Judah, and they “pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and [there was] a valley between them.” Verses 2, 3.

Imagine the setting here. On one side of the valley was a mountain, most likely not terribly steep, because one army’s encampment was located there. On the other side was the camp of another army. And down the middle was a valley. Such a setting was like an amphitheater. Voices could carry long distances in this kind of setting. The troops could probably hear what the men of the opposing side were saying.

Aggressive Enemy

The Philistines were the aggressors; they were the ones who were coming against Israel. The devil, it seems, is always on the aggressive against God’s people. The Bible tells us that we are to be the ones that are on the offensive, going forth pulling down Satan’s strongholds. But as is so often the case, we just sit back enjoying our leisure, thinking that everything is going to turn out all right; then suddenly, we realize that the devil is waging an attack against us. We find ourselves floundering because we were not on the offensive.

The burden of the writer of 1 Samuel was not only to give an account of Philistine wars but also to make known one of the steps that was necessary in the process of David becoming fitted for the office of the king of Israel. Nothing is stated as to the amount of time that had lapsed between Saul’s victories of the past and the present situation. Saul had had some victories in the past and had settled back thinking that all was well—then an invasion took place. 1 Samuel 14:52 says, “And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul.” Apparently, the invasion that we are reading about in chapter 17 occurred many years after Saul was on the throne as the king of Israel.

A Giant in the Land

So there they were—one group on one side, the other group on the other side—with a valley between them.

1 Samuel 17:4–7 says, “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span. And [he had] an helmet of brass upon his head, and he [was] armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels of brass. And [he had] greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head [weighed] six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.”

That is quite an intimidating picture painted in these verses! When the Scripture speaks of a champion going out from the Philistines, it is a literal meaning of a man between two middles, or one who enters into the space between two armies in order to decide the victory by a single combat.

From Joshua 11:22, we learn that the town of Gath, mentioned as the home of Goliath, was in the same geographical area as Gaza and Ashdod. Those towns, as we read in Joshua, still had giants living and occupying parts of that area. They were descendants from the giant, Anak. (See Numbers 13:33.)

Concerning this man, Goliath, who was the champion that went out, we are told that his height was six cubits and a span. By our measurements today, he would be about three inches short of ten feet tall! We have never seen anyone that big. We do not know how a person that big would look. The tallest person we have had record of, in the United States, was a man who stood over eight feet tall.

If we think about the tallest person that we have ever seen, he would not even begin to come close to Goliath’s height. Proportionate to his height, Goliath would have weighed approximately 1,800 to 1,900 pounds—close to a ton! I think Goliath’s measurements are given in the Bible to show how out of proportion the victory was. Here was this man, huge in size . . . and there was David.

Righteousness by Faith

The measurements are given to instruct us in regard to righteousness by faith. Many people have the idea that righteousness by faith was something originated by the apostle Paul. Well, I have news for you. Righteousness by faith is revealed all through the Bible, just as is grace. Many people have the idea that grace is a New Testament concept. No, no! Grace is indicated all the way from the Garden of Eden to the promised earth made new.

Righteousness by faith is what will allow God’s people to stand through the end times. If we do not have the concept of righteousness by faith and how to stand for the Lord Jesus Christ, we are going to fail when the pressures come. When the Goliaths come out against us, we are going to fall.

The strength of the enemy is presented in the form of Goliath. The Bible states that he was covered with a coat of mail—literally, clothed in a shirt with metal scales sewn onto the cloth so they would overlap one another. It was flexible, and it protected all sides of the body. Verse 5 of 1 Samuel 17 tells us that it weighed “five thousand shekels of brass,” which would be about 180 pounds. That was the weight of just one piece of Goliath’s armour! He had brass coverings on his legs and “a target of brass between his shoulders.” Verse 6.
We are not told how much those weighed, but brass is heavy. His spearhead weighed about 25 pounds and it topped a staff like a “weaver’s beam.” Verse 7. That was a heavy spear!

Goliath’s entire armour seems very heavy to us, but to him it was just normal gear. To those who saw him, as he rumbled down the hillside day after day and taunted Israel, he surely appeared to be an indomitable foe.

The armies were encamped on each side of the valley, because the valley was a very vulnerable place to be. Goliath knew that, so he would rumble down the mountainside and shout over to the Israelite army. The acoustics were so good that they could hear everything he said. When they saw and heard him, their hearts began to tremble. They were terrified. Israel was not used to seeing that kind of person.

Israel had not thought things through. Even though Goliath was huge and intimidating, they were not fighting alone. They should have at least considered that! Here was a giant of a man who weighed hundreds and hundreds of pounds, wore many pounds of armour, and acted as though nothing could interfere with his harassment of God’s people. But God would have worked for them—if they had allowed Him. God would have worked, even if David had not come upon the scene, if only they would have allowed righteousness by faith to prevail.

Servitude

All too often, the devil comes along to taunt and harass us. He is determined to discourage us. Unfortunately, we are just as scared of him as the Israelites were of Goliath.

“And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set [your] battle in array? [am] not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.” 1 Samuel 17:8, 9.

The interesting thing about this proclamation is that it was nothing but a great, big lie. We will see that as we study further. We are told that the devil has been a liar from the very beginning. The Philistines had no intention of being servants to Israel—but if they had won the battle, what do you think they would have expected of Israel? They would have expected Israel to become their servants. This whole setup should speak loudly and clearly to us.

Dismayed and Afraid

“When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” Verse 11. Saul was the leader of Israel. If anyone should have responded to the challenge of Goliath, Saul should have. He should have set the example. Goliath was a giant, but so was Saul. You may not have known that, but Saul was also a giant.

1 Samuel 10 tells of the calling of Saul and how, when they went to search for him, he was hiding among the baggage. (Verse 22.) He did not even want to respond to God’s call. When the searchers finally brought him out and stood him among the people, he stood head and shoulders above all Israel. (Verse 23.) He should have been the one who went out to meet the challenge of Goliath. When this loudly boastful Goliath came out, Saul would have immediately answered the challenge and defeated him, if his heart had been right in following the call that God had given to him. The Lord would have given him the victory.

Goliath’s taunting continued. Every day, for 40 days, he blasted the whole valley of Israel with his taunts and challenges. In our normal living, 40 days can go by quite quickly, but camped on a hillside with little to do but polish a spearhead, gather a little food occasionally, and listen to the taunting of a giant—40 days can be a long time. “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”

A Little Background

“Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem-judah, whose name [was] Jesse; and he had eight sons: and the man went among men [for] an old man in the days of Saul. And the three eldest sons of Jesse went [and] followed Saul to the battle.” 1 Samuel 17: 12. They enlisted in Saul’s army. They were a part of the organization. “And the names of his three sons that went to the battle [were] Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.” Ibid. David, it says in verse 14, “[was] the youngest: and the three eldest followed Saul.” This is not without significance.

This passage provides background information. It tells about David and what his position was in the family tree. He was the youngest, and it had been his task for some time to care for the sheep.

At this point, there is a flashback in the story line. Verse 15 says, “But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Beth-lehem.” This relates a little more background that is not necessarily pertinent to the story, but it is there for a purpose. It lets us know that there is more involved than just a story connecting David and Goliath.

Innocent Errand Boy

“And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. And Jesse said unto David his son, Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched [corn], and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren.” Verses 16, 17. At this point, David was in Bethlehem, and Jesse had asked him to take a care package from home to his three brothers who were serving in the Israelite army.

“And carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of [their] thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge.” Verse 18. In verse 2 we read that “Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.” In verse 19, it says, “Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, [were] in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.” All that we have looked at so far has been filler information to get to the main point, but it has given us some very important background.

“David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.” Verse 20. Israel did not go out to battle or to shout. They were terrified. They were dismayed. They hardly knew how to open their mouths. “For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. And David left his carriage [the items that he brought] in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.” Verses 21, 22. You can imagine how glad they were to see him. Here they were drawn up in battle array and along came little brother to disrupt things. That was basically how they saw it.

Bold Giant

“And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: . . .” Those words he had spoken for 40 days—the taunts, the jeers, the manner of speaking against the children of Israel and Israel’s God—“David heard [them].” Verse 23.

There are times when sinners become so bold that they forget they are vulnerable. This is what gives sin its aggressiveness. In the time in which we are living, we can see that sin is very aggressive. It is taking liberties that it should never have been allowed to take. But we have acquired a lackadaisical attitude, thinking that all is well in Israel.

I want to point out that God will only allow sin to go so far. When it is time for God to bring judgment against sin, it often comes with blinding force—suddenly, quickly, with completeness, and many times with death and destruction. God’s plans know no haste and no delay. Sin will only be permitted to go so far.

Goliath thought that he was invincible. He daily paraded with all of his self-righteousness—that is what the armour represents in this story—on major display. Covered from head to foot with armour—his self-righteousness—he would shout his taunts at God’s people, and the Bible says, David heard it.

Perfect Love

“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid.” Verse 24. There are principles that are as true today as they were back then. One of these principles is that perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18.) Where were God’s people, at the moment God needed them the most? They were terrified. If perfect love casts out all fear—and these people were very afraid—what was in their hearts? Was love there? No. There was no love for God or for man, because perfect love would have cast out that fear. God’s people were terrified of this man, Goliath. They had heard these same taunts day after day for 40 days and had done nothing.

David heard the taunting, and he began to inquire, in the hearing of his brothers, what all of this was about. “And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up?” How could they not have seen him? “Surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.”
1 Samuel 17:25. David was not im-pressed with the promised reward. He had heard the challenge of this man against the children of Israel and against Israel’s God, and he cared that there was no response from Israel.

“And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him.” Verses 26, 27.

Last Day Parallels

Here were two armies—the camp of Israel and the camp of the enemy. They were drawn up in battle array. We can draw some parallels from this with last day events.

There will be battles in the last days. There will be wars. There will be wars waged between righteousness and unrighteousness. Those on the side of righteousness will be very few in number—a little remnant, we are told. (See Early Writings, 66.) Remnant means small in number.

The great controversy is being played out right before us. On one side of the valley is the army that represents the forces of the devil, and the army on the other side represents the organized church. Pause for a moment and think about that; let it sink in, because in fact, that is the way it is—the enemies of God against the organized church. It should have been the organized church that was out there fighting the battle, because it had organization. It had captains of thousands. It had people in positions of leadership. It had money. It had armament. It had everything that counted, as far as going into battle was concerned. But there was one thing that it lacked. It lacked the power of the Holy Spirit.

King Saul should have led his troops into battle and pulled down the devil’s strongholds, but he was terrified. He had no power of the Holy Spirit operating in his life, so there they were in a standoff. Israel was too afraid to move.

