Brenda Douay

A Sentence of Death – The Beginning of Life

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And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman taken in adultery. And standing her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned. You, then, what do you say?’ They said this, tempting Him so that they might have reason to accuse Him. But bending down, Jesus wrote on the ground with His finger, not appearing to hear. But as they continued to ask Him, He lifted Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.’ And again bending down, He wrote on the ground. And hearing, and being convicted by conscience, they went out one by one, beginning at the oldest, until the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. And bending back up, and seeing no one but the woman, Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, where are the ones who accused you? Did not one give judgment against you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.’ ” John 8:3–11 NKJV.

This story is a powerful illustration of a stark reality as expressed in the following quote from Selected Messages, Book 1, 219. It says, “They [sinners] must feel themselves sinners, exposed to the wrath of God, before they will realize their need of a Saviour.”

The Desire of Ages vividly portrays the position of the woman caught in adultery, the reality of her situation, and poignantly illustrates the reality. Try to wear her shoes, empathizing with her in her position, feeling her shame and terror, her abjection, wretchedness, and despair. After all, we are told in Revelation 3:14–17 that this is indeed our state, not just hers. So take into your very soul the reality of her situation, because it is your own.

The Desire of Ages, 460–462: “A group of Pharisees and scribes approached Him, dragging with them a terror-stricken woman, whom with hard, eager voices they accused of having violated the seventh commandment. Having pushed her into the presence of Jesus, they said to Him, with a hypocritical show of respect, ‘Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou’ (John 8:5)? …

“Jesus looked for a moment upon the scene—the trembling victim in her shame.

“The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone’ (John 8:7), had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom.”

Picture the scene. The woman, caught in the very act, shamed and embarrassed, dragged through the streets before the eyes of all, and cast at the feet of Jesus, facing the death she knew she deserved.

But she was painfully, terrifyingly aware of more than this. Not only was she facing death, death by stoning, she was facing an eternity without her Lord and Saviour. She knew she was a sinner. She knew of the purity and holiness of Jesus. She was brought face to face with death—eternal death; terrifying, hopeless, forever lost. She knew she was not ready to die.

Yet, there she was, caught in the act of adultery, surrounded by the temple dignitaries, accusing, pointing fingers, condemning, seeking her death. She heard the hard, judging voices, pressing upon Jesus for His decision, and with downcast eyes, and fearful heart she awaited the whistle of stone flying through the air and the first crushing blow.

But as she waits, the seconds stretching into eternity, nothing happens. No stone whistles through the air to wound, to bruise, to destroy. Only a painful silence descends upon the air, and eventually the shuffling of feet fading into the distance reaches her ears. Time passes, and lo, she is left alone with Jesus. “In astonishment she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’ Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.” The Desire of Ages, 462.

Her encounter with death, physical and eternal, was to her the turning point to a new life, a new life in Jesus, a life free from the degradation and shame of sin. It is this same encounter that we each one must face in order to appreciate, and hunger and thirst for the redeeming grace of a Saviour.

“They [sinners] must feel themselves sinners, exposed to the wrath of God, before they will realize their need of a Saviour.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 219. The woman realized, in her encounter with death, that she was a sinner. There was not a shadow of a doubt in her mind. She realized the reality of the following words from the same book, page 342: “He [the sinner] has nothing of his own but what is tainted and corrupted, polluted with sin, utterly repulsive to a pure and holy God.” This was an inescapable, brutal truth to her. I believe that she had reached the point stated in Testimonies, vol. 5, 620: “We must realize how terrible are the pains of the second death.” She tasted this stark reality.

But the story does not end there. It is rather, in fact, simply the beginning; the beginning of a new and different life, a life in Jesus, free, pure, joyous, full of gratitude and thanksgiving, with a heart overflowing with love for our Saviour and Redeemer.

“This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.

“In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, ‘Go, and sin no more.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 462.

What made the Pharisees hypocritical? It was nothing more or less than pretending that they were without sin, without need, but rather rich and increased with spiritual good. Jesus never told them “Go, and sin no more.” They never received of Jesus’ mercy, His grace, His power to overcome sin and live a life of purity and peace. Why? Because they did not see themselves as “sinners, exposed to the wrath of God.”

It was after her traumatic encounter with death, and her ensuing rescue that, with a heart full of gratitude and filled with love for her Saviour, that the woman, enabled by His power of love fulfilled the command of Jesus, “Go and sin no more.”

Although there is no conclusive proof that the woman taken in adultery is Mary, the similarity of the two situations is evident. Whether or not the two are the same is immaterial, for in both situations, the repentance of the sinner is clear. The following statement from the book The Spirit of Prophecy, although spoken of Mary at Simon’s banquet, could rightfully be said of the woman taken in adultery:

“Though she had been very sinful, her repentance was sincere, and Jesus, while reproving her guilt, had pitied her weakness and forgiven her. Mary’s heart was filled with gratitude at the compassion of Jesus. Seven times she had heard His stern rebuke to the demons which then controlled her heart and mind, and she had listened to His strong cries to His Father in her behalf. She knew how offensive everything impure was to the unsullied mind of Christ, and she overcame her sin in the strength of her Saviour. She was transformed, a partaker of the divine nature.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 377.

“Jesus knows the circumstances of every soul. You may say, I am sinful, very sinful. You may be; but the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He turns no weeping, contrite one away. He does not tell to any all that He might reveal, but He bids every trembling soul take courage. Freely will He pardon all who come to Him for forgiveness and restoration.

“Christ might commission the angels of heaven to pour out the vials of His wrath on our world, to destroy those who are filled with hatred of God. He might wipe this dark spot from His universe. But He does not do this. He is today standing at the altar of incense, presenting before God the prayers of those who desire His help.

“The souls that turn to Him for refuge, Jesus lifts above the accusing and the strife of tongues. No man or evil angel can impeach these souls. Christ unites them to His own divine-human nature. They stand beside the great Sin Bearer, in the light proceeding from the throne of God. ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us’ (Romans 8:33, 34).” The Desire of Ages, 568.

Dear friends, fellow sinners, do you recognize that you have “nothing of his (your) own but what is tainted and corrupted, polluted with sin, utterly repulsive to a pure and holy God?” Do you feel yourself a sinner, “exposed to the wrath of God?” If you do not, for your soul’s sake, and for the sake of Him Who spilled His blood on Calvary, plead with God to show you your wretchedness and sin. Plead that He will open your eyes to the reality in which you stand before Him. Then He will fulfill His promise. Of our Father it is said, “God’s plan is not to send messengers who will please and flatter sinners, He delivers no messages of peace to lull the unsanctified into carnal security. But He lays heavy burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces his soul with sharp arrows of conviction. The ministering angels present to him the fearful judgments of God, to deepen the sense of his great need and prompt the agonizing cry: ‘What shall I do to be saved?’ The very hand that humbles to the dust, rebukes sin, and puts pride and ambition to shame, lifts up the penitent, stricken one, and inquires with deepest sympathy: ‘What wilt thou that I shalt do unto thee’ (Mark 10:51)?” Testimonies, vol. 4, 178.

“When man has sinned against a holy and merciful God, there is no course for him to pursue so noble, as to sincerely repent and confess his errors in tears and bitterness of soul. This God requires of him and will accept of nothing less than a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” The Signs of the Times, February 12, 1880. And then His promise is “He lifts up the penitent, stricken one, and inquires with deepest sympathy, ‘What wilt thou that I shalt do unto thee?’ ” Ibid.

Let us join this woman taken in adultery, bowed at the feet of Jesus, trembling, recognizing our shame, our sin, our degradation. It is the truth. It is our reality just as much as it was hers. Let us accept that we are sinners; accept that we are “exposed to the wrath of God;” accept that we have “nothing of [our] own but what is tainted and corrupted, polluted with sin, utterly repulsive to a pure and holy God.” It is then, and only then that we will realize our need of a Saviour. And it is only as we recognize our need that we will seek—and receive healing. It is then, as with her, that Jesus will say to us, “Neither do I give judgment. Go, and sin no more.”

Brenda Douay is a staff member at Steps to Life. She may be contacted by email at: brendadouay@stepstolife.org.

Thoughts from the Book of Hebrews

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The disciples of Jesus stayed in Jerusalem for three and one-half years after the day of Pentecost. This period ended when Stephen was stoned. The Sanhedrin was steeped in the earthly sanctuary service and the sacrificing of animals after Jesus’ death, even after the veil of the temple was rent in two and the sacrificial lamb escaped, signifying that the sacrificial service had ended. It was about this time, following the stoning of Steven, that Paul became instrumental in the gospel story. Paul was a young and brilliant student, trained and educated in Phariseeism and in the traditions of the Jews. It appears that he had no significant contact with Jesus prior to the crucifixion.

