p. 8 | Untitled article by F. M. W.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Apr 15, 1915

A Separate People — No. 1

By F. M. W.

God designed that his children in every age should be a peculiar people. He established his church to do a distinctive work, separate from every other organization in the world. It was his design that the members of his church should stand forth as lights in the world, as ambassadors of heaven to those who knew not God. This principle is enunciated by the prophet of the Lord, who was called by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel:—

“How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied? For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.” Num. 23:