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What About Health Reform?

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Our habits of eating and drinking show whether we are of the world or among the number whom the Lord by His mighty cleaver of truth has separated from the world.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 372.

“He who cherishes the light which God has given him upon health reform, has an important aid in the work of becoming sanctified through the truth, and fitted for immortality.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 10.

“He who is thoroughly converted will abandon every injurious habit and appetite. By total abstinence he will overcome his desire for health-destroying indulgences.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 113.

Adopting Health Reform

“We want to act like men and women that are to be brought into judgment. And when we adopt the health reform we should adopt it from a sense of duty, not because somebody else has adopted it. I have not changed my course a particle since I adopted the health reform. I have not taken one step back since the light from heaven upon this subject first shone upon my pathway. I broke away from everything at once,—from meat and butter, and from three meals,—and that while engaged in exhaustive brain labor, writing from early morning till sundown. I came down to two meals a day without changing my labor.” Ibid., vol. 2, 371.

“Many do not feel that this [health reform] is a matter of duty, hence they do not try to prepare food properly. This can be done in a simple, healthful, and easy manner, without the use of lard, butter, or flesh meats. Skill must be united with simplicity. To do this, women must read, and then patiently reduce what they read to practice.” Ibid., vol. 1, 681.

“Many take a wrong view of the health reform and adopt too poor a diet. They subsist upon a cheap, poor quality of food, prepared without care or reference to the nourishment of the system. It is important that the food should be prepared with care, that the appetite, when not perverted, can relish it. Because we from principle discard the use of meat, butter, mince pies, spices, lard, and that which irritates the stomach and destroys health, the idea should never be given that it is of but little consequence what we eat.” Ibid., vol. 2, 367.

Avoid These

“We bear positive testimony against tobacco, spirituous liquors, snuff, tea, coffee, flesh meats, butter, spices, rich cakes, mince pies, a large amount of salt, and all exciting substances used as articles of food.” Ibid., vol. 3, 21.

“Tea and coffee do not nourish the system. Their effect is produced before there has been time for digestion and assimilation, and what seems to be strength is only nervous excitement. When the influence of the stimulant is gone, the unnatural force abates, and the result is a corresponding degree of languor and debility.

“The continued use of these nerve irritants is followed by headache, wakefulness, palpitation of the heart, indigestion, trembling, and many other evils; for they wear away the life forces. Tired nerves need rest and quiet instead of stimulation and overwork.” The Ministry of Healing, 326, 327.

“No butter or flesh meats of any kind come on my table. Cake is seldom found there. I generally have an ample supply of fruits, good bread, and vegetables.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 487.

“It is impossible for those who make free use of flesh meats to have an unclouded brain and an active intellect.” Ibid., 62

“Flesh meat is not necessary for health or strength. If used it is because a depraved appetite craves it. Its use excites the animal propensities to increased activity and strengthens the animal passions. When the animal propensities are increased, the intellectual and moral powers are decreased. The use of the flesh of animals tends to cause a grossness of body and benumbs the fine sensibilities of the mind.” Ibid., 63.

“Flesh meats will depreciate the blood. Cook meat with spices, and eat it with rich cakes and pies, and you have a bad quality of blood. The system is too heavily taxed in disposing of this kind of food. The mince pies and the pickles, which should never find a place in any human stomach, will give a miserable quality of blood. And a poor quality of food, cooked in an improper manner, and insufficient in quantity, cannot make good blood. Flesh meats and rich food, and an impoverished diet, will produce the same results.” Ibid., 368.

Teach the Children

“You should be teaching your children. You should be instructing them how to shun the vices and corruptions of this age. Instead of this, many are studying how to get something good to eat. You place upon your tables butter, eggs, and meat, and your children partake of them. They are fed with the very things that will excite their animal passions.” Ibid., 362.

“The moral sensibilities of your children cannot be easily aroused, unless you are careful in the selection of their food. Many a mother sets a table that is a snare to her family. Flesh-meats, butter, cheese, rich pastry, spiced foods, and condiments are freely partaken of by both old and young. These things do their work in deranging the stomach, exciting the nerves, and enfeebling the intellect. The blood-making organs cannot convert such things into good blood.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 46, 47.

“If ever there was a time when the diet should be of the most simple kind, it is now. Meat should not be placed before our children. Its influence is to excite and strengthen the lower passions, and has a tendency to deaden the moral powers.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 352.

Foods to Relish

“Olives may be so prepared as to be eaten with good results at every meal. The advantages sought by the use of butter may be obtained by the eating of properly prepared olives. The oil in the olives relieves constipation; and for consumptives, and for those who have inflamed, irritated stomachs, it is better than any drug. As a food it is better than any oil coming secondhand from animals.” Ibid., vol. 7, 134.

“Grains and fruits prepared free from grease, and in as natural a condition as possible, should be the food for the tables of all who claim to be preparing for translation to heaven. The less feverish the diet, the more easily can the passions be controlled. Gratification of taste should not be consulted irrespective of physical, intellectual, or moral health.” Ibid., vol. 2, 352.

“Advise the people to give up sweet puddings or custards made with eggs and milk and sugar, and to eat the best home-made bread, both graham and white, with dried or green fruits, and let that be the only course for one meal; then let the next meal be of nicely prepared vegetables.” Unpublished Testimonies, October 29, 1894.

“Nuts and nut foods are coming largely into use to take the place of flesh meats. With nuts may be combined grains, fruits, and some roots, to make foods that are healthful and nourishing. Care should be taken, however, not to use too large a proportion of nuts.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 363.

“Simple grains, fruits, and vegetables have all the nutrient properties necessary to make good blood. This a flesh diet cannot do.” Healthful Living, 63.

“In grains, fruits, and vegetables, and nuts, are to be found all the food elements that we need. If we will come to the Lord in simplicity of mind, He will teach us how to prepare wholesome food free from the taint of flesh-meat.” Testimony Studies on Diet and Foods, 65.

“How can anyone desire to live on the flesh of dead animals, when he has the privilege of using the fruit, grains, vegetables, and nuts that God has given us in such abundance?” Peter’s Counsel to Parents, 26.

“God has furnished man with abundant means for the gratification of natural appetite. He has spread before him, in the products of the earth, a bountiful variety of food that is palatable to the taste and nutritious to the system. Of these our benevolent heavenly Father says that we may ‘freely eat.’ We may enjoy the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, without doing violence to the laws of our being. These articles, prepared in the most simple and natural manner, will nourish the body, and preserve its natural vigor without the use of flesh meats.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 50.

The Race to Contact the Dead, Part II

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The fascination with death, and the realization of the impossibility of escape from death, has led many into a race to contact the dead. The phenomenon of claiming to contact the dead is becoming almost common place. With the increased interest in afterlife, it becomes necessary for every Christian to thoroughly investigate the Scriptures to see what God’s Word teaches about what happens at death. In both the Old and New Testaments, death is referred to as a sleep. In the King James Version of the Bible, similar words such as “sleep, sleepeth, asleep” are used to describe death in no less than 60 verses. The testimony of the Bible is unmistakable. “For the living know that they will die; But the dead know nothing, And they have no more reward, For the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share In anything done under the sun. . . . Whatever your hand finds to do, do [it] with your might; for [there is] no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10. Solomon, the wisest man that has ever lived upon the earth, declared, “the dead know nothing.” Obviously the sleep of death is an unconscious state. The righteous, with the wicked, are sleeping in their graves, awaiting the call of the Master.

What Happens at Death?

“Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7. There are two elements to humanity—the dust and the spirit, and both return to their respective places when an individual dies. By looking in the beginning of time, it will help us to understand these two parts. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust [of] the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Genesis 2:7. There we have the two elements again—the dust and the breath of life.

In the beginning God molded Adam from the dust. The Lord sculpted his shape, and there lay the lifeless Adam. He was sculpted and molded perfectly. There were his head, brain, heart, and all the necessary organs for life, but there was still no life in him. Then God worked a miracle and breathed into him the breath of life. Instantly, life surged through Adam, and he became a living being. The breath of life from God was the necessary element to give Adam life. It is the spark, the life-giving current, that each of us has.

The breath and the spirit can be used interchangeably in the Scriptures, as can be seen in the following text: “All the while my breath [is] in me, and the spirit of God [is] in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.” Job 27:3, 4. Job is here saying that, as long as God gives him the breath, or spirit of life, he will obey Him. The breath and the spirit are used interchangeably in these texts.

The Psalmist tells us what happens at death, but also what happens when life is given. “You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.” Psalm 104:29, 30. When God takes away the breath, a person dies. When God gives His breath, or spirit, (in these two verses, spirit and breath are the same Hebrew word, ruwach) a person has life.

When we compare all of these verses, it becomes clear what the spirit is that returns to God. It is simply the life-giving force that makes the heart beat, the brain think, and the lungs breathe. It is not some conscious existence. It is the element of life that God is preserving until the resurrection. Furthermore, this breath and spirit of life is actually the same in both man and beast. “For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all [is] vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?” Ecclesiastes 3:19–21. Solomon is comparing men and animals and tells us that both have the same breath or spirit (again, the words translated breath and spirit are the same Hebrew word, ruwach). Both die and both return to dust, but there is one fundamental difference—man’s breath, or spirit, goes upward, while beast’s breath, or spirit, goes downward. Clearly then, the spirit that returns to God is not a soul, is not conscious, or anything like that, for it is the same as the spirit of animals. The difference is that moral beings, people, will have a resurrection, while animals will not, so God preserves the life-giving force of man until the resurrection.

What happens at death? The spirit, that spark of life, returns to God, and the body decays back into dust. Man is sleeping in the grave, peacefully awaiting the resurrection.