“Prominent among the Jewish leaders who became thoroughly aroused by the success attending the proclamation of the gospel, was Saul of Tarsus. A Roman citizen by birth, Saul was nevertheless a Jew by descent and had been educated in Jerusalem by the most eminent of the rabbis. …

“Saul had taken a prominent part in the trial and conviction of Stephen, and the striking evidences of God’s presence with the martyr had led Saul to doubt the righteousness of the cause he had espoused against the followers of Jesus. His mind was deeply stirred. In his perplexity he appealed to those in whose wisdom and judgment he had full confidence. The arguments of the priests and rulers finally convinced him that Stephen was a blasphemer, that the Christ whom the martyred disciple had preached was an impostor, and that those ministering in holy office must be right.” The Acts of the Apostles, 112.

Saul had a question about what he was doing and went to the leaders of the church. He struggled with this conviction. “And having fully decided that the priests and scribes were right, Saul became very bitter in his opposition to the doctrines taught by the disciples of Jesus.” Ibid., 113.

Some of these doctrines were as follows:

  1. Jesus was the Lamb of God Who was represented by the lamb that had been sacrificed every morning and evening.
  2. Jesus was the Son of God represented by that sacrificial lamb.
  3. Jesus ratified the new covenant by His death.
  4. The sanctuary on earth was useless now that Christ had died and that no sacrifices should now be offered in the temple.
  5. Jesus rose the third day after His crucifixion, ascended to heaven that third day and opened the holy place in the sanctuary in heaven.
  6. Jesus again ascended 40 days later and was inaugurated at that time as the High Priest in the daily service of the new covenant sanctuary in heaven.
  7. The sanctuary in heaven replaced the sanctuary on earth.

These were the messages that the disciples were told to preach in Jerusalem for the next three and a half years. Because Saul heard this message and saw the success they were having as thousands were joining this new movement, he had a controversy in his mind.

He had been convinced by the church that the apostolic message had to be destroyed. “As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’ ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, Whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.” Acts 9:3–5. Saul was shocked. He saw Jesus in person, in His inaugurated, glorified position in the holy place of the sanctuary in heaven.

Revelation 1:16, last part, gives a description of Jesus as High Priest. It says, “His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” When you look at the sun too long, you become blinded. Saul could not turn his eyes from Jesus and he went temporarily blind. “But Saul understood the words that were spoken, and to him was clearly revealed the One who spoke—even the Son of God. In the glorious Being who stood before him he saw the Crucified One. Upon the soul of the stricken Jew the image of the Saviour’s countenance was imprinted forever.” The Acts of the Apostles, 115.

Paul never forgot what he saw on the road to Damascus. He now understood the terrible condition of the Sanhedrin and the Jewish nation in their misapplication of Scripture, the rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah, the persecution of the true church and the disciples. And most importantly he saw their rejection of the new covenant—the plan of redemption. He was overwhelmed with the thought that his friends in the Sanhedrin were doomed to destruction. He now knew that the sacrifices they were offering every morning and evening were useless and they were deceiving themselves thinking that they were serving the God of heaven by offering those sacrifices.

The theme throughout the book of Hebrews, written to the Jews, concerns Christ and the sanctuary in heaven. Paul is elevating Jesus in the eyes of the Jews—helping them to see that Jesus was the true Son of God. The phrase in Hebrews 1:6, “Let all God’s angels worship Him” had been recently spoken by God the Father in His inauguration in heaven, as related in The Desire of Ages, 834: “The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. Satan is vanquished. … The Father’s arms encircle His Son, and the word is given, ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him’ (Hebrews 1:6).”

“But we do see Jesus, Who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” Hebrews 2:9. Paul is trying to show that Jesus was the One promised to Adam to atone for their sins, to give them power to overcome the devil, to provide eternal salvation and to free them from the judgment of eternal death. Jesus had to become a human being so that by His death He might destroy Satan who holds the power of death.

“In the Saviour’s expiring cry, ‘It is finished’ (John 19:30), the death knell of Satan was rung. The great controversy which had been so long in progress was then decided, and the final eradication of evil was made certain. The Son of God passed through the portals of the tomb, that ‘through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil’ (Hebrews 2:14).” The Great Controversy, 503.

Paul informs the Jews that the One they persecuted was their Saviour. In chapters 2 and 3 of Hebrews Paul shows the reality of Jesus—that the disciples saw Him ascend to heaven and that he saw Jesus serving as High Priest. If they believed in Moses then they needed to believe more in Jesus because He has received greater honor than Moses. Paul was doing his best to present Jesus Christ to them to save them from eternal death.

He continues in chapter 4:14–16: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest Who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest Who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One Who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

What a hope! We have a High Priest Who is living in heaven—Jesus, the One you crucified. We are holding firmly to this faith. He is without sin and He can represent us in the heavenly courts. Paul presented Christ as our mediator Who is in heaven and Who understands our infirmities. Let us approach Him with confidence. He explains that you do not need to go through that sacrificial lamb every morning and evening like you are doing. Go to Jesus in the holy place in the sanctuary in heaven with confidence that Jesus will free you from sin.

In Hebrews 5 Paul tells the Jews that Jesus had to take humanity upon Him and experience our suffering. Because He suffered faithfully, under reverent submission, no sin was found in Him. He learned obedience and through that obedience, He was made perfect. Being made perfect He became the Source of eternal salvation for all who obey. God appointed Jesus to be priest in heaven. Jesus has offered the sacrifice of Himself, has ascended to heaven, and is our High Priest forever “in the order of Melchizedek.”

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:17, 18. God has offered by an oath His commitment to the plan of salvation and we can trust God the Father because He never lies. This oath was pronounced to Abraham. In Patriarchs and Prophets, 371, Ellen White explains as follows: “The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the ‘second’ or ‘new’ covenant, because the blood by which it was sealed was shed after the blood of the first covenant. That the new covenant was valid in the days of Abraham is evident from the fact that it was then confirmed both by the promise and by the oath of God—the ‘two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie’ (Hebrews 6:18).”

Paul tells the Jews that this covenant in which they profess to have salvation, the Abrahamic covenant, is actually Christ’s ministration in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary because He was the Lamb that was slain.

In verse 19 he says, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain …” Our hope is in the ministry of Jesus in the holy place “… where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Verse 20.

There was no question that they understood the ministry of Jesus in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. The apostolic church had no question about the sanctuary in heaven. Had they clung to the truth that Jesus is our high priest, we would not be in the problem we are in today; but because they allowed that message to become obscure, and because the Roman church covered it up by setting the pope as the head of the church, instructing people to confess their sins to the priest, the role of Jesus has been replaced by an earthly priest, wiping out the message of the apostolic church. Daniel 8:14 had to be proclaimed because this message will be restored in the Second Advent Movement, in which the sanctuary message will become just as prominent as Paul’s message is in the book of Hebrews. “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Verse 19.

Jesus is still that High Priest today. He is no longer ministering in the holy place, but in the most holy place in the heavenly sanctuary. Those who enter into His ministry in the most holy place as the apostolic church entered into His ministry in the holy place will find eternal life.

Paul builds the case stronger for the truth. “And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, One who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to His ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life.” Hebrews 7:15, 16. In other words, it is not based on the ancestry of the priests in the earthly sanctuary. “For it is declared: ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.’ ” Verse 17. One has been found like Melchizedek Who is a permanent priest forever. We can believe in Jesus and accept Him for He meets the Melchizedek requirements.

Paul goes on to say in verse 21: “… but He [Christ] became a priest with an oath when God said to Him: ‘The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever.” ’ ” He is an anchor for us today. Those who cling to Jesus and His ministry in the most holy place have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure during the storms around us.

“Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest truly meets our need—One Who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself.” Verses 22–27. He is the One that died on the cross and He has His offering, His blood, forever.

Hebrews 8:1, 2, a continuation of the thought at the conclusion of chapter 7, says, “Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, Who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and Who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.” Paul confirms to these leaders in Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin, that we do have a High Priest and He is ministering today in the sanctuary in heaven.

“Turning again to the book of Hebrews, the seekers for truth found that the existence of a second, or new-covenant sanctuary, was implied in the words of Paul already quoted: ‘Then verily the first covenant [ministration] had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary.’ And the use of the word ‘also’ intimates that Paul has before made mention of this sanctuary. Turning back to the beginning of the previous chapter, they read: ‘Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, Who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man’ (Hebrews 8:1, 2).” The Great Controversy, 413. [Emphasis author’s.]

Then is made this interesting statement: “Here is revealed the sanctuary of the new covenant [the sanctuary in heaven]. The sanctuary of the first covenant [the earthly] was pitched by man, built by Moses; this is pitched by the Lord, not by man. In that sanctuary the earthly priests performed their service; in this, Christ, our great High Priest, ministers at God’s right hand. One sanctuary was on earth, the other is in heaven.” Ibid.

Paul openly contrasts the purpose of the sanctuary on earth with the one in heaven. He says that since Christ has died as the Lamb of God, the earthly sanctuary is now useless—no more to be used.

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.” Hebrews 8:13.

