Bible

Boaz in the Sanctuary

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David knew that to find God he would have to look in the sanctuary. In these last days, we should feel an urgency to understand the significance of the sanctuary message. The deeper we delve into God’s word the more hidden treasure is discovered. This could not be truer than the sanctuary, which provides a never-ending study that keeps enhancing both God’s character and His beauty.

In Revelation 3:11, 12, we are told: “Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.”

In a nutshell, that is the Advent message. Those who overcome will become like a pillar. Revelation 14:1 says, “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with Him an hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father’s name written in their foreheads.” It is in the forehead that the frontal lobe is located, the seat of the thinking process. That is where God’s seal is placed. God wants to write His name in our foreheads.

We are told in Psalm 29:9: “The voice of the Lord maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in His temple doth every one speak of His glory.” We know that glory means God’s character. Everything God has, and is, utters His character and is reflected in the sanctuary.

Both the earthly sanctuary and the temple Solomon built (I Chronicles 6:10) were constructed to reflect the heavenly temple.

In Exodus 27, 35 and 38, seven things included in the construction are mentioned: fine twined linen, the white fence, 60 pillars of brass, sockets of brass, hooks and fillets of silver, pins of brass and their cords, and something called a chapiter.

The chapiter was the capstone of the pillar. Made of silver, it sat right on top, becoming the head of the pillar. Similarly, the head is a capstone to the body. The head is also a representative of the thinking process.

In building the sanctuary, it was directed that each of the 603,550 men was to give a half shekel of silver for the service of the sanctuary (Exodus 38:26). From their gifts, 1,775 pieces of the silver shekels were used as “hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters” (verse 28). That may seem insignificant, but if you divide the 1,775 pieces of silver by 60 pillars, you will see that each pillar cost 29.58 pieces of silver. Rounding that number shows that the cost of each pillar was 30 pieces of silver, the price of a man. Jesus Christ was sold for 30 pieces of silver.

It says, in Job 22:25, 26, “Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver. For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.” So Job said that we shall have plenty of silver and the Almighty is our defense. Silver is a symbol of strength.

“The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” Psalm 12:6. So should the words of the Christian be pure as silver. “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:3, 4.

The chapiter was a symbol of the thinking process, as were the words, “Holiness to the Lord” (Exodus 39:30), that were written on the front of the high priest’s hat, which was on his forehead—meaning righteousness. “Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” Malachi 3:4. God wants to see righteousness. He wants to see purity, and He will purify us through the trials.

Psalm 66:10–13 says, “For Thou, O God, hast proved us: Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay Thee my vows.” “God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape.” I Corinthians 10:13. He makes it possible to endure any temptation and will never give you more than you can handle.

“The tongue of the just is as choice silver: the heart of the wicked is little worth.” “Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. … A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Proverbs 10:20; 25:4, 11.

That is good news! But have you ever been driving along with your family, praising God for the good worship service you heard that morning, and then someone driving cuts in front of you and there go your words? What happened? You find that your tongue is not bridled. There are many Christians regularly attending church who cannot bridle their tongue. Our words should be “fitly spoken like apples of gold in pictures of silver.” Can you picture that?

Are your words like apples of gold? Have you ever tasted a really good apple? I remember a time when I was in the state of Washington and a friend gave me a case of apples to take back home on the plane. He said, “You have got to taste these apples.” And I responded that an apple is an apple. I really don’t like apples, because when you taste a bad one, you do not want any more.

The case of apples had been freshly picked and I was encouraged to just eat one. I had to be coaxed into trying it, but when I bit into it, oh, it was so good! I wanted to have the whole case of apples!

I was told, “Before, you haven’t tasted a good apple.”

When you taste a good apple, you will know it. It is like tasting a good mango or watermelon. Our words should be “like apples of gold.”

“The tongue of the just is as choice silver.” Now would you rather have a tongue of silver or a tongue of brass? Silver has a much higher value than brass, and gold is of more value than silver, but our words should be like silver.

Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5. Jesus always spoke with a tongue of silver when addressing the people and also the children. He knew exactly what to say to get His point across and even the times He had to rebuke, we are told He did it with tears.

“Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God. He clothed His divinity with humanity. He associated with the human race, that with His long human arm He might encircle humanity, and with His divine arm grasp the throne of Divinity. And this, that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan’s alluring temptation; that man might realize that it is for his present and eternal good to obey the requirements of God. Disobedience is not in accordance with the nature which God gave to man in Eden.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 926.

It is the desire of Jesus to restore your mind. So when someone says, “You’ve lost your mind,” say, “Amen.” You ought to lose it to have the mind of Christ. He wants to give it to you.

Located in front of the Holy Place, on the porch of Solomon’s temple, were two pillars. The chapiters on the top of these pillars were decorated with pomegranates. The pillar on the right side was called the name Jachin and the pillar on the left was called the name Boaz. (See I Kings 7:20, 21.)

The name Boaz means in him is strength. Boaz was the kinsman to Naomi. Kinsman means redeem, revenger, to purchase, ransom, redeemer, buy back. Boaz was a representative of buying back—redeeming. (Read the story of Ruth—Ruth 1–4.) Our nearest kinsman is Jesus. Just as Rahab had a son, Boaz (see Matthew 1:5), who redeemed—type, Mary had a son Who really redeems—antitype. This is just one beautiful gem to be found when digging into the Word for hidden treasure.

The name Jachin means will establish. The root word means to set up, establish, fix, prepare a point, render prosperous, faithfulness, fasten, prepare, make, make provision, stand or tarry. Boaz was in a sense to redeem, but Jachin means that as you have been redeemed and bought back, becoming part of the family of God, He will fasten you so that you will not be moved. He will give you victory, and you will be prosperous in all of those things that God wants you to be. David said He will plant you by the rivers and you will bear fruit (Psalm 1:3). God wants to make you steadfast like the tree that never loses its leaves but just keeps producing fruit. That steadfastness can only be achieved by allowing Christ to buy you back and plant you by His side.

The price has already been paid on the cross of Calvary. So what is the problem? Have you not accepted the gift that God has for you?

Not accepting the gift would be like placing a special order for a car and paying for it in advance, but when it is delivered, the dealer decides he will drive it for a while before giving it to you. When you go to get it, he asks if he could drive it for another month because he likes the way it drives, the leather seats, the sound system and the sunroof. No, that would be totally unacceptable, for the car is yours. You paid for it.

How do you think Jesus feels when He says, “I paid for you. I bought you. You are mine.” He is coming to claim His own, but some say, “Well, let me hold on to self a little bit longer, Jesus, just a little bit longer.” What sort of condition would His property be in when He comes back if you hold on to self? Can you imagine Adam, who was around 16 feet tall, when he is raised up at the resurrection and sees what his dwarfed descendents look like? Will he ask, “Who are you? What happened? You are so small!” Sin has done that!

The Latin word for the pomegranates that were around the chapiter means apple with seeds. We know there are many seeds in pomegranates. More than one person has counted 650 seeds in just one pomegranate. Pomegranates are a rich source of anti-oxidants and have anti-cancer properties. The seeds contain estrone, which is a phytoestrogen especially beneficial for women. They are also helpful in cases of diarrhea, sore throats, fevers and bladder disorders. Tapeworms cannot live in the same environment as pomegranates. Eating too much can cause purging and excess perspiration. God has put amazing medicinal properties in plants.

“Thus saith the Lord, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’ sakes, that I may not destroy them all.” Isaiah 65:8. Not only does freshly squeezed fruit juice taste delicious but it is blessed with healing properties.

Why pomegranates around the chapiter? It says in Psalm 126:6, “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” In the Hebrew, it says, “has a seed basket.” Farmers know that a seed basket is a basket that carries seeds. Even a little child knows that. So what is our seed basket? The majority of people in the United States of America have a seed basket in their house. Remember, the red juice of the pomegranate represents blood. The life of the flesh is in the blood, and we know that the blood has life properties.

The word of God is a seed. Every promise is a seed. It says in II Peter 1:3, 4, “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises.” God’s word contains promises. The Bible is the seed basket and the seeds are the promises ready to be claimed by all who choose to believe.

Luke clearly says that, “The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11. Paul says, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” I Peter 1:23. We are to be born again.

The gospel, the whole experience from conversion and the new birth leading to the Christian walk and sanctification, is represented in the seeds of the pomegranate.

  • God’s word gives us new birth (I Peter 1:23)
  • It gives us light (Psalm 119:130)
  • It guides our pathway (Psalm 119:1, 5)
  • It keeps us from sinning (Psalm 119:11)
  • It is a comfort in affliction (Psalm 119:50)
  • It causes us to rejoice (Jeremiah 15:16)
  • It cleanses (John 15:3)
  • It sanctifies (John 17:17)

There is plenty of power in God’s word. You need to saturate your mind with the word of God. God’s word is power.

Pillars with hooks of silver surrounded the tabernacle. In Psalm 119:41 is seen the word vau (the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet). Verses 41 through 48 speak about commandment keeping. God is saying that vau, the sixth letter, represents commandment keeping. For example, “So shall I keep Thy law continually for ever and ever.” Verse 44. “And I will delight myself in Thy commandments, which I have loved.” Verse 47. “My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will mediate in their statutes.” Verse 48. God is talking here about obeying His word, obedience to His commandments all through the Word. So the sixth letter here, these hooks, were vau, hooks, on which sat the fence.

On the hooks, that are on the pillars, hang the fence of white linen. White represents righteousness, hanging on obedience. It is impossible to have righteousness without obedience. When righteousness is put on, God’s voice will be heard and His will obeyed from a heart full of love and gratitude which is empowered by the Holy Spirit because of the sacrifice Jesus has made on the cross of Calvary.