The Nature of Man

It is a popular religious belief that the soul does not die, but that it simply takes on a new existence. This flavors more of paganism than of Christianity. It is taught that the soul cannot die, that in reality it is immortal. If this were the case, all of the above texts that we have studied would be in blatant contradiction to this. Once again, going back to the beginning of time will help to give us an understanding of the true nature of man.

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:17. God said plainly and explicitly, “You shall surely die.” He did not say, “You shall probably die,” or “You shall sort of die, but actually it will only be taking on a new existence.” He said, “You shall surely die.” There was someone else that said something different, though. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die.’” Genesis 3:4. Here we have God saying one thing and the devil, speaking through the serpent, saying another. Who are we going to believe? Even though God explicitly says one thing, the devil blatantly contradicts it, and most of the religious world is choosing to believe the devil instead of God.

By saying that the soul does not die, that it simply floats to eternal bliss or eternal misery, we are in reality saying that the soul is immortal. The soul is not immortal; God alone is immortal. “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, [be] honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Timothy 1:17. God is the eternal, invisible, immortal King. This is, in fact, the only time that the word immortal is found in the Bible, and it is clearly referring to the omnipotent God, and not a soul. “Which He will manifest in His own time, [He who is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom [be] honor and everlasting power. Amen.” 1 Timothy 6:15, 16. The Scriptures again tell us that God is the only One who has immortality. If He is the only One that has immortality, then human souls obviously do not have immortality.

The change that takes place at Jesus’ Second Coming is what gives all of the saved immortality, but they do not have it until the change takes place. “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’” 1 Corinthians 15:51–54. It is not until the last trumpet sounds that the righteous receive immortality. Not one upon this earth has immortality; it is at the second coming that the righteous mortals will be clothed with immortality as a gift from God, the only One who has immortality.

The Bible explicitly tells us that the soul can die. “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.” “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.” Ezekiel 18:4, 20. There is no getting around the plain words of Scripture—the soul is not immortal; it can die. The belief that the soul is immortal, and at death simply floats elsewhere, is a doctrine straight from paganism and is found nowhere in the Bible. The Bible teaches that man’s nature is mortal, a combination of the body and the spirit forms the soul. (See Genesis 2:7.) At death, the soul is sleeping in the grave until the resurrection, because the spirit returns to God and the body returns to the dust.

The Biblical “After Death Experience”

Many people have given me very detailed descriptions of different “after death experiences” or “near death experiences” that they have had or that they have read about. They become very attached to these ideas, and no matter how plainly the Bible contradicts what they have read, it seems easier for them to believe the experiences that others have claimed to have, rather than what the Bible says. That in itself is a very dangerous mindset to get into. We are to test everything by the Bible, not test the Bible by what we have heard. But the most interesting thing to me is that, of all the “after death experiences” people have told me about, few really seem to agree. All of them seem to have little differences. That alone makes me question the truth of such experiences.

Others have asked me, “When does the soul return to God, before or after the funeral?” Once again, I have heard both answers substantiated by some sort of supernatural experience. The only way that we can know the truth is to look in the Word of God. (See John 17:17.)

There is an example in the Bible of someone who had not just a “near death experience,” but a complete “after death experience.” All of the contemporary “after death experiences” are only very short lived, usually a matter of minutes, never involving hours, but the Biblical instance was for four days. Surely, just by the length of time we would have to say that this is the most credible “after death experience” of all. This “after death experience” is found in John 11. One of Jesus’ most devoted followers and friends became deathly ill. The message was given to Jesus to come quickly that He might heal Lazarus. Strangely, though, Jesus delayed. He did not seem to have much of an interest, and then after waiting several days, he decided to go and “wake” Lazarus. Jesus had waited because this was to be the crowning miracle of His ministry before His death.

When Jesus and the disciples made it to Bethany, Lazarus “had already been in the tomb four days.” John 11:17. Jesus had waited to show His miraculous power and to give us a Biblical example of an “after death experience.” The funeral had taken place, and the friends and relatives were still in the grieving process. After talking with Martha and weeping with Mary, Jesus gave the command to move the stone. Martha is repulsed at the thought of the stench of her decaying brother, and objects, but Jesus gives the command: “Lazarus, come forth!” Lazarus comes out of the tomb and is unloosed, but to our surprise, an account of his “after death experience” is not given. Why? Lazarus was simply asleep in the grave.

Have you ever thought how cruel of an act this would have been if Lazarus was already in heaven? Can you imagine how wonderful it would have been to be in the Father’s presence in the glories of heaven for four days? Can you imagine how devastating it would be to then come back to this sin-polluted and darkened world? It would have been like returning to a dungeon cell from which you had been freed. If Lazarus were in heaven, freed from the trials and problems of this earth, why would Jesus have been so unkind as to call him back? The answer is simple. Lazarus was asleep in the grave. He had no “after death experience” because he had been sleeping and did not know anything. It was like a split second to him from the time he passed away until the time Jesus called him back, even though it had been four days. It was not cruelty for Jesus to bring him back to life, for he had not ascended to heaven.

There is another example of a man who died that we know for a certainty did not ascend into heaven. Peter, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, gives us no room for doubt. “Men [and] brethren, let [me] speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.” “For David did not ascend into the heavens.” Acts 2:29, 34. No one will doubt that David was a righteous man. He had indeed sinned, but his repentance was sincere, and he had been accepted. God had said that David was a man after His own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14.) Surely, if anyone goes to heaven at their death, a man after God’s own heart would. But, no, that is not what Peter says. He tells the listeners that David did not ascend into the heavens, that he is still in his tomb. Why was David still in his tomb 1,000 years after his death? Because he is asleep in the grave awaiting resurrection.

The Resurrection—Our Hope

We see all through the New Testament that the great hope of the apostles was the resurrection, and it is the resurrection that is to be our great hope as well. It is the resurrection that is to be our comfort in the time of loss. “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.” ” For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13, 16–18. There were apparently teachers among the people who were teaching that there was no resurrection. (1 Corinthians 15:12.) Paul rebukes them for believing this error. He says we are not to sorrow as others who have no hope. Why? Because when Jesus returns, He is going to resurrect the dead as He was resurrected, and take both the dead and the living righteous to heaven with Him.

It is this truth of the resurrection that is to be our comfort. This is the very way that Jesus comforted Martha when Lazarus died, and it was what Martha was looking forward to. “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’” John 11:23, 24. Martha did not say, “I know he is in heaven.” She was looking forward, by faith, to the resurrection. She knew that all the righteous dead would be resurrected at the last day, and she expected to meet her brother then, not before. Truly, God’s way is best. It may not be what we have always thought, but God knows best, and it is our part to trust implicitly in Him.

How comforting to know that our loved ones are not in heaven mourning over the trials and problems that we are going through. They are asleep in the grave, and if they have followed Jesus, they will be resurrected when Jesus comes again. What a precious comfort!

To be concluded . . .

Remember The Sabbath Day . . . Part III

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Before the Sabbath begins, all business should be set aside. No new business should be started. Could it be that our minds might drift away from the holy to the common?

“This day [Friday] is preparation day. We would come up to the Sabbath with our work closed up in proper shape and not dragging into the Sabbath. We must commence in the morning to look after every piece of clothing if we have neglected to do this through the week, that our garments may be neat and orderly and comely to appear in the place where God’s people assemble to worship Him. . . . Entering upon new business should be avoided, if possible, but endeavor to close up the things already started that are half accomplished. Prepare everything connected with the household matters so that there shall be free-dom from worries, and the mind be prepared to rest and to meditate upon heavenly things.” That I May Know Him, 147.

“The day before the Sabbath should be made a day of preparation, that everything may be in readiness for its sacred hours. In no case should our own business be allowed to encroach upon holy time. God has directed that the sick and suffering be cared for; the labor required to make them comfortable is a work of mercy, and no violation of the Sabbath; but all unnecessary work should be avoided. Many carelessly put off till the beginning of the Sabbath little things that might have been done on the day of preparation. This should not be. Work that is neglected until the beginning of the Sabbath should remain undone until it is past. This course might help the memory of these thoughtless ones, and make them careful to do their own work on the six working days.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 296.

“Before the Sabbath begins, the mind as well as the body should be withdrawn from worldly business. God has set His Sabbath at the end of the six working days, that men may stop and consider what they have gained during the week in preparation for the pure kingdom which admits no transgressor. We should each Sabbath reckon with our souls to see whether the week that has ended has brought spiritual gain or loss.

“It means eternal salvation to keep the Sabbath holy unto the Lord. God says: ‘Them that honor Me I will honor.’ 1 Samuel 2:30.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 356.

Special instruction has also been given on how to prepare for the Sabbath to those who have their own business and employees. Some will say that those business owners who close half the day on Friday and on Sabbath, these being the busiest days of the week, are losing out on a lot of business. I was told by a minister in Cleveland, Tennessee, that the owner of Chik-fil-A requires new franchise owners to agree to be closed on Sundays. [“Chick-fil-A has remained moored to its core values: ethical and spiritual tomes extolled by the company’s founder, S. Truett Cathy. . . . That corporate guidepost is perhaps most visibly demonstrated by the company’s ‘Never on Sunday’ policy. ‘We feel that is a very special day, a divine day, a day that is set aside for the family and to worship if you choose,’ says Cathy. Cathy has never yielded to external pressures to abandon his ‘Never on Sunday’ policy . . . .” Erica Stephens, “Divine—And Bovine—Intervention,” QSR, August 2002, http://www.chick-fil-a.com/ (cited August 12, 2002).] The minister went on to say that God had richly blessed Chik-fil-A’s owner because of what he did. Now the question is, would not God sustain His people if they were truly devoted to Him? “Them that honor Me I will honor.” Remember that!