This is basically where we find ourselves today. The Seventh-day Adventist denomination is too afraid to go into battle against the enemy of God and his laws. As a result, nothing is happening. There is an occupation of ground, a standoff in the hastening of the day of the Lord’s return. Scripture after Scripture would validate that statement.

Independent David

Notice that David was not a part of either group. Arriving on the scene late in time, David was small, and he was young. Does that ring any bells? David was historic. David knew the true God. He had spent time getting to know God. David was independent of Israel’s army. The Bible tells us that. He was independent of the structural forces of King Saul. Saul was supposed to do the work, but he was not doing it, so God called historic, independent David onto the scene to accomplish the work that Saul would not do.

The question needs to be asked, Who really was the church back then? Was it Saul and his forces that were the visible representation of God’s people, or was the true church represented by small David who came late on the scene?

You did not know that lesson was in the story of David and Goliath, did you? But it surely is! These accounts are written as instructions and examples to us who are living in the very end of time. They are there so we will be able to take courage and come victoriously through the time of trouble that is before us.

Resentment

This account parallels what we are facing today, so much so that it almost seems prophetic. Notice verse 28: “And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he [David] spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.” That was all David needed to hear. Here he came, happy to see his brothers who, in God’s army, were fighting the battle and trying to win the victory. He began to make inquiries when he heard the big giant. The first response he heard from his own kinfolk was, “Shame on you, you naughty little boy. I know why you are down here.” What a good object lesson in family relationships! David, bless his heart, asked, “What have I now done? [Is there] not a cause?” Verse 29.

This brother, Eliab, was one of the church members, if you please, in Saul’s group. He came to David with numerous accusations, because David was not part of the group. He thought that David had come to the battleground to satisfy some curiosity on his part. He had no idea at all what was in David’s heart.

Words Travel Quickly

After David had spoken to his brother in Saul’s church, he turned to other members in the structure of Israel. Verses 30 and 31 say, “And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed [them] before Saul.” David inquired, “Who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” Verse 26. So it was reported to Saul what David had said.

This tells me that the Israelites had quite a telephone campaign, so to speak, because the word got clear back to Saul—quickly. David was out in the middle of the army somewhere, and by word of mouth, his questionings got back to Saul. In verse 31, we are told that Saul “sent for him,” and verse 32 continues, “David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him [the Philistine]; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

Just a Stripling

A little bit more of the picture is given in 1 Samuel 17:56. “The king said, Inquire thou whose son the stripling [is].” A stripling is not a Mr. America or a Mr. Universe. A stripling is a bony, skinny, teenage boy who has not yet filled out his muscular maturity. Everyone recognized that. There was Goliath, wearing hundreds of pounds of armour, and there was this little stripling, who came to the king, a giant in his own right, and said, “Don’t let anyone’s heart fail because of this giant. I’ll tell you what. I’m going to fight him.” (Verse 32.)

And Saul said, “Go for it David. We’ll sit here and watch you.” Right? Oh, no. Would that it had been that way. “Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him.”—You are just a youth. He is a man of war. “And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep . . . .” Verses 33, 34. “Here are my qualifications,” offered David. “I am a shepherd.”

This should say something to us. Of whom was David an example? Ah, yes, the Great Shepherd. David was a shepherd. And, he said, “I have kept my father’s sheep. And I will tell you what! There came in a lion . . . .” (Verse 34.) Our adversary, the devil, goes about as a roaring lion. (See 1 Peter 5:8.) Is the lion any match for Jesus? No.

There are several parallels that may be made of the beasts from which David protected his sheep. (1 Samuel 17:34.) The lion was the first beast in Daniel’s vision of chapter 7. The bear and the lion could represent Babylon and all of the things that Babylon could bring against the church in the last days. The bear, in Daniel’s vision, represented Medo-Persia. Babylon and Medo-Persia had a completely different philosophical approach by which to come at God’s people. Those things are recorded here for a reason. David said that a bear came and took a lamb from the flock. Babylon likes to come in and gather God’s people away from Him.

Shed Self-righteousness

“And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.” And, David said, besides all of this, “The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And
David girded his sword upon his armour,” and he tried in vain to move. 1 Samuel 17:35–39.

Stop and think about what we have covered so far. There was Goliath. There was Saul, a giant in his own right. There was Saul’s huge armour. There was David, a puny, little teenager, and Saul loaded all of his armour on David, then said, “Now go get him.” David tried in vain to move and could not. Let me tell you something, friends. You cannot go anywhere with self-righteousness. That is what these texts are telling us. David said, “I cannot go with this stuff,” and he removed all of it.

“And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip [that is the bag]; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” Verses 40–42. There was probably no one that challenged good looks more than David did.

Confrontations

“And the Philistine said . . . [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.” Verse 43. As we go out and challenge for God, we will be confronted with every vile epithet that can come out of the mouth of a human being. With God’s help, we must ascend above those things. I know what it is like to be in the work force and hear the language that is there. I know what it is like to be standing in line and hear the conversations going on around me. But we must rise above those things, if we are going to be able to stand in these last days, and we have got to do it with the spirit of David.

“And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield . . .” With all your armour of self-righteousness you come to me. “But I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth.” Verses 44–46.

An Example

Why was this going to happen? It was going to happen as an example that there was indeed a God in Israel. This was why Daniel confronted Nebuchadnezzar. This was why the three Hebrew worthies confronted Nebuchadnezzar. They said, “You do not need to play the music again. We have already made our decision. We are going to stand for what is right.” (Daniel 3:15-20.)

Goliath had come rumbling into the valley for 40 days, casting his voice across the mountainside. When David heard him, he said, “Your time of probation is up. It is all over. Today, I am going to give you to the fowls and to the beasts that the whole earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” (1 Samuel 17:46.)

“And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” Verse 47. Goliath could not stand to have the gospel preached to him. Those were fighting words, as far as he was concerned, because, verse 48 says, “And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.” David took off on a run. He hasted, it says, and he went “to meet the Philistine.”

We often have a tendency to sit back and think, “I will just watch this situation and see what happens.” But David took off on a run to meet the enemy, as the enemy was coming toward Israel. And then “David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him.” Verses 49, 50.

This is where the story gets kind of gruesome. I do not understand this, but it is there, and I have to accept it for what it says. David took the Philistine’s sword out of its sheath and cut off his head. “And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.” Verse 51.

Liars

“We will be your servants! You just send someone out here, and if you can kill our giant, we will serve you.” No, they would not! They were liars! They were part of the devil’s host of liars, and they took off, fleeing.

“And the men of Israel and of Judah arose.” Verse 52. This is always the case. There are those who will go out and challenge for God. They may receive all kinds of wounds and may even sacrifice their lives, but others will try to claim the victory and the fruit. I have seen this happen repeatedly. The children of Israel, who were in a state of apostasy, attempted to claim the victory of David over the Philistines. They did do a job. They chased their enemy all the way to the gates of Ekron, and the wounded of the Philistines fell down along the way, even to Gath, and unto Ekron. (Verse 52.)

“And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents.” Verse 53. They were more interested in the material belongings of the world than in validating the God of heaven.

This is a wonderful story of righteousness by faith versus righteousness by works. It is a wonderful story of how we should be able to stand in these last days. It is a wonderful story of how to prepare for the last days that are coming.

The Ten Commandments, Part VII – The Sabbath of Creation and Redemption

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In Deuteronomy 5 is recorded what is often referred to as the second giving of the law. What we know as the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:8–11) is given again in Deuteronomy 5:12–15: “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.”

A comparison of this passage of Scripture with Exodus 20:8–11 reveals some differences: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: For [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” These are the words of the fourth commandment written on the two tables of stone by the very finger of God. (See Exodus 31:18.) This commandment, the Sabbath commandment, closes the first table of stone that was given to Moses by God.

One difference between the account of Deuteronomy 5 and that of Exodus 20 is that instead of the former saying, “remember,” it says, “keep.” “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it . . . .” This is what you might call “ministerial license” on the part of Moses, as he attempted to emphasize a point to the children of Israel because of all the difficulties they had encountered as they traversed through their 40-year wandering experience. He is trying to make the point that they needed to keep the Sabbath holy.

Logical Sequence

The first four commandments, which were written on the first table of stone, outline for man what his responsibilities are to his Creator. As we consider these first four commandments, we can see that they are arranged in a very logical sequence of order. This is not a coincidence; God set these down in a very specific way. Seeing such a logical sequential order confirms that these are of divine origin.

The first commandment proclaims to us the true object of worship. Worship of the true God was a problem in the days of the children of Israel. A variety of other gods commanded their attention for worship. The first commandment warns against having false gods.

The second commandment outlines the true mode of worship and prohibits false forms of religion. When we look at all of the various religions and “isms” that have inundated mankind around the world, they all have their origin in this second law as to their rightness and wrongness.

The third commandment gives the proper approach to this God who has been revealed to us in the first two commandments. It gives a proper approach to worship, and it warns against profanity, irreverence, and hypocrisy in our relationship to God.

The fourth commandment designates the special time for worship by consecrating each seventh day, the Sabbath day, as a memorial of creation and as a memorial of deliverance from bondage to sin.

Egypt Symbolism

Many times I have talked with people, particularly with pastors, about the seventh-day Sabbath. Quite often someone will point out the differences found between Deuteronomy 5 and Exodus 20, to let me know that these commandments are fluid and that they can change—particularly the one that deals with the Sabbath—and that it is not necessarily limited to just the creation story but that it also had implications of deliverance from Egypt.

Then I have asked, “Have you ever been to Egypt?” No, they have never been to Egypt, but they have certainly been in the land of sin, of which Egypt is symbolic. The Book of Revelation makes it explicitly clear that the land of Egypt is symbolic of sin. (See Revelation 11:8.)

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. Moses brought this fact out when he said, “And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.” We, as Christians living in the twenty-first century, can relate to this verse also.

There is a difference between the two writings of the commandments. One was written by the very finger of God, in stone, so that those words could never, ever be changed. The other was contained within the law of Moses, which was written on paper, and it could be changed. It is very easy to drive a nail through paper. It is not an easy task to drive a nail through a piece of stone. You can nail a book of paper to a cross, but you cannot nail a stone to a cross, and you cannot change it. So these differences are there for a very specific reason.

In the very beginning of time, “God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:3. Then, the process of creation took place. After six days of creation, Jesus and the Father rested from their work. They established the Sabbath. We are told specifically, in Genesis 2:3, that the Sabbath day was blessed. It was hallowed. It was set apart. It was a day of rest that was established from the very beginning of creation, before there was ever a Jew, before there was ever sin, before there was ever anything that would try to include it as something that was temporary. God established it, and what God has blessed is blessed forever.