In “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 932, she says, “Christ’s death and resurrection completed His covenant. Before this time, it was revealed through types and shadows [the earthly sanctuary], which pointed to the great offering to be made by the world’s Redeemer, offered in promise for the sins of the world. … Christ’s sacrifice is the glorious fulfillment of the whole Jewish economy. The Sun of Righteousness has risen. Christ our righteousness is shining in brightness upon us.”

“When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the Saviour. … and that the system of sacrificial offerings was forever at an end.” The Desire of Ages, 165. To reject the new covenant sanctuary in heaven is to reject the plan of salvation.

In Hebrews 9:1, 2, Paul states: “Now the first covenant [ministration] had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place.” Here Paul simply points back to the earthly sanctuary stating that this is what represented the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven. Now that Jesus has paid the price and opened the sanctuary in heaven, we do not need this type anymore. Over and over again he emphasizes the uselessness of the sanctuary service in the earthly temple.

The Great Controversy, 411, states: “The sanctuary to which Paul here refers was the tabernacle built by Moses at the command of God as the earthly dwelling place of the Most High. ‘Let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them’ (Exodus 25:8).”

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11, 12. Paul did not intimate that everything was done at the cross. He continually pointed them to Jesus and His ministry in the holy place as part of their salvation.

In Hebrews 9:14, we are told: “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Paul’s appeal is to get rid of sin and false teachings and come to Christ to be cleansed through His atoning blood.

“For this reason [that we might get rid of our sins in verse 14] Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.” Verse 15.

“Christ is the mediator of the new covenant” that we might be free from sin and receive eternal life. This is the gospel in one verse.

“It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices [animal sacrifices], but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these [the blood of Christ].” Verse 23.

“In Hebrews 9 the cleansing of both the earthly and the heavenly sanctuary is plainly taught. ‘Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens [the earthly sanctuary] should be purified with these [the blood of animals]; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these’ (Hebrews 9:22, 23), even the precious blood of Christ.” The Great Controversy, 417. Paul tells his Hebrew friends that it was Jesus that they crucified and Who provided this blood to open the heavenly sanctuary. He pleads for them to give their hearts to Him and to forget their useless sacrifices—eternal life is in the message He is giving.

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; He entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.” Hebrews 9:24. Paul could have gone on to say that he saw Jesus there.

“The ceremonial law was given by Christ. Even after it was no longer to be observed, Paul presented it before the Jews in its true position and value, showing its place in the plan of redemption and its relation to the work of Christ; and the great apostle pronounces this law glorious, worthy of its divine Originator. The solemn service of the sanctuary typified the grand truths that were to be revealed through successive generations.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 367.

That was the purpose of the earthly sanctuary, which has now been fulfilled.

“Nor did He enter heaven to offer Himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But He has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” Hebrews 9:25.

Paul says that Jesus has now appeared and we have crucified Him. “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” Verses 27, 28.

Jesus is not coming the second time to bear sin or to take away your sin. Your sin and my sin must be confessed before that or we will be lost.

Paul then makes his conclusions and appeal in Hebrews 12:22–24: “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.”

Paul states that Jesus has come to open the sanctuary in heaven. You have been presented this message—come, join us and enter into the city of God, the New Jerusalem.

After his presentation throughout the book of Hebrews of Christ and of His work in the sanctuary in heaven, Paul makes his appeal in verse 25, where he says, “See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven?”

If we fail to heed the warnings of the prophets in the Old Testament, are we not even more guilty if we turn from God’s warnings that come directly from heaven?

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’ ” Verses 28, 29.

In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul presented an appeal to accept Jesus as the High Priest of the sanctuary in heaven. Jesus is the only One Who can take the confession of sin and atone with His blood and separate it from the sinner.

The following statements appeal to the Second Advent: “… the third angel was pointing them to the most holy place, and those who had had an experience in the past messages were pointing them the way to the heavenly sanctuary.” We see here that Ellen White had the essence of the whole second advent movement—the true disciples pointing everyone to the heavenly sanctuary. “Many saw the perfect chain of truth in the angels’ messages, and gladly received them in their order, and followed Jesus by faith into the heavenly sanctuary. These messages were represented to me as an anchor to the people of God.” Early Writings, 256.

Just as the Jews could turn to Jesus in the holy place and receive forgiveness of their sins, so we today can go to Jesus in the most holy place and there confess our sins and find an Anchor to sustain us through the latter rain experience. This is the only place where our Anchor is. The third angel’s message that does not include this truth of Jesus’ role as our high priest is a false message, just as false as the Jewish sacrificial service after the crucifixion.

“Those who understand and receive them [the three angels’ messages] will be kept from being swept away by the many delusions of Satan.” Ibid.

Jesus is ministering in the most holy place and all who seek Him there will find in Him One Who can give power to separate from sin right now. When the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, deal with it immediately. Jesus will give you the power to do it and then you will be ready to receive the Holy Spirit when the latter rain falls.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New International Version.)

Maurice Hoppe is Director of the Steps to Life training programs and a member of the Steps to Life Board. The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders is a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as pastors or Bible workers. Preparing for the Final Conflict is a correspondence course for the laity. Both of these courses teach present truth that will be an anchor for the soul during the storm of opposition and persecution just ahead. He and his wife also have a correspondence course offered through Revelation Ministry. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Like Master, Like Disciple

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During Christ’s ministry on earth He was not accepted favorably by the masses. Warning His disciples about the future, He said, “It is enough for a disciple that He be like his teacher and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household?” Matthew 10:25.

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word I said to you, a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:18–20. The Christian faith involves not only hope, but also bearing the cross while following Jesus.

In his epistles, the apostle Paul told of his personal encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. It was very convincing because it was backed up by a change in his life that nobody could contradict. Those who refused his testimony became furious with rage because of the effect that it had wherever he went. The Jews determined to find some pretext by which they could justify his death.

“While Paul’s labors in Rome were being blessed with the conversion of many souls and to the strengthening and encouragement of the believers, clouds were gathering that threatened not only his own safety, but also the prosperity of the church. Upon his arrival at Rome he was placed in charge of the captain of the imperial guards, a man of justice and integrity, by whose clemency he was left comparatively free to pursue the work of the gospel. But before the close of the two years’ imprisonment, this man was replaced by an official from whom the apostle expected no special favor.

“The Jews were now more active than ever in their efforts against Paul, and they found an able helper in the profligate woman whom Nero had made his second wife, and who, being a Jewish proselyte, would lend all her influence to aid their murderous designs against the champion of Christianity.

“Paul could hope for little justice from the Caesar to whom he appealed. Nero was more debased in morals, more frivolous in character, and at the same time capable of more atrocious cruelty, than any ruler who had preceded him. The reins of government could not have been entrusted to a more despotic ruler. The first year of his reign had been marked by the poisoning of his young stepbrother, the rightful heir to the throne. From one depth of vice and crime to another, Nero had descended, until he had murdered his own mother, and then his wife. There was no atrocity which he would not perpetrate, no vile act to which he would not stoop. In every noble mind he inspired only abhorrence and contempt.

“The details of iniquity practiced in his court are too degrading, too horrible, for description. His abandoned wickedness created disgust and loathing, even in many who were forced to share his crimes. They were in constant fear as to what enormities he would suggest next. Yet even such crimes as Nero’s did not shake the allegiance of his subjects. He was acknowledged as the absolute ruler of the whole civilized world. More than this, he was made the recipient of divine honors and worshipped as a god.

“From the viewpoint of human judgment, Paul’s condemnation before such a judge was certain. But the apostle felt that so long as he was loyal to God, he had nothing to fear.” The Acts of the Apostles, 485, 486.

God did shield his servant. The charges against him were not sustained. Nero declared him guiltless, and again he was a free man. However, during his confinement, the converts to Christianity had become so numerous that they attracted the attention of the authorities. The Emperor became particularly concerned when members of his own household became converted and he soon figured out a pretext by which he could kill off most of the Christian population in the city of Rome.

At that time the terrible fire that history has recorded occurred in Rome. It was rumored that Nero himself had caused the flames to be kindled that destroyed nearly half the city. However, blame was cast on Christians. This monster in human form amused the public by exhibiting the victims in their dying agonies when they were burned to death after their bodies had been painted with pitch. He took the keenest delight in the misery of others, which is one of the clearest signs that a person has become Satanic in character.

Paul knew his labors among the churches were coming to an end. It was not long before the Jews conceived of the idea of blaming Paul for instigating the burning of Rome. He was seized while in the city of Troas in the house of a disciple and taken by ship again to Rome for his second and final imprisonment.

“Reformatory action is always attended with loss, sacrifice, and peril.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 305. Jesus was opposed and hated because people hate change. It is no easy matter to overcome sinful habits and practices. They can only be overcome with divine help.

The majority of people are not willing to accept the standard given by the gospel in the New Testament. “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” I John 5:3. The person who says he loves God and does not keep His commandments is a liar.

When Paul returned to Rome for his second imprisonment, thousands of Christians had been killed for their faith, and many had left the city. Those who were left were greatly intimidated because of the persecution. There were no warm-hearted disciples to meet Paul as had happened on his first imprisonment. There was no one like a courteous and kindly Julius to say a word in his favor, no statement of favor from Festus or Agrippa to attest to his innocence. Paul was not now put in a rented house but in a gloomy Roman dungeon that would be his home until he was martyred.