The fillet is an arm that extends from one pillar to the next. In the Hebrew this means a rod or rail or connecting post of the pillars. The root word of this means to delight, to deliver, to join. The pins and stakes hold up the fence and make the line very tight. God tells us here that He wants us to be pillars, joined together with one another in unity, grounded in His truth. Those being swayed with every wind of doctrine tend to move about, and when anything new comes around they latch onto it. Bit by bit truths are let go of and eventually the Bible itself is rejected. It is necessary to be grounded in truth, in Jesus Christ, in His truth that He has given to us in these last days.

The root word for the cords means a remnant. When you look at the whole fence and everything around the sanctuary, it speaks of a commandment keeping people—the remnant who have the word of God in their forehead, who are daily claiming victories, who are given promises, who are reading their Bibles, and who have the faith of Jesus.

Are you part of that remnant? The sanctuary reveals a group of people who are commandment keepers who cannot be moved and who have settled in the truth. They cannot be moved intellectually or spiritually. They know His word because they are studying it; they are God’s people. This does not mean they are in a certain church. It just means they are lining up with God, having victories, keeping His commandments while helping and witnessing to people.

We need to pray for the angels to take us to the places we need to be for those divine appointments, because the angels know who are really searching for truth. Can you believe there are people crying out for truth but no one has come around to them? We could be the one God uses to reach their heart. Like the pillars connected by the fillets or arms, we are to reach out, connect to, hold on to, and save another one into His kingdom. The Bible says there is rejoicing in heaven over even one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10). We are here to help that one sinner. I pray that this year we will be praying for souls, for just one whom we could reach. It can be through a magazine. It could be through a tract. It could be through the Bible. It could be just an acquaintance, that one person for whom we are praying, “Lord, just give me one.” We cannot have any starless crowns in heaven. Just give me one star; just help me find one.

God is faithful and will bring that person into your path. Will you be ready to rescue him? Just like the earthly sanctuary was a place of rescue, the sanctuary in heaven is a place of rescue. Let’s encourage each other for victories. Let’s start claiming the promises. Just as Boaz had these pomegranates, the seeds, around his head, let’s start claiming the promises.

God’s word is power, and I believe it’s the best education book you can ever find. It exceeds the wisdom of all the popular colleges. Here is the infinite educator, and knowledge is available to all that seek. All who take to heart the instruction found therein, instructing their children and applying the principles, will find their homes and their churches restored and be a haven of rest while here on this earth.

Brad Neeley is Administrative Assistant of M.E.E.T. Ministry, Huntingdon, Tennessee. He is a master gardener, lecturer and Bible instructor with over ten years in Christian ministry.

Bible Study Guides – Useful Basics in Education

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June 3, 2012 – June 9, 2012

Key Text

“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” I Corinthians 10:23, 24.

Study Help: Fundamentals of Christian Education, 373–380; Testimonies, vol. 6, 141–151.

Introduction

“He [God] requires every one to attain the highest possible degree of usefulness.” The Signs of the Times, September 18, 1884.

1 THE TOP TWO BOOKS

  • Why is the Bible unsurpassed in teaching sharp, accurate thinking, and discernment? Ezekiel 44:23; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:13, 16.

Note: “Above all other books, the word of God must be our study, the great textbook, the basis of all education; and our children are to be educated in the truths found therein, irrespective of previous habits and customs. In doing this, teachers and students will find the hidden treasure, the higher education.

“Bible rules are to be the guide of the daily life. The cross of Christ is to be the theme, revealing the lessons we must learn and practice. Christ must be brought into all the studies.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 131, 132.

  • What is the second textbook? Psalm 19:1–3; Romans 1:20.

Note: “While the Bible should hold the first place in the education of children and youth, the book of nature is next in importance. God’s created works testify to His love and power.” Special Testimonies on Education, 58.

2 USEFULNESS HINDERED

  • From what has the Lord always called His people to flee, and why is this important today? Isaiah 52:11; Revelation 18:4. To what dangers are children and youth exposed when they attend public schools?

Note: “Those who attend the public schools often associate with others more neglected than they, those who, aside from the time spent in the schoolroom, are left to obtain a street education. The hearts of the young are easily impressed; and unless their surroundings are of the right character, Satan will use these neglected children to influence those who are more carefully trained. Thus before Sabbathkeeping parents know what evil is being done, the lessons of depravity are learned, and the souls of their little ones are corrupted. …

“Do our children receive from the teachers in the public schools ideas that are in harmony with the word of God? Is sin presented as an offense against God? Is obedience to all the commandments of God taught as the beginning of all wisdom? We send our children to the Sabbath school that they may be instructed in regard to the truth, and then as they go to the day school, lessons containing falsehood are given them to learn. These things confuse the mind, and should not be; for if the young receive ideas that pervert the truth, how will the influence of this education be counteracted?

“Can we wonder that under such circumstances some of the youth among us do not appreciate religious advantages? Can we wonder that they drift into temptation? Can we wonder that, neglected as they have been, their energies are devoted to amusements which do them no good, that their religious aspirations are weakened and their spiritual life darkened? The mind will be of the same character as that upon which it feeds, the harvest of the same nature as the seed sown.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 193, 194.

  • Why are some sports (mostly athletic contests) wasteful? Ecclesiastes 12:8; I Corinthians 10:23.

Note: “What force of powers is put into your games of football and your other inventions after the way of the Gentiles—exercises which bless no one! Just put the same powers into exercise in doing useful labor, and would not your record be more pleasing to meet in the great day of God?” Special Testimonies on Education, 191.

3 PRACTICAL PHYSICAL EDUCATION

  • In what blessing can youth rejoice? Proverbs 20:29, first part.

Note: “Physical culture is an essential part of all right methods of education. The young need to be taught how to develop their physical powers, how to preserve these powers in the best condition, and how to make them useful in the practical duties of life. Many think that these things are no part of school work; but this is a mistake. The lessons necessary to fit one for practical usefulness should be taught to every child in the home and to every student in the schools.

“It is well that physiology is introduced into the common schools as a branch of education; all children should study it.” The Signs of the Times, March 14, 1900.

  • What gives very productive physical education? Genesis 2:15; 3:19.

Note: “Working the soil is one of the best kinds of employment, calling the muscles into action and resting the mind. Study in agricultural lines should be the A, B, and C of the education given in our schools. This is the very first work that should be entered upon. Our schools should not depend upon imported produce, for grain and vegetables, and the fruits so essential to health.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 179.

  • Why is the study of physiology and hygiene an important part of the curriculum? Psalm 139:14.

Note: “A knowledge of physiology and hygiene should be the basis of all educational effort.” Education, 195.

“In the study of physiology, pupils should be led to see the value of physical energy and how it can be so preserved and developed as to contribute in the highest degree to success in life’s great struggle.

“Children should be early taught, in simple, easy lessons, the rudiments of physiology and hygiene. … They should understand the importance of guarding against disease by preserving the vigor of every organ and should also be taught how to deal with common diseases and accidents.” Ibid., 196.

4 THE MUSCLES PUT TO GOOD USE

  • What foundation is to be laid early in life? Galatians 5:13, last part.

Note: “When the child is old enough to be sent to school, the teacher should co-operate with the parents, and manual training should be continued as a part of his school duties. There are many students who object to this kind of work in the schools. They think useful employments, like learning a trade, degrading; but such persons have an incorrect idea of what constitutes true dignity. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father, the Commander in the heavenly courts, was the personal instructor and guide of the children of Israel; and among them it was required that every youth should learn how to work. All were to be educated in some business line, that they might possess a knowledge of practical life, and be not only self-sustaining, but useful.” Special Testimonies on Education, 38.

“The greatest benefit is not gained from exercise that is taken as play or exercise merely. There is some benefit derived from being in the fresh air, and also from the exercise of the muscles; but let the same amount of energy be given to the performance of helpful duties, and the benefit will be greater, and a feeling of satisfaction will be realized; for such exercise carries with it the sense of helpfulness and the approval of conscience for duty well done.

“In the children and youth an ambition should be awakened to take their exercise in doing something that will be beneficial to themselves and helpful to others.” Ibid., 39, 40.

  • What can we learn from Christ’s life while at home? Luke 2:51.

Note: “In His earth-life, Christ was an example to all the human family, and He was obedient and helpful in the home. He learned the carpenter’s trade, and worked with His own hands in the little shop at Nazareth.” Special Testimonies on Education, 38.

“When children reach a suitable age, they should be provided with tools. Both boys and girls should learn to use these tools. You will find them apt pupils.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, 325, 326.

5 A SOLID MENTAL FOUNDATION

  • Name some important subjects for every student. Psalm 71:17.

Note: “More important than the acquirement of foreign languages, living or dead, is the ability to write and speak one’s mother tongue with ease and accuracy.” Education, 234.

“Voice culture should be taught in the reading class; and in other classes the teacher should insist that the students speak distinctly and use words which express their thoughts clearly and forcibly.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 216.

“To spell correctly, to write a clear, fair hand, and to keep accounts, are necessary accomplishments.” Ibid., 218.

“When very young, children should be educated to read, to write, to understand figures, to keep their own accounts. They may go forward, advancing step by step in this knowledge.” Ibid., 168, 169.

“In the study of figures the work should be made practical. Let every youth and every child be taught, not merely to solve imaginary problems, but to keep an accurate account of his own income and outgoes.” Education, 238, 239.

“Do not neglect to teach your children how to prepare wholesome food. In giving them these lessons in physiology and in good cooking, you are teaching them the first steps in some of the most useful branches of education.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 127.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How can all subjects taught center around one chief Textbook?

2 As students peer into nature, what should the teacher emphasize?

3 What serious dangers do students face in the public school system?

4 Name some benefits to be gained from agricultural programs.

5 What is the spiritual advantage of each subject named in this lesson?

© 2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Children’s Story – A Mother’s Voice

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Since the prevailing Indian troubles commenced, an Indian camp was captured, together with a number of prisoners, including squaws, and some half dozen white captives, boys and girls from five to twelve years of age. Word was sent throughout the country, inviting those who had lost children to come to the camp and identify, if possible, their children, as none of them could give any account of who their parents were or where they were taken from, so young were they when they were taken captive by the Indians. Numbers of parents went to the camp—more than there were children—and, of course, many of them returned with heavy hearts at being unable to find their lost ones. Among the number who went hundreds of miles to the camp was a mother who had lost two children several years before—a boy and a girl, one three and the other five years old.