“Whenever it is possible, employers should give their workers the hours [off] from Friday noon until the beginning of the Sabbath. Give them time for preparation, that they may welcome the Lord’s day with quietness of mind. By such a course you will suffer no loss even in temporal things.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 356.

Reform Needed

“Before the setting of the sun, let the members of the family assemble to read God’s Word, to sing and pray. There is need of reform here, for many have been remiss. We need to confess to God and to one another. We should begin anew to make special arrangements that every member of the family may be prepared to honor the day which God has blessed and sanctified.” Child Guidance, 529.

Special instruction should be given our children on what is to be done on Sabbath morning.

“Let not the precious hours of the Sabbath be wasted in bed. On Sabbath morning the family should be astir early. If they rise late, there is confusion and bustle in preparing for breakfast and Sabbath school. There is hurrying, jostling, and impatience. Thus unholy feelings come into the home. The Sabbath, thus desecrated, becomes a weariness, and its coming is dreaded rather than loved.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 357.

Keeping the Sabbath Holy

“Do not allow yourself to spend the precious hours of the Sabbath in your bed. The heads of the house should be astir early. . . .

“In the morning the family should gather about the table quietly; and it would be well if on the Sabbath there should ever be a simple, palatable meal, yet something that would be considered a treat, well prepared—something that they do not have every day of the week. Then either before or after the meal should come the family worship. This should be a service in which the children can take some part. All should have their Bibles, each reading a verse or two. Then a simple hymn may be sung, followed, not by a long, wearisome prayer, but a simple petition, telling the Lord in the simplest manner the needs [of the family], and expressing gratitude for God’s mercies and blessings. This invites Jesus as a welcome guest into your house and heart. In the family long prayers of remote things are not in place and make the hour of prayer a weariness, when it should be considered a privilege and a blessing. Make the season one of interest and joy. Never let the children consider it a burden.—Manuscript 57, 1897.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 293.

Do Not be Late for Church

All should learn to be on time for church, setting a right example to others and especially to the children.

Mrs. White addressed this issue in the Youth’s Instructor, March 19, 1879: “It is a sad failing with many that they are always behind time on Sabbath morning. They are very particular about their own time, they cannot afford to lose an hour of that; but the Lord’s time, the only day out of the seven that the Lord claims as his, and requires us to devote to him, quite a portion of this is squandered away by sleeping late in the morning. In this they are robbing God. It causes them to be behind in everything; it makes confusion in the family; and finally results in the tardiness of the entire family at Sabbath school, and perhaps at meeting. Now why can we not rise early with the birds, and offer praise and thanksgiving to God? Try it brethren and sisters. Have your preparations all made the day before, and come promptly to the Sabbath school and meeting, and you will thereby not only benefit others but you will reap rich blessings for yourselves.”

It is interesting how we are able to get up during the week to go to work, or go somewhere that we want to go, and be there on time. But we seem to have a hard time being at the appointed place of worship on Sabbath on time.

In the Review and Herald, May 30, 1871, Mrs. White wrote: “Meetings for conference and prayer should not be made tedious. All should, if possible, be prompt to the hour appointed; and if there are dilatory ones, who are half an hour or fifteen minutes even behind the time, there should be no waiting. If there are but two present, they can claim the promise. The meeting should open at the appointed hour, if possible, be there few or many present.”

Sabbath Thoughts and Words

“When the Sabbath commences, we should place a guard upon ourselves, upon our acts and our words, lest we rob God by appropriating to our own use that time which is strictly the Lord’s. We should not do ourselves, nor suffer our children to do, any manner of our own work for a livelihood or anything which could have been done on the six working days. Friday is the day of preparation. Time can then be devoted to making the necessary preparation for the Sabbath and to thinking and conversing about it. Nothing which will in the sight of Heaven be regarded as a violation of the holy Sabbath should be left unsaid or undone, to be said or done upon the Sabbath. God requires not only that we refrain from physical labor upon the Sabbath, but that the mind be disciplined to dwell upon sacred themes. 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. Every deviation from right brings us into bondage and condemnation.” Child Guidance, 529, 530.

“Those who wish to be blest and approved of the Lord in this world, and who expect to finally be saved, and have right to the tree of life, must keep the Sabbath holy. They should pray daily for grace and wisdom to keep from polluting it in any way. . . .

“Are you as careful as you should be in keeping the Sabbath? You have something to do besides laying aside your work and amusements on that day. If you, on that day, lay plans of what you will do when the Sabbath is past, or talk of your work, amusements and clothes, you pollute the Sabbath. . . .

“When you are speaking of your hope in God, of Jesus and of his soon coming, and of the beauties of the New Earth, you are not speaking your own words. Of these things you may freely speak on the Sabbath. On six days you may talk of business matters, and lay plans that are necessary; but the Sabbath is holy time, and all worldly thoughts must, on that day, be dismissed from the mind. The blessing of God will then rest upon you, and you will have the sweet consolations of His Spirit, and you will also have confidence when you approach the throne of grace.” Youth’s Instructor, February 1, 1853.

Parents’ Example

Fathers and mothers should attend Sabbath school and church services with their children, thus setting a right example. Many times I have seen fathers, and even mothers, send their children to church alone.

“Fathers and mothers should make it a rule that their children attend public worship on the Sabbath, and should enforce the rule by their own example. It is our duty to command our children and our household after us, as did Abraham. By example as well as precept we should impress upon them the importance of religious teaching. All who have taken the baptismal vow have solemnly consecrated themselves to the service of God; they are under covenant obligation to place themselves and their children where they may obtain all possible incentives and encouragement in the Christian life.

“But while we worship God, we are not to consider this a drudgery. The Sabbath of the Lord is to be made a blessing to us and to our children. They are to look upon the Sabbath as a day of delight, a day which God has sanctified; and they will so consider it if they are properly instructed.” Child Guidance, 530, 531.

No Nap!

“None should permit themselves, through the week, to become so absorbed in their temporal interests, and so exhausted by their efforts for worldly gain, that on the Sabbath they have no strength or energy to give to the service of God. We are robbing the Lord when we unfit ourselves to worship Him upon His holy day. And we are robbing ourselves as well; for we need the warmth and glow of association, as well as the strength to be gained from the wisdom and experience of other Christians.” Ibid., 530.

“Let none come to the place of worship to take a nap. There should be no sleeping in the house of God. You do not fall asleep when engaged in your temporal business, because you have an interest in your work. Shall we allow the service which involves eternal interests to be placed on a lower level than the temporal affairs of life?

“When we do this we miss the blessing which the Lord designs us to have. The Sabbath is not to be a day of useless idleness. Both in the home and in the church a spirit of service is to be manifested. He who gave us six days for our temporal work has blessed and sanctified the seventh day and set it apart for Himself. On this day He will in a special manner bless all who consecrate themselves to His service.

“All heaven is keeping the Sabbath, but not in a listless, do-nothing way. On this day every energy of the soul should be awake, for are we not to meet with God and with Christ our Saviour? We may behold Him by faith. He is longing to refresh and bless every soul.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 361, 362.

Irreverence in God’s House

The Sabbath has also been broken by our disregard and irreverence in the house of God. We have lost the sense that God is present when we worship Him.

“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, [even] to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush [was] not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.” Exodus 3:1–6.

“God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all [them that are] about him.” Psalm 89:7.

“It is too true that reverence for the house of God has become almost extinct. Sacred things and places are not discerned; the holy and exalted are not appreciated. . . . Many who profess to be children of the heavenly King have no true appreciation of the sacredness of eternal things. Nearly all need to be taught how to conduct themselves in the house of God. . . . In the minds of many there are no more sacred thoughts connected with the house of God than with the most common place. . . . Such do not realize that they are to meet with God and holy angels. . . . They have no true idea of the order, the neatness, and the refined deportment that God requires of all who come into His presence to worship Him. . . . Unless correct ideas of true worship and true reverence are impressed upon the people, there will be a growing tendency to place the sacred and eternal on a level with common things, and those professing the truth will be an offense to God and a disgrace to religion. They can never, with their uncultivated ideas, appreciate a pure and holy heaven, and be prepared to join with the worshipers in the heavenly courts above, where all is purity and perfection, where every being has perfect reverence for God and His holiness.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 495–498, 500.

True Reverence

“Another precious grace that should be carefully cherished is reverence. True reverence for God is inspired by a sense of His infinite greatness and a realization of His presence. With this sense of the Unseen the heart of every child should be deeply impressed. The hour and place of prayer and the services of public worship the child should be taught to regard as sacred because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened.

“Well would it be for young and old to study and ponder and often repeat those words of Holy Writ that show how the place marked by God’s special presence should be regarded.” My Life Today, 281.

“Humility and reverence should characterize the deportment of all who come into the presence of God. In the name of Jesus we may come before Him with confidence, but we must not approach Him with the boldness of presumption, as though He were on a level with ourselves. There are those who address the great and all-powerful and holy God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, as they would address an equal, or even an inferior. There are those who conduct themselves in His house as they would not presume to do in the audience chamber of an earthly ruler. These should remember that they are in His sight whom seraphim adore, before whom angels veil their faces. God is greatly to be reverenced; all who truly realize His presence will bow in humility before Him.” Ibid.

Once we really understand reverence, we will also understand where two or three are gathered in His name, there He is in the midst of them. (Matthew 18:20.) Does it take a church building for God to be there, or could He be present in the closet, in home worship, and even in a home church?

“God is high and holy; and to the humble, believing soul, His house on earth, the place where His people meet for worship, is as the gate of heaven. The song of praise, the words spoken by Christ’s ministers, are God’s appointed agencies to prepare a people for the church above, for that loftier worship.

“When the worshipers enter the place of meeting, they should do so with decorum, passing quietly to their seats. . . . Common talking, whispering, and laughing should not be permitted in the house of worship, either before or after the service. Ardent, active piety should characterize the worshipers.