A visit to the apostle Paul during his second imprisonment was nothing like a visit during his first imprisonment when he was in his own rented house. In the first imprisonment there had been no charge that had been sustained against him and he had won favorable opinions from princes and rulers such as King Agrippa, Felix, and Festus. But to visit him during his second imprisonment was to visit a person who was the object of universal hatred, being accused of instigating one of the basest and most terrible crimes against the city and nation. Anybody who did venture to visit him to show any kindness or attention made himself subject to suspicion and endangered his own life. Rome, at that time, was filled with spies who stood ready to bring an accusation against any person on the slightest occasion that could advance their own interests.

One by one, the apostle Paul saw his friends leave. In a letter to Timothy, he wrote, “Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, when you come—and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.” 1II Timothy 4:9–15.

And then he said, “At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever.” Verses 16–18.

Paul was still able to communicate with the outside world through Luke and his secretary so messages were sent to and from the different churches. While in such a dire situation, he was encouraged by an unexpected visit by Onesiphorus, who had come to Rome not long after Paul had arrived there the second time. Knowing that Paul was a prisoner somewhere in the city, he determined to find him. This was not an easy task in a city crowded with prisoners. Suspicion was everywhere and had only to fasten itself upon an unfortunate victim to consign him to prison and perhaps to death.

But in spite of all these difficulties, Onesiphorus searched for the apostle until he found him. Not satisfied with just one visit, he went again and again at the risk of his own life to Paul’s dungeon to lighten the burden of his imprisonment. The fear of scorn, reproach or persecution was powerless to terrify this true-hearted Ephesian Christian because he knew that his beloved teacher was in bonds for the truth’s sake, while he himself, in every respect far less worthy, was free. (See Sketches from the Life of Paul, 308.)

Paul wrote about this in 11 Timothy 1:16–18: “The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very diligently and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.”

“The desire for love and sympathy has been implanted in the human heart by God Himself. Christ in His hour of agony in Gethsemane, while bearing the guilt of sinful men, longed for the sympathy of His disciples. And Paul, though almost indifferent to hardship and suffering, yearned for sympathy and companionship. God would have His people cherish love and sympathy for one another. …

“It was the practice among both the Greeks and the Romans to allow an accused person to have an advocate to plead in his behalf. By force of argument, by his impassioned eloquence, or by entreaties, prayers, and tears, such an advocate would often secure a decision in favor of the prisoner, or failing in this, would mitigate the severity of his sentence.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 309.

Paul had no legal counsel. Not one came forward to stand beside him even to preserve a record of the charges that were leveled against him. There are no human records of the arguments that he urged in his own defense. The only record that we have of this occasion is that of Paul himself: “At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.” II Timothy 4:16. All alone, he stood in a pagan court accused of an aggravated crime and all alone, he had to defend himself. However, unseen to those present there was One who stood with him and strengthened him. The result, he said, was that the preaching might be fully known.

“Paul before Nero—how striking the contrast! The very height of earthly power, authority and wealth, as well as the lowest depths of crime and iniquity had been reached by the haughty monarch before whom the man of God answered for his faith. In his power and greatness, Nero stood unrivaled, unapproached. There were none to question his authority, none to resist his will. The kings of the earth laid their crowns at his feet. The most powerful armies marched at his command. The ensigns of his navies upon the seas betokened victory. His statue was set up in courts of justice, and the decrees of senators and the decisions of judges were but the echo of his will. … The name of Nero made the world tremble. To incur his displeasure was to lose property, liberty, and life. His frown was more to be dreaded than the pestilence. Yet while surrounded by all the outward semblance of earthly pomp and greatness, adored and reverenced as a god in human form, he possessed the heart of a demon.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 311.

There stood Paul before him, an aged prisoner, calm, whose face told of the peace of God that reigned within. “The results of opposite systems of training and education stood that day contrasted—the life of unbounded self-indulgence and the life of utter self-sacrifice. Here were the representatives of the two religions—Christianity and paganism; the simplicity of self-denying endurance, ready to give up life itself, if need be for the good of others, and the luxury of all-absorbing selfishness, that counts nothing too valuable to sacrifice for momentary gratification; the representatives of two spiritual powers—the ambassador of Christ and the slave of Satan. Their relative position showed to what extent the course of this world was under the rule of the prince of darkness. The wretch whose soul was stained with incest and matricide, was robed in purple, and seated upon the throne while the purest and noblest of men stood before the judgment-seat, despised, hated, and fettered.

“The vast hall which was the place of trial was thronged by an eager, restless crowd that surged and pressed to the front to see and hear all that should take place. Among those gathered there were the high and the low, the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, the proud and the humble. Yet all alike were destitute of the true knowledge of the way of life and salvation.

“Again the Jews urge against the prisoner the old charges of sedition and heresy, while both Jews and Romans accuse him of instigating the burning of the city. While his enemies were vehemently urging their accusations, Paul, preserved a quiet dignity; no shade of fear or anger disturbed the peaceful serenity that rested upon his countenance. The people and even the judges beheld him with surprise. They had been present at many trials, and had looked upon many criminals; but never had they seen a man wear such a look of holy calmness as did the prisoner before them. The keen eyes of the judges, accustomed as they were to read the countenances of their prisoners, searched the face of Paul for some hidden trace of crime, but in vain.” Ibid., 312, 313.

Finally, after the accusations had been made, Paul was given opportunity to speak for himself. With more than human eloquence he explained to the anxious listeners the truths of the gospel. The company had never before heard words so true, clear and convincing. Divine light penetrated their darkened minds and the truth proclaimed on that occasion would never die. They had come to hear the utterance of a feeble and aged prisoner, but instead they heard words that were destined to shake nations.

Paul said, “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through me and that all the Gentiles might hear.” II Timothy 4:17. Longing to see these people receive the truth of salvation and not perish, he lost sight of the terrible fate that awaited him and he looked to Jesus, his Advocate, and his Intercessor in the courts above. He pleaded with them and showed them that there was an Advocate available to them at the throne of God. He told them of the infinite sacrifice that had been made in behalf of the fallen race. There was no trace of fear, sadness, or discouragement on his countenance as he presented Jesus to his listeners.

“Never had Nero heard the truth as he heard it upon that occasion. Never had the enormous guilt of his own life been revealed to him as it was revealed that day. The light of heaven had pierced the sin-polluted chambers of his soul. He quaked with terror at the thought of a tribunal before which he, the ruler of the world should be arraigned, and where his deeds would meet a just reward. He was afraid of the apostle’s God, and he dared not pass sentence on Paul, against whom no accusation had been sustained. A sense of awe for a time restrained his bloodthirsty spirit.” Ibid., 315.

For a moment it seemed that the peace and purity of heaven would be something desirable. That was the moment of mercy, the moment, when—if Nero had made the decision—he could have turned his life around and chosen to repent and confess his sins and follow Jesus.

“But only for a moment. The command was issued for Paul to be taken back to his dungeon; and as the door closed upon the messenger of God, so the door of repentance was forever closed against the emperor of Rome. Not another ray of light was ever to penetrate the dense darkness that enveloped him.” Ibid., 316.

Paul knew that his enemies would not rest until they had secured his death, but he knew also that the truth had triumphed for the time. He had been given the opportunity to proclaim a crucified and risen Saviour before the vast throng who had listened to his words. It was a victory for the gospel. The work begun that day would increase and prosper and in vain would the emperor of Rome seek to destroy or hinder it. His speech had gained him many friends, and he was visited by some persons of rank, but it was with Timothy that the apostle longed to spend his final days.

There was great affection between the youthful laborer and the apostle. Timothy had been converted through his labors and to him had been committed the care of the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote to him asking him to come as soon possible to Rome. In case Timothy did not arrive in time, the apostle wrote his dying testimony. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all those who have loved His appearing.” II Timothy 4:6–8.

Time was fast running out for the apostle; he must give some final counsel to the young minister. This same charge is repeated today when ministers are ordained in Christian churches. “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing in His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” II Timothy 4:1–5.

Paul predicted that the time would come when Christians would not endure the truth and get for themselves teachers who would preach smooth things that would please their ears. It is the duty of a Christian minister to hate and reprove sin, while manifesting pity and tenderness for the sinner. That is a difficult attainment.

On the one hand we must be careful that we do not have undue severity toward a wrong-doer, while at the same time, we need to understand the exceeding sinfulness of sin. This requires Christlike patience and love toward the erring, but being careful of the danger of manifesting so great tolerance for error that eventually the person who is living in sin will consider himself undeserving of reproof and reject it as an uncalled for hardness.