Efforts were made to persuade her not to go; as so long a time had elapsed, it was certain she could not identify her children even if they stood before her. But she could not rest; she must go and go she did. On arriving at the encampment she found the captives ranged in line for inspection. She looked at them first from a distance, her anxious heart pounding in her bosom. But she did not see her children; at least she saw nothing in the group that bore the slightest resemblance to her baby boy and girl, as they had looked when playing about her doorstep. She looked long and steadily at them, as her heart began to sink and grow heavy in her bosom. At last with tears and sobs she withdrew, but when some paces off, she stopped and turned about quickly, as apparently a thought had occurred to her. Drying her eyes she broke forth in a sweet hymn she had been wont to sing to her children as a lullaby. Scarce a word had been uttered, when two of the captives, a boy and girl, rushed from the line exclaiming, “Mamma! Mamma!” The mother went home perfectly satisfied that she had found her long lost children.

This is a true story. Those children, even though they had been separated from their mother for a long time, remembered the tune their mother used to sing to them when they were little and recognized her voice. Because they remembered, they were able to go home with her.

Jesus always puts a song or a word in our hearts when we are faithful to spend time listening to Him. It may be a song like “Jesus Loves Me,” or a scripture verse that you have learned by memory. Philippians 4:13, NKJV is a good one to memorize: “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me,” and “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10, NKJV. God loves to hear you repeat His Word.

God loves His children more than a mother loves her children, and He always wants you to be able to know Him through song and verse.

The Signs of the Times, August 28, 1879.

Evidence Against Unbelief

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When crisis develops among God’s people, sometimes it is necessary to talk about things that we would not otherwise discuss.

Let us begin with a statement from The Desire of Ages, 458. It says, “God does not compel men to give up their unbelief. Before them are light and darkness, truth and error. It is for them to decide which they will accept. The human mind is endowed with power to discriminate between right and wrong. God designs that men shall not decide from impulse, but from the weight of evidence, carefully comparing scripture with scripture.”

The fact that a decision must be made based on the weight of evidence means there is evidence to be considered on both sides of the argument. This also implies that you do not know everything. Because God does know everything, He does not need to make a decision based on the weight of evidence. The apostle Paul said, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” I Corinthians 13:9, NKJV.

In weighing the evidence, for what should we look? We are told in The Great Controversy, 595, that, “God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils [all church councils], as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majority—not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain ‘Thus saith the Lord’ in its support.”

It is very important to know what the word of God actually teaches and commands. Those who do not understand this principle can get misled on subjects, for example, the state of the dead.

We are living in interesting times. Ellen White said that the time would come when every wind of doctrine would be blowing. I cannot help but wonder if we are not living in that time now. There are many deceptive doctrines floating around today, and our only safety is to stand on the word of God.

There is a Scripture that has been confusing to many Seventh-day Adventists. It is something that we need to understand because we are facing a soon-coming Sunday law crisis, not just in the United States but worldwide, and this passage will be used against all Seventh-day Adventists. For this reason it needs to be understood. Many theologians who have written books believe that the Christian Sabbath has been changed to Sunday, and the passage of Scripture that we are going to study is one of their main proof texts.

To understand this text, attention must be given to the antecedents of the pronouns that are used. Many people get in trouble while reading their Bibles because of the use of pronouns. The apostle Paul is an expert at this, and careful attention must be given to what the pronoun refers or we can draw all kinds of conclusions to the text. We are going to look at the antecedent of the pronoun.

Reading Colossians 2:14 from the Greek New Testament, Paul talks about “wiping away the handwriting of the ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us. And He took it out of the midst (out of the way), nailing it to the cross. And having stripped the rulers and the authorities, He made a display of them in public, boldly triumphing over them in Himself.”

Immediately you should know that the apostle Paul is not referring to the Ten Commandments here, as they were not handwritten. Moses, the prophets and the apostles all wrote by hand. The Bible is inspired, and handwritten, but the Ten Commandments were not handwritten.

It is recorded only three times in the Bible where God wrote something. Every time it says explicitly how He wrote—with His finger. One time He wrote in stone (Exodus 31:18). One time He wrote on a wall (Daniel 5:5), and one time He wrote on the ground (John 8:6). God doesn’t use handwriting; He writes with His finger.

Some may argue that your finger is on your hand, but your finger is not your hand. My late brother, while a teenager living on a farm, was involved in a tractor accident. His little finger was cut in such a way that it was just hanging by the skin. Though he was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery to sew the finger back on and reattach the nerves, it had been too long since it was cut off, and the next day that finger was dead. So, he had to go to surgery again to have it cut off. Though my brother lost the end of that finger, he didn’t lose his hand. Your hand and your fingers are two different things.

Whatever the ordinance in Colossians 2:14 is referring to, it has been wiped away. The term wipe away means to be abolished, not existent anymore. Not only that, these are called ordinances which could also be translated as decrees. These ordinances, Paul says, were against us, contrary to us, and they were taken out of the midst. In other words, they were removed. They were nailed to the cross.

Are there ordinances that were nailed to the cross? Yes, that is what this Scripture says. These ordinances, Paul says, were against us, they were taken out of the midst, and they were blotted out or abolished. Because of this, the apostle Paul now is going to draw some conclusions. Notice what he says in verse 16: “Therefore [because of what I’ve told you already, this is the conclusion], do not let anyone judge you in food or in drink, or concerning a feast or a new moon or of sabbath days.”

Our Protestant friends get in trouble because they stop right there. We can get into trouble with documents if we just read to the middle of the sentence. Paul has mentioned five things: eating, drinking, feasts, new moons, and sabbaths, but that is just the first part of the sentence. The next part of the sentence, “which are shadows of things to come,” follows in verse 17. He is not condemning eating or drinking or feasts or new moons or sabbaths. What he is saying is, “Don’t let anybody judge you concerning these things which are shadows of things to come, but the body of Christ.” It could be translated, “but the body is of Christ.”

Let us stop there before we continue. In the Old Testament there were ordinances that had to do with eating. At certain times of the year it was forbidden to eat leavened bread. There were even food offerings. Paul told the Colossians not to let anybody judge them in regard to these things with eating, which were a shadow of things to come.

There were also ordinances in the Old Testament in regard to drinking and also feast days. (See Leviticus 23.) Some of these feast days were called sabbaths. There were also ordinances in regard to new moons. Paul says, “Don’t let anybody judge you in regard to these things which are a shadow of things to come.”

He continues, “Let no one pass judgment on you, wishing in humility and worshiping of angels which he has seen.” Verse 18. However, some manuscripts say, “worshiping of angels which he has not seen, pushing in vain, puffed up by his fleshly mind and not holding the Head from whom all the body through the joints and bands having been supplied and having been fitted together will grow with the growth of God. If then you died with Christ from the fundamental principles of the world, why, as living in the world, are you under ordinances?” Verses 18–20.

That’s a serious question. Christ was the fulfilling of these things. Paul is talking about the ordinances he has just mentioned, the ordinances that have to do with eating, drinking, feast days, new moons, and sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come. Then he makes a really strong statement. Do you remember back in the Garden of Eden what God told Adam and Eve about the forbidden fruit? I want to tell you, most Adventists have not come to grips with what we are going to read now in the Bible from verse 21. This is strong. I didn’t write it, but this is how it reads in the literal translation; “Do not touch, do not taste, do not finger.” In other words don’t even touch it with your fingertips. Some translations say: “Do not handle. Do not touch it. Do not taste it. Do not even put your finger on it, which things are all unto corruption in the using according to the injunctions and teachings of men.” Verses 21, 22.

In verse 23, the phrase “which things” is used. What are these things? Well, they are the ordinances that have been nailed to the cross. Paul says, “Don’t touch these things. Don’t taste them. Don’t even put your finger on it. They have a reputation, indeed of wisdom, in self-imposed worship.”

You see, when God hasn’t commanded something and you do it anyway, that is not of God; it is not divinely directed worship; it is self-imposed worship. “Which things have a reputation, indeed of wisdom, and self-imposed worship, in humility, and severe treatment of the body, not in any honor, but for the satisfaction of the flesh.” Verse 23.

These ordinances, that God gave to His people in the Old Testament, had been covered up with a mass of human tradition which made it almost impossible even for the Jews to keep. And then, there were teachers trying to get the Christians to keep all this tradition that the Jews had come up with over several hundred years since the captivity. Paul says not to have anything to do with it for it is man-made.

Many people confuse the moral law with the ceremonial law and use the same argument used by the Roman Catholic Church in their objection to Protestantism. Paul said, “Therefore, brothers, stand and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether through word or letter from us.” II Thessalonians 2:15.

The Roman Catholic Church believes there are two kinds of tradition—verbal and written. They believe that the oral tradition they have that was handed down from the apostles is even more important than the written tradition—the New Testament. There are Adventists today using this same argument, insisting that the feast days should still be kept; however, decisions cannot be based on apostolic tradition but on a “thus saith the Lord.”

Adventists sometimes have done the same thing with Ellen White. I have received material that asks, Did you know that Ellen White, at a certain date, drank some cocoa? The tradition of Ellen White is not the standard of what to believe or how to eat. I look to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy to find those instructions.

I once read an account of a pope back in the Middle Ages, the Dark Ages. He had fathered a child by adultery and attempted to justify himself by claiming he was not more holy than David or Solomon who both made many mistakes and still wrote part of the Old Testament.

There are other texts that people misinterpret. Paul, giving a defense before a judge, said, “And they neither found me in the temple disputing with anyone nor inciting the crowd, either in the synagogues or in the city. Nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me. But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets.” Acts 24:12–14, NKJV. Those advocating keeping of the feasts believe that because the ordinances of feasts were written “in the law and in the prophets,” Paul still kept them. Paul understood what those ordinances pointed forward to, and he kept the ordinances in the antitype, not the type, because Christ had already died on the cross.