Brief History

When sin took the course that it did with Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden, the plan of salvation that had been conceived in the mind of God was put into operation, right at that point. The promise of a Saviour was there, yet to be fulfilled some 4,000 years later.

The Bible records for us how that all took place. It says that Jesus came in the form of human flesh. He lived; He died; and He rose again. The Bible also tells us that when Jesus was finished with His work of redemption, when at last His head fell into the hollow of His shoulder, after crying out, “It is finished,” His body was taken down off the cross just about sundown on a Friday afternoon. Jesus Christ, the Lord of all—not only the Lord of creation but also the Lord of redemption—rested in His tomb on the seventh day. He rested from His work of reclaiming man from the bondage of sin—man who had been living in the land of Egypt, man who had been contaminated with sin.

Sabbath a Seal

The Sabbath has been given as a sign or a seal. Revelation 7 tells us about a group called the 144,000, and it says that in their foreheads is found the seal of God. That seal of God is in contrast to the mark of the beast. God’s seal is the seventh-day Sabbath; the mark of the beast is Sunday keeping, that counterfeit day of worship that has been raised up by the devil to try to thwart the plans of God.

God’s redeemed will not only recognize Him as the Creator of all, but they will recognize Him as the Redeemer of all as well. The fact that they have recognized Him as Creator and the fact that they have accepted Him as their Redeemer shows that the Sabbath is doubly binding upon them. It seals them in their decision making process, so they are never again wanting to depart from the ways of God.

Proper Balance

In order to maintain this special relationship with God, which is so vital, He has asked that, at regular times, man turn from his secular pursuits to spiritual things. Man, in his fallen condition, needs to understand that all of his time and all of his activities are planned and ordered of God; his spiritual and his physical life depend upon each other. Because of this interdependence, if we are going to be properly balanced as human beings, it is of the utmost importance that we keep the seventh-day Sabbath.

Man, because of his selfish nature, is bent on doing as much as he can for himself. Usually that means, more than anything else, spending his time for himself. God knew that man needed to have some time away from himself to focus on spiritual things. This was the wonderful wisdom of God in setting aside the Sabbath day.

If you leave off either the physical or the spiritual, man becomes unbalanced. This is one of the reasons why we see so much carnage and destruction in the world today. Man, even though he may look sane, is really insane, because all that he wants to do is direct things to himself. It is very difficult to understand that Someone else has a claim on our lives other than ourselves.

Pivotal Point

The fourth commandment, given as a command to worship the Creator, implies the absolute necessity for the setting apart of a special time to worship God. The Sabbath commandment is a pivotal point between the first table and the second table of the Law of God. It is a binding influence between the divine and the human. The Sabbath has been said to be the meeting place between God and man. This must surely be one of the reasons why the devil has attacked it so vigorously. The Sabbath, as the weekly appointment for communion and worship, brings heaven and earth together.

It is God’s Sabbath, but we men and women are to keep it. The Sabbath commandment commands our worship, but it also commands our work. Have you ever noticed that? We give emphasis to the point that we are supposed to rest on the Sabbath day. Six days of each week are reserved for work, for labor, and the seventh day is set apart for rest from our work and all worldly activities.

Living in the society in which we do, that seems to be the thing that needs the most correcting, because Saturday, the holy Sabbath day, is the time for garage sales and auctions. The grocery stores and businesses do their biggest volume of sales on Saturday. It is hard for us, especially in a western society where our minds are turned towards the accumulation of things, to set that day aside for the worship of God. But I have felt, as well as witnessed, the blessings that come from the observance of God’s holy time.

Sacred and Common

The Sabbath commandment combines in a unique way the sacred and the common, outlining our duty to God and our duty to man. It divides all time into secular time and holy time, and it defines man’s duty to each allotted share of time that God has established.

One thing that has been present in every age of this earth’s history, and particularly this age in which we live, is the need for a Sabbath rest—even the Pope recognizes this! He recognizes that there is a need for a Sabbath rest, but he has the wrong day. He claims the day on which we need to rest is Sunday.

Habit

Our lives are rushed with so many things that we sometimes fail to take the time to even think. Much of our routine is carried on by habit. Did you know that?

Each morning when I arise, I go through my routine, as I am sure you also do. Much of what we do is governed by habit, and if we have developed good habits, we are going to grow in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4. If we have developed bad habits, however, they become very difficult to change.

This is one of the reasons why so many individuals have difficulty when they are confronted with the true Sabbath of the Lord. They find it hard to change the habit patterns that they have established during their lifetimes so they can give the Sabbath time back to God as His own and, in so doing, be blessed and benefited because of it.

Innumerable people with whom I have studied will acknowledge that Saturday is the Sabbath, but because of family, because of work, because of personal preferences, they find it is inconvenient to reverence it.

Need for Rest

There is a need for a Sabbath rest. It seems that we have no time for leisure, no time for spiritual exercise, no time for study, no time for reflection or meditation, except as we decidedly acknowledge the Sabbath commandment and rest according to God’s will.

There are those in the field of marriage counseling who many times find that disorders between couples occur because they are not spending quality time together as they should. The counselor, upon learning this state of things, will say, “What you need to do, if your schedule is so tight, is to ‘X’ out a certain time, so you can spend that time together.”

God knew that a long time ago, so He “Xed” out every Sabbath day and called it holy. He blessed it and sanctified it. As we enter into that experience with Him, we will find a change taking place in our own hearts and lives. We will have a balance in our lives. God wants us to choose the time that He has chosen and not choose the time that we have chosen. He wants us to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

How

Since God says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy,” we need to ask ourselves how this is to be accomplished. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath day holy? How do we keep it holy?

Have you ever watched a little child in clean clothes at play where there is mud and water? There seems to be a magnetic draw between little children and mud and water! If they begin to play in it, one thing is for certain—not just their hands will get dirty. Once mud is on their hands, children generally wipe it off onto their clothing.

It is just as impossible for us to keep God’s Sabbath day holy, if we are placing ourselves within proximity of sin and defilement. Just as little children’s hands are drawn to mud and water and to wiping the mud off onto themselves, man, in his sinful nature, is drawn by temptation to do sinful things. Unless we find ourselves deliberately absenting ourselves from all the secular draw and all the secular temptations that come to us, we are going to find ourselves like little children, getting our hands into it. Then we are going to get it on our clothes, and we are going to be defiled.

No Exceptions

The parallel is very apparent. God’s Sabbath day is holy. It is a sanctified day, and we are asked to keep it holy. The only way that we can keep it holy is to refrain from those secular activities that would pollute us on the Sabbath day. Those activities are covered by the commandment itself.

“Six days thou shalt labour”; six days we are to do all our work. How does that speak to the person who is retired? Well, God says, “All right, you have six days to do whatever you want to do, within reason. The seventh day is Mine.” If your wife has a “honey-do” list for you when you are retired, get it done in six days. The seventh day belongs to God.

The rule applies across the board. It does not make any difference whether you have regular employment or whether you are retired, you have six days to work.

The same principle applies to the tithe. God says that one-tenth of our increase belongs to Him. It does not even belong to us. (See Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:32; Genesis 28:22.) A large number of people say that they are going to return their tithe to this or that church. Actually, as stewards, they are not returning their tithe, but God’s tithe.

The same thing is also true of time. The seventh day belongs to God. It is His holy day. The Bible says so. It is not our holy time to adjust our schedule however we might want it to be.

Work is Vital

Six days of work are commanded in this fourth commandment, and those six days of work are as vital as the rest time that God says should also take place.

If the concept of Sabbath keeping, as it is found in the fourth commandment, would be taught and impressed upon the minds of young children, creating in them a work ethic, it would save this old world a lot of misery and woe.

For instance, there are some people who think that they do not have to work, that they can get what they want easier by stealing something that does not belong to them. Learning the Sabbath concept would help them in keeping the commandment that says, “Thou shalt not steal,” because they would have a work ethic of working six days, rather than going out and taking what did not belong to them.

So, we are not only reminded to rest, but we are also commanded to work.

The Devil’s Attack

For the whole human family, the Sabbath commandment is really the foundation for true well-being—physical, mental, and spiritual. Again I ask the question, Is it any wonder that the devil has made such a special attack on this commandment? Even to the most casual observer, it is obvious that there is an attack upon this commandment, more than on any of the other commandments.

If the fourth commandment was observed as it should be from the standpoint of not only God being the Creator but also Jesus Christ being the Redeemer, we humans would be in a whole lot better shape. These two aspects are absolutely tied to the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath.

Character Development

There are those who stress the part of the fourth commandment that deals with rest and forget the other part that deals with labor. I would like to suggest to you that no one could be a Christian and be indolent. No one can keep the Sabbath unless he is also willing to work, because the two concepts go together. We, as Seventh-day Adventists, have been somewhat remiss in bringing out those points and emphasizing them, but they are there, nonetheless. If we put them both together, we will see character traits developed that would not be developed otherwise.

We often speak about the character formation that Jesus desires to take place. The Sabbath commandment has more to do with character development than we realize. No other commandment tells us that we are going to become sanctified by refraining from breaking it. It does not say, “Thou shalt not steal, and you will become holy because of it.” But the Sabbath commandment says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” And in Exodus 31, it says that through the observance of the Sabbath, man recognizes that God is making him holy. This is the only commandment that deals with holiness, as far as that which is brought into man’s experiences because of observance.

A Special Blessing

The Sabbath has to become a special blessing to us as Seventh-day Adventists, if we are going to fulfill the role and the commission that God has given to us. The Sabbath has to become special for us.

There is at times the tendency, when Seventh-day Adventists are asked concerning their denominational affiliation, to skirt around the issue. Some may respond, “Well, I am a Christian.”

“But what kind of a Christian are you?”

“I am a Protestant Christian.”

This is a hesitancy that should not be. Sometimes it is wise to be discrete, if we know that there are existing prejudices, but the question we each need to ask ourselves is, Are there prejudices that I am recognizing, or am I exercising my own self-preservation?

The devil is very anxious to destroy the Sabbath and Sabbath keeping, because if he succeeds, he will destroy the relationship that he knows God wants to have between Himself and His people. It does not matter how rigidly Sunday keepers keep Sunday; they are not keeping God’s appointed Sabbath. The special relationship that exists between God and the Sabbath keeper is not the same relationship that God has with those who are breaking one of His commandments.