Care must be taken that toleration does not degenerate into toleration of sin. Godliness leads to brotherly kindness, and those who do not cherish the one will surely lack the other. So, if a person blunts his moral perceptions so that he becomes sinfully lenient towards those whom God condemns, the time will come when he will commit a greater sin by using severity and harshness toward those whom God commends. When Paul says that the time will come when Christians will not endure sound doctrine, he is not talking here about people who are atheists, or agnostics, or openly irreligious. He speaks of professed Christians who have indulged inclination until they are enslaved by their own ungoverned passions and led away as he says in chapter three, with various kinds of cravings or lusts.

Paul foresaw that people would turn away from the plain, searching truths of God’s word and that they would have itching ears, and would heap to themselves teachers that would present to them the fables that they desired, an easier gospel (11 Timothy 4:3). These teachers trample under their feet the fourth commandment and end up trampling all of the others as well.

The Creator of the world is insulted by those who claim to be His children while they transgress His law, and Satan laughs at the success of his plots against the human race. We are living in a time where there is distaste for religion and a growing contempt for God’s holy law. Pride, love of pleasure and self-indulgence abound. Many ask the question, “What can be done to arrest the alarming evils in society?”

Paul’s instruction to Timothy was, “Preach the Word.” Preach what the Bible says, whether people will hear or whether they will not. Within its pages are the only safe principles of action to reform or to save society. The Word contains a transcript of the will of God; it is an expression of divine wisdom. It opens to the understanding how to solve the great problem of life and all who will listen and act on it will be directed in the right way.

In Paul’s last letter he said, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” II Timothy 3:1–5.

In the last days religion will be full of people who have a form of godliness. They will profess to be Christians. They will profess to be religious and go to church. Looking at them from the outside, people in the world will believe that they are Christians but, while they have a form of godliness, they deny its power.

Paul clearly describes the power of the gospel in Romans 1:16, 17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ ”

At the end of his life as a true disciple of Christ, Paul was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” II Timothy 4:7, 8.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church of Free Seventh-day Adventists in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at: historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at: 316-788-5559.

Editorial – Feelings

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When God created mankind He not only gave the ability to think intellectually but also the ability to feel. When sin entered the world, mankind began to have to deal with negative feelings and feelings of despair and despondency. In the Bible we not only have books like the Song of Solomon but also books like Job and Lamentations. Dealing with feelings of despair and despondency is beyond the scope of this editorial, but following are some excerpts from Ellen White’s letters to one of our leading ministers, S. N. Haskell, who was sometimes plagued with feelings of despair.

“You ask me why it is that you awake in the night and feel enclosed in darkness? I often feel the same way myself; but these desponding feelings are no evidence that God has forsaken you or me. … Gloomy feelings are no evidence that the promises of God are of no effect.

“You look at your feelings, and because your outlook is not all brightness, you begin to draw more closely the garment of heaviness about your soul. You look within yourself and think that God is forsaking you. You are to look to Christ. …

“Entering into communion with our Saviour, we enter the region of peace. … We must put faith into constant exercise, and trust in God whatever our feelings may be. … We are to be of good cheer, knowing that Christ has overcome the world. We will have tribulation in the world, but peace in Jesus Christ. My brother, turn your eyes from within, and look to Jesus Who is your only helper.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 324.

“I felt sorry when I read your letter breathing so depressed a spirit. Read Ephesians 2:4–22. This Scripture has been given me for you. Read it carefully, as you never read it before. It is full of instruction. …

“Bear in mind, the time will never come when the hellish shadow of Satan will not be cast athwart our pathway to obstruct our faith and eclipse the light emanating from the presence of Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness. Our faith must not stagger, but cleave through that shadow. … Our faith is not in feeling, but in truth. …

“We have the companionship of the divine presence, and as we realize this presence, our thoughts are brought into captivity to Jesus Christ. Our spiritual exercises are in accordance with the vividness of our sense of this companionship. Enoch walked with God in this way.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 387–389.

For inspired counsel on dealing with feelings of despair and despondency, read the chapter in The Ministry of Healing entitled “Mind Cure.”

Bible Study Guides – Lessons From a National Default

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September 20, 2015 – September 26, 2015

Key Text

“If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured.” Isaiah 1:19, 20.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 306–321.

Introduction

“By their apostasy and rebellion those who should have been standing as light bearers among the nations, were inviting the judgments of God.” The Review and Herald, March 4, 1915.

1 A POWERFUL TESTIMONY TO THE WORLD

  • What song did the children of Israel sing during their sacred feasts in Canaan? Deuteronomy 31:30; 32:1–3. What influence should this song have had upon the neighboring nations? Psalm 67:2.

Note: “The people of Israel, as they journeyed through the wilderness, praised God in sacred song. … And in Canaan as they met at their sacred feasts God’s wonderful works were to be recounted, and grateful thanksgiving was to be offered to His name. God desired that the whole life of His people should be a life of praise.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 298, 299.

  • What is the most effective means to show to the world that we have received great blessings from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ? Psalm 145:5, 6.

Note: “Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 299.

2 REPEATED EXHORTATIONS

  • In what terms did the Lord set before His people the consequences of their unfaithfulness? Deuteronomy 8:18–20.

Note: “[Deuteronomy 28 quoted.]

“The more deeply to impress these truths [of conditional blessings] upon all minds, the great leader embodied them in sacred verse. This song was not only historical, but prophetic. While it recounted the wonderful dealings of God with His people in the past, it also foreshadowed the great events of the future, the final victory of the faithful when Christ shall come the second time in power and glory. The people were directed to commit to memory this poetic history, and to teach it to their children and children’s children. It was to be chanted by the congregation when they assembled for worship, and to be repeated by the people as they went about their daily labors. It was the duty of parents to so impress these words upon the susceptible minds of their children that they might never be forgotten.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 467, 468.

  • What exhortation did Moses address to the people of Israel at the end of their pilgrimage through the desert? Deuteronomy 28:1, 2, 9–11, 58, 59, 64.

Note: “Moses called their attention to the ‘day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb.’ And he challenged the Hebrew host: ‘What nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?’(Deuteronomy 4:10, 7, 8). Today the challenge to Israel might be repeated. The laws which God gave His ancient people were wiser, better, and more humane than those of the most civilized nations of the earth. The laws of the nations bear marks of the infirmities and passions of the unrenewed heart; but God’s law bears the stamp of the divine. …

“Still the great leader [Moses] was filled with fear that the people would depart from God. In a most sublime and thrilling address he set before them the blessings that would be theirs on condition of obedience, and the curses that would follow upon transgression.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 465, 466.

3 A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT

  • How did Israel as a nation handle the sacred trust received from God? Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1.

Note: “The people of Israel lost sight of their high privileges as God’s representatives. They forgot God and failed to fulfill their holy mission. The blessings they received brought no blessing to the world. All their advantages they appropriated for their own glorification.” The Acts of the Apostles, 14.

  • How was the prophetic exhortation of God, given through Moses, fulfilled in the time of the kings of Judah? II Chronicles 36:14–17, 20; Jeremiah 39:8, 9.

Note: “The children of Israel were taken captive to Babylon because they separated from God, and no longer maintained the principles that had been given to keep them free from the methods and practices of the nations who dishonored God. The Lord could not give them prosperity, He could not fulfill His covenant with them, while they were untrue to the principles He had given them zealously to maintain. By their spirit and their actions they misrepresented His character, and He permitted them to be taken captive. Because of their separation from Him, He humbled them. He left them to their own ways, and the innocent suffered with the guilty.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1040.

  • How did God reveal His disappointment with Israel? Isaiah 5:1, 2, 25.

Note: “The warning was not heeded by the Jewish people. They forgot God, and lost sight of their high privilege as His representatives. The blessings they had received brought no blessing to the world. All their advantages were appropriated for their own glorification. They robbed God of the service He required of them, and they robbed their fellow men of religious guidance and a holy example.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 291, 292.

4 ISRAEL SCATTERED AMONG THE NATIONS

  • What is written about the conduct and the fate of the last king of Judah? II Chronicles 36:11–13; Jeremiah 39:4–7.

Note: “What a sad and awful warning is this [record of Zedekiah’s calamitous end] to those who harden themselves under reproof, and who will not humble themselves in repentance, that God may save them!” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1040.

  • What was to be accomplished by scattering the chosen people of God among the nations, even though they had already proved themselves untrustworthy?

Note: “The Lord scattered [His people], that the knowledge of His truth might be carried to the world. If they were loyal and true and submissive, God would bring them again into their own land. …

“Among the children of Israel there were Christian patriots, who were as true as steel to principle, and upon these loyal men the Lord looked with great pleasure. These were men who would not be corrupted by selfishness, who would not mar the work of God by following erroneous methods and practices, men who would honor God at the loss of all things. They had to suffer with the guilty, but in the providence of God their captivity at Babylon was the means of bringing them to the front, and their example of untarnished integrity shines with heaven’s luster.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2, 1040.

  • What was the result of the persecution that came upon the believers in Jerusalem? Acts 8:1, 4, 5.

