EDITORIALS by Editor

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 2, 1916

EDITORIALS

By Editor

Learning from Others' Experiences

THE lessons which God taught Israel of old are lessons for us today. From the record of their experiences we may draw much valuable instruction as to what God would have us do in the times which are before us. Some of these lessons are illustrated in the following scripture:—

“With many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. 10: 5-12.

Evil has always existed in the church of God. Even when the Lord was going before his people in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, the church was far from perfect. If one was looking for mistakes and imperfections, he could find them. He could find many instances, doubtless, where it appeared to him that the affairs of the church were mismanaged; that the leaders made mistakes. Indeed, we know that the leaders did make mistakes. Miriam, the prophetess of the Lord; Aaron, the high priest; Moses, with whom the Lord spoke “face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend,” made such grievous mistakes that they were not permitted to go over into the Land of Promise. They died in the wilderness, and the men who found fault with them died. The doubters and faultfinders and grumblers also died. The murmurers and complainers likewise fell under the judgment of divine retribution.

But there were others living in the same environment, and under precisely the same conditions, who went through to the Land of Promise. They recognized the leadings of God even in their wilderness wanderings. They turned their eyes away from the sins and the mistakes of those around them, and kept them fixed upon the blazing symbol of God's presence. They refused to contemplate the darkness, and turned their faces to the light. They were forward-looking men,—men who believed God, and doubted not the fulfilment of his promises. Such were Caleb and Joshua and thousands of others who went over into the goodly Promised Land.

“Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.” Heb. 4: 1, 2.

Shall we be admonished by the experiences of the church of God in the past? We, like Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and the two hundred and fifty princes of Israel who united with them in their rebellion, may feel that we have occasion for complaint and murmuring against God and our fellows. We may see things in church organization which we consider wrong. We shall see imperfections in our leaders. There are questions relating to doctrine and to the work of the Spirit of prophecy upon which we may not agree, and which we may not understand. Shall we view these things in their proper perspective, giving to them the attention at the proper time and in the proper way that their importance deserves, and keep our eyes steadfastly set upon the goal before us, looking to our divine Leader for inspiration for service? or shall we permit our minds to feed upon the evils which we think we see, to the weakening of every noble purpose and the suppressing of every right impulse? Some who have been connected with this movement have done this, and we have before us their example as an admonition to us to avoid the pitfalls into which they have fallen.

We may find in the church of God today largely that for which we look. We may find those who appear selfish in their desires and sordid in their purposes, unconverted and unregenerate. On the other hand, we may find the true and the loyal, as faithful men and women as any age has possessed. We may pursue a course of thinking and of reasoning which will destroy faith and enshroud us in the darkness of despair; or we may cherish that faith and confidence in God which will prove the inspiration of hope and bring us victory in our personal experience and success in our Christian activities. It is for us to determine, through God's grace, how life's experiences shall affect us.

By trial and disappointment, through the fading of our hopes and the blasting of our ambitions, we may become sobered, softened, refined in heart and nature, meekly submitting to God, taking joyfully the spoiling of our goods, believing that the One who has begun a good work in us is abundantly able to finish it, and that he will work everything out for our good in the end. On the other hand, we may permit life's trials so to annoy that we shall become soured and embittered. Our hand will be against every man, and we shall imagine that every man's hand is against us. We shall distrust the most kindly efforts of our friends to help us, and impute evil motives to the most devoted of our brethren and sisters. But let us realize that in doing this we have set our feet in the paths which lead down to darkness and despair. By nature we are no better than those who have gone these paths before us, and just as truly as we follow in their steps we shall separate ourselves from God and from his truth, the same as they have done.

We doubt not that from a human standpoint it will seem to us many times that the work of God in the earth is going to pieces. We shall feel, as did Elijah of old, that we stand alone, and God will permit this in order that we may be shaken loose from every human influence, and learn to trust wholly in him and lean on his mighty arm. But we shall find sometime, if not in this world then in the world to come, that we have not stood alone after all; that God has many faithful souls today, even as he had in the days of Elijah, who have not bowed the knee to Baal nor kissed his image.

Let us break loose from the demons of doubt which would drive us away from God; let us arise and enjoy the

light and liberty and victory which are in Christ Jesus for every soul.

God still lives. He holds the nations of men in the hollow of his hand. He is still leading in his work in the earth. As our eyes are anointed, we shall see as mighty evidences of his power as when his visible presence was manifested to Israel. Let us talk faith, and faith will spring up in our own hearts. Let us forget our own ills, our own wounded feelings. Let us put from our hearts malice and envy and jealousy, and go forth to minister to the souls around us who are in need of sympathy and help. We shall find that Christ will go with us; he will give us strength for the service; and in blessing others, our own souls will be doubly blessed. F. M. W.