Every single one of the feasts has an antitype.

The Passover—This was the first feast of the year. The antitype of the Passover is found in I Corinthians 5, and this is one of the principle passages about which people are really confused. This is the story of a man who was living with his father’s wife. Though Paul was absent, he told them he was there in spirit and very clearly said that the man needed to be disfellowshiped because of his open sin. (See I Corinthians 5:1–5.) In this context he said, “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” The little leaven—this man’s sin in living with his father’s wife—would affect the whole lump, the whole church, so he must be removed. “Therefore purge out the old leaven [disfellowship this person] that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.” A church that is unleavened is a church that does not allow a member to be living in open sin and remain a member of that church. “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast.” Verses 6–8, NKJV. Taken out of context, some believe this to mean that we are supposed to keep the feast days.

In The Desire of Ages, 652, when Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper, Ellen White wrote: “Christ was standing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. [One was the Passover and one was the Lord’s Supper.] He, the spotless Lamb of God, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Christ established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages.”

Paul speaks of the Lord’s Supper when he says that Christ is our sacrifice. “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” Verse 8, NKJV.

“When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul which they could not prove, while he answered for himself, ‘Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.’ ” Acts 25:7, 8, NKJV. This is claimed as further proof that Paul continued to keep the feasts; however, it is not a clear “thus saith the Lord” and stretches the meaning of the verse like all other passages brought forth in this instance. The apostle Paul well understood what those feast days represented. The Passover represented the sacrifice on the cross.

The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost—This represented the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on God’s children that would occur 50 days after the first.

The Feast of Trumpets—This represented the prediction of prophecy of the worldwide awakening concerning the Second Advent movement that happened in the later part of the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth centuries.

The Day of Atonement—We believe in keeping this festival in the antitype. We are at present living in the real Day of Atonement. A careful study of the Bible will reveal that we do not get involved in any other feast while in the Day of Atonement. The literal translation from the Greek New Testament of these texts says, “Neither in the law of the Jews, neither unto the temple or Caesar have I sinned anything at all.”

Sin is the transgression of the law—the Ten Commandments. If it was sin to break the ceremonial law, even Jesus Christ would have been a sinner, because in both the gospel and in the book The Desire of Ages He did not keep every aspect or specification of the ceremonial law at all times. For example, Jesus touched a leper, which was not in accordance with the ceremonial law that declared the leper unclean. (See Matthew 8:2, 3; Mark 1:40, 41.)

Another argument in favor of the feasts is Acts 28:17, NKJV, which says, “It came to pass after three days that Paul called the leaders of the Jews together. So when they had come together, he said to them: ‘Men and brethren, though I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.’ ”

Paul did not lie here if he did not keep the ceremonial law because he did continue to keep those ceremonies, but in the antitype. In Acts 18:21, it does read that Paul kept the ceremonial feast in Jerusalem. However, when I looked up that verse in my Greek New Testament, I was shocked to find the evidence is just not there. The footnote in the Greek New Testament reads that this statement didn’t even appear in any of the ancient manuscripts and is absent from several of the oldest translations.

Another so-called proof text is found in Acts 20:16 where Paul hurried to be in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. To be there was not a command to keep the feast. What if I said to somebody that I want to be in Atlanta for Thanksgiving? Is that a command to keep Thanksgiving as a holy day? Not at all. The Jewish Christians had planned the whole year around these different ceremonial feasts. Time was measured by them, and they would talk about before or after Passover, before or after the Feast of Trumpets, before or after the Atonement. The apostles could use that language and say they would be in such a place by this time. It certainly is not a command to keep these feast days as they were kept prior to their fulfillment at the cross of Calvary.

There are some who say they have evidence from the early Christian literature that the twelve apostles, not Paul but the others, kept the ceremonial law. In the book, Sketches from the Life of Paul by Ellen G. White, she says very clearly that among the Christians, the apostle Paul was thought to be a teacher of dangerous doctrines. She makes it very clear in that book, and also in The Acts of the Apostles, 199, that the apostle Paul had to stand alone amongst even the apostles.

The apostles of Jesus were very slow to understand the significance of what had happened when Jesus was crucified and, as such had fulfilled the ceremonial law, making it no longer in effect. There were many of the apostles that probably continued to keep the entire ceremonial law for the rest of their lives, which was a mistake on their part. Do you want to rest your faith on a mistake that somebody else made?

Ellen White says that the apostle Paul so desired to bring harmony and unity into the Christian church that at the end of his life he made a mistake. It is recorded in Acts 21:20–24 NKJV: “And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law [ceremonial law]; but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. Take them and be purified with them.’ ” In other words, show respect for the ceremonial law so we can have peace. The apostle Paul did what the apostles suggested, and it was the reason he was taken prisoner, cutting short his ministry.

Ellen White says definitely over and over again that it was a mistake. Do you want to base your religion on a mistake that Paul made or on a mistake that the apostles made?

The apostles were human just like us, and they made mistakes. I would never make a decision whether or not to drink cocoa on the basis that Ellen White at one time was seen to drink a cup of cocoa, would you? That is a dangerous way to make a decision. The answer to the question is, “What does God say in His Inspired word?” That should be the only basis for decisions.

“The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more for man through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.” The Desire of Ages, 36. This subject here is made clear in very strong language.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts quoted are literal translation.)

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

Promises

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Many of us have heard with terror about the time of trouble, the Sunday laws and that the day will come when we cannot buy or sell and other like things. This constitutes a very small part of what is written in the Bible. The majority of that which is recorded in the Bible are the promises of God. Let’s share some of those promises that are so dear to the people God.

Encouragement is given through the Spirit of Prophecy to know and depend on God’s promises.

“We should store the mind with the precious promises and instructions of God’s word. When Satan seeks to divert the attention to things of no profit, then we should think and talk of these heavenly promises, and the tempter will be vanquished. By thus battling day by day, with earnest prayer and determined faith, all may gain the victory.” Historical Sketches of the Foreign Missions of the Seventh-day Adventists (1886), 214.

It is the goal of all Christians awaiting the Second Coming of Jesus to gain the victory over the adversary, the devil, and the way to do that is to memorize the promises, thinking upon them and using them as they are needed.

“As we look at the promises of God we find comfort and hope and joy, for they speak to us the words of the Infinite One.” My Life Today, 338.

Just stop and think about that statement for a minute. The promises of God speak to us words from the Infinite One.

Ellen White continues: “Properly to appreciate these precious promises we should study them carefully, examining them in detail. How much joy we might bring into life, how much goodness into the character, if we would but make these promises our own! As we journey in the upward way, let us talk of the blessings strewn along the path. As we think of the mansions Christ is preparing for us, we forget the petty annoyances which we meet day by day. We seem to breathe the atmosphere of the heavenly country to which we are journeying, and we are soothed and comforted. … Let us honor God by weaving more of Jesus and heaven into our lives.

“The unfailing promises of God will keep your heart in perfect peace.” Ibid.

It is a wonderful experience to have perfect peace. Let us consider a few of the promises that God has made that will help us on our daily journey.

A promise that has been very dear to me throughout my life is found in Hebrews 13:5. I have repeated this to myself many, many times and found it to be very comforting. It says, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

That is a wonderful promise. To think that the very God of the universe, the One Who created all things and sustains the universe takes care of each one of us, never leaving us alone. He keeps in order and sustains myriad of stars that with the naked eye seem to float in the heavens, knowing each one by name. We can have confidence in our loving heavenly Father Who said He will be with us always. He says, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” There is not a situation in which we may find ourselves, that we cannot claim that promise, because He will never leave us or forsake us.

Jesus also impressed that upon His disciples. He said, “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Matthew 28:20. We know that we have the presence of One Who is all powerful, all knowledgeable and all love. If it were not for the love He has, all of the power and knowledge He has would be of no avail to us. We are so thankful for that great and loving Father Who has promised to be with us, even unto the end.

So, waste no more time; arm yourselves with the word of God. Search the Scriptures, especially the books of Psalms and Isaiah that are loaded with promises, and start claiming them as you go into battle with the devil, having assurance that One has trod the path before you and won the victory.

Ruth Grosboll, matriarch of Steps to Life, lived a long life in the service of her Master. She served as a missionary nurse in Myanmar, formerly Burma. In her later years she held the position of receptionist and correspondent at Steps to Life Ministry, blessing many people with her heartfelt encouraging letters. She is sadly missed to this day.

Customs of Bible Times – Betrothal and Wedding

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Ancient Marriage

Difference Between a Promise and a Betrothal

Among the Jews of Bible times a couple could be engaged with a promise of marriage that may not be definite, as these could be broken off or set aside. However, if there was a betrothal entered into, it was consid­ered as final.

The betrothal was not the same as the wedding, and these two events must not be confused. At least a whole year elapsed between the betrothal and the actual wedding. The law said, “What man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her?” Deuteronomy 20:7. Here the two events are differentiated: betrothing a wife and taking a wife, i.e., in actual marriage. It was during this period of about a year, between the betrothal and the wedding, that Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 7:18).

The Apparel of the Groom and Bride

When the night arrived for the wedding festivities to begin, and it was time to go for his bride, the groom was dressed as much as pos­sible like a king. If he were rich enough to afford it, he wore a gold crown. Otherwise it would be a garland of fresh flowers. His garments would be scented with frankincense and myrrh; his girdle would be of silk and brilliantly colored; his sandals would be figured and carefully laced. … This preparation of the groom for the wedding has been aptly described in the prophecy of Isaiah, “He hath clothed me with the garments of sal­vation, He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments.” Isaiah 61:10.

The adorning of the bride was a very costly and elaborate affair. Much time was given to the preparation of her person. Every effort was put forth to make her complexion glossy and shining with a luster like unto marble. The words of David must have been their ideal for her: “that our daugh­ters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.” Psalm 33 144:12. Her dark locks of hair were often braided with gold and pearls. She was decked with all the precious stones and jewels that the family had inherited from previous generations. Those who were too poor to afford much would borrow what they could from their friends.