Note: “Instead of educating the new converts to carry the gospel to those who had not heard it, [the disciples] were in danger of taking a course that would lead all to be satisfied with what had been accomplished. To scatter His representatives abroad, where they could work for others, God permitted persecution to come upon them. Driven from Jerusalem, the believers ‘went everywhere preaching the word’ (Acts 8:40.)” The Acts of the Apostles, 105.

5 THE EXEEDING DANGER OF FALSE ASSURANCES

  • How did John the Baptist shake the false assurance of the Jewish people? Matthew 3:9.

Note: “The Jewish people cherished the idea that they were the favorites of heaven, and that they were always to be exalted as the church of God. They were the children of Abraham, they declared, and so firm did the foundation of their prosperity seem to them that they defied earth and heaven to dispossess them of their rights. But by lives of unfaithfulness they were preparing for the condemnation of heaven and for separation from God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 294.

“The Jews had misinterpreted God’s promise of eternal favor to Israel: [Jeremiah 31:35–37 quoted.] The Jews regarded their natural descent from Abraham as giving them a claim to this promise. But they overlooked the conditions which God had specified. …

“To a people in whose hearts His law is written, the favor of God is assured. They are one with Him. But the Jews had separated themselves from God. … Because in times past the Lord had shown them so great favor, they excused their sins. They flattered themselves that they were better than other men and entitled to His blessings.

“These things ‘are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come’ (I Corinthians 10:11). How often we misinterpret God’s blessings, and flatter ourselves that we are favored on account of some goodness in us! God cannot do for us that which He longs to do. His gifts are used to increase our self-satisfaction, and to harden our hearts in unbelief and sin.” The Desire of Ages, 106.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What is the most effective means to show to the world that we have received great blessings from God through the gospel of Jesus Christ?

2 What exhortation did Moses address to the people of Israel at the end of their pilgrimage through the desert?

3 How did God reveal His disappointment with Israel?

4 How does the Bible teach that false assurance is very dangerous?

5 For what purpose did the Lord scatter the people of Israel among the nations?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – King Hezekiah

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September 13, 2015 – September 19, 2015

Key Text

“Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up.” II Chronicles 32:25.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 340–348.

Introduction

“The outlook seemed utterly dark; yet the king could still pray to the One Who had hitherto been his ‘refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1).” Conflict and Courage, 240.

1 KING HEZEKIAH PRAYS FOR A MIRACLE

  • What was said of Hezekiah’s reign over Judah? II Kings 18:1–3.

Note: “Hezekiah came to the throne determined to do all in his power to save Judah from the fate that was overtaking the northern kingdom. The messages of the prophets offered no encouragement to halfway measures. Only by most decided reformation could the threatened judgments be averted.” Prophets and Kings, 331.

  • What happened to King Hezekiah in the midst of his prosperous reign? II Kings 20:1. How did Hezekiah respond to the prophet’s disheartening message? II Kings 20:2, 3.
  • What message did the prophet bring back to Hezekiah? II Kings 20:4–6.

Note: “Gladly the prophet returned with the words of assurance and hope. Directing that a lump of figs be laid upon the diseased part, Isaiah delivered to the king the message of God’s mercy and protecting care.” Prophets and Kings, 342.

2 HEZEKIAH’S MIRACULOUS BLESSING

  • Since Hezekiah wanted to be sure that the message was from God, what did he ask? II Kings 20:8.

Note: “Like Moses in the land of Midian, like Gideon in the presence of the heavenly messenger, like Elisha just before the ascension of his master, Hezekiah pleaded for some sign that the message was from heaven. …

“Only by the direct interposition of God could the shadow on the sundial be made to turn back ten degrees; and this was to be the sign to Hezekiah that the Lord had heard his prayer. Accordingly, ‘the prophet cried unto the Lord: and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz’ (II Kings 20:11).” Prophets and Kings, 342.

  • Through what miracle was the Lord still willing to show His mercy to his servant? II Kings 20:7.

Note: “Those who seek healing by prayer should not neglect to make use of the remedial agencies within their reach. It is not a denial of faith to use such remedies as God has provided to alleviate pain and to aid nature in her work of restoration. It is no denial of faith to co-operate with God, and to place themselves in the condition most favorable to recovery.” The Ministry of Healing, 231, 232.

  • What song did Hezekiah compose in recognition of God’s mercy? Isaiah 38:10–20.

Note: “Restored to his wonted strength, the king of Judah acknowledged in words of song the mercies of Jehovah, and vowed to spend his remaining days in willing service to the King of kings. His grateful recognition of God’s compassionate dealing with him is an inspiration to all who desire to spend their years to the glory of their Maker.” Prophets and Kings, 342.

3 HEZEKIAH’S FAILURE

  • What mistake did Hezekiah make when he received the ambassadors from Babylon? II Kings 20:12, 13.

Note: “The visit of these messengers from the ruler of a far-away land gave Hezekiah an opportunity to extol the living God. How easy it would have been for him to tell them of God, the upholder of all created things, through whose favor his own life had been spared when all other hope had fled! What momentous transformations might have taken place had these seekers after truth from the plains of Chaldea been led to acknowledge the supreme sovereignty of the living God!” Prophets and Kings, 344.

  • Why does the Lord often allow us to make mistakes as it happened in the case of Hezekiah? II Chronicles 32:25, 31.

Note: “Had Hezekiah improved the opportunity given him to bear witness to the power, the goodness, the compassion, of the God of Israel, the report of the ambassadors would have been as light piercing darkness. But he magnified himself above the Lord of hosts.” Prophets and Kings, 346.

  • What lesson should we learn from the story of Hezekiah’s failure? Proverbs 2:6–11; 11:2; 16:18; 21:2.

Note: “The story of Hezekiah’s failure to prove true to his trust at the time of the visit of the ambassadors is fraught with an important lesson for all. Far more than we do, we need to speak of the precious chapters in our experience, of the mercy and loving-kindness of God, of the matchless depths of the Saviour’s love. When mind and heart are filled with the love of God, it will not be difficult to impart that which enters into the spiritual life. Great thoughts, noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth, unselfish purposes, yearnings for piety and holiness, will find expression in words that reveal the character of the heart treasure.” Prophets and Kings, 347, 348.

4 HEZEKIAH FILLED WITH REMORSE

  • As soon as the Babylonian ambassadors left, the Lord sent Isaiah to rebuke Hezekiah for his mistake. What did the prophet say? II Kings 20:16–18.

Note: “To Isaiah it was revealed that the returning ambassadors were carrying with them a report of the riches they had seen, and that the king of Babylon and his counselors would plan to enrich their own country with the treasures of Jerusalem. Hezekiah had grievously sinned; ‘therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem’ (II Chronicles 32:25).” Prophets and Kings, 346.

  • Filled with remorse, what did the king say as he humbled himself before the Lord? II Chronicles 32:26; II Kings 20:19.

Note: “The evil seed had been sown and in time was to spring up and yield a harvest of desolation and woe. During his remaining years the king of Judah was to have much prosperity because of his steadfast purpose to redeem the past and to bring honor to the name of the God whom he served; yet his faith was to be severely tried, and he was to learn that only by putting his trust fully in Jehovah could he hope to triumph over the powers of darkness that were plotting his ruin and the utter destruction of his people.” Prophets and Kings, 347.

  • What success as missionaries can we expect if we do not set a good example before others? I Timothy 4:12, 16; Hebrews 12:13.

Note: “Those with whom we associate day by day need our help, our guidance. They may be in such a condition of mind that a word spoken in season will be as a nail in a sure place. Tomorrow some of these souls may be where we can never reach them again. What is our influence over these fellow travelers? …

“One reckless movement, one imprudent step, and the surging waves of some strong temptation may sweep a soul into the downward path.” Prophets and Kings, 348.

“One example is worth more than many precepts.” The Ministry of Healing, 149.

5 WATCHING OUR LIPS AND OUR STEPS

  • What does God expect of every true follower of Christ? James 2:12.
  • What will leave us without excuse before the judgment seat of God? Romans 2:1–3.

Note: “Every day of life is freighted with responsibilities which we must bear. Every day, our words and acts are making impressions upon those with whom we associate. How great the need that we set a watch upon our lips and guard carefully our steps! One reckless movement, one imprudent step, and the surging waves of some strong temptation may sweep a soul into the downward path. We cannot gather up the thoughts we have planted in human minds. If they have been evil, we may have set in motion a train of circumstances, a tide of evil, which we are powerless to stay.

“On the other hand, if by our example we aid others in the development of good principles, we give them power to do good. In their turn they exert the same beneficial influence over others. Thus hundreds and thousands are helped by our unconscious influence. The true follower of Christ strengthens the good purposes of all with whom he comes in contact. Before an unbelieving, sin-loving world he reveals the power of God’s grace and the perfection of His character.” Prophets and Kings, 348.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 What happened to king Hezekiah in the midst of his prosperous reign?

2 After he had earnestly prayed to the Lord, what answer did he receive?

3 What mistake did Hezekiah make when he received the ambassadors from Babylon?

4 What lesson should we learn from the story of Hezekiah’s failure?

5 In order to have success as Christian missionaries, how must we watch our lips and our steps?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – King Asa

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September 6, 2015 – September 12, 2015

Key Text

“Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” II Chronicles 14:2.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 109–113.