God may wink at their ignorance; God may bless them in their ignorance; but there is something that is still lacking in that relationship. This is why, when we come down to the end of time, things are going to narrow down in such a way that the focal point is going to be on the Sabbath and Sunday, because of the tremendous impact that the Sabbath has upon the lives of human beings. If we human beings are going to live with God in the kingdom of heaven, we are going to have to be observant of the Sabbath day. If that has been revolting to us, then we are not going to be there.

Joint Observance

Do you realize that the Sabbath commandment is the only commandment in which God can join with man in its observance? It would be nonsense for God to observe the first commandment that says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” So with the second and the third. So with stealing, lying, and adultery. All these have no place as far as reference to God is concerned.

But there is one commandment that, in its observance, God can join with man. This is one of the reasons the devil attacks it so vigorously. Man, of course, is following God’s example in Sabbath keeping.

Isaiah 66 tells us that the Sabbath is going to be kept in the New Earth. “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord.” Verses 22, 23. The Sabbath is going to be kept.

New Moon

It is sometimes questioned, If we are going to keep these new moons in the earth made new, then why should we not be keeping the feast days today?

It is often easy for us to expound on the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath, but what about the new moon? How often does a new moon come? A new moon comes once a month. Is there ever a time in the earth made new that we are going to gather around the throne of God once a month? Most certainly! We are told, in Revelation 22:1, 2, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month,” that is, new moon.

When it talks about the creation of the new heavens and the new earth, it is dealing with this. Not only is the seventh-day Sabbath still to be a very integrated part of life in heaven, but something else that is interesting and a blessing to us is that we are going to gather around the tree of life each new moon and there partake of its fruit.

We are going to live in the country, Isaiah tells us. We are going to build houses, and we are going to inhabit them. We are going to plant vineyards, and we are going to eat the fruit of them. (Isaiah 65:21.) But then, on the Sabbath day, we are going to find ourselves back in the New Jerusalem, that place where Jesus has gone to prepare a mansion for us. And on that High Sabbath or that high occasion, that once a month gathering, we are going to partake of the fruit that is growing on the tree of life.

Validation

Do not ever tell me the Bible is not inspired! Do not ever tell me that there is no God in heaven! There are just too many things that have come together, written hundreds of years apart, which validate that there is a God in heaven. That God in heaven loved us so much, He came down to this earth and took upon Himself human flesh. And remembering the Sabbath day, from creation until the time that He died on Calvary’s cross and rested in that tomb, He says, “Here is a twofold reason why you, too, who are my disciples, need to rest on the Sabbath day with Me. It is a time when we can come together. It is a time that we can unite our hearts together. It is a time when I can make you holy.”

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

A Finished Work—The Method

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A very special promise for our time is given in Romans 9:28: “For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”

The Lord is going to finish His work. In the first article of this series, you may remember that our study concerned the challenge that this presents to us today—the giants and the fortified cities that are in the land even now. In this article, let us look again at the challenge and also at a finished work—the method.

Entering the Promised Land

In the first chapter of the Book of Joshua, we find, in our study of the conquest of the Promised Land, that the children of Israel, having journeyed in the wilderness for 39 additional years, were to enter at last into the Promised Land. God presented the method by which they would finish the work that was given to them.

Notice the Lord’s introduction to Joshua: “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, [even] to the children of Israel.” Joshua 1:1, 2.

This is the first recorded time that the Lord communicated directly to Joshua. Previously, when the Lord communicated to Moses, Joshua was a minister—a servant or co-worker—with Moses, and had not had that privilege. But now the Lord was communicating directly to Joshua and giving him the methodology he was to follow.

Crossing Jordan

The Lord’s introduction to Joshua was, “Arise, and go over Jordan.” Did the Lord tell him how this was to be done? We do not find it recorded here; we are only given the instruction that the Lord gave: “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, and I will be with you.”

Now, humanly speaking, did this make a lot of sense? Was it a good time to ford the Jordan? No! It was flood season! It was springtime, and the Jordan was a raging torrent. Raging torrents are not what someone would want to venture into, yet this was the direction that God gave to Joshua. He did not tell him how it was going to take place; He did not tell him to build a bridge; He did not tell him to go by another route and bypass the Jordan. He said, “Arise, go over this Jordan.”

The Lord expected Joshua to explicitly follow His directions, even when they made no sense. And they did not make any sense! How could a person cross Jordan at this time? The Lord did not try to explain all of the details of how it was going to happen. He wanted Joshua and the children of Israel to manifest faith that if God gave the directions, He would also supply the means for how the task could be accomplished.

In Joshua 3, we read of the children of Israel marching down into Jordan. The priests advanced first, and we may wonder what they were thinking as they started marching down the banks of the Jordan, far in advance of the rest of the congregation, carrying the symbol of the presence of the Lord. As they drew closer and closer to the raging water, what might have been the thoughts going through their minds? Then, as their feet dipped into the torrent, the waters were cut off. (See Joshua 3:13–17.) God called them to explicitly obey His directions and instructions, and they followed His command.

Another Sign of Obedience

“At that time the Lord said unto Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time.” Joshua 5:2.

After they obeyed the directions to arise and go over this Jordan, the Lord came to Joshua and said, “Now I want you to again circumcise the children of Israel.” Since their rebellion, 39 years before, circumcision had been stopped—postponed to indicate the withdrawal of God’s favor and blessing. God now asked Joshua to obey Him, to follow His directions—not just when they did not make sense but when they hurt as well.

A Battle Plan

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, [Art] thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but [as] captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the Lord’s host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy. And Joshua did so.” Joshua 5:13–15.

His directions are recorded in verses 2 and 3 of chapter 6: “And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, [and] the mighty men of valour. And ye shall compass the city, all [ye] men of war, [and] go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.”

March Around It

Here we learn that even when it does not make sense to us and even when it hurts, the directions which God gives are to be followed, for the Lord Jesus, Captain of the Lord’s host, directs the battle plan. What was the battle plan for the children of Israel to take Jericho? March around it!

Humanly speaking, is it possible to conquer a city by marching around it? Of course it is not. But here we see God asking Joshua and the children of Israel to explicitly obey His directions even when it seemed impossible. Even when it made no sense, He asked them to explicitly obey His directions. Even when it hurt, He asked them to obey His directions, and even when it seemed like an impossibility, He asked that His directions be obeyed.

The children of Israel could have done a number of other things. They could have taken an alternate course. They could have patterned after what the other contemporary armies were doing at the time, but God said, “In order to conquer Canaan, you have to be operating on a different principle than the Canaanites. To conquer Canaan, you have to operate by explicitly following the directions that I give to you.”

Still Applies Today

If the work is going to be finished today, we have to learn the same lessons as they did. We have to learn that the only way the work of God is going to be finished upon the earth today is by explicitly following the directions that He has given in His Word and in the Spirit of Prophecy.

I recently listened to an audiotape of a sermon that was recorded about 30 years ago. The minister who was speaking said that if God could have finished the work by using a plan other than the blueprint He has given, He would have already done it. The only way that the work is going to be finished today is by explicitly following the directions that God has given.

Forget the Side Issues

The devil brings about many traps. In Ellen White’s day, when she was urging and appealing for the church leaders and members to work the cities, a theological issue arose which resulted in a theological debate. There were prominent men on both sides of the question, debating this issue back and forth, and she counseled, “Do not speak about it. Do not worry about it. Work the cities!”

She said, “Wherever we go, we shall find men ready with some side issue.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 6, 245. She continued in telling of a man who had come to her with the message that the world was flat. She did not try to show from the Bible that the earth was round. She did not try to show from science that the earth was round; she referred him to Matthew 28:16–20.

Forget the side issues! Forget those minor theological issues. That is not our work. Those are not the directions God has given to us. God has directed for us to work the cities, to look those giants in the face, and advance as quickly and as aggressively as possible.

Worldly Pattern

Are we following the directions today? Are we studying the directions that God has given for the finishing of His work? A wealth of material is available for our use. There are people who tell us that we need new methods and new ideas, but those new methods and those new ideas need to be based solidly on the directions that God has already given us in His Word and in the Spirit of Prophecy.

We see many around us implementing contemporary methods. They look to other churches and pattern after the world, but the work will never be finished by patterning after the world. Joshua could not pattern after the world. If Joshua had patterned after the world, Jericho would still be standing. Are we patterning after the world today? Are we patterning after the world in our work? Are we patterning after the world in our own lives?

This has been one of the problems throughout the history of God’s people. They pattern after the world, without realizing it, because it is so prevalent around them. For example, consider when Sarah encouraged Abraham to lay with her handmaid, Hagar. It did not seem like such a wrong thing to them, because everyone else was doing it. They were just using then known contemporary methods. But, in doing so, they were not following God’s pattern.

There is nothing wrong with contemporary methods—just as long as they are based upon the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. The only way God’s work is going to be finished is if we look at the directions—at the blueprint that God has given—and follow that blueprint. Anything short of this will fail.

Directions Given

Consider briefly some of the directions that God has given to us. In the Book of Colossians, a time is recorded when the work was finished. Paul said that the gospel had been “preached to every creature which is under heaven.” Colossians 1:23. The gospel had been preached to every creature under heaven in a day when there was no Internet, no satellites, no television or radio; there was not even a postal service per se.

Interestingly, when I was in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I noticed that none of those things—electricity, postal service, etc.—existed there. It was amazing, however, when there were no modern methods of communication, how quickly news traveled. When my travel companions and I arrived in a village, a number of hours away from a larger city, it was only 10 or 20 minutes before a secret service agent was right there to get our names, to register us, and to check out what we were doing. Even though they had no telephone service or other modern modes of communication, notification occurred very rapidly. The “bush telegraph” worked better than some e-mails work today!

“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judæa and Samaria, except the apostles. . . . Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” Acts 8:1, 4. The believers were scattered abroad, and they were preaching the Word. Not just the apostles were preaching the Word, but the believers also were preaching.

The Entire Membership

Sometimes it is easy for us to look to ministers or ministries to finish the work, but it is not going to be ministers and ministries alone that are going to finish it. They have a part to play, yes, and they need to be focused on finishing the work and laying broader and more aggressive evangelistic plans, but what finished the work in the days of the apostles, what took the gospel to the entire world at that time was not just the preaching of the apostles, but the sharing of the Word of God by every believer as well. It was people such as Aquila and Priscilla who, ministering at their workplace, led one of their co-workers, Apollos, into a more perfect way. (See Acts 18.)

“The work of God in this earth can never be finished until the men and women comprising our church membership rally to the work and unite their efforts with those of ministers and church officers.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 117.

Are the ministers and the church officers going to finish the work? The work will be finished by the entire membership rallying together, each one playing his or her part to complete the task. If we do not do it, God will use other means to finish the work, and He will finish it without us. The entire membership—that is you and me.

