November 6, 1913

“In the Spirit and Power of Elias”

EGW

Through the long centuries that have passed since Elijah's time, the record of his life-work has brought inspiration and courage to those who have been called to stand for the right in the midst of apostasy. And for us, “upon whom the ends of the world are come,” it has special significance. History is being repeated. The world today has its Ahabs and its Jezebels. The present age is one of idolatry as verily as was that in which Elijah lived. No outward shrines may be visible, there may be no image for the eye to rest upon, yet thousands are following after the gods of this world,—after riches, fame, pleasure, and the pleasing fables that permit man to follow the inclinations of the unregenerate heart. Multitudes have a wrong conception of God and of his attributes, and are as truly serving a false god as were the worshipers of Baal. Many, even of those who claim to be Christians, have allied themselves with influences that are unalterably opposed to God and his truth. Thus they are led to turn away from the divine and exalt the human.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 1

The prevailing spirit of our time is one of infidelity and apostasy,—a spirit of avowed illumination because of a knowledge of truth, but in reality of the blindest presumption. Human theories are exalted, and placed where God and his law should be. Satan tempts men and women to disobey, with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods. There is seen a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God, of idolatrous exaltation of human wisdom above divine revelation. Men have allowed their minds to become so darkened and confused by conformity to worldly customs and worldly influences that they seem to have lost all power to discriminate between light and darkness, truth and error. So far have they departed from the right way that they hold the opinions of a few philosophers, so called, to be more trustworthy than the truths of the Bible. The entreaties and promises of God's Word, its threatenings against disobedience and idolatry,—all are powerless to melt their hearts. A faith such as actuated Paul, Peter, and John, they regard as old-fashioned, mystical, and unworthy of the intelligence of modern thinkers.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 2

In the beginning God gave his law to mankind as a means of attaining happiness and eternal life. Satan's only hope of thwarting the purpose of God is to lead men and women to disobey this law; and his constant effort has been to misrepresent its teachings and belittle its importance. His master-stroke has been an attempt to change the law itself, so as to lead men to violate its precepts while professing to obey it.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 3

One writer has likened the attempt to change the law of God to an ancient mischievous practise of turning in a wrong direction a sign-post erected at an important junction where two roads met. The perplexity and misery which this practise often caused were great.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 4

A sign-post was erected by God for those journeying through this world. One arm of this sign-post pointed out willing obedience to the Creator as the road to felicity and life, while the other arm indicated disobedience as the path to misery and death. The way to happiness was as clearly defined as was the way the city of refuge under the Jewish dispensation. But in an evil hour for our race, the great enemy of all good turned the sign-post round, so that ever since multitudes have mistaken the way.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 5

Through Moses the Lord instructed the Israelites: “Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctify you. Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people. Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord: whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.” Exodus 31:13-17.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 6

In these words the Lord clearly defined obedience as the way to the city of God; but the man of sin has changed the sign-post, making it point in the wrong direction. He has set up a false sabbath, and has caused men and women to think that by resting on it they were obeying the command of the Creator.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 7

God has declared that the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord. When “the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them,” he exalted this day as a memorial of his creative work. Resting on the seventh day “from all his work which he had made,” “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.”RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 8

At the time of the exodus from Egypt, the Sabbath institution was brought prominently before the people of God. While they were still in bondage, their taskmasters had attempted to force them to labor on the Sabbath by increasing the amount of work required each week. And again and again the conditions of labor had been made harder and more exacting. But the Israelites were delivered from bondage, and brought to a place where they might observe unmolested all the precepts of Jehovah. At Sinai the law was given, and a copy of it, on two tables of stone, “written with the finger of God,” was delivered to Moses. And through nearly forty years of wandering, the Israelites were constantly reminded of God's appointed rest day, by the withholding of the manna every seventh day and the miraculous preservation of the double portion that fell on the preparation day.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 9

Before entering the promised land, the Israelites were admonished by Moses to “keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it.” Deuteronomy 5:12. The Lord designed that by a faithful observance of the Sabbath command, Israel should keep in mind their accountability to him as their Creator and their Redeemer. While they kept the Sabbath in the proper spirit, there could exist no idolatry. But should the claims of this precept be set aside as no longer binding, the Creator would be forgotten, and men would worship other gods.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 10

“I gave them my Sabbaths,” God declared, “to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.” But “they despised my judgments, and walked not in my statutes, but polluted my Sabbaths: for their heart went after their idols.” Ezekiel 20:12, 16. And in his appeal to them to return to him, he called their attention anew to the importance of keeping the Sabbath holy. “I am the Lord your God,” he said, “walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and hallow my Sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.” Verses 19, 20.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 11

In his terrible arraignment of Judah for her continual apostasy, the Lord declared, “Thou ... hast profaned my Sabbaths.” The priests, he said, “have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths.”RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 12

“Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads.” Ezekiel 22:8, 26, 31.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 13

At the restoration of Jerusalem, in the days of Nehemiah, Sabbath-breaking was met with the stern inquiry, “Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” Nehemiah 13:18.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 14

Christ during his ministry on this earth emphasized the binding claims of the Sabbath, in all his teaching showing reverence for the institution he himself had given. In the days of Christ, the Sabbath had become so perverted that its observance reflected the character of selfish and arbitrary men, rather than the character of God. Christ set aside the false teaching by which those who claimed to know God had misrepresented him. Although the rabbis followed him with merciless hostility, he did not even appear to conform to their requirements, but went straight forward keeping the Sabbath according to the law of God.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 15

In unmistakable language he testified to his regard for this law. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets,” he said; “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:17-19.RH November 6, 1913, Art. A, par. 16

(To be concluded.)