Introduction

“Although his [Asa’s] forces were fewer in number than the enemy, his faith in the One Whom he had made his trust did not weaken.” Conflict and Courage, 203.

1 ASA’S FAITH TESTED

  • What does the Bible say about Asa, the grandson of Solomon? II Chronicles 14:2–5.
  • How did Asa reveal his faith during the test when the Ethiopians invaded Judah? II Chronicles 14:9–11. How was his faith rewarded? II Chronicles 14:12.

Note: “[II Chronicles 14:9 quoted.] In this crisis Asa did not put his trust in the ‘fenced cities in Judah’ that he had built, with ‘walls, and towers, gates, and bars,’ nor in the ‘mighty men of valor’ in his carefully trained army (II Chronicles 14:6–8.) The king’s trust was in Jehovah of hosts, in whose name marvelous deliverances had been wrought in behalf of Israel of old. …

“The prayer of Asa is one that every Christian believer may fittingly offer. We fight in a warfare, not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, and against spiritual wickedness in high places. (See Ephesians 6:12.) In life’s conflict we must meet evil agencies that have arrayed themselves against the right. Our hope is not in man, but in the living God. With full assurance of faith we may expect that He will unite His omnipotence with the efforts of human instrumentalities, for the glory of His name. Clad with the armor of His righteousness, we may gain the victory over every foe.” Prophets and Kings, 110, 111.

2 THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCESS

  • How did Azariah the prophet remind Asa of the source of his victory? II Chronicles 15:1, 2, 7.
  • What did Asa do to meet the needs that were necessary to further the reformation already in progress? II Chronicles 15:8.

Note: “[II Chronicles 15:1, 2, 7 quoted.] Greatly encouraged by these words, Asa soon led out in a second reformation in Judah.” Ibid., 112.

  • Comparing the days of Asa with our days, of what need should we be aware, and what should we heartily support? Isaiah 48:16–18.

Note: “In this age of the world, when Satan is seeking, through manifold agencies, to blind the eyes of men and women to the binding claims of the law of God, there is need of men who can cause many to ‘tremble at the commandment of our God’ (Ezra 10:3). There is need of true reformers, who will point transgressors to the great Lawgiver and teach them that ‘the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul’ (Psalm 19:7). There is need of men mighty in the Scriptures, men whose every word and act exalts the statutes of Jehovah, men who seek to strengthen faith. Teachers are needed, oh, so much, who will inspire hearts with reverence and love for the Scriptures.

“The widespread iniquity prevalent today may in a great degree be attributed to a failure to study and obey the Scriptures, for when the word of God is set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions of the natural heart is rejected. Men sow to the flesh and of the flesh reap corruption.

“With the setting aside of the Bible has come a turning away from God’s law. The doctrine that men are released from obedience to the divine precepts has weakened the force of moral obligation and opened the floodgates of iniquity upon the world. Lawlessness, dissipation, and corruption are sweeping in like an overwhelming flood.” Prophets and Kings, 623, 624.

3 “THEY ENTERED INTO A COVENANT”

  • What did the people promise, in light of their previous experiences in apostasy, by a solemn oath made at a special gathering? II Chronicles 15:12–15.
  • In our efforts to win souls to Christ, how may the example which Asa set on this occasion be an encouragement to us today? II Chronicles 15:9.

Note: “Follow on to know the Lord. If you will do this, you will win souls to Christ. Not only will your own soul be saved; the power that converts your soul will enable you to set an example that will win others to Christ.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 9, 1914.

  • How will honest outsiders be convinced of the saving power of the truth—by listening to us or by watching us? Matthew 5:16; I Timothy 4:12, 16.

Note: “He who deservedly bears the name of Christian, which signifies Christlike, will be filled with piety and purity, with love and reverence for God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent; and his spirit, his words, his actions, will all bear the impress of Heaven. Others will see that he has been with Jesus and learned of Him, His prayers will be simple and fervent, and will ascend to God on the wings of faith. Learning in the school of Christ, he will have a humble opinion of himself; and though he may be poor in this world’s goods, he may be rich in the graces of God’s Spirit, and may bless and enrich others by his spirit and influence, because Christ is in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. He will shed about him an atmosphere of hope and courage and strength, and will put to shame those who are worldly, selfish, formal professors, who have a name to live and are dead.” Sons and Daughters of God, 85.

“The world can only be warned by seeing those who believe the truth sanctified through the truth, acting upon high and holy principles.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 980.

4 ASA’S MISTAKES

  • After having entered into a solemn covenant with the Lord, how was Asa’s faith tested, and how did he fail? II Chronicles 16:7–9.

Note: “Asa’s long record of faithful service was marred by some mistakes, made at times when he failed to put his trust fully in God. When, on one occasion, the king of Israel entered the kingdom of Judah and seized Ramah, a fortified city only five miles from Jerusalem, Asa sought deliverance by forming an alliance with Benhadad, king of Syria.” Prophets and Kings, 113.

  • When Asa’s failure to trust God in the time of need was rebuked by God’s prophet, how did he commit a second mistake? II Chronicles 16:10.
  • Why does the Bible narrate both the victories and the failures, the positive and negative traits of the character of the men and women that have been connected with the work of God? Proverbs 15:13.

Note: “The pen of inspiration, true to its task, tells us of the sins that overcame Noah, Lot, Moses, Abraham, David, and Solomon, and that even Elijah’s strong spirit sank under temptation during his fearful trial. Jonah’s disobedience and Israel’s idolatry are faithfully recorded. Peter’s denial of Christ, the sharp contention of Paul and Barnabas, the failings and infirmities of the prophets and apostles, are all laid bare by the Holy Ghost, who lifts the veil from the human heart. There before us lie the lives of the believers, with all their faults and follies, which are intended as a lesson to all the generations following them. If they had been without foible they would have been more than human, and our sinful natures would despair of ever reaching such a point of excellence. But seeing where they struggled and fell, where they took heart again and conquered through the grace of God, we are encouraged, and led to press over the obstacles that degenerate nature places in our way.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 12.

5 THE DANGER OF DESPISING REPROOF

  • What lesson can we learn from Asa’s second mistake? Proverbs 10:17; 15:10.

Note: “Instead of humbling himself before God because of his mistake, ‘Asa was wroth with the seer’ (II Chronicles 16:10, first part).” Prophets and Kings, 113.

“There will be men and women who despise reproof and whose feelings will ever rise up against it. It is not pleasant to be told of our wrongs. In almost every case where reproof is necessary, there will be some who entirely overlook the fact that the Spirit of the Lord has been grieved and His cause reproached. These will pity those who deserved reproof, because personal feelings have been hurt. All this unsanctified sympathy places the sympathizers where they are sharers in the guilt of the one reproved.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 359.

“Our Creator and our Commander, infinite in power, terrible in judgment, seeks by every means to bring men to see and repent of their sins. By the mouth of His servants He predicts the dangers of disobedience; He sounds the note of warning and faithfully reproves sin. His people are kept in prosperity only by His mercy, through the vigilant watchcare of chosen instrumentalities. He cannot uphold and guard a people who reject His counsel and despise His reproofs.” Prophets and Kings, 426.

“Let us thank the Lord for the warnings He has given to save us from our perverse ways.” Sons and Daughters of God, 260.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How did Asa reveal his faith in the Lord when the Ethiopian army attacked Judah?

2 After Asa had heard the message of the Lord, what further steps in the work of reform did he take?

3 Comparing the days of Asa with our days, of what need should we be aware, and what should we heartily support?

4 What is one thing that will convince honest souls of the saving power of the truth?

5 What lesson can we learn from Asa’s mistakes when his faith was again tested later?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Bible Study Guides – Lessons from a Grievous Mistake

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August 30, 2015 – September 5, 2015

Key Text

“Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.” II Chronicles 10:19.

Study Help: Prophets and Kings, 87–98.

Introduction

“The pen of inspiration has traced the sad record of Solomon’s successor as one who failed to exert a strong influence for loyalty to Jehovah.” Conflict and Courage, 201.

1 REHOBOAM

  • What did the people demand from Solomon’s son Rehoboam when he became king, and what did he say to them? II Chronicles 10:3–5.
  • How did the advice of Rehoboam’s associates differ from the counsel of those with more experience? Which advice did he follow? II Chronicles 10:6–14.

Note: “Flattered by the prospect of exercising supreme authority, Rehoboam determined to disregard the counsel of the older men of his realm, and to make the younger men his advisers.” Prophets and Kings, 89, 90.

“At the meeting in Shechem, at the very beginning of his reign, Rehoboam might have taken a course that would have inspired confidence in his ability to stand at the head of the nation. If he had shown a willingness to keep ever before him the welfare of his subjects, the people would have accepted him as a wise ruler. But in this hour of opportunity, failing to reason from cause to effect, he forever weakened his influence over a large portion of the people.” The Review and Herald, July 3, 1913.