“If some have to wait a few minutes before the meeting begins, let them maintain a true spirit of devotion by silent meditation, keeping the heart uplifted to God in prayer that the service may be of special benefit to their own hearts and lead to the conviction and conversion of other souls. They should remember that heavenly messengers are in the house. We all lose much sweet communion with God by our restlessness, by not encouraging moments of reflection and prayer. . . .

“Elevate the standard of Christianity in the minds of your children; help them to weave Jesus into their experience; teach them to have the highest reverence for the house of God and to understand that when they enter the Lord’s house it should be with hearts that are softened and subdued by such thoughts as these: ‘God is here; this is His house. I must have pure thoughts and holiest motives. . . . This is the place where God meets with and blesses His people.’ . . .

Parents should not only teach, but command, their children to enter the sanctuary with sobriety and reverence. Practice reverence until it becomes a part of yourself.” Ibid., 286.

[All Emphasis Supplied.]

Praise and Thanksgiving

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How important is it to give praise and thanksgiving to God? God required all Israel to gather together three times each year. (See Exodus 23:14–16.) The very essence and purpose of these gatherings was praise and thanksgiving for what God had done for them and for what He had promised to do for them in the future.

They were to remember all the good blessings that God had bestowed upon them in the past. It is a good thing for us to remember the goodness of God in our lives, too.

Ellen White wrote, “In reviewing our past history, having traveled over every step of advance to our present standing, I can say, Praise God! As I see what the Lord has wrought, I am filled with astonishment, and with confidence in Christ as leader. We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” Life’s Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196. Brothers and sisters, I would suggest to you that we have everything to fear if we forget—not only what God has done for us as a people, but also what God has done for us individually.

Again I ask, How important is thanksgiving and praise in the Christian life? We see a hint of its importance in this statement. Paul, in Colossians 2:6, 7, says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, [so] walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Receive Christ by Faith

There are three parts to these two verses. First it is very important, for our Christian experience, that we walk in the same manner as we receive Christ. How do we receive Christ?

In Romans 5:1, 2, we find how an individual receives Christ: “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

We receive Him by faith; we are to walk then by faith. Paul says that we are to walk by faith and not by sight—not by our senses, not by our feelings, not by our own understanding, but by faith. (See 2 Corinthians 5:7.) We are also told that, “Faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17. That is where our faith is to be anchored.

Obedience Establishes Faith

So first we receive Christ by faith, trusting His Word, and we are to walk even as we received Him. But then Colossians 2:7 continues: “Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith.” How do you become “stablished in the faith”? How does your faith become established in God’s Word?

Jesus gives the parable of the man who built his house on the rock versus the man who built his house on sand in Luke 6. Notice verses 46–48:

“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”

How are we established in the faith? By doing what God says. That is how, Jesus says, we are going to have a faith that is established on a rock. As Paul puts it, we are going to be “rooted and built up in him and stablished in the faith.” That happens when we choose to obey God. So we have faith that receives Christ. We have faith that walks with Christ. Obedience establishes the experience of faith.

Abound with Thanksgiving

Now we are going to see how important thanksgiving and praise are in the Christian life. Paul says, in Colossians 2:7, “abounding therein with thanksgiving.” Paul has just outlined three steps in the Christian experience.

We receive Christ by faith; we become established in Him by obedience, and we abound in that experience by thanksgiving. The word used here, abound, in the original Greek means super abound. The same word is used by Jesus in John 10:10: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.”

God wants to give us a more abundant experience in faith and obedience in Him. Such an experience will only come by way of thanksgiving. It will only come as we open the channel of our hearts and praise the God who is saving us from our sins. God wants us to super abound—not only in quantity but in quality of experience.

Thanksgiving and praise will give those fine aspects to our Christian experience. They will give us a quality experience, not just a religious experience. Faith receives Christ Jesus. Obedience establishes us in that faith with Him. Thanksgiving and praise increase that experience.

Again I ask the question, How important in the Christian life is thanksgiving and praise? How important is it to be thankful to God not only with our lips but with our hearts—not occasionally, but all the time?

Thankfulness Precedes Holiness

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” 2 Timothy 3:1, 2. Notice that the unholy attribute is preceded by the unthankful attribute.

We see that perilous times have come upon the earth, and we know that it is going to get worse in the world. But it can get better in our hearts if we have thanksgiving, if we have faith, if we have obedience.

What is the end result of a professed Christian who is not thankful to God from his/her heart? They are unholy in the sight of God, and that will lead to being satisfied with a form that denies the power. (Verse 5.)

We can deduce that if we can be unholy by being unthankful, then we can become holy by being thankful, with the addition of faith and obedience. Faith, faith that is linked with obedience that is linked with thankfulness, equates to holiness. We can also deduce that a faith that produces only external obedience, exempt of thankfulness, equals a form without the power and produces an unholy people. What does God mean when He talks about unholy versus holy? He is talking about incomplete versus complete. Holiness is wholeness for God. Unholiness would be a compromise with God.

God Commands Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is so important in the Christian life that God even commands thankfulness: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18. It is a part of God’s will for your life just as much as any part of God’s law is His will for your life. He wants us to give thanks in everything that is good, everything that falls into the context of Philippians 4:8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.”

God wants us to learn to be thankful, thankful for the good things that He sends to us and to be constantly mindful of those things. And Paul said we would abound in our experience of faith and our obedience would super abound if we have the ingredients of thanksgiving and praise.

God wants us to give praise and thanksgiving; that is His will for us. Surely true, sincere thankfulness cannot be commanded, but it will come naturally as we enter into the experience of faith and as we recognize God’s goodness to us.

God wants us to know how important thankfulness is and how necessary it is to express thanks continually. Ephesians 5:20 says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Not only are we to give thanks for all things, but we are to give thanks always. The question to which an answer is needed from the Word of God is, How can I learn to be thankful at all times for all things?

How to Begin

Psalm 100 outlines three things that will help us to begin to be thankful. “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the Lord he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. For the Lord [is] good; his mercy [is] everlasting; and his truth [endureth] to all generations.”

Is there something to be thankful for? Yes, all the time, for everything that God is! Too often we do not think enough about the goodness of the Lord. Everything that He has done is good. Everything that He will ever do is good. He is mindful of us, and all He wants is good for us.

Not only is God good, but Romans 8:28 tells us that God is able to work everything out for good to them that love Him. Only a good God would do that.

“No tongue can express, no finite mind can conceive, the blessing that results from appreciating the goodness and love of God. Even on earth we may have joy as a wellspring, never failing, because fed by the streams that flow from the throne of God.” The Ministry of Healing, 253.

Secondly, Psalm 100:5 says, “The Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting.” Is that not a wonderful thing? “The Lord [is] merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psalm 103:8. His mercy is everlasting. That means that when we ask for and receive forgiveness from God, it is going to last forever. God forgives forever. That is such a wonderful thing that we need to praise God and be thankful to Him for such mercy.

Wonderful mercy of a wonderful God! In Lamentations 3:22, 23, we are told: “[It is of] the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness.” If it were not for the mercy of God, Satan would blot us out of existence this very minute.

“‘Let the peace of God rule in your hearts; . . . and be ye thankful.’ Colossians 3:15. Forgetting our own difficulties and troubles, let us praise God for an opportunity to live for the glory of His name.” The Ministry of Healing, 253. I praise God for the opportunity to live for the glory of His name. “Let the fresh blessings of each new day awaken praise in our hearts for these tokens of His loving care. When you open your eyes in the morning, thank God that He has kept you through the night. Thank Him for His peace in your heart. Morning, noon, and night, let gratitude as sweet perfume ascend to heaven.” Ibid.

Is the Lord pleased with such thankfulness and praise that comes from our hearts? Yes, He appreciates it just as much as you and I would appreciate somebody appreciating us. God is that real; God is that gracious, and He is that touched with our responses to Him.

The last part of Psalm 100:5 says, “his truth [endureth] to all generations.” Forever and ever and ever. His truth endureth. We have every reason to be thankful for God’s truth. It is the only antidote for sin.

Jesus said, in John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus wants to set us free from sin. In John 17:17 He says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Sanctification only comes by way of God’s truth, as we allow it to take control of our lives, as we allow it to possess us.

That means we become set apart. We take on the very character of God. We regain the image of God that was lost because of sin. Such change only happens by way of God’s truth. We know that that truth is embodied in two things: His Son, Jesus Christ who said, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” and His law. He says, “Thy law is the truth.” John 14:6; Psalm 119:142.

What will we not be doing if we are being thankful? Philippians 2:14 tells us: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” Is that possible? Yes, but it is only possible if we are praising and giving thanks to God. We cannot complain if we are being thankful. We cannot do both at the same time. Did you know that? Have you ever tried complaining and being thankful at the very same time? It is not possible!

You cannot be thankful if you are complaining. You cannot complain if you are thankful. Simple, isn’t it? All God wants is for us to be mindful of His goodness, His mercy, and His truth—and to be thankful and to give Him praise.

A Merry Heart

We do not see the word thankful in Proverbs 17:22, but it is inferred. It says, “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” You cannot have a merry heart if you are not thankful.

Science has found that our immune systems are benefited or debilitated by our emotions. Thankfulness is one of the most positive emotions that God has given to us. We benefit not only our spiritual experience by thankfulness and praise to God, but we can benefit our physical well being also. God knew this long before science came to this conclusion.

“Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings—as much a duty as it is to pray. If we are heaven-bound, how can we go as a band of mourners, groaning and complaining all along the way to our Father’s house?

“Those professed Christians who are constantly complaining, and who seem to think cheerfulness and happiness a sin, have not genuine religion.” The Ministry of Healing, 251.