I read a statement recently that said, “I am just a nobody trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody!” That is what we need to do! We need to be nobodies trying to tell everybody about Somebody who can save anybody. We have a work to do, but until we unite and do what we can—not just in giving out literature, not just in sending our money to those who are doing big projects, but by ourselves personally taking up the work that lies nearest us—we will never finish the work. God will finish it, but He will pass us by.

A Personal Work

“Servants of God, with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given.” The Great Controversy, 612. [Emphasis supplied.] How many voices? Thousands of voices. It will not just be one or three or ten major evangelists. There will be thousands of voices—the voices of God’s people.

“In visions of the night, representations passed before me [Ellen White] of a great reformatory movement among God’s people. Many were praising God. The sick were healed, and other miracles were wrought. A spirit of intercession was seen, even as was manifested before the great Day of Pentecost. Hundreds and thousands were seen visiting families and opening before them the word of God. Hearts were convicted by the power of the Holy Spirit, and a spirit of genuine conversion was manifest.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 126. [Emphasis supplied.]

This will be personal work. It will be personal voices. All of these other mechanisms—the Internet, television, radio, and satellite—are good, and they play a part in finishing the work, but the work is not going to be finished solely through them. It has to be finished by personal voices, by your voice and by mine.

The work will be finished by personal work. As quoted above, hundreds and thousands will be visiting families and opening the Word of God to them. This means we will be going to our neighbors, to our co-workers, and to our friends, giving them Bible studies.

You and I have a work to do. The only way that the work is going to be finished is if we look those giants in the face, if we look at those challenges and are not diverted by the difficulties. We must study and pray to learn what God’s methods are, what the instructions are that He has given for finishing the work. Then, as the Lord leads us to the area of ministry that He has for each of us and as we do our personal work, His work is going to be finished.

When a fire is lit, not just under the ministers but also under the entire church, God’s work is going to be finished. We need to listen, as did Joshua, for the Captain of the hosts’ voice. Listen to His voice; study the directions He has given, and lift up and do the part that God has given to us to perform. May we be faithful in that work.

Cody Francis is currently engaged in public evangelism for Mission Projects International. He also pastors the Remnant Church of Seventh-day Adventist Believers in Renton, Washington. He may be contacted by e-mail at: cody@missionspro.org.

The Ten Commandments, Part VIII – The Sabbath is a Delight

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In Part VII of this series, we laid down some of the concepts about the seventh-day Sabbath. In this article, we will consider some of the things that God has asked us to do and not to do in observance of the seventh-day Sabbath.

In Isaiah 58:13, 14, we read: “If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken [it].”

Who is it that is telling us these things? Is it Isaiah? No. It says, “The mouth of the Lord hath spoken [it],” so this is an instant cue that this is more than just a prophetic utterance. It comes to us right from the mouth of the Lord Himself.

No Coercion

This passage of Scripture is telling us several things that we need to closely consider.

  1. In its broadest context, Isaiah 58 is, as a whole, telling us that it is necessary to have a proper attitude and observance of the Sabbath as a condition for receiving the Lord’s blessings.
  2. Proper Sabbath observance cannot be coerced. I have heard people say that they are not in favor of a Sunday law, but may be favorable to a Sabbath law! Would you be in favor of a Sabbath law? No, no! We cannot coerce Sabbath keeping. It is not God’s plan; it is not God’s will. He says, “Remember”; He says, “Whosoever will,” but He never coerces us into observing His Sabbath day. The text says that Sabbath observance is to be voluntary.

When this passage says, “If thou turn away thy foot,” it means that if you are walking, perhaps on a sidewalk, and see a coin laying on it, you would not want to step on top of the coin, because you would not then be able to reach down and pick it up. So you turn away your foot from stepping on it. This is what the Lord is talking about here, the fact that you are not to trample on the Sabbath day. If you turn away your foot from stepping on the Sabbath and from trampling it under your feet, a blessing is there for you.

The decision as to how we are going to treat the Sabbath rests with each one of us. Do not trample it under your feet, but do not force anyone to keep the Sabbath either. It has to be voluntary.

Own Way

  1. God’s people have been finding their own pleasure, going their own way, doing their own thing, speaking their own words on God’s holy day. They have been robbing God of what really and truly is His. They have been using it as if it were their own.

The Book of Isaiah was written in Old Testament times. You would think that the people, having lived under the economy of Israel, would have known better, because the whole economy was built around the Ten Commandments and the sacrificial system of the sanctuary. You would think that the people would have recognized this, but that was not the case.

Regardless of their culture, people are no different when it gets down below the surface. Character traits have not changed for 6,000 years. All have been sinful. All have fallen short. “There is none righteous, no, not one.” Romans 3:10. “All our righteousnesses [are] as filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6. That is why God has given us these principles—so the re-ordering of our lives can take place, and God’s will can be done in and through us. The Sabbath is very much a part of the whole programming system, if you please; it is basically the spiritual DNA that holds us together.

A Holy Day

  1. The only type of Sabbath keeper whom God can approve and bless is one who looks upon the Sabbath as a delight, because it is “the holy of the Lord” and therefore is worthy of honor.
  2. Because it is “the holy day of the Lord” and because God asked man to keep it in a particular way, the manner of one’s Sabbath keeping reveals the nature of the relationship between himself and God. This is a principle that Jesus outlined when He said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” Matthew 7:20. The manner of our Sabbath keeping is going to be in direct correlation to how we relate to God.

God-centered

  1. The express command not to do one’s own way, to find one’s own pleasure, or to speak one’s own words implies, in the light of this revelation, that the Sabbath is “the holy of the Lord,” and we are to keep it God’s way. We are to find pleasure in doing God’s will, and we are to find pleasure in speaking God’s words. Further, it states that if we will do this, such Sabbath keeping will make the Sabbath a delight. It will be a pleasure.

Such a degree of God-centered-ness—one that excludes all secular preoccupation on the Sabbath—is possible and pleasurable only for those whose lives on the other six days of the week are God-centered—God-centered in the middle of the secular world in which we live.

We will discover that, even though we are out in a secular world, as we are orbiting around godly things, the Sabbath will indeed be a delight to us. If we are orbiting about in a secular world with a secular mind, we will not find the Sabbath to be a delight, because we will not be looking forward to that holy time, as we should.

Saviour and Lord

  1. In these verses, God is pleading for His professed people to enter into a deep, loving, personal relationship with Him—fellowship that gladly responds to and delights in His lordship.

We often find it is easier to accept Jesus as Saviour than it is to accept Him as Lord. As we reflect upon our future, eternal life, we recognize that we need a Saviour. We know that, and we readily accept a Saviour. Most people, when asked if they want to go to heaven, will say yes. They do want to go to heaven. But when you ask whether or not they are willing to conform their lives to God’s requirements, a number of them begin to fall off on the wayside. They are not too sure if they want to change their lifestyles and bring them into harmony and conformity with God so that they can make it to heaven.

Christ is not only to be the Saviour, but He is to be the Lord. So we find in these verses that God is pleading for His professed people to enter into a deep personal relationship with Him, a fellowship that we will gladly respond to and delight in His lordship.

If the Sabbath is not the delight that God intends for it to be for us, then something needs to be overhauled. The Sabbath does not need to be overhauled as far as God is concerned. Outside of this context, the words that we read in Isaiah about the Sabbath being a delight become to us just baffling conjecture.

In other words, anyone whose life is not centered in God can never understand these verses. But if the life is centered in God, then these verses make a great deal of sense.

Creative/Redemptive

How should the Sabbath work on our behalf? Ellen White gives some insight on this: “To all who receive the Sabbath as a sign of Christ’s creative and redeeming power, it will be a delight.” The Desire of Ages, 289.

In Part VII of this series, the Sabbath in Exodus 20 and the Sabbath in Deuteronomy 5 were studied. One shows the Sabbath as a memorial for the creation, and the other shows it as a memorial for redemption. This is what she is saying in this quote.

And then, in Evangelism, 233, she wrote: “Instead of the people of God becoming less and less definitely distinguished from those who do not keep the seventh-day Sabbath, they are to make the observance of the Sabbath so prominent that the world cannot fail to recognize them as Seventh-day Adventists.” That is quite a profound statement! The Sabbath is to be such a distinguishing mark for us as Seventh-day Adventists that the world can recognize it!

What do we find today? We find that the Church wants to take down its colors more and more and become less distinguishable. For example, the churches take the fact that they are Seventh-day Adventist off their signs and change their names to “Community Fellowship” or “New Life Fellowship” or something else—anything, it seems, to get away from “Seventh-day Adventist.” Many of the Church’s schools and colleges are abandoning the name. Today, they are called, for example, Southern Adventist University or Walla Walla College or some such name. “Seventh-day” or “Seventh-day Adventist” should be in the name, because it stands as a rebuke to the world, for the apostasy in which they have participated.

Do Not be Obnoxious

We do not need to be obnoxious about how we keep the Sabbath. Some people can be obnoxious as far as what they believe, and I have known some Seventh-day Advent-ists who are obnoxious about the fact that they are Seventh-day Adventists. We do not need to do that, but we do not need to soft pedal it either. What we need to do is to be tactful; we need to be helpful in every way that we can.

One of the things that encouraged me to become a Seventh-day Adventist was a neighbor who witnessed to me. He had a philosophy that, at the time, worked very well, although I do not know that I could particularly endorse it now. I did not have a tractor, so he said, “I do not use my tractor on Saturday; you may use it then.” So I did! That act of kindness helped more to win me to listen to what he had to say than if I had asked him for the use of his tractor and he had said, “Do you not know that I am a Seventh-day Adventist? My tractor is supposed to rest on the seventh day.” The idea is that we need to be kind and tactful and not obnoxious, because that is going to help us more in our witness as we draw near the end of time. We should be kind and possess the fruits of the Spirit.

Honorable

The Bible says that the Sabbath is to be honorable. We are to recognize it as the Lord’s Day. We should look forward to it during the week. Not just on Friday, but all week, beginning on Sunday, are we to plan for the Sabbath. We need to start getting things in order during our six days of work so that everything is in readiness for the Sabbath. There is probably nothing that is more harmful regarding Sabbath observance than to come down to the last 30 minutes before the sun sets and then decide that we must get everything squared away so that the work will all be done before the Sabbath begins.

We are not to be doing our own ways, or speaking our own words, or thinking our own thoughts, but, rather, we are to be seeking the ways of the Lord. We are to be thinking His thoughts and speaking His words.