The wedding festivities, and especial­ly the bride’s adornment, would always be remembered by her. The prophet Jer­emiah made reference to this thought, “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire?” Jeremiah 2:32. The apostle John saw the New Jerusalem “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Revelation 21:2.

The Groom Leaves His Father’s Home to Get His Bride

Sometimes the bride’s relations would conduct her from her father’s house to the house of her fiancé, where her new home was to be. But more often, as was the case of the ten virgins in Christ’s parable, the bridegroom himself went in person to bring her to his home for the wedding festivities to take place there. Before leaving the house that had been her home, she would receive the blessing of her relatives. Thus Rebekah’s relatives sent her away with a typical Eastern marriage blessing, “Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them.” Genesis 24:60. The bride left her father’s house adorned and perfumed with a crown on her head. Ezekiel’s description of the bride is very appropriate, “I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.” Ezekiel 16:11, 12.

The Wedding Procession

The bridegroom set out with his bride from the house of her parents, and there followed a grand procession all the way to his house. The streets of Asiatic cities were dark, and it was necessary that anybody venturing forth at night should carry a lamp or torch. Those invited guests, who did not go to the bride’s home, were allowed to join the procession along the way, and go with the whole group to the marriage feast. Without a torch or lamp, they could not join the procession or enter the bridegroom’s house.

The ten virgins waited for the procession to arrive. The five wise virgins were able to proceed because they had a reserve supply of oil for their lamps, but the foolish virgins lacked oil, so not being ready, they were barred from the wedding feast. Matthew 25:1–13.

With her face veiled, the bride allowed her hair to be loose and flowing while on the journey to the groom’s house. Her own relations preceded her in the procession, scattering ears of parched grain to the children along the way.

Arrival at the House of the Bridegroom

After arriving at the bridegroom’s house, some of the older women had the task of arranging the bride’s hair. Her flowing locks were hidden beneath a thick veil. From this time on, the custom would dictate that her face was not to be unveiled in public. She was led to her place under a canopy, which was located either inside the house or, if the weather permitted, in the open air. Her place was beside her husband, where both would hear new words of benediction given by one of the fathers or by some important person who might be present.

The Wedding Feast

Every guest that attended the feast was required to wear a wedding garment (Matthew 22:12). The wedding banquet was presided over by the ruler of the feast. John 2:8, 9. It was his duty to take care of all the preparations, and during the feast, he would mingle among the guests and see to it that they lacked nothing, instructing servants to carry out all the necessary details. The expression “children of the bride chamber” (Matthew 9:15), used by Jesus, simply means the guests at the wedding. The governor or ruler of the feast returned thanks at the dinner and pronounced benedictions at appointed times. He also blessed the wine. It was customary to tell riddles at these feasts like Samson did at his wedding (Judges 14:12–18). During the meal, mirthfulness prevailed and the guests were expected to exalt the bride.

There was no religious ceremony at the feast. In place of this were the benedictions of relatives and friends. The benediction of those who witnessed the wedding arrangements for Ruth and Boaz is a good example of what would be included in such a benediction (Ruth 4:11). It corresponds to the well wishing of Western wedding guests. After the wedding feast was over, the husband was escorted by his friends into the apartment where his wife had previously been conducted. These wedding festivities with relatives and friends lasted for a whole week (Judges 14:17), but the entire number of what was called “the days of the marriage” was thirty.

Fred H. Wight, Manners and Customs of Bible Lands, The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 1953, 129–134.

Bible Study Guides – Knowing God’s Plan

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December 30, 2012 – January 5, 2013

The Healthy Reformer

Key Text

“My son, attend to My words; incline thine ear unto My sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.” Proverbs 4:20–22.

Study Help: God’s Amazing Grace, 202; The Faith I Live By, 296.

Introduction

“All who will come to the Word of God for guidance, with humble, inquiring minds, determined to know the terms of salvation, will understand what saith the Scriptures. … The Lord will not speak to a mind that is unconcerned.” The Review and Herald, December 15, 1896.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23.

“The Saviour comes very near to those who consecrate themselves to God. If there was ever a time when we needed the working of the Spirit of God upon our hearts and lives it is now. Christ is speaking to each of us individually saying, ‘I am He that holdeth thy right hand. I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive forever more.’ There is a decided message to be borne to our people upon the question of health reform. Let us come into line that our prayers be not hindered. God cannot be glorified in the lives of ministers, who give up these principles of reform; but He will reveal Himself to every soul who will be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We need now to arouse, and in all our schools follow closely the light that God has given on this question.” Backsliding in Health Reform, 4.

1 HOW WILL I KNOW?

  • When seeking to know God’s will regarding any issue, what should we do? James 1:5, 6; John 5:39; Psalm 119:125.

Note: “Young men and young women will often be brought into positions where they are uncertain what to do. Their inclination leads them in one direction, and the Holy Spirit of God draws them in another direction. Satan presses his temptation upon them, and urges them to follow the inclinations of the natural heart. But those who desire to be true to Christ, will listen to the voice that says, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it’ [Isaiah 30:21]. They will decide to take the course of the righteous, although it is more difficult to pursue, more painful to follow, than the way of their own heart. … We need to receive divine wisdom in the daily concerns of life, in order that we may display sound judgment, and choose the safe path because it is the right one. He who acts upon his own judgment will follow the inclination of the natural heart; but he whose mind is opened to the word of God, will prayerfully consider every way of his feet, so that he may honor God and keep the way of the Lord. … He will realize that he belongs to God, soul, body, mind, and strength.” The Youth’s Instructor, September 19, 1895.

  • Through what other means does God speak to us besides His written word? Isaiah 30:21; Hebrews 3:7, 8; Revelation 3:20.

Note: “Through nature and revelation, through His providence, and by the influence of His Spirit, God speaks to us. But these are not enough; we need also to pour out our hearts to Him. … Our minds may be drawn out toward Him; we may meditate upon His works, His mercies, His blessings; but this is not, in the fullest sense, communing with Him. In order to commune with God, we must have something to say to Him concerning our actual life.” Steps to Christ, 93.

2 THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL

  • What has God given specifically to instruct us in the right way? II Timothy 3:16.

Note: “The Bible teaches the whole will of God concerning us. [11 Timothy 3:16 quoted.] The teaching of this Word is exactly that needed in all circumstances in which we may be placed. It is a sufficient rule of faith and practice; for it is the voice of God speaking to the soul, giving the members of His family directions for keeping the heart with all diligence. If this word is studied—not merely read, but studied—it furnishes us with a storehouse of knowledge which enables us to improve every God-given endowment. It teaches us our obligation to use the faculties given us. Guided by its precepts, we may render obedience to God’s requirements.” The Review and Herald, December 15, 1896.

  • What agencies has God established in the church to impart instructions to His people? Ephesians 4:11–14 (cf II Corinthians 6:7; Revelation 19:10).

Note: “We must follow the directions given through the spirit of prophecy. We must love and obey the truth for this time. This will save us from accepting strong delusions. God has spoken to us through His Word. He has spoken to us through the testimonies to the church and through the books that have helped to make plain our present duty and the position that we should now occupy.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 298.

  • How do we know that God has special light for each period of time in history? Proverbs 29:18; II Peter 1:12; Acts 2:17–20.

Note: “Those who today claim to have light, and who contradict the teaching of God’s ordained messengers who were working under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, those who get up new theories which remove the pillars of our faith, are not doing the will of God, but are bringing in fallacies of their own invention, which, if received, will cut the church away from the anchorage of truth, and set them drifting, drifting, to where they will receive any sophistries that may arise.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, 247.

3 THE PLAN TO REDEEM

  • What is the basis of the theme of redemption? Matthew 1:21; Psalm 130:7, 8.

Note: “The Lord would have us value our souls according to the estimate—as far as we can comprehend it—that Christ has placed upon them. … Jesus died that He might redeem man from eternal ruin. Then we are to hold ourselves as property purchased. [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 quoted.] All our powers of mind and soul and body are the Lord’s. Our time belongs to Him. We are to place ourselves in the very best possible condition to do His service, keeping constantly in connection with Christ, and considering daily the costly sacrifice made for us that we should be made the righteousness of God in Him.” In Heavenly Places, 60.

  • What does redemption include? Romans 6:22, 23; Ephesians 2:5, 6.

Note: “Candidly and seriously we are to consider the question, Have we humbled ourselves before God, that the Holy Spirit may work through us with transforming power? As children of God, it is our privilege to be worked by His Spirit. When self is crucified, the Holy Spirit takes the brokenhearted ones, and makes them vessels unto honor. They are in His hands as clay in the hands of the potter. Jesus Christ will make such men and women superior in mental, physical, and moral power. The graces of the Spirit will give solidity to the character. They will exert an influence for good because Christ is abiding in the soul.” The Southern Review, December 5, 1899.

  • What transformation must take place in us if we want to be among the redeemed? I Thessalonians 5:23; II Peter 3:14.

Note: “ ‘Ye are not your own; for ye are bought with a price’ [1 Corinthians 6:19, 20]. Your physical and mental powers belong to God, and should be used in His service. There are souls to save; there is earnest work to be done for the Master; and half-hearted, indolent efforts will not be accepted.” The Signs of the Times, May 29, 1884.

4 THE TIMING

  • How do we know that we are living in the last days? Matthew 24:3–14, 24–33. What is to take place in the heavenly sanctuary before the coming of Christ? Revelation 11:18, 19; I Peter 4:17.
  • What event in the history of Israel pointed to the Day of Judgment? Leviticus 16:30–34.
  • What instruction did God give His people for that day? Leviticus 23:28–32.
  • What specific instruction does God have for His people now? II Peter 3:11–14; Romans 13:11–14; James 4:7–10.