This is not talking about being light and frivolous. It is talking about being joyful and at peace, with praise and thanksgiving in our hearts to God.

Just before Jesus returns and probation closes, God’s people will be seen as holy. “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” Revelation 22:11.

God says His people, just before Christ comes, are not only keeping His commandments (Revelation 14:12), but they are going to be a holy people before Him. To be a holy people, they must be a thankful people—people that give God praise.

God wants us to be thankful for His goodness, for His mercy, and for His truth. We will never be weary in being thankful for those things. The more we see of God and His goodness, the more thankful we will be and the more praise we will give to Him. It is just natural.

We have every reason to be thankful to God, but if we had no other reason for thankfulness than that God will save us from our sins, that would be enough. It is sin that keeps us from seeing Him. And the more we allow God to save us from our sins through His truth, the more praise and thanksgiving we will give to Him.

“Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” 1 Chronicles 29:13.

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from Book of Joshua – God Directs the Conquest

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February 23 – February 29, 2020

Key Text

“As the Lord commanded Moses his servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses” (Joshua 11:15).

Study Help:  Patriarchs and Prophets, 510, 511.

Introduction

“The Lord promised Joshua that He would be with him as He had been with Moses, and He would make Canaan an easy conquest to him, provided he would be faithful to observe all His commandments.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 156, 157.

Sunday

FORMIDABLE FOES

  • What happened to southern Canaan soon after the victory at Beth-horon? Joshua 10:40–43.

Note: “The victory at Beth-horon was speedily followed by the conquest of southern Canaan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510.

  • What did the kings of northern Palestine do when they heard of the success obtained by the Hebrew nation? Joshua 11:1–5.

Note: “The tribes of northern Palestine, terrified by the success which had attended the armies of Israel, now entered into a league against them. At the head of this confederacy was Jabin, king of Hazor, a territory to the west of Lake Merom. ‘And they went out, they and all their hosts with them’ (Joshua 11:4). This army was much larger than any that the Israelites had before encountered in Canaan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510.

Monday

VICTORIES FOR THE FAITHFUL

  • What should we observe from the way the Lord encouraged Joshua and again intervened for His faithful people? Joshua 11:6–8. What can we learn from this?

Note: “Near Lake Merom he [Joshua] fell upon the camp of the allies and utterly routed their forces.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510.

“God will do marvelous things for those who trust in Him. It is because His professed people trust so much to their own wisdom, and do not give the Lord an opportunity to reveal His power in their behalf, that they have no more strength. He will help His believing children in every emergency if they will place their entire confidence in Him and implicitly obey Him.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 163.

“The faith of the consecrated worker is to stand every test brought to bear upon it. God is able and willing to bestow upon His servants all the strength they need and to give them the wisdom that their varied necessities demand. He will more than fulfill the highest expectations of those who put their trust in Him.” The Acts of the Apostles, 242.

  • What was done with the horses and chariots of the conquered army? Why? Joshua 11:9; Psalm 20:7–9.

Note: “The chariots and horses that had been the pride and boast of the Canaanites were not to be appropriated by Israel. At the command of God the chariots were burned, and the horses lamed, and thus rendered unfit for use in battle. The Israelites were not to put their trust in chariots or horses, but ‘in the name of the Lord their God’ (Psalm 20:7).” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510.

  • Unlike at Jericho, what was Israel to do with the doomed cities, livestock, and spoil? How faithful were they in following God’s directions? Joshua 11:10–14.

Note: “One by one the cities were taken, and Hazor, the stronghold of the confederacy, was burned.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510.

Tuesday

REACHING THE GOAL ASSIGNED

  • What summarizes Joshua’s procedure in the conquest of Canaan? Joshua 11:18, 19.

Note: “The war was continued for several years, but its close found Joshua master of Canaan.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 510, 511.

  • When the Lord had promised to rid Canaan of all the wicked nations that dwelt therein, what plan had He put before the Israelites? Against what danger had He cautioned them? Deuteronomy 7:21, 22.
  • Despite all the bloodshed in these conquests, what was the Almighty’s goal for the overall benefit of humanity? Deuteronomy 7:23–26. What reveals that God also called for a pause in this violent task? Joshua 11:23.

Note: “That which corrupts the body tends to corrupt the soul. It unfits the user for communion with God, unfits him for high and holy service.

“In the Promised Land the discipline begun in the wilderness was continued under circumstances favorable to the formation of right habits. The people were not crowded together in cities, but each family had its own landed possession, ensuring to all the health-giving blessings of a natural, unperverted life.” The Ministry of Healing, 280.

“Though the power of the Canaanites had been broken, they had not been fully dispossessed. On the west the Philistines still held a fertile plain along the seacoast, while north of them was the territory of the Sidonians. Lebanon also was in the possession of the latter people; and to the south, toward Egypt, the land was still occupied by the enemies of Israel.

“Joshua was not, however, to continue the war.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 511.

Wednesday

A NECESSARY TASK

  • Who had fixed the borders of the land in advance? To whom had the division of the land been entrusted? Numbers 34:1, 2, 13, 17, 18.

Note: “There was another work for the great leader to perform before he should relinquish the command of Israel. The whole land, both the parts already conquered and that which was yet unsubdued, was to be apportioned among the tribes. And it was the duty of each tribe to fully subdue its own inheritance. If the people should prove faithful to God, He would drive out their enemies from before them; and He promised to give them still greater possessions if they would but be true to His covenant.

“To Joshua, with Eleazar the high priest, and the heads of the tribes, the distribution of the land was committed, the location of each tribe being determined by lot. Moses himself had fixed the bounds of the country as it was to be divided among the tribes when they should come in possession of Canaan, and had appointed a prince from each tribe to attend to the distribution.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 511.

  • How was the location of each tribe to be determined, and what rule was to be followed respecting the size of each one? Numbers 26:54–56.
  • What inheritance did the Levites receive? Numbers 18:20, 21; 35:1–3, 7, 8.

Note: “The appointed ministers of the sanctuary, the Levites received no landed inheritance; they dwelt together in cities set apart for their use, and received their support from the tithes and the gifts and offerings devoted to God’s service. They were the teachers of the people, guests at all their festivities, and everywhere honored as servants and representatives of God. To the whole nation was given the command: ‘Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.’ ‘Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the Lord is his inheritance’ (Deuteronomy 12:19; 10:9.)” Education, 148, 149.

Thursday

NO EXCUSES

  • What claim did the children of Joseph make because of their numbers, and how did Joshua respond? Joshua 14:4, 5; 17:14–18.

Note: “In consideration of their superior numbers, these tribes [Ephraim and Manasseh] demanded a double portion of territory. The lot designated for them was the richest in the land, including the fertile plain of Sharon; but many of the principal towns in the valley were still in possession of the Canaanites, and the tribes shrank from the toil and danger of conquering their possessions, and desired an additional portion in territory already subdued. The tribe of Ephraim was one of the largest in Israel, as well as the one to which Joshua himself belonged, and its members naturally regarded themselves as entitled to special consideration. ‘Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit,’ they said, ‘seeing I am a great people’ (Joshua 17:14)? But no departure from strict justice could be won from the inflexible leader.

“His answer was, ‘If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country, and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee’ (verse 15).

“Their reply showed the real cause of complaint. They lacked faith and courage to drive out the Canaanites. …

“Being a great people, as they claimed, they were fully able to make their own way, as did their brethren. With the help of God they need not fear the chariots of iron.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 513, 514.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What should give us courage when faced with a foe bigger than we have ever experienced?

2    What “chariots and horses” might I be leaning on too heavily in my life?

3    Although God told Joshua to conquer Canaan, why did He give a pause?

4    What was promised to each tribe if they would be true to the covenant?

5    How was the spirit of Joshua different from those among his tribe?

 © 2019, Reformation Herald Publishing Association, 5240 Hollins Road, Roanoke, Virginia 24019-5048, U.S.A.

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from Book of Joshua – Helping the Gibeonites

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February 16 – February 22, 2020

Key Text

“This we will do to them; we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath which we sware unto them” (Joshua 9:20).

Study Help: The Signs of the Times, February 7, 1884.

Introduction

“In the midst of the land a numerous people—the Gibeonites—renounced their heathenism and united with Israel, sharing in the blessings of the covenant.” Prophets and Kings, 369.

Sunday

A CRAFTY PLOT

  • What did the men of Gibeon do in seeing Israel’s victories? Joshua 9:3–6.

Note: “[At Gilgal, the Israelites] were soon after visited by a strange deputation, who desired to enter into treaty with them. The ambassadors represented that they had come from a distant country, and this seemed to be confirmed by their appearance. Their clothing was old and worn, their sandals were patched, their provisions moldy, and the skins that served them for wine bottles were rent and bound up, as if hastily repaired on the journey.

“In their far-off home—professedly beyond the limits of Palestine—their fellow countrymen, they said, had heard of the wonders which God had wrought for His people, and had sent them to make a league with Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 505.

  • Relate the encounter and what Israel should have known. Joshua 9:7–13.

Note: “The Hebrews had been specially warned against entering into any league with the idolaters of Canaan, and a doubt as to the truth of the strangers’ words arose in the minds of the leaders.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 505.

Monday

A DISAPPOINTING DECEPTION

  • What mistake did Joshua and the leaders make with regard to the Gibeonites? Why did they fail? Joshua 9:14, 15.
  • How did the Israelites react upon seeing they had been deceived? Why were they right in sparing the Gibeonites? Joshua 9:16–20.

Note: “Great was the indignation of the Israelites as they learned the deception that had been practiced upon them. … ‘All the congregation murmured against the princes;’ but the latter refused to break the treaty, though secured by fraud, because they had ‘sworn unto them by the Lord God of Israel.’ ‘And the children of Israel smote them not’ (Joshua 9:18). The Gibeonites had pledged themselves to renounce idolatry, and accept the worship of Jehovah; and the preservation of their lives was not a violation of God’s command to destroy the idolatrous Canaanites. Hence the Hebrews had not by their oath pledged themselves to commit sin. And though the oath had been secured by deception, it was not to be disregarded.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 506.

  • What do we need to realize about the importance of integrity in keeping our word once we have given it? Proverbs 12:22; Psalm 15:1, 4, last part.

 Note: “The obligation to which one’s word is pledged—if it do not bind him to perform a wrong act—should be held sacred. No consideration of gain, of revenge, or of self-interest can in any way affect the inviolability of an oath or pledge.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 506.

“If in any matter you make a statement as to what you will do, and afterward find that you have favored others to your own loss, do not vary a hairsbreadth from principle. Carry out your agreement. By seeking to change your plans you would show that you could not be depended on. And should you draw back in little transactions, you would draw back in larger ones. Under such circumstances some are tempted to deceive, saying, I was not understood. My words have been taken to mean more than I intended. The fact is, they meant just what they said, but lost the good impulse, and then wanted to draw back.” Child Guidance, 154.

Tuesday

THE FATE OF THE GIBEONITES

  • Because the Gibeonites had resorted to trickery, what became their destiny in life? Joshua 9:21–23. How does this show the impact that the God of Israel had made on the surrounding nations?

Note: “The Gibeonites were permitted to live, but were attached as bondmen to the sanctuary, to perform all menial services. …

“Gibeon … ‘was a great city, as one of the royal cities,’ ‘and all the men thereof were mighty’ (Joshua 10:2). It is a striking evidence of the terror with which the Israelites had inspired the inhabitants of Canaan, that the people of such a city should have resorted to so humiliating an expedient to save their lives.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 506.

  • How did the Gibeonites respond to the verdict? Joshua 9:24–27.

Note: “[Joshua 9:27 quoted.] These conditions they [the Gibeonites] gratefully accepted, conscious that they had been at fault, and glad to purchase life on any terms.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 506.

  • What evidence shows that the Gibeonites would have been blessed if they had been honest, telling the whole truth instead of practicing deception? Exodus 12:48, 49; Leviticus 19:33, 34.

Note: “God had made provision that all who would renounce heathenism, and connect themselves with Israel, should share the blessings of the covenant. …

“It was no light humiliation to those citizens of a ‘royal city,’ ‘all the men whereof were mighty’ (Joshua 10:2), to be made hewers of wood and drawers of water throughout their generations. But they had adopted the garb of poverty for the purpose of deception, and it was fastened upon them as a badge of perpetual servitude. Thus through all their generations their servile condition would testify to God’s hatred of falsehood.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 507.

Wednesday

KEEPING PROMISES

  • What did the five kings of the Amorites do when they discovered that the Gibeonites had made peace with Israel? Joshua 10:1–5.

Note: “The submission of Gibeon to the Israelites filled the kings of Canaan with dismay. Steps were at once taken for revenge upon those who had made peace with the invaders. … Their movements were rapid.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 507.

  • When the Gibeonites saw their danger, what message did they send to Joshua, and what actions did he take as a result? Joshua 10:6–9.

Note: “[Joshua 10:6 quoted.] The danger threatened not the people of Gibeon alone, but also Israel. This city commanded the passes to central and southern Palestine, and it must be held if the country was to be conquered.

“Joshua prepared to go at once to the relief of Gibeon. The inhabitants of the besieged city had feared that he would reject their appeal, because of the fraud which they had practiced; but since they had submitted to the control of Israel, and had accepted the worship of God, he felt himself under obligation to protect them. He did not this time move without divine counsel, and the Lord encouraged him in the undertaking. …

“By marching all night he brought his forces before Gibeon in the morning. Scarcely had the confederate princes mustered their armies about the city when Joshua was upon them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 507, 508.

  • What revealed the amazing power of Israel’s God in behalf of those whom He defends? Joshua 10:10, 11.

Note: “The immense host fled before Joshua up the mountain pass to Beth-horon; and having gained the height, they rushed down the precipitous descent upon the other side. Here a fierce hailstorm burst upon them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 508.

Thursday

PRAYER + ACTION

  • What amazing request did God grant to His faithful servant, Joshua, to the honor and glory of the Creator? Joshua 10:12–14. Why did He do this?

Note: “Joshua, looking down from the ridge above, saw that the day would be too short for the accomplishment of his work. If not fully routed, their enemies would again rally, and renew the struggle. [Joshua 10:12, 13 quoted.]” Patriarchs and Prophets, 508.

“The Spirit of God inspired Joshua’s prayer, that evidence might again be given of the power of Israel’s God. Hence the request did not show presumption on the part of the great leader. Joshua had received the promise that God would surely overthrow these enemies of Israel, yet he put forth as earnest effort as though success depended upon the armies of Israel alone. He did all that human energy could do, and then he cried in faith for divine aid. The secret of success is the union of divine power with human effort. Those who achieve the greatest results are those who rely most implicitly upon the Almighty Arm. The man who commanded, ‘Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalona’ (Joshua 10:12, last part), is the man who for hours lay prostrate upon the earth in prayer in the camp of Gilgal. The men of prayer are the men of power.

“This mighty miracle testifies that the creation is under the control of the Creator.” Ibid., 509.

  • What did God again do that shows that He is in control of nature? Isaiah 38:7, 8. What will He do in the future? Job 38:22, 23; Revelation 16:17, 21.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Have I ever been deceived? If so, how might I have avoided it?

2    Why did Israel remain true to the tricksters who had deceived them?

3    In the story of the Gibeonites, what evidence shows that lying does not pay?

4    Why did God prosper Israel in the battle against the Amorites?

5    What will happen in the future that will show that God controls the elements of nature?

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from Book of Joshua – The Blessings and the Curses

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February 9 – February 15, 2020

Key Text

“There was not a word of all that Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them” (Joshua 8:35).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 499–504.

Introduction

“Only as a reverence for God’s Holy Word was cherished in the hearts of the people, could they hope to fulfill the divine purpose.” Prophets and Kings, 465, 466.

Sunday

A SOLEMN CHOICE

  • What choice did the Lord set before His people at the border of the promised land, and what can we learn from this? Deuteronomy 11:26–28.

Note: “Obedience is required; and unless you obey you will stand on worse than neutral ground. Unless you are favored with the blessing of God you have His curse. He requires you to be willing and obedient, and says that you shall eat the good of the land. A bitter curse is pronounced on those who come not to the help of the Lord.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 166.

  • What two mountains were selected for the pronouncement of the blessings and curses? Deuteronomy 11:29. How were the tribes of Israel divided for this sacred duty? Deuteronomy 27:11–13.

Note: “Ebal and Gerizim, upon opposite sides of the valley, nearly approach each other, their lower spurs seeming to form a natural pulpit, every word spoken on one being distinctly audible on the other, while the mountainsides, receding, afford space for a vast assemblage.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 500.

Monday

TRAINING THE MIND FOR VICTORY

  • What command regarding Mount Ebal had been given through Moses, to be performed when the people would pass over Jordan? Deuteronomy 27:2–8.
  • What else was to be done for the purpose of fixing the law in the minds of the people? Deuteronomy 6:6–9; 31:19–22.

Note: “In the days of the wilderness wandering the Lord had made abundant provision for His children to keep in remembrance the words of His law. After the settlement in Canaan the divine precepts were to be repeated daily in every home; they were to be written plainly upon the doorposts and gates, and spread upon memorial tablets. They were to be set to music and chanted by young and old. Priests were to teach these holy precepts in public assemblies, and the rulers of the land were to make them their daily study. ‘Meditate therein day and night,’ the Lord commanded Joshua concerning the book of the law, ‘that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success’ (Joshua 1:8).” Prophets and Kings, 464, 465.

  • What benefit do we, too, gain from memorizing God’s law and meditating on the promises and warnings found in His Word? Psalm 119:11.

Note: “Several times each day precious, golden moments should be consecrated to prayer and the study of the Scriptures, if it is only to commit a text to memory, that spiritual life may exist in the soul. …

“The mind must be restrained and not allowed to wander. It should be trained to dwell upon the scriptures; even whole chapters may be committed to memory, to be repeated when Satan comes with his temptations. Even while you are walking on the streets, you may read a passage and meditate upon it, thus fixing it in your mind, and God will flash the knowledge obtained into the memory at the very time when it is needed.” The West Michigan Herald, October 26, 1904.

Tuesday

CARRYING OUT PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS

  • How did Joshua carry out the instructions that had been given through Moses with regard to Mount Ebal? Joshua 8:30–32.

Note: “According to the directions given by Moses, a monument of great stones was erected upon Mount Ebal. Upon these stones, previously prepared by a covering of plaster, the law was inscribed—not only the ten precepts spoken from Sinai and engraved on the tables of stone, but the laws communicated to Moses, and by him written in a book. Beside this monument was built an altar of unhewn stone, upon which sacrifices were offered unto the Lord. The fact that the altar was set up on Mount Ebal, the mountain upon which the curse was put, was significant, denoting that because of their transgressions of God’s law, Israel had justly incurred His wrath, and that it would be at once visited, but for the atonement of Christ, represented by the altar of sacrifice.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 500.

  • How did Joshua station the leaders and people for that grand ceremony, and what is significant about the way the stranger was welcomed? Joshua 8:33.

Note: “Six of the tribes—all descended from Leah and Rachel—were stationed upon Mount Gerizim; while those that descended from the handmaids, together with Reuben and Zebulun, took their position on Ebal, the priests with the ark occupying the valley between them.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 500.

“Let those who believe the word of the Lord read the instruction contained in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. There they will learn what kind of education was given to the families of Israel. While God’s chosen people were to stand forth distinct and holy, separate from the nations that knew Him not, they were to treat the stranger kindly. He was not to be looked down upon because he was not of Israel. The Israelites were to love the stranger because Christ died as verily to save him as He did to save Israel. At their feasts of thanksgiving, when they recounted the mercies of God, the stranger was to be made welcome.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 273, 274.

Wednesday

AVOIDING FORMALITY IN RELIGIOUS SERVICES

  • What was the climax of the Mount Ebal ceremony? Joshua 8:34.

Note: “Silence was proclaimed by the sound of the signal trumpet; and then in the deep stillness, and in the presence of this vast assembly, Joshua, standing beside the sacred ark, read the blessings that were to follow obedience to God’s law. All the tribes on Gerizim responded by an Amen.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 500.

  • Why was it appropriate for the congregation to say “Amen”? Psalm 106:48. Why is it often appropriate for us to say “Amen” too?

Note: “When the word of the Lord was spoken to the Hebrews anciently, the command was: ‘And let all the people say, Amen’ (Psalm 106:48). When the ark of the covenant was brought into the city of David, and a psalm of joy and triumph was chanted, ‘all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord’ (1 Chronicles 16:36). This fervent response was an evidence that they understood the word spoken and joined in the worship of God.

“There is too much formality in our religious services. The Lord would have His ministers who preach the word energized by His Holy Spirit; and the people who hear should not sit in drowsy indifference, or stare vacantly about, making no responses to what is said. The impression that is thus given to the unbeliever is anything but favorable for the religion of Christ. These dull, careless professed Christians are not destitute of ambition and zeal when engaged in worldly business; but things of eternal importance do not move them deeply. The voice of God through His messengers may be a pleasant song; but its sacred warnings, reproofs, and encouragements are all unheeded. The spirit of the world has paralyzed them. The truths of God’s word are spoken to leaden ears and hard, unimpressible hearts. There should be wide-awake, active churches to encourage and uphold the ministers of Christ and to aid them in the work of saving souls. Where the church is walking in the light, there will ever be cheerful, hearty responses and words of joyful praise.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 318.

Thursday

SECRETS TO HAPPINESS

  • What else was included in the ceremony of blessings and cursings? Joshua 8:35. What was to be repeated on a regular basis? Deuteronomy 31:10–13.

Note: “[Following the reading of the blessings, Joshua] then read the curses, and the tribes on Ebal in like manner gave their assent, thousands upon thousands of voices uniting as the voice of one man in the solemn response. Following this came the reading of the law of God, together with the statutes and judgments that had been delivered to them by Moses.

“Israel had received the law directly from the mouth of God at Sinai; and its sacred precepts, written by His own hand, were still preserved in the ark. Now it had been again written where all could read it. All had the privilege of seeing for themselves the conditions of the covenant under which they were to hold possession of Canaan. All were to signify their acceptance of the terms of the covenant and give their assent to the blessings or curses for its observance or neglect. The law was not only written upon the memorial stones, but was read by Joshua himself in the hearing of all Israel. It had not been many weeks since Moses gave the whole book of Deuteronomy in discourses to the people, yet now Joshua read the law again.

“Not alone the men of Israel, but ‘all the women and the little ones’ (Joshua 8:35) listened to the reading of the law; for it was important that they also should know and do their duty.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 500–503.

  • Name some of the blessings and cursings. Deuteronomy 28:1–13; 27:14–26.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     How are the blessings and curses given to ancient Israel relevant today?

2    How has memorizing and meditating upon Scripture benefited me at times?

3    Why was the stranger together with the leaders and people on the mount?

4    In what ways can I be more supportive of the task of my local minister?

5    Why is it important that all learn their duty to God from a young age?

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from Book of Joshua – The Achan Syndrone

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February 2 – February 8, 2020

Key Text

“Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15).

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 493–498; Testimonies, vol. 4, 489–495.

Introduction

“The acquisition of property becomes a mania with some.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 490.

Sunday

THE CAUSE OF THE CURSE

  • When Achan finally admitted his guilt after being identified by God as the culprit in Israel, what action did Joshua take? Joshua 7:22, 23.
  • Why was it so important that such sins be disclosed? Proverbs 26:2.

Note: “Achan understood well the reserve made and that the treasures of gold and silver which he coveted were the Lord’s.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 269.

“Achan’s sin brought disaster upon the whole nation. For one man’s sin the displeasure of God will rest upon His church till the transgression is searched out and put away. The influence most to be feared by the church is not that of open opposers, infidels, and blasphemers, but of inconsistent professors of Christ. These are the ones that keep back the blessing of the God of Israel and bring weakness upon His people.

“When the church is in difficulty, when coldness and spiritual declension exist, giving occasion for the enemies of God to triumph, then, instead of folding their hands and lamenting their unhappy state, let its members inquire if there is not an Achan in the camp. With humiliation and searching of heart, let each seek to discover the hidden sins that shut out God’s presence.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 497.

Monday

ACHAN HELD ACCOUNTABLE

  • What did God direct the people to do with Achan? Joshua 7:24, 25. Why is his fate a warning for us living so near the close of probation?

Note: “When a crisis finally comes … and God speaks in behalf of His people, those who have sinned, those who have been a cloud of darkness and who have stood directly in the way of God’s working for His people, may become alarmed at the length they have gone in murmuring and in bringing discouragement upon the cause; and, like Achan, becoming terrified, they may acknowledge that they have sinned. But their confessions are too late and are not of the right kind to benefit themselves, although they may relieve the cause of God. Such do not make their confessions because of a conviction of their true state and a sense of how displeasing their course has been to God.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 271.

“There are many in this day that would designate Achan’s sin as of little consequence, and would excuse his guilt; but it is because they have no realization of the character of sin and its consequences, no sense of the holiness of God and of His requirements. The statement is often heard that God is not particular whether or not we give diligent heed to His word, whether or not we obey all the commandments of His holy law; but the record of His dealing with Achan should be a warning to us. He will in no wise clear the guilty.” The Review and Herald, March 20, 1888.

  • How and why was Achan’s fate to be kept in memory? Joshua 7:26. What should this tell us?

Note: “Have you considered why it was that all who were connected with Achan were also subjects of the punishment of God? It was because they had not been trained and educated according to the directions given them in the great standard of the law of God. Achan’s parents had educated their son in such a way that he felt free to disobey the Word of the Lord, the principles inculcated in his life led him to deal with his children in such a way that they also were corrupted. Mind acts and reacts upon mind, and the punishment which included the relations of Achan with himself, reveals the fact that all were involved in the transgression.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 998.

Tuesday

THE SLIME OF GREED

  • What had enticed Achan to sin? James 1:13–15.

Note: “Achan’s covetousness was excited by the sight of that costly robe of Shinar; even when it had brought him face to face with death he called it ‘a goodly Babylonish garment’ (Joshua 7:21). One sin had led to another, and he appropriated the gold and silver devoted to the treasury of the Lord—he robbed God of the first fruits of the land of Canaan.

“The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin, and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 496. [Emphasis author’s.]

  • Why does the Christian not have an excuse for covetousness? Hebrews 13:5.

Note: “Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

“Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. …

“Everywhere its slimy track is seen. It creates discontent and dissension in families; it excites envy and hatred in the poor against the rich; it prompts the grinding oppression of the rich toward the poor. And this evil exists not in the world alone, but in the church. How common even here to find selfishness, avarice, overreaching, neglect of charities, and robbery of God ‘in tithes and offerings’ (Malachi 3:8). Among church members ‘in good and regular standing’ there are, alas! many Achans.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 496, 497.

Wednesday

ESCAPING THE SNARE

  • What warnings echo down to us against coveting anything that is not ours? Luke 12:15; 1John 2:15–17. How does this sin hinder God’s work?

 Note: “It is this increasing devotion to money getting, the selfishness which the desire for gain begets, that removes the favor of God from the church and deadens its spirituality. When the head and hands are constantly occupied with planning and toiling for the accumulation of riches, the claims of God and humanity are forgotten.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 82.

“Instead of giving all for Christ many have taken the golden wedge and a goodly Babylonish garment and hid them in the camp. If the presence of one Achan was sufficient to weaken the whole camp of Israel, can we be surprised at the little success which attends our efforts when every church and almost every family has its Achan?” Ibid., vol. 5, 157.

  • What other sins which can relate to covetousness does God especially hate? Proverbs 6:16–19.

Note: “Various sins that are cherished and practiced by professed Christians bring the frown of God upon the church. In the day when the Ledger of Heaven shall be opened, the Judge will not in words express to man his guilt, but will cast one penetrating, convicting glance, and every deed, every transaction of life, will be vividly impressed upon the memory of the wrongdoer. The person will not, as in Joshua’s day, need to be hunted out from tribe to family, but his own lips will confess his shame, his selfishness, covetousness, dishonesty, dissembling, and fraud. His sins, hidden from the knowledge of man, will then be proclaimed, as it were, upon the housetop.

“The influence most to be feared by the church is not that of open opposers, infidels, and blasphemers, but of inconsistent professors of Christ. These are the ones who keep back the blessing of the God of Israel and bring weakness upon the church, a reproach that is not easily wiped away.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 493.

“His [God’s] Spirit is grieved by the pride, extravagance, dishonesty, and overreaching which are indulged by some professing godliness. All these things bring the frown of God upon His people.”  Ibid., 491.

Thursday

TRANSPARENCY IN TRADE

  • What understanding can help us to place God and our fellowman before our natural desire for worldly gain? Proverbs 15:3; Colossians 3:1–3.

Note: “The custom of overreaching in trade, which exists in the world, is no example for Christians. They should not deviate from perfect integrity, even in small matters. To sell an article for more than it is worth, taking advantage of the ignorance of purchasers, is fraud. Unlawful gains, petty tricks of trade, exaggeration, competition, underselling a brother who is seeking to pursue an honest business—these things are corrupting the purity of the church, and are ruinous to her spirituality.

“The business world does not lie outside the limits of God’s government. Christianity is not to be merely paraded on the Sabbath and displayed in the sanctuary; it is for every day in the week and for every place. Its claims must be recognized and obeyed in the workshop, at home, and in business transactions with brethren and with the world.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 494.

“The first Christian church had not the privileges and opportunities we have. They were a poor people, but they felt the power of the truth. The object before them was sufficient to lead them to invest all. They felt that the salvation or the loss of a world depended upon their instrumentality. They cast in their all and held themselves in readiness to go or come at the Lord’s bidding.

“We profess to be governed by the same principles, to be influenced by the same spirit. … Let us individually go to work to stimulate others by our example of disinterested benevolence.” Ibid., vol. 5, 156, 157.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What most hinders the blessing of God and weakens His people?

2    How might I be influencing the youth the way Achan did his children?

3    How can I avoid indulging in the beginning roots of covetousness?

4    What danger especially lurks whenever we buy or sell something used?

5    How am I to escape the common snare of coveting worldly gain?

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from Book of Joshua – Agony at Ai

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January 26 – February 1, 2020

Key Text

“Israel hath sinned. … Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies” (Joshua 7:11, 12).

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 3, 263–272.

Introduction

“Thousands were slain upon the field of battle because God would not bless and prosper a people among whom there was even one sinner, one who had transgressed His word.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 239.

Sunday

HIDDEN DANGER LURKING

  • After Jericho fell, of what hidden danger was Joshua unaware? Joshua 7:1. Meanwhile, what steps followed in the conquest of Canaan? Joshua 7:2, 3.

Note: “Soon after the fall of Jericho, Joshua determined to attack Ai, a small town among the ravines a few miles to the west of the Jordan Valley. Spies sent to this place brought back the report that the inhabitants were but few, and that only a small force would be needed to overthrow it.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 493.

  • Based on the report of the spies, how many soldiers were sent to attack Ai? Joshua 7:4, first part. What mistakes were made at this time?

 Note: “The great victory that God had gained for them had made the Israelites self-confident. Because He had promised them the land of Canaan they felt secure, and failed to realize that divine help alone could give them success. Even Joshua laid his plans for the conquest of Ai without seeking counsel from God.

“The Israelites had begun to exalt their own strength and to look with contempt upon their foes. An easy victory was expected.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 493.

Monday

A CALL FOR HEART-SEARCHING

  • What unpleasant surprise shocked the Israelites at Ai? Joshua 7:4, 5.

Note: “These [Israel’s 3,000 soldiers] rushed to the attack without the assurance that God would be with them. They advanced nearly to the gate of the city, only to encounter the most determined resistance. Panic-stricken at the numbers and thorough preparation of their enemies, they fled in confusion down the steep descent. … Though the loss was small as to numbers—but thirty-six men being slain—the defeat was disheartening to the whole congregation. … This was the first time they had met the Canaanites in actual battle, and if put to flight before the defenders of this little town, what would be the result in the greater conflicts before them?” Patriarchs and Prophets, 494.

  • How did Joshua react to the tragedy? Joshua 7:6–9. What was wrong with his reaction?

Note: “Joshua manifested a true zeal for the honor of God, yet his petitions were mingled with doubt and unbelief. The thought that God had brought His people over the Jordan to deliver them up to the power of the heathen was a sinful one, unworthy of a leader of Israel. Joshua’s feelings of despondency and distrust were inexcusable in view of the mighty miracles which God had wrought for the deliverance of His people, and the repeated promise that He would be with them.” The Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881.

“It is a sin in any church not to search for the cause of their darkness and of the afflictions which have been in the midst of them. The church in —– cannot be a living, prosperous church until they are more awake to the wrongs among them, which hinder the blessing of God from coming upon them.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 520.

“Let the churches who claim to believe the truth, who are advocating the law of God, keep that law and depart from all iniquity. Let the individual members of the church resist the temptations to practice evils and indulge in sin. Let the church commence the work of purification before God by repentance, humiliation, deep heart searching, for we are in the antitypical day of atonement—solemn hour fraught with eternal results.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 378.

Tuesday

GOD ANSWERS

  • How did God graciously respond when Joshua prayed, protesting over the humiliating defeat of the Israelite army at Ai? Joshua 7:10–12.

Note: “Our merciful God did not visit His servant [Joshua] with wrath because of this error [of despondency and distrust]. He graciously accepted the humiliation and prayers of Joshua, and at the same time gently rebuked his unbelief, and then revealed to him the cause of their defeat.” The Signs of the Times, April 21, 1881.

  • What are we to learn from this crisis? 1Corinthians 10:1–5, 11, 12.

 Note: “[Joshua 7:10–12 quoted.]

“I have been shown that God here illustrates how He regards sin among those who profess to be His commandment-keeping people. Those whom He has specially honored with witnessing the remarkable exhibitions of His power, as did ancient Israel, and who will even then venture to disregard His express directions, will be subjects of His wrath. He would teach His people that disobedience and sin are exceedingly offensive to Him and are not to be lightly regarded. He shows us that when His people are found in sin they should at once take decided measures to put that sin from them, that His frown may not rest upon them all. But if the sins of the people are passed over by those in responsible positions, His frown will be upon them, and the people of God, as a body, will be held responsible for those sins. In His dealings with His people in the past the Lord shows the necessity of purifying the church from wrongs. One sinner may diffuse darkness that will exclude the light of God from the entire congregation. When the people realize that darkness is settling upon them, and they do not know the cause, they should seek God earnestly, in great humility and self-abasement, until the wrongs which grieve His Spirit are searched out and put away. …

“If wrongs are apparent among His people, and if the servants of God pass on indifferent to them, they virtually sustain and justify the sinner, and are alike guilty and will just as surely receive the displeasure of God; for they will be made responsible for the sins of the guilty.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 265, 266.

Wednesday

A WORK IN THESE LAST DAYS

  • What action did God direct Joshua to take in the crisis that had caused weakness and defeat at Ai? Joshua 7:13–15. What can we learn from this?

Note: “[Some] may witness wrongs, but they do not feel as did Joshua and humble themselves because the danger of souls is felt by them.

“The true people of God, who have the spirit of the work of the Lord and the salvation of souls at heart, will ever view sin in its real, sinful character. They will always be on the side of faithful and plain dealing with sins which easily beset the people of God. Especially in the closing work for the church, in the sealing time of the one hundred and forty-four thousand who are to stand without fault before the throne of God, will they feel most deeply the wrongs of God’s professed people. …

“Who are standing in the counsel of God at this time? Is it those who virtually excuse wrongs among the professed people of God and who murmur in their hearts, if not openly, against those who would reprove sin? Is it those who take their stand against them and sympathize with those who commit wrong? No, indeed! Unless they repent, and leave the work of Satan in oppressing those who have the burden of the work and in holding up the hands of sinners in Zion, they will never receive the mark of God’s sealing approval.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 266, 267.

“If the leaders of the church neglect to diligently search out the sins which bring the displeasure of God upon the body, they become responsible for these sins.” Ibid., 269.

  • How did Joshua obediently proceed? Joshua 7:16–18.

Note: “Instruction was given to Joshua for the discovery and punishment of the criminal. The lot was to be employed for the detection of the guilty. The sinner was not directly pointed out, the matter being left in doubt for a time, that the people might feel their responsibility for the sins existing among them, and thus be led to searching of heart and humiliation before God. …

“Achan the son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, was pointed out by the finger of God as the troubler of Israel.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 494, 495.

Thursday

TRUE LEADERSHIP IN A CRISIS

  • What did Joshua tactfully ask Achan to do, and what was Achan’s response? Joshua 7:19–21. How does God regard indifference in times of crisis? Zephaniah 1:12.

Note: “There are many who do not have the discretion of Joshua and who have no special duty to search out wrongs and to deal promptly with the sins existing among them. Let not such … stand in the way of those who have this duty to do. …

“The manner of Achan’s confession was similar to the confessions that some among us have made and will make. They hide their wrongs and refuse to make a voluntary confession until God searches them out, and then they acknowledge their sins. A few persons pass on in a course of wrong until they become hardened. They may even know that the church is burdened. … Yet their consciences do not condemn them. They will not relieve the church by humbling their proud, rebellious hearts before God and putting away their wrongs. God’s displeasure is upon His people, and He will not manifest His power in the midst of them while sins exist among them and are fostered by those in responsible positions.

“Those who work in the fear of God to rid the church of hindrances and to correct grievous wrongs, that the people of God may see the necessity of abhorring sin and may prosper in purity, and that the name of God may be glorified, will ever meet with resisting influences from the unconsecrated.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 270, 271.

“The church as a whole is in a degree responsible for the wrongs of its individual members because they countenance the evil in not lifting up their voice against it.” Ibid., vol. 4, 491.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     What factors caused the Israelites to be defeated at Ai?

2    What showed faith and what showed doubt in Joshua’s prayer to God?

3    Explain the duty of the remnant church that seriously prepares for Christ’s second coming.

4    What leadership qualities in Joshua chapter 7 would I be well to develop?

5    Why must I avoid hindering the vital task of expelling sin from the camp?

Recipe – Simple Pasta Salad

by

Ingredients

4 cups (approx.) small pasta, cooked

2 cups red or kidney beans, cooked

10 cherry tomatoes (approx.), chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

1 can olives, sliced

Process

Combine all and add Italian dressing and a little salsa. Stir and serve.