2 AN UNWISE DECISION

  • Based on his decision, how would you describe the character of Rehoboam?

Note: “Although Solomon had longed to prepare the mind of Rehoboam, his chosen successor, to meet with wisdom the crisis foretold by the prophet of God, he had never been able to exert a strong molding influence for good over the mind of his son, whose early training had been so grossly neglected. … At times he endeavored to serve God and was granted a measure of prosperity; but he was not steadfast, and at last he yielded to the influences for evil that had surrounded him from infancy.” Prophets and Kings, 88.

  • How did the people react against the adamant attitude of the foolish king? II Chronicles 10:16.

Note: “Had Rehoboam and his inexperienced counselors understood the divine will concerning Israel, they would have listened to the request of the people for decided reforms in the administration of the government. But in the hour of opportunity that came to them during the meeting in Shechem, they failed to reason from cause to effect, and thus forever weakened their influence over a large number of the people. Their expressed determination to perpetuate and add to the oppression introduced during Solomon’s reign was in direct conflict with God’s plan for Israel, and gave the people ample occasion to doubt the sincerity of their motives. In this unwise and unfeeling attempt to exercise power, the king and his chosen counselors revealed the pride of position and authority. …

“Among the tribes were many thousands who had become thoroughly aroused over the oppressive measures of Solomon’s reign, and these now felt that they could not do otherwise than rebel against the house of David.” Prophets and Kings, 90.

  • When Rehoboam saw his mistake, how did he try to remedy the situation? What was the response of the people? I Kings 12:18.

3 A DIVISION TAKES PLACE

  • When Rehoboam saw that only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to him, and that the other ten tribes rebelled, how was he prepared to act? II Chronicles 11:1.
  • How did the Lord speak through a prophet to Rehoboam in order to save him from making another mistake, worse than the first? II Chronicles 11:2–4.

Note: “For three years Rehoboam tried to profit by his sad experience at the beginning of his reign; and in this effort he was prospered. He ‘built cities for defense in Judah,’ and ‘fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.’ He was careful to make these fortified cities ‘exceeding strong’ (II Chronicles 11:6, 11, 12) But the secret of Judah’s prosperity during the first years of Rehoboam’s reign lay not in these measures. It was their recognition of God as the Supreme Ruler that placed the tribes of Judah and Benjamin on vantage ground.” Prophets and Kings, 92, 93.

  • What did Rehoboam eventually do that resulted in the failure of Israel to be a light to the world? II Chronicles 12:1.

Note: “Naturally headstrong, confident, self-willed, and inclined to idolatry, nevertheless, had he placed his trust wholly in God, he would have developed strength of character, steadfast faith, and submission to the divine requirements. But as time passed, the king put his trust in the power of position and in the strongholds he had fortified. Little by little he gave way to inherited weaknesses, until he threw his influence wholly on the side of idolatry. ‘It came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him’ (II Chronicles 12:1).

“How sad, how filled with significance, the words, ‘And all Israel with him’! The people whom God had chosen to stand as a light to the surrounding nations were turning from their Source of strength and seeking to become like the nations about them.” Prophets and Kings, 93, 94.

4 JEROBOAM

  • After Jeroboam, the rival king, had been placed on the throne by the ten rebellious tribes, of what was he greatly afraid and what did he do? I Kings 12:26–29.

Note: “Jeroboam’s greatest fear was that at some future time the hearts of his subjects might be won over by the ruler occupying the throne of David. He reasoned that if the ten tribes should be permitted to visit often the ancient seat of the Jewish monarchy, where the services of the temple were still conducted as in the years of Solomon’s reign, many might feel inclined to renew their allegiance to the government centering at Jerusalem. Taking counsel with his advisers, Jeroboam determined by one bold stroke to lessen, so far as possible, the probability of a revolt from his rule. He would bring this about by creating within the borders of his newly formed kingdom two centers of worship, one at Bethel and the other at Dan. In these places the ten tribes should be invited to assemble, instead of at Jerusalem, to worship God.” Prophets and Kings, 99, 100.

  • What did Jeroboam do besides setting up two idolatrous places of worship? I Kings 12:31, 32.
  • How did God arrest and punish the defiant attitude of Jeroboam? I Kings 13:1–6.

Note: “The Lord seeks to save, not to destroy. He delights in the rescue of sinners. ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked’ (Ezekiel 33:11). By warnings and entreaties He calls the wayward to cease from their evil-doing and to turn to Him and live. He gives His chosen messengers a holy boldness, that those who hear may fear and be brought to repentance. How firmly the man of God rebuked the king! And this firmness was essential; in no other way could the existing evils have been rebuked. The Lord gave His servant boldness, that an abiding impression might be made on those who heard.” Prophets and Kings, 105.

5 THE DANGER OF A WRONG INFLUENCE

  • Recognizing we are called to be the light of the world, how careful should we be to never accept or exert a wrong influence? Hebrews 12:13; II Corinthians 2:15, 16.

Note: “As with Solomon, so with Rehoboam—the influence of wrong example led many astray. And as with them, so to a greater or less degree is it today with everyone who gives himself up to work evil—the influence of wrongdoing is not confined to the doer. No man liveth unto himself. None perish alone in their iniquity. Every life is a light that brightens and cheers the pathway of others, or a dark and desolating influence that tends toward despair and ruin.” Prophets and Kings, 94.

  • How did the Lord assure Israel that He still loved them and was willing to forgive them? Isaiah 1:18–20; Jeremiah 3:11–13, 22.

Note: “Notwithstanding the perversity of those who leaned toward idolatrous practices, God in mercy would do everything in His power to save the divided kingdom from utter ruin. And as the years rolled on and His purpose concerning Israel seemed to be utterly thwarted by the devices of men inspired by satanic agencies, He still manifested His beneficent designs through the captivity and restoration of the chosen nation.” Prophets and Kings, 96, 97.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 Before the coronation of Rehoboam, what did the representatives of the tribes want to know from the new king?

2 Contrast the advice Rehoboam got from the experienced men who had been his father’s advisors with that of the young, inexperienced men.

3 How did the people react against the answer of the king, and why?

4 What did Rehoboam do when he saw that he was in a helpless condition?

5 What lesson should we learn from Rehoboam’s mistake?

© 2014 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Recipe – Watercress Soup

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Watercress Soup
3 Tbsp. olive oil 4 cups water
2 cups chopped onion 3–4 cups fresh watercress, chopped with stems
1 cup chicken flavored broth 1 tsp. salt or to taste
1 lb. potatoes, cut into chunks
In soup pot, heat oil and sauté onions over medium heat until soft—about 5 minutes. Add the broth, salt, potatoes and water and bring to boil. Cover and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat; add watercress to pot and stir. Let sit for about 2 minutes to soften. Use an immersion blender or pour into blender and puree the soup. It will be creamy and delicious!

 

Food – Watercress – The Poor Man’s Bread

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Watercress has quite an amazing history.

“At London’s Covent Garden watercress would be sold by street vendors who often were children. The bunches of watercress were said to have been formed into posies and eaten like that for breakfast straight away or if you were lucky to be able to afford a loaf, between two slices of bread. In Victorian Britain it was called ‘the poor man’s bread’; it provided the working class with a good portion of nutrition for the day and became one of the first foods for on-the-go.” www.missfoodwise.com/2013/06/british-watercress-and-poor-mans-bread.html

“It was also during Victorian times that children used to take watercress sandwiches to school in place of meat; cheap and cheerful they may have been, but those humble sandwiches would be packed with vitamins and minerals, and therefore they made an ideal children’s packed lunch.” www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/04/poor-mans-bread-victorian-watercress-tea-sandwiches-for-high-tea-childrens-school-lunchbox-and-picnics.html

Some benefits of watercress include the following:

1 Being an antioxidant rich, low-calorific and low-fat vegetable, it is often recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.

2 According to the study published in the journal of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers at William Paterson University in New Jersey claim watercress is labeled as the most nutrient dense food, and for the same reason, it tops the list of “powerhouse fruits and vegetables.”

3 Fresh cress has a higher concentration of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) than some of the fruits and vegetables. … Lab studies suggest that regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C help maintain normal connective tissue, prevent iron deficiency, and also help the human body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.

4 It is one of the excellent vegetable sources for vitamin K; 100 grams provides over 200% of the daily recommended intake. Vitamin K has a potential role in bone health by promoting osteotrophic (bone formation and strengthening) activity. Adequate vitamin K levels in the diet help limit neuronal damage in the brain; and thus, it has an established role in the treatment of patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

5 Cress is also an excellent source of vitamin A, flavonoids, and anti-oxidants like ß carotene, lutein and zea-xanthin.

6 It is also rich in the B-complex group of vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid that are essential for optimum cellular metabolic functions.

7 Further, it is also a rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. …

www.nutrition-and-you.com/watercress.html

Some serving tips include green salads, sandwiches, vegetable drinks or simply steam and eat.