Note: “I [Ellen White] have been perplexed to know how we may help those who are doing their best to live and keep the commandments of God. God calls upon us to bind about our wants, to have a genuine experience in daily self-denial. Although we may not be compelled to restrict our appetites, we should show that we do not live to eat, but eat to live. God demands a complete consecration of ourselves, soul, body, and spirit, to His service. Time is precious; strength is precious; no member of the family should be overtaxed because of unnecessary labor, and thus be disqualified to serve God and to keep his or her soul in the love of God. The Lord demands that we shall live simply. Our diet is not to consist of expensive food, or of unnecessary dishes which require time and strength for preparation. It is profitable for us to consider the time in which we are living. We shall be called upon to engage in enterprises that will work for the salvation of the souls of men, women, and children. We must do this work in the spirit which Christ exercised in His mission, fulfilling the word, ‘Whosoever will come after me [follow in my footsteps], let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me’ [Mark 8:34]. So shall he be my disciple.” The Home Missionary, December 1, 1894.

5 TODAY, IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE

  • God gave Israel light and instruction. What did they do with them? Hebrews 3:10; Ezekiel 20:6–8, 13.
  • What was the root of their rejection? Hebrews 3:19.

Note: “Although the Lord gave Israel the greatest evidences of His favor, and upon condition of obedience, the rich promise that they should be to Him a peculiar people, a royal nation, yet because of their unbelief and disobedience He could not fulfill the promise. …

“Some profess Christianity year after year, and in some things appear to serve God, and yet they are far from Him. They give loose rein to appetite and passion, and follow their own unsanctified inclinations, loving pleasure and the applause of men more than God or His truth. But God reads the secrets of the heart. …

“The character is revealed by the works, not by occasional good deeds and occasional misdeeds, but by the tendency of the habitual words and acts.” The Signs of the Times, March 27, 1884.

  • What is the difference between faith and presumption? James 1:21–25; 2:14.

Note: “Faith is in no sense allied to presumption. … For presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith. Faith claims God’s promises, and brings forth fruit in obedience. Presumption also claims the promises, but uses them as Satan did, to excuse transgression. Faith would have led our first parents to trust the love of God, and to obey His commands. Presumption led them to transgress His law, believing that His great love would save them from the consequences of their sin.” The Desire of Ages, 126.

  • If we have true faith in God, what will we do with His instructions? John 14:15; Deuteronomy 11:1; 26:17.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 How does God guide us to know His will? Do I know how to be guided?

2 When studying the Word of God, what attitude do I have? Am I seeking the truth, that I may do it?

3 Once I understand God’s will, what response should I give?

4 What is included in the work of redemption for each person?

5 How does the fact that we are living in the time of the judgment affect the way we should live?

Who are the Sanctified?

“There are thousands, yes, millions, who are making a mistake in their religious life. They make religion a thing independent of their life, of their thoughts and words, and daily actions. Their religion is a delusion of the senses. Their ideas and principles presented as sanctification are deceitful workings. Some speak of hearing voices and of seeing sights of a supernatural character; but there is no sign in their daily course of action that the Spirit of God has wrought a change in the natural heart, for they are carnal, at enmity with God’s law, and neither love God nor obey His commandments.” The Signs of the Times, February 28, 1895.

© 2007 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

The Keys that Unlock the Bible

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A mission trip to Peru provided an experience that is perhaps the most vivid explanation of how to understand the Bible. As a medical doctor, able to read, write, and speak fluent Spanish, the group with which I traveled decided I could go alone to the most rural church in northern Peru.

In developing nations, the sermon does not end at midday. It is all encompassing, and Sabbath services continue all day. As the guest speaker, it is understood that you will teach the Sabbath School, present the sermon as well as the children’s story, give an afternoon meeting and then vespers, as well as any other possible speaking slot. If you can sing, you will also lead out in the song service and provide the special music.

Finishing vespers after sundown, the church announcements were made. They showed a book that they proposed to study for the following quarter’s prayer meeting. It was The Great Controversy, and they would have to raise money to purchase the books. Plans were made to sell things or work to acquire the books that they so desperately desired to study. Two church members, Cory and Heidi, said they would be willing to do anything for this book that they wanted to study and share with their families and friends. Returning to my hotel room, I arranged for books to be given to them.

During this trip our medical group was at a different place every day, providing free medical care. Three days after my speaking experience, we held a clinic near the church. Hundreds of people from the surrounding villages converged on the area. Many of the surrounding churches had sent members to assist us, and I could see that Cory and Heidi were helping with the hydrotherapy station.

When the opportunity came, I asked them if they had received the books. They had, and they were so excited. Six-year-old Heidi and nine-year-old Cory had already started reading their books and sharing with their families and friends. Heidi had to have her Mom read with her, not so much to share it with her Mom, but that she couldn’t understand some of the larger words in Spanish. Seeing the enthusiasm of these two children made me realize that I did not understand God’s word. I did not love God’s word at all compared to these youngsters who would prefer reading The Great Controversy over playing with toys or their friends. Returning home, I pulled out my copy of this book and reread it, going over several intriguing chapters more than once.

These two children in Peru, who would give anything to just have the opportunity to read about God, taught me the greatest thing necessary to understand the Bible.

Three Keys in Understanding the Bible

Key One – David makes quite a claim in Psalm 119:99: “I have more understanding than all my teachers: for Thy testimonies are my meditation.”

To meditate means to focus on one thing. To meditate on Scripture is different than Eastern religion’s transcendental meditation where the focus is on the word “oom” or a mantra.

Often times we neglect to stop our multi-tasking to spend time with God. We dart our prayers to Him while driving in the car or eating breakfast, which is not wrong as long as we schedule time to give Him our full attention during those intimate moments with Him, meditating on His word in the early hours of the morning.

I was baptized by Doug Tilstra, a very intriguing pastor. While talking to someone, he will not look at his watch or answer his phone, and he is never distracted. His focus is with one person at a time. More than anything else about him, I was moved by his interest in whomever he talks to; they are important and receive his complete focus. One reason we don’t understand the Bible is because we do not seek it at the loss of all other things, like Heidi and Cory. We are too distracted by many other things.

When Jesus visited His friends’ home in Bethel, Martha was so busy getting the food ready that she wasn’t focused on her guest. You can just hear the pathos in Jesus’ voice when He said, “Martha … ,” and He probably paused a little bit as she was still moving around, and then He said one more time, “Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41, 42.

Mary understood that although there were many good things in life, there was only one that was necessary. Ultimately, at the end of time, only one thing will matter, and that is going to be God and what we have done for others in His name. We have devalued an understanding of the Bible, placing more value on books, people, and academic degrees. We must seek an understanding of Jesus at the loss of all things.

Key Two – David said, “I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.” Psalm 119:100. The ancients were those people with the long beards and were hundreds of years old; the wise people with much experience.

It is not merely meditating on God’s word that gives understanding, not only focusing in on God at the loss of all things, but there needs to be an execution of what we learn. Jesus taught a very important principle in John 7:17. He said, “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.” Isn’t it interesting that another key to understanding is in doing it!

While doing some evangelism and presenting the health message in Holland, I said that we cannot always trust the medical literature to steer us in the right direction. True science will always be in harmony with revelation, but we do not always have true science in the journals. It is a matter of time before science will catch up with the Spirit of Prophecy and, eventually, it will. To illustrate my point, I shared an article from the 1935 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is basically the premier journal for physicians, that stated that smoking cigarettes was good for several health conditions such as asthma.

Smoking is not good for asthma, and we recognize now that the second hand smoke can cause pediatric asthma. I had presented this to show that the medical literature does not always steer us in the right direction when it comes to true laws of health. In regard to matters of health, I have reminded people many times that it is more important what comes out of our mouths than what goes in. I believe in the health message. I’m a physician; I love the message, but we need to deal with the bigger issues first.

I am amused, whenever I present the health message to an Adventist audience, that someone always asks me about mushrooms. Why mushrooms? I can present information that I know about them that are insignificant compared to other unhealthful practices. These audiences are often eating meat, eating at night, drinking alcohol, and I think the mushrooms are at the bottom. Deal with the big issues first. What we don’t seem to understand is that God is not going to give us any more light in whatever area it is until we obey and do what He has asked us in the fundamental areas, like what we say and how we treat people. Those are the major things that need to be taken care of first.

When we obey what we do know, God will help us understand what we don’t know. That’s the key to understanding the Bible.

In Steps to Christ, 110, Ellen White wrote, “Whenever men are not in word and deed seeking to be in harmony with God, then, however learned they may be, they are liable to err in their understanding of Scripture, and it is not safe to trust to their explanations.” That is a very powerful statement. It does not matter how many letters you have after your name; it does not mean anything. In word and deed, to be in harmony with the Master in heaven means everything.

“Successful work for Christ depends not so much on numbers or talent as upon pureness of purpose, the true simplicity of earnest, dependent faith.” The Desire of Ages, 370. I can’t think of any better picture of simplicity and earnest dependent faith than the two children, Heidi and Cory, in Peru.

“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. … Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” I Corinthians 1:19–21, 25, 26.

Now I can tell you that I am very thankful that the words are “not many” instead of “not any.” I am educated, and if it said “not any,” then that would exclude me and several other people, but it says “not many.” Very, very few people who are educated, who are mighty or who are wealthy understand what God is all about. Why is that? Highly educated people, with their degrees, tend to trust more in man. People tend to judge the quality as good on their intellect and their degrees. The amazing thing is that this is the reason God chooses the foolish things and the weak things, because when we look at Heidi and Cory, with their fervor and devotion to God, it is God Who gets the glory. Heidi has not gone to Stanford University or Harvard. In fact, she has not yet even gone to school. Whereas, if someone is learned, very intelligent and talented and smooth in their presentation, there is a tendency to give that person the glory. When God chooses children, the weak things of the world, to do things like this, there is no way we can miss the illustration, and it is clear that it is God at work.

Key Three – Once you know God, putting into practice what He has revealed to you, the last step is critical. “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Luke 6:38.