Practical Application

The question that we need to ask ourselves then is, How do I observe the Sabbath in a workable, practical way? The messenger of the Lord gives, in one sentence, a fairly inclu-sive outline as far as being able to accomplish the instruction given in Isaiah 58. She says, “Devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, to worship, and to holy deeds.” The Desire of Ages, 207.

I want to point out to you what this quote does not say. It does not say, “Devote those sacred hours to healthful rest, [or] to worship, [or] to holy deeds.”

The ideal that is being presented here is that the Sabbath is to be divided into these three categories. Each Sabbath’s observance should have some aspect of these three things included—rest, worship, and some kind of good deed for somebody.

Misapplication

This has taken some turns lately. Some think that good deeds comprise community service—painting people’s houses and cleaning up their yards. That is not the kind of good deeds spoken about here. What is meant is doing something that can be of an encouragement and a help to someone, such as Bible studies, visitation, hospital visitation, or singing bands. These types of things are holy deeds.

We need to have the balance of these three activities. The Sabbath is not the delight that it is intended to be if these things are out of balance.

Discipline

There has to be some planning put into the Sabbath. One of the things we need to understand is that Sabbath observance calls for discipline on our part. Sabbath observance does not just happen. Sabbath observance has to be planned, as God has told us time and time again.

“We should in no case allow burdens and business transactions to divert our minds upon the Sabbath of the Lord, which He has sanctified. We should not allow our minds to dwell upon things of a worldly character even.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 583.

In other words, if the Sabbath is to be the delight God wants it to be for us, we must have our minds centered upon Him and off secular things. We cannot allow our minds to run undisciplined. It is not unusual for people sitting in the congregation to hear the words of the service, but not understand what is being said, because their minds are trailing off on something else. When this happens, and it can happen to any one of us, we must discipline our minds and bring them back on track. The devil knows that the message is something we need to hear, and if we do not exercise discipline, he can distract our minds so we will miss it. Many times— through a baby crying, a disruption, or a daydreaming thought—our minds can be drawn away from where they should be, so we must discipline our minds to keep them focused on Sabbath subjects.

Mrs. White wrote that, “God requires . . . [on] the Sabbath, . . . that the mind be disciplined to dwell upon sacred themes.” Child Guidance, 529. How many of us, and I include myself, discipline our minds to dwell on sacred themes during the Sabbath hours? If we can discipline our minds to dwell upon sacred themes, this then becomes a defense against those temptations that the devil brings to us to try to distract us.

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

1 Corinthians 12 and 13, Part I

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To the believers in Corinth, the apostle Paul delivered some of the most definitive and eloquent illustrations and instructions regarding relationships with one another. Beginning in chapter 12 of his first letter and continuing on through chapter 13, he clearly describes what must be for there to be unity and harmony among believers in the church.

These chapters are so important that we have been counseled to memorize them.

“The twelfth and thirteenth chapters of 1 Corinthians should be committed to memory, written in the mind and heart. Through His servant Paul, the Lord has placed before us these subjects for our consideration, and those who have the privilege of being brought together in church capacity will be united, understandingly and intelligently. The figure of the members which compose the body represents the church of God and the relation its members should sustain to one another.” Sermons and Talks, Book 2, 119, 120.

Different Gifts and Functions

In 1 Corinthians 12, the diversities of spiritual gifts given to the church are to help it become ready for the kingdom. They are to unite the church. After addressing spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul discusses how these gifts work together in the body. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.” “For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,’ is it therefore not of the body?” 1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 15.

The Church is compared to the physical body. One lesson we can learn from this representation is that all parts of the body do not do the same thing, but all parts of the body work together for the benefit and blessing of the entire body. Paul illustrates this by asking a rhetorical question, “If the whole body [were] an eye, where [would be] the hearing? If the whole [were] hearing, where [would be] the smelling?” 1 Corinthians 12:17. As each part of the body has different functions, so each member of the church has different gifts or functions. Thus the whole is blessed by a diversity providing a unity that is far more powerful.

“The vine has many branches, but though all the branches are different, they do not quarrel. In diversity there is unity. All the branches obtain their nourishment from one source. This is an illustration of the unity that is to exist among Christ’s followers. In their different lines of work they all have but one Head. The same Spirit, in different ways, works through them. There is harmonious action, though the gifts differ. Study this chapter. You will see from it that the man who is truly united with Christ will never act as though he were a complete whole in himself. . . .

“The perfection of the church depends not on each member being fashioned exactly alike. God calls for each one to take his proper place, to stand in his lot to do his appointed work according to the ability which has been given him (Letter 19, 1901).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1090.

Another lesson to be learned from the body representing the church is that just as the hand without the rest of the body is not much good, so one member working without the rest of the church is not much good. For the church to work as God would have it, each must fulfill a part. You may think that you cannot do very much, but every part has a necessary function. “By a comparison of the church with the human body, the apostle aptly illustrated the close and harmonious relationship that should exist among all members of the church of Christ.” The Acts of the Apostles, 317.

Notice something very significant about these gifts. They are given so that the body may work as a whole, not as individual parts. “God’s servants are to work together, blending in kindly, courteous order, ‘in honor preferring one another.’ Romans 12:10. There is to be no unkind criticism, no pulling to pieces of another’s work; and there are to be no separate parties. Every man to whom the Lord has entrusted a message has his specific work. Each one has an individuality of his own, which he is not to sink in that of any other man. Yet each is to work in harmony with his brethren. In their service God’s workers are to be essentially one. No one is to set himself up as a criterion, speaking disrespectfully of his fellow workers or treating them as inferior. Under God each is to do his appointed work, respected, loved, and encouraged by the other laborers. Together they are to carry the work forward to completion.” Ibid., 275, 276.

Care for One Another

Continuing on in 1 Corinthians 12:25, 26: “That there should be no schism in the body, but [that] the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with [it]; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with [it].” From these verses, we notice that the body feels for (cares for) other members of the body. I should not be biting and devouring any part of the body of Christ, but I should be working together with the body to keep it alive by caring for it. In this life, no one in his right mind cuts off part of his body or bites it. Just so, I should treat the spiritual body with love and concern.

In Romans 12:10–16, several specific graces of the spirit are identified. We are to be of one mind, kindly affectionate, esteem others better than ourselves, and give preference to them. “In the Lord’s plan human beings have been made necessary to one another. To every one God has entrusted talents, to be used in helping others to walk in the path of right. It is by unselfish service for others that we improve and increase our talents.

“Like the different parts of a machine, all are closely related to one another, and all dependent upon one great Center. There is to be unity in diversity. No member of the Lord’s firm can work successfully in independence. Each is to work under the supervision of God; all are to use their entrusted capabilities in His service, that each may minister to the perfection of the whole. . . .

“He who claims to be a Christian should examine himself and see if he is as kind and considerate of his fellow beings as he desires his fellow beings to be of him. . . . Christ taught that rank or wealth should make no difference in our treatment of one another and that in the light of heaven all are brethren. Earthly possessions or worldly honor do not count in God’s valuation of man. He created all men equal; He is no respecter of persons. He values a man according to the virtue of his character.” In Heavenly Places, 287.

Christian Love

Concluding 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul pleads, “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.” What is the “more excellent way”? It is Christian love, which we all must have. Love is one of the key ingredients for the body to stay together.

“The Lord desires me to call the attention of His people to the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Read this chapter every day, and from it obtain comfort and strength. Learn from it the value that God places on sanctified, heaven-born love, and let the lesson that it teaches come home to your hearts. Learn that Christlike love is of heavenly birth, and that without it all other qualifications are worthless.” Review and Herald, July 21, 1904.

The invitation contained in this short paragraph is to read, meditate, and learn of heavenly love. If we do not understand the value God places on heavenly love, all other qualifications, however wonderful they may be, are worthless. It is vital for all to become interested in 1 Corinthians 13 and to study what true love really is, for this is the kind of love that God wants His followers to possess. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35. The world must see that the followers of Christ have His love in their lives.

“In the thirteenth chapter of first Corinthians the apostle Paul defines true, Christlike love. It would be well to print this chapter in small type in every paper issued from our presses. Put it in the Gospel Herald that it may preach its living sermon wherever the paper may go. This chapter is an expression of the obedience of all who love God and keep His commandments. It is brought into action in the life of every true believer.” The Gospel Herald, January 1, 1901.

Study of Heavenly Love

We can begin a study of heavenly love in the first three verses of 1 Corinthians 13. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become [as] sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

These verses tell us that we can do a variety of “good” things, but if we fail to do them for the right reason, which is love, they are worthless. What matters is the motive as to why I am doing the things that I do. Is it because I love God and my neighbor as myself? Having eloquent speech, understanding mysteries, obtaining knowledge, or giving to the poor are all commendable, but without love from a pure heart, what good are they? “The attribute that Christ appreciates most in man is charity (love) out of a pure heart. This is the fruit borne upon the Christian tree (MS 16, 1892).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1091.

Practical Description

The apostle Paul continues his instruction in a practical description of heavenly love in verses 4–8: “Love suffers long [and] is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up [arrogant]; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether [there are] prophecies, they will fail; whether [there are] tongues, they will cease; whether [there is] knowledge, it will vanish away.”

From these verses we see that love is a very complex attribute that has nothing to do with selfishness. Love is always thinking of the other person. This kind of love is tough; it does not fail when put through the stress and strain of life. If each one possessed this kind of love, it would be wonderful to be around him or her. All too often we experience the opposite, as individuals become irritated, impatient, or proud. “Love is a plant of heavenly origin, and if we would have it flourish in our hearts, we must cultivate it daily. Mildness, gentleness, long suffering, not being easily provoked, bearing all things, enduring all things,—these are the fruits upon the precious tree of love.” Review and Herald, June 5, 1888.

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these [is] love.” These verses, in 1 Corinthians 13:9–13, conclude the picture of heavenly love that Paul paints in simple, yet eloquent language.

Cultivate This Love

We must cultivate this love, and it must be shown to those around us—especially to those in our families and within the “household of faith.” Galatians 6:10. It is a serious concern that we, as God’s professed people, are sadly lacking in this heavenly love. We do not demonstrate the care that we should have for one another. Instead, we are splitting up and biting and devouring one another. But heavenly love does not cover sin. Instead, it hates the sin and loves the sinner. If I really love God, I will demonstrate this heavenly love to all with whom I associate, in the home, at the work place, or in the household of faith.

“Let us bring into the daily experience the instruction contained in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Believers must bring into their lives a stronger love for one another, a growing interest in one another.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 143.