The best way to learn a subject is to teach it. When I return home from presenting meetings, I can meet someone on the street and can often remember my whole presentation to share with them. The most critical part of understanding the Bible is sharing what we do know with those around us.

There is a very important concept, which I believe is not only important for understanding the Bible but is important to being saved. It is the concept of trust. When I was young, I liked to climb those walls beside the sidewalk that started off low and gradually became a little higher. I would get up on the wall, with my Dad beside me on the pathway, and I would go higher and higher and higher, to eventually a place where the wall was about six feet high and it would end. At the end of the wall, my Dad wanted me to jump down into his arms. My Dad is a pretty big guy, so he would not have any trouble catching me. But as I got older, maybe 5, 6, or 7, I would come to the end of the wall and I would get down myself. Something had changed, and it was not because my Dad was no longer able to catch me. I had become more dependent on myself. A normal part of human nature is to become self-sufficient and independent, but that is lethal to your spiritual life. The more dependent you are on yourself and your own abilities, the less likely you will be saved. Jesus tells us this is critical, not only to understanding the Bible but to salvation itself. “And [He] said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3. Because a child is dependent, it is humble and teachable. It is far easier for God to save little children than you and me.

I praise God that He had mercy upon my soul and sent me two children in Peru to teach me what it really means to understand His word.

“God can teach you more in one moment by His Holy Spirit than you could learn from the great men of the earth.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 119. That is very impressive!

“Understanding of Bible truth depends not so much on the power of intellect brought to the search as on the singleness of purpose, the earnest longing after righteousness.” The Great Controversy, 599.

You may not have a PhD; you may not have any formal education at all. You may not have gone to school past high school or even elementary school, but you can understand the Bible. In fact, you may be able to understand the Bible much better than those who have gone to school, because you are not dependent upon yourself but are dependent upon Jesus Christ. As you open God’s word, I pray that you will remember the toothless grin of six-year-old Heidi, deep in Peru with her nine-year-old friend Cory, and remember that the key to understanding God’s word is to seek it with all your heart at the loss of all other things and to obey what God reveals to you and to share it with others. Ultimately, although we are not all children, unless we become as little children we will never understand God and His truth and be saved.

Tim Riesenberger is an ER physician in Washington state with a passion to share the gospel both locally within the United States of America and also in foreign mission fields. He may be contacted by email at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Inspiration – Christ Our Only Hope

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Before the foundations of the world were laid, Christ, the Only Begotten of God, pledged Himself to become the Redeemer of the human race, should Adam sin. Adam fell, and He who was partaker of the Father’s glory before the world was, laid aside His royal robe and kingly crown, and stepped down from His high authority to become a Babe in Bethlehem, that by passing over the ground where Adam stumbled and fell, He might redeem fallen human beings. He subjected Himself to all the temptations that the enemy brings against men and women; and all the assaults of Satan could not make Him swerve from His loyalty to the Father. By living a sinless life He testified that every son and daughter of Adam can resist the temptations of the one who first brought sin into the world.

Christ brought men and women power to overcome. He came to this world in human form, to live a man amongst men. He assumed the liabilities of human nature, to be proved and tried. In His humanity He was a partaker of the divine nature. In His incarnation He gained in a new sense the title of the Son of God. Said the angel to Mary, “The power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). While the Son of a human being, He became the Son of God in a new sense. Thus He stood in our world–the Son of God, yet allied by birth to the human race.

Christ came in human form to show the inhabitants of the unfallen worlds and of the fallen world that ample provision has been made to enable human beings to live in loyalty to their Creator. He endured the temptations that Satan was permitted to bring against Him, and resisted all his assaults. He was sorely afflicted, and hard beset, but God did not leave Him without recognition. When He was baptized of John in Jordan, as He came up out of the water, the Spirit of God, like a dove of burnished gold, descended upon Him, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). It was directly after this announcement that Christ was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Mark says: “Immediately the spirit driveth Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts” (Mark 1:12, 13). “And in those days He did eat nothing” (Luke 4:2).

Meeting Temptation

When Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted, He was led by the Spirit of God. He did not invite temptation. He went to the wilderness to be alone, to contemplate His mission and work. By fasting and prayer He was to brace Himself for the bloodstained path He was to travel. How should He begin His work of freeing the captives held in torment by the destroyer? During His long fast, the whole plan of His work as man’s deliverer was laid out before Him.

When Jesus entered the wilderness He was shut in by the Father’s glory. Absorbed in communion with God, He was lifted above human weakness. But the glory departed, and He was left to battle with temptation. It was pressing upon Him every moment. His human nature shrank from the conflict that awaited Him. For forty days He fasted and prayed. Weak and emaciated from hunger, worn and haggard with mental agony, “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). Now was Satan’s opportunity. Now he supposed that he could overcome Christ.

There came to the Saviour, as if in answer to His prayers, one in the guise of an angel of light, and this was the message that he bore: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3).

Jesus met Satan with the words, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of His divinity. But that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance upon a “Thus saith the Lord” was a sign that could not be controverted. So long as Christ held to this position, the tempter could gain no advantage.

A familiarity with the word of God is our only hope. Those who diligently search the Scriptures will not accept Satan’s delusions as the truth of God. No one need be overcome by the speculations presented by the enemy of God and of Christ. We are not to speculate regarding points upon which the Word of God is silent. All that is necessary for our salvation is given in the Word of God. Day by day we are to make the Bible the man of our counsel.

From all eternity Christ was united with the Father, and when He took upon Himself human nature, He was still one with God. He is the link that unites God with humanity. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same” (Hebrews 2:14). Only through Him can we become children of God. To all who believe on Him, He gives power to become the sons of God. Thus the heart becomes the temple of the living God. It is because Christ took human nature that men and women become partakers of the divine nature. He brings life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Selected Messages, Book 1, 226–228.

God’s Promises

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The Bible says that the devil goes out to deceive the whole world. To do this he uses a three-pronged approach. First he attempts to deceive through miracles, false teachings and false doctrine. If that does not work he uses his seductive power, at which he is very successful. Multitudes of people know the truth, but they are seduced by the various forms of sin and held in bondage to them.

If you cannot be deceived or seduced, he still has a powerful weapon to use against you. He will use fear tactics that include threatened death, imprisonment or torture to get you to forsake the Lord. God is going to have a fearless people who cannot be deceived, because they know God will fulfill His promises. God says 366 times in the Bible, “Do not be afraid”—a promise for each day of the year, including the leap year.

God has every experience covered, and you can never be put in a position in which God is not aware and able to help you. Those who know these things will not fear the devil.

Bible Promises

“And of Asher he said, ‘Asher is most blessed of sons; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil. Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be.’ ” Deuteronomy 33:24, 25. Remember, the more trouble you find yourself in, the more grace and help is available—“as your days, so will your strength be.” “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, and in His excellency on the clouds. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ ” Verses 26 and 27.

“But the Lord shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Psalm 9:7–10. God is a refuge and help in trouble and does not forsake those that seek Him.

Psalm 46 is a prophecy of the experience of those who live at the very end of the time of trouble. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (verse 1). It goes on to say that God is going to be with them and help them (verses 5 and 7).

Psalm 91, also a prophecy of the final time of trouble, says in verses 1 and 2, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ ”

“You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat; for the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.” Isaiah 25:4. That also applies to the time of trouble coming upon the world at the end.

“Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, and a cover from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” Isaiah 32:1, 2.

Isaiah 26:20, 21 is a prophecy about the experience of God’s people right at the beginning of the time of trouble. It says, “Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain.”

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. … For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ ” Isaiah 41:10, 13.

Ellen White tells us that the three Hebrew worthies who were thrown into the fiery furnace remembered the promise, in Isaiah 43:1, 2, and it was fulfilled to them. “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.’ ”

When Jesus sent out His disciples to minister, He said: “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Matthew 10:28–31.

God knows everything about you, even the number of hairs on your head. He notices your every experience and says you have no need to be afraid. Jesus told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18. He also said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Verse 20. Paul said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” I Corinthians 10:12, 13. This verse is so interesting that I have personally checked it in the Greek New Testament to be sure it was translated accurately without taking any liberties.

Only those who have been in severe temptations, trials, troubles, suffering, and pain can totally understand this wonderful promise. We should all have that one memorized.

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” II Corinthians 12:7–10.

If you understood the full thrust of this promise, nobody could ever make you upset or dissatisfied or unhappy again no matter what happens, for God has grace that is sufficient for you. This is an instance where Paul prayed for something and the Lord chose not to give him what he had asked for three times, but He said, “I will give you grace, and I’ll give you enough.” His grace is sufficient. Now the word sufficient means you have enough and you are not lacking. Psalm 23:1 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not lack [want KJV].” God’s grace is limitless!

In Hebrews 13:5, 6, Paul actually quotes from Psalm 118. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ”

Perhaps we underestimate how strong a helper we really do have. Paul said to the Athenians, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28.

There are many recorded incidences of people, being tortured for their faith, who feel no pain when they cry out to the Lord. God knows every feeling, every pain, every suffering that we go through and when we pray to Him, He hears. The Bible says His name “is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” Proverbs 18:10. God’s promises defray all attempts of Satan to terrify, so take the time to store them in your memory so they are always available.

“No soul will be left to perish who asks in faith for the help of Christ. The weakest, the most struggling soul, may live, and find hope and sufficiency in God. When Jesus comes into the storm and the darkness, midnight is as bright as noonday.” The Signs of the Times, May 28, 1896. When the disciples were out in the storm and afraid they would die, Jesus came walking out to them and said, “Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

He has promised also to be with you, and you can claim it at any time or in any place and it will be fulfilled. He said, “Don’t be afraid, I am with you; I will help you.”

Ellen White describes the help God will give His people in the future. She says, “History will be repeated [referring to the three Hebrew worthies]. False religion will be exalted. The first day of the week, a common working day, possessing no sanctity whatever, will be set up as was the image at Babylon. All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation.