“O that there might be seen among our people a deep and thorough work of repentance and reformation! O that they would fall on the Rock, and be broken! Let us crucify self, that in our hearts may grow up a strong love for Christ and for one another. Let us bring into the daily experience the instruction contained in the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians. Self must be surrendered to God before there can take possession of the life that strong, steady belief in the truth that is broad and comprehensive; that casts out from the heart all enmity, all petty differences, and transforms coldness into Christlike affection.

“Why should not believers love one another? It is impossible to love Christ, and at the same time act discourteously toward one another. It is impossible to have the Christ-love in the heart, and at the same time draw apart from one another, showing no love or sympathy. The deeper our love for Christ, the deeper will be our love for one another.” Review and Herald, February 24, 1903.

Heaven Begins on Earth

“To possess true godliness means to love one another, to help one another, to make apparent the religion of Jesus in our lives. We are to be consecrated channels through which the love of Christ flows to those who need help. . . . He who approaches nearest to obedience to the divine law will be of the most service to God. He who follows Christ, reaching out after His goodness, His compassion, His love for the human family, will be accepted by God as a worker together with Him. . . .

“When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness for one another, they will realize that His banner over them is love and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. Heaven will begin on earth. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above.” In Heavenly Places, 287.

Did you get that? Heaven will begin on earth when the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness for one another. God has made it necessary for us to work with one another.

Union is Strength

“Union is strength, and the Lord desires that this truth should be ever revealed in all the members of the body of Christ. All are to be united in love, in meekness, in lowliness of mind. Organized into a society of believers for the purpose of combining and diffusing their influence, they are to work as Christ worked. They are ever to show courtesy and respect for one another. Every talent has its place and is to be kept under the control of the Holy Spirit.

“The church is a Christian society formed for the members composing it, that each member may enjoy the assistance of all the graces and talents of the other members, and the working of God upon them, according to their several gifts and abilities. The church is united in the holy bonds of fellowship in order that each member may be benefited by the influence of the other. All are to bind themselves to the covenant of love and harmony. The Christian principles and graces of the whole society of believers are to gather strength and force in harmonious action. Each believer is to be benefited and improved by the refining and transforming influence of the varied capabilities of the other members, that the things lacking in one may be more abundantly displayed in another. All the members are to draw together, that the church may become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. . . .

“Those who wear Christ’s yoke will draw together. They will cultivate sympathy and forbearance, and in holy emulation will strive to show to others the tender sympathy and love of which they feel such great need themselves. He who is weak and inexperienced, although he is weak, may be strengthened by the more hopeful and by those of mature experience. Although the least of all, he is a stone that must shine in the building. He is a vital member of the organized body, united to Christ, the living head, and through Christ identified with all the excellencies of Christ’s character so that the Saviour is not ashamed to call him brother. . . .

“A church, separate and distinct from the world, is in the estimation of heaven the greatest object in all the earth. . . . The church is to be as God designed it should be, a representative of God’s family in another world.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 15–17.

What Weakens

“Nothing so manifestly weakens a church as disunion and strife. Nothing so wars against Christ and the truth as this spirit. . . .

“He in whose heart Christ abides recognizes Christ abiding in the heart of his brother. Christ never wars against Christ. Christ never exerts an influence against Christ. Christians are to do their work, whatever it may be, in the unity of the Spirit, for the perfecting of the whole body.” My Life Today, 276.

Manifest Christ’s Qualities

“The life of Christ was a life charged with a divine message of the love of God, and he longed intensely to impart this love to others in rich measure. Compassion beamed from his countenance, and his conduct was characterized by grace, humility, truth, and love. Every member of his church militant must manifest the same qualities, if he would join the church triumphant. The love of Christ is so broad, so full of glory, that in comparison to it, everything that men esteem as great, dwindles into insignificance. When we obtain a view of it, we exclaim, O the depth of the riches of the love that God bestowed upon men in the gift of his only begotten Son!” Christian Education, 76, 77.

“We are to be one with him as he is one with the Father, and then we are beloved by the infinite God as members of the body of Christ, as branches of the living Vine. We are to be attached to the parent stock, and to receive nourishment from the Vine. Christ is our glorified Head, and the divine love flowing from the heart of God, rests in Christ, and is communicated to those who have been united to him. This divine love entering the soul inspires it with gratitude, frees it from its spiritual feebleness, from pride, vanity, and selfishness, and from all that would deform the Christian character.” Ibid., 76.

“How tender we should be in our dealings with those who are striving for the crown of life. He who in love and tenderness has helped a soul in need may at another time be himself in need of compassionate words of hope and courage.—Manuscript 63, May 18, 1898, ‘Home Missionary Work.’ ” This Day With God, 147.

To be continued . . .

Jana Grosboll, an Electrical Engineering graduate student, serves Steps to Life as its Network Administrator. She may be contacted by e-mail at: janagrosboll@stepstolife.org.

The Ten Commandments, Part IX – The Sabbath is a Delight

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For many people, the Sabbath is a time to dwell upon those things for which they think they do not otherwise have time, and it seems that their thoughts are upon everything but that upon which they should be dwelling. We can be sanctified through Sabbath observance only if we are dwelling on sacred themes. If we are only observing a 24-hour period because that is what the commandment says to do, not recognizing the spiritual impact that the Sabbath is to have upon our lives, and merely using it as a time to dwell upon anything and everything for which we think we do not have time otherwise, we are not going to be sanctified. God wants us to be sanctified on the Sabbath day.

Interestingly, most of us talk most about that which we know the most. When the mind is focused on secular pursuits the majority of the week, you would think that it would be a delight to leave those things behind and on one day of the week think and speak on sacred themes. But so often this is not the case. We come to Sabbath School and the worship service, but even there we have trouble dwelling on sacred themes. If we are spending time during the week with that thoughtful, contemplative hour on the life of Christ, as we have been told to do, our minds will not have trouble redirecting and focusing when it comes to the Sabbath School and church services, because we will have an abundance of materials upon which to dwell.

A problem comes if we are not spending time in Bible study and prayer during the week and we decide that we are going to sleep in and not attend church or Sabbath School on the Sabbath. If this is the case, yet we still call ourselves Seventh-day Adventists, whom the Lord loves and in whom He delights, we are only fooling ourselves. If the Sabbath is the only time we have for some kind of spiritual fulfillment, then we most definitely need to be in church.

In many countries outside the United States, the lives of the people are very difficult and filled with just trying to eke out a living. When Sabbath comes, many of them are at Sabbath School by 8:30 in the morning. They start singing and preaching and praying, and they continue singing and preaching and praying until the sun sets on Saturday night, because this is the only time they can recharge their spiritual batteries. It is far better to acquire some kind of nourishment than no nourishment at all.

Sabbath Reform

“There is need of a Sabbath reform among us, who profess to observe God’s holy rest day. Some discuss their business matters and lay plans on the Sabbath, and God looks upon this in the same light as though they engaged in the actual transaction of business.” Evangelism, 245.

What goes through your mind on the Sabbath day is of great significance. The Bible says that as a man “thinketh in his heart, so [is] he.” Proverbs 23:7.

A number of years ago, one of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s schools was showing a film on skiing. This was in the days of the old 16-millimeter movie projectors, and the film that evening included two spools. The man who brought the film to show to the students and staff at the academy owned the ski lodge where they would go to ski. Of course, he took the opportunity to do a little promoting, trying to bolster his business. The first spool of film was shown, and while the second spool was being loaded, he wished to say a few complimentary words to the staff of the school concerning the young people who attended there. He said, “First of all, I want to compliment you on your young people. I think they are tremendous. You know,” he continued, “on Saturday afternoons they drive up to the ski lodge, but they sit in their cars until the sun goes down. They will not even go on the ski lift until after the sun sets.” The principal of the school did not feel complimented at all. He, as a matter of fact, was quite embarrassed that this kind of activity was being observed.

We need to think about this for a moment. We need to ask ourselves, How are we keeping the Sabbath? Is the Sabbath such a delight to us that we hate to see it go, or has it become burdensome for us, and we anxiously await the setting of the sun, so we can again go about our own activities?

The Sabbath is the Lord’s special time with us. If we cannot wait until it is over, we will never be happy in heaven, because the whole atmosphere in heaven is directed toward the worship of God.

Anxious for Sunset

The idea of being anxious for the sun to go down is not something new with us. This was the same problem that ancient Israel faced. They could not wait for the sun to go down, so they could be about their business. It even got to the point where they were bringing goods and setting them up outside the gates on the Sabbath day.

The situation is not a whole lot different today. A number of people, particularly in the Evangelical world, are looking to Israel and saying, This is a fulfillment of prophecy. God is blessing these people. They are His people, even though they are not keeping or observing the Sabbath day in Israel. Yes, they shut everything down on Saturdays. If you were to go to Israel on any given Sabbath, you would see that everything is closed down. On some streets there are even barricades so the traffic cannot go up and down the streets. But as sundown nears, the shopkeepers are inside their shops, ready for the whistle to blow indicating to all that the sun is set. When the whistle blows, the shades on the shop windows go up, and the carts go out into the streets, and they begin selling their wares again. This is the kind of thinking that pervades Israel today, so, regardless of what people may think prophetically, they are not living in harmony with even what they have written on the statute books. Where are their minds? Certainly not on the Sabbath.

Where are our minds at times? Are they on the Sabbath or on secular pursuits, the dollar, and self? Ellen White tells us, “The fourth commandment is virtually transgressed by conversing upon worldly things or by engaging in light and trifling conversation. Talking upon anything or everything which may come into the mind is speaking our own words.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 703.

We can converse on the Sabbath day. We can greet one another. We can make inquiry as to their well-being and the welfare of their family, but it is not the time to carry on light, jesting, joking kinds of conversation or deal with business matters.

Two Points

  1. The easiest way to keep the Sabbath and to keep the conversation on Sabbath topics is to converse with true Sabbath keepers. Although we are to spend some time in doing good deeds for those who may be of the world, too often we use this as an excuse to go to the homes of non-Sabbath keepers and spend God’s holy time visiting on Sabbath afternoons. One of the easiest ways for us to trample the Sabbath is to visit with relatives who are not Sabbath keepers. It is certain that they are not going to be speaking on sacred themes. Sabbath is not the time to visit unconverted relatives who do not realize the true keeping of the Sabbath. Leave that for another day of the week. If you are a Sabbath keeper, you will want to have Sabbath conversation.
  2. Included in not speaking our own words is not hearing other words spoken that are not Sabbath orientated. This means that we should not watch or listen to worldy, non-spiritual programs on our radios and televisions, and any materials that are not Sabbath orientated, such as newspapers and worldly magazines, should be put away.

Many Seventh-day Adventists feel that it is not a problem to sit at home on Sabbath afternoons and watch television, as long as it does not affect anybody else. But if we are going to follow what the Scripture has to say, we should not only guard the words that we speak but also the words that we hear.

Necessary Rebuke

“Ministers of Jesus should stand as reprovers to those who fail to remember the Sabbath to keep it holy. They should kindly and solemnly reprove those who engage in worldly conversation upon the Sabbath and at the same time claim to be Sabbathkeepers. They should encourage devotion to God upon His holy day.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 704.

If there are Sabbath keepers that we are to rebuke because their conversation is not on Sabbath issues, it should be done “kindly and solemnly.” Great emphasis is to be put upon “kindly.” We need to make sure that, as we encourage someone in his or her Sabbath observance, it is done gently and kindly. One of the ways that we can gently and kindly rebuke someone, as far as conversation on the Sabbath, is to take charge of the situation. When the conversation is going in a direction other than sacred themes, you may say something such as, “By the way, I do not mean to change the subject, but the other day I was reading in Patriarchs and Prophets about . . .” If you make the rebuke in that way, it will be done in kindness, and they will not feel that you are shaking a finger right under their nose.

Repairers of the Breach

Some may think that this is getting down to some pretty fine points of Sabbath observance. Well, perhaps so, but the Lord has spoken to us on these issues through the Bible and through the counsel of Ellen White. Therefore, we cannot lightly set these things aside. God sent them to us for one purpose and for one purpose only, and that is because we are called to be reformers. We are called to be repairers of the breach. (Isaiah 58:12.) This verse has been specifically applied to the hole that has been knocked in the Sabbath. We are to repair that hole; we are to restore the old paths upon which we are to be walking. The reform message that has been given to us needs to be carried out in our being the kindest, the most courteous, and the most thoughtful people in the world. We also need to be true to the mission to which God has called us. In doing that, we will find that the Sabbath is going to be more meaningful to us because we understand its principles.

If the Sabbath is to be a delight, then we need to delight ourselves in the God of the Sabbath. If we delight ourselves in the God of the Sabbath, we are then going to have true understanding of what the Sabbath is all about and the blessings that are in it for each one of us.

Thorough Bible Students

“Every position of our faith will be searched into, and if we are not thorough Bible students, established, strengthened, settled, the wisdom of the world’s great men will be too much for us.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 386. That is quite an awesome statement! When you consider it, you will understand precisely the reason why we are lingering over Exodus 20:8–11 and Deuteronomy 5:12–15. Both of these passages of Scripture deal with the Sabbath, the fourth commandment.

Unless we are “thorough Bible students,” unless we are established in the faith and have incorporated these truths into our hearts and into our minds—so we are prepared, when called to appear before magistrates and in legislative courts, to give an answer for our faith—the wisdom of these men will overwhelm us. One issue with which we must really come to grips in the last days is the issue of the Sabbath and Sunday.

Inspiration does not say that the test will be over whether or not we have stolen, lied, committed adultery, or built graven images. Those things are important, and I am not trying to minimize them in the least, but they are not going to be the confronting focal point. We will be confronted over the issue of the Sabbath and Sunday.

When asked why we are keeping Saturday, the seventh day of the week, instead of Sunday, the first day of the week, we must be able to give an answer. We will need to be able to defend the observance of the seventh day of the week.

New Testament Only

What would you say, what kind of a response would you give, if you were called before a panel or before a group of Sunday keepers, and they asked, “Can you defend the observance of this day you keep from the New Testament only? We know that Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 talk about the Ten Commandments and about the Sabbath day, but we are New Testament Christians.” In that circumstance, you will need to give a definitive answer from the New Testament.

Perhaps you would remember Hebrews 4:9: “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.” But is there more to New Testament Sabbath observance than this passage? Even though you may know New Testament texts to argue against the sacredness of the first day of the week, it is not enough to just do away with Sunday keeping. Establishing Sabbath keeping from the New Testament is really the issue. Can we establish Sabbath keeping from the New Testament?

Jealous of Jesus

We know, as we near the end of the world and the approach of Jesus’ Second Coming, that the devil will move to convince the world that the seventh-day Sabbath is history and that Sunday, the so-called Christian Sabbath, is to be reverenced and observed as God’s rest day. We see movements even now taking us in that direction, but we know from the Word of God that these things are nothing more and nothing less than the workings of the devil. The devil hates the Sabbath, because he hates Jesus.

Why does he hate Jesus? He hates Jesus, because he is jealous of Jesus. Satan’s jealousy is motivated by the fact that Jesus is much better than he, and he hates that fact. Recognizing this, he would want, in a moment, to do away with Jesus and to take His place, if he could. He has tried that on more than one occasion.

“I will be like the most High,” declared Lucifer before being thrust out of heaven. Isaiah 14:14. Do you know who the “most High” was to whom he was referring? Jesus Christ. He wanted to take Jesus’ place and, ultimately, take the whole throne of God.

But since the devil cannot touch Jesus, he has determined to attempt to try to obliterate anything that would serve to remind a follower of Jesus about Him. That is why it serves the devil’s end to try to obliterate the Sabbath, because the Sabbath reminds us of Jesus Christ. It tells us so much about Him.

Developed from Ignorance

It is often said that the New Testament does not teach about the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath. It is also said that when Christ and the apostles brought the gospel message to us, they did not give any teachings about the Sabbath. The Sabbath is really downplayed and virtually ignored, as far as New Testament teachings are concerned, so people conclude that they are justified in believing that the Sabbath is not really a Christian institution and has very little to do with Jesus’ plans for our lives.

Such a concept as this comes entirely out of the sophistry of human intelligence, which is nothing more than ignorance. It does not come as a result of Bible study. The New Testament has its own Sabbath theology, and, indeed, it is quite a well-worked-out Sabbath theology.

Jesus had a lot to say regarding the Sabbath. In fact, it was the subject of several of His discourses that are recorded for us in the New Testament. A number of people have the idea that if something is not stated in the New Testament, then we do not have to pay much attention to it. If stated in the Old Testament, it had its life, but that life is now past, and we no longer need to deal with it.

The Sabbath is just such an issue, but it is going to play such an integral part in the scheme of last day events that it is taught throughout the Gospels and in the teachings of Jesus.

Problem of Observance

The problem has always been the observance of the Sabbath. In Old Testament times, consider Elijah on Mount Carmel. What was the issue? It was the Sabbath. (See 1 Kings 18.) Many people do not understand that this event concerned the Sabbath—whether the people were going to worship Baal, the sun god, or whether they were going to worship Jehovah, the God of the Sabbath day. That was really the issue. When John the Baptist came with his Elijah message, it was a message about the keeping of the Commandments of God. It was an issue between the traditions of men and the Commandments of God.

This is why God raised up the Seventh-day Adventist Church—for the purpose of bringing back the truths of the seventh-day Sabbath. This is why its message is called the Elijah message, because it is an issue over the worship of God on the Sabbath or worship on Sunday.

Old Testament Sabbath

As far as the Sabbath is concerned, in the Old Testament, we see there that God is described as the Maker and the Owner of the Universe, the One who initiates the covenant with His people. The Sabbath in the Old Testament describes God’s authority. It shows us the right God has to own us as His people, the right He has to make His people whole again. It describes God as the Maker and the Restorer, the One who sanctifies, and it is the Sabbath that becomes the hallmark. It is the Sabbath that really identifies God as the Maker and the Owner, and it is the covenant of God.

So the Sabbath, in the Old Testament, gives God His authority over His people. It ascribes to Him all authority that is in heaven and in earth. It ascribes to Him the sole proprietorship of the universe. Why? Because He created it all, and the Sabbath is the hallmark—the sign or the seal—of His creative ability as God. He is the One who is in charge of it all; the One who has the authority over all things.

Arbitrary Argument

It is for this reason that some have argued against the Sabbath, saying that the fourth commandment is so arbitrary. If you looked to common sense, what is known as natural law, there is good reason for all of the other commandments. It just makes good sense, for instance, not to kill someone, because, for one reason, whoever is killed probably has a surviving relative who will come to kill you in revenge. It makes good sense not to steal from someone, because they may come after you and take back what was stolen from them plus some of your possessions. So natural law tells us that there is common sense in these commandments.

From an historical point of view, there is what is called The Code of Hammurabi. The stone containing this code was discovered through an archaeological dig. It is dated as a contemporary with the times of Abraham. The interesting thing about The Code of Hammurabi is that most of the laws that we find written in the Old Testament, such as the laws of Moses, are contained in it, yet the stone has been dated centuries before the time of Moses. So many have declared that Moses was just a lawgiver. They say that he came up with these laws, patterning them after the lands around him.

From an intellectual point of view, one could almost fall for this explanation, because there is evidence that would tend to support this idea, if it were not for the Sabbath. The Sabbath, located right in the middle of the Ten Commandments, is a declaration that the commandments are beyond human wisdom. The validity of the Sabbath cannot be argued from any of the natural laws. Some have tried, but God has arbitrarily said that the week shall be seven days long, that the seventh day shall be the day in which we shall turn our eyes to Him, acknowledging that all things come from Him, and that He has all authority over all things.

That is arbitrary. That is God’s divine implant. That is God’s divine insignia in the Law of the Ten Commandments. This proves to me, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that this law has a divine origin, because what man would have thought up a law like that, giving everyone a day of rest during the week, that governs man’s time so fully? It has to be of divine origin. It turns our eyes totally to God for its source and for its appreciation.

God’s Sabbath Activities

You and I know that we should not do anything on the Sabbath, right? The fourth commandment says that we should not work on the Sabbath, so most of us do as little as possible. Some do not even make it to church on Sabbath morning, because they are trying to do as little as possible.

The Bible does say that God rested on the Sabbath, but is that accurate? (Genesis 2:2, 3.) It says that God rested on the Sabbath from His work of creation. The Bible does not say that God rests on the Sabbath.

“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the Lord thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates: For [in] six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:9–11. [Emphasis supplied.] Note that rested is the past tense form of rest.

Remembering that we are studying how to better understand the Sabbath in the New Testament, it is important for us to get the point that the Sabbath is an institution that has more to teach us than the fact that God rested on the Sabbath day after creating the world. As important as it is to know that God did His work and that He finished His work, it is also important to know that the Sabbath has to teach us something today—currently, right now—about the authority and the work of God.

If we believe that we may someday soon be called to give an answer for why we are keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, that Old Testament Sabbath, when all of the rest of the world is keeping Sunday, then we must have a biblically founded explanation that not only satisfies us but also satisfies those who are making the enquiry. We must be “thorough Bible students” now.

To be continued . . .

A retired minister of the gospel, Pastor Mike Baugher may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.