“The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world. In a limited degree, it has already gone forth. In several places the civil power is speaking with the voice of a dragon, just as the heathen king spoke to the Hebrew captives.

“Trial and persecution will come to all who, in obedience to the word of God, refuse to worship this false sabbath. Force is the last resort of every false religion. At first it tries attraction, as the king of Babylon tried the power of music and outward show. If these attractions, invented by men inspired by Satan, failed to make men worship the image, the hungry flames of the furnace were ready to consume them. So it will be now. The Papacy has exercised her power to compel men to obey her, and she will continue to do so. We need the same spirit that was manifested by God’s servants in the conflict with paganism. Giving an account of the treatment of the Christians by the emperor of Rome, Tertullian [who lived about the close of the second century] says, ‘We are thrown to the wild beasts to make us recant; we are burned in the flames; we are condemned to prisons and to mines; we are banished to islands—such as Patmos—and all have failed.’ So it was in the case of the three Hebrew worthies; their eye was single to the glory of God; their souls were steadfast; the power of the truth held them firmly to their allegiance to God. It is in the power of God alone that we shall be enabled to be loyal to Him.

“ ‘If ye love Me,’ said Christ, ‘keep My commandments’ (John 14:15). ‘He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him’ (John 14:21). And has not Christ manifested Himself to his faithful children? Did He not walk in the furnace with the captives who refused to yield to the golden image one tittle of the reverence which belonged to God? Did He not manifest Himself to John, banished to the Isle of Patmos for his faithfulness? Have not those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, who, tho they have been compelled to suffer, have refused to worship the institution of the Papacy, realized the presence of the divine Comforter in their lonely prisons?” The Signs of the Times, May 6, 1897.

A pastor was thrown into a communist prison and told that he would rot down there. In the complete darkness he had no perspective, nothing by which to gauge time, so he did not know whether it was night or day. He was given food, but in the dark it was impossible to know if he had been in there for an hour, a day, a week, a month or even a year. In a situation like this you become completely disoriented and can go crazy. He was afraid that he would lose his sanity. So, in his desperation he began to pray and cry out to the Lord to keep him sane. He reports it this way: “As I was praying, I saw a light. It was perfectly dark down there. The light came close and I saw that it was a person, a bright shining person who came right up to me and picked me up and just held me for a while, and then everything was all right.” It is impossible for man to put you in a place where God can’t hear your cry for help and find you. Eventually, the guard was changed, and he was taken out after 35 days in total darkness, but throughout that trying time God comforted him.

“The commandments of finite, sinful men are to sink into insignificance beside the word of the eternal God. Truth is to be obeyed at any cost, even tho gaping prisons, chain-gangs, and banishment stare us in the face. If you are loyal and true, that God who walked with the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, who protected Daniel in the lions’ den, Who manifested Himself to John on the lonely island, will go with you wherever you go. His abiding presence will comfort and sustain you; and you will realize the fulfillment of the promise, ‘If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make Our abode with him’ (John 14:23).” Ibid.

“Our victory as believers is obtained through the grace of Christ, which He can and will bestow upon all who will put their trust in Him. This is the good news with which Christ would have us comforted. In all the tribulation which the child of God must receive, whatever his position in the world, he may be of good cheer in contemplation of the truth that Christ has overcome the world.

“It is a great thing to be right with God, the soul in harmony with its Maker. Amid the contagion of evil example, which by its deceitful appearance would lure the soul from duty, angels will be sent to our rescue. But if we invite temptation, we can not have divine aid to keep us from being overcome. The three worthies endured the fiery furnace, for Jesus walked with them amid the flames. If they had, of themselves, walked into the fire, they would have been consumed. Thus it will be with us. If we do not deliberately go into temptation, God will sustain us when the temptation comes.

“But let no one think that an entirely new set of energies are to be communicated when we are brought into trying circumstances. We are to seek daily for the converting power of God. We should daily seek to recover in ourselves the moral image of God. Every affection, every attribute that has been perverted, must be restored by the grace of Christ. Lesser trials nobly borne under the control of God, will purify, refine, and ennoble us for endurance when the time shall come for greater test and greater trials.

“Then let us look the future decidedly in the face, and say, ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’ (Philippians 4:13). We must cherish the presence of Christ, for we need Him in the less as well as the greater trials. By a willingness for His sake to endure shame and reproach, by learning the meekness and lowliness of Christ, we shall prove the sincerity of our Christianity. When we are called to imprisonment and shame, when degraded by our fellow-beings, who are inspired by the spirit of Satan, God will give His grace to sustain us. His promise is, ‘… as thy days, so shall thy strength be’ (Deuteronomy 33:25).

“The righteous have ever obtained help from above. How often have the enemies of God combined to destroy the character and influence of a few simple persons who trusted in God! But because the Lord was for them, none could prevail against them. Only let the followers of Christ be united, and they will prevail. Let them be separated from their idols and from the world, and the world will not separate them from God. Christ is our present, all-sufficient Saviour. In Him all fullness dwells. It is the privilege of Christians to know that Christ is in them of a truth. ‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith’ (I John 5:4). ‘All things are possible to him that believeth’ (Mark 9:23); and whatsoever things we desire when we pray, if we believe that we receive them, we shall have them. This faith will penetrate the darkest cloud, and bring hope to the drooping, desponding soul. It is the absence of this faith and trust which brings perplexity, distressing fears, and surmisings of evil. God will do great things for His people when they will put their entire trust in Him. Christ will prove a never-failing source of strength, a present help in every time of trouble.” Ibid.

“ ‘In quietness and confidence shall be your strength’ (Isaiah 30:15). This is the lesson given to every soul. The strength of every soul is in God and not in man. Quietness and confidence is to be the strength of all who give their hearts to God. In all our temporal concerns, in all our cares and anxieties, we need to wait upon the Lord. ‘Put not your trust in princes, nor in the sons of men’ (Psalm 146:3 KJV), is the word that comes to us. The Lord has united our hearts with His. If we love Him, and are accepted in His service, we shall bring all our burdens to the Lord, and wait upon Him. Then we shall have an individual experience, a conviction of His presence and His readiness to hear our prayer for wisdom and for instruction, that will give us assurance and confidence in His willingness to succor [to help] in perplexity.

“God would have us rejoice, and praise Him every day for the privilege granted us in the words of Christ: ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light’ (Matthew 11:28–30). A kind and loving Friend and Father is overruling all things. And if this is true of individuals and nations, how much more of His church, His chosen ones?” The Signs of the Times, October 7, 1897.

Jesus invites all to come to Him as their refuge. Tell Him all of your concerns and what grieves you. Share your heart with Him and trust that He will give you all the answers to work calmly and quietly. He is also interested in how you will pay your bills or how you will get your car fixed when you do not have enough money. What if you lose your job? How will you manage with any health issues? Work as you can for others and the Lord will answer you. (See Isaiah 58.)

“The Elder Brother of our race is by the eternal throne. He looks upon every soul who is turning his face toward Him as his Saviour. He knows by experience what are the weaknesses of humanity, what are their wants, and where lies the strength of their temptations. The weakness of our human nature will not bar our access to the heavenly Father; for Christ was tempted in all points ‘like as we are, yet without sin’ (Matthew 11:25).

“Christ has not a casual interest in us. His love for us is stronger than that of a mother for her child. Says the prophet, ‘Can a woman forget her sucking child? … yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee’ (Isaiah 49:15). Our Saviour has purchased us by human suffering and sorrow. He suffered insult, reproach, abuse, mockery, rejection, and death. God is near in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, in His intercession, His loving, tender, ruling power over His church. Seated by the eternal throne, He watches His children with intense interest. He is watching over you, trembling child of God. He will make you secure under His protection. His promises are: ‘Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee’ (Isaiah 26:3). ‘Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord’ (Psalm 27:14). ‘They that wait on the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which can not be moved, but abideth forever’ (Psalm 125:1).” Ibid.

“The Lord is in active communication with every part of His vast dominions. He is represented as bending toward the earth and its inhabitants. He is listening to every word that is uttered. He hears every groan; He listens to every prayer; He observes the movements of every one; He approves or condemns every action. The hand of Christ draws aside the vail which conceals from our eyes the glory of heaven; and we behold Him in His high and holy place, not in a state of silence and indifference to His subjects in a fallen world, but surrounded by all the heavenly host—ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, all waiting to go at His bidding on errands of mercy and love.

“Christ had such an experience in His humanity that He desires to be close beside every one who passes through suffering for the truth’s sake—those who are tortured, imprisoned in dungeons, and bound in chains. He ministers to all such. He is the friend of all who love and fear Him, and He will punish those who dare to lead them from safe paths, or put them in positions of distress as they conscientiously endeavor to keep the way of the Lord.” The Signs of the Times, November 17, 1898.

Jesus suffered and died to save us. It was only when His disciples saw Him risen from the dead did they understand what He meant when He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19).

Ellen White said, “Shall our faith ever falter again? What stronger evidence could God have given us that Jesus is the Son of God? What greater evidence could be given of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ than that which has been given by those who were eyewitnesses of his Majesty? Will those who claim to believe in Christ as a personal Saviour, dishonor God by doubting that He to whose guardianship they have committed their souls will keep that which has been committed to His trust against that day? Jesus is a risen Saviour. He came forth from the grave to vindicate His previous claims, to confirm the faith of His followers, to establish the truth of His Godhead before men, to make doubly sure the assurance that ‘whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16).” The Signs of the Times, May 30, 1895.

If we could just get a hold by faith and understand how strong a helper we have that is in control of everything, Who knows all about us and will never forsake us, our stress would be eliminated. He has intimate knowledge of every molecule in every body and mind, and He wants to help. His love casts out all fear, no matter the threats of the evil agents or the trials that you face.

God has promised to be a refuge, a strength, a fortress, a help, a deliverance for His people. As our days, so our strength will be. “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you.” Deuteronomy 33:27. He will never leave you or forsake you and whatever happens, He will be your strength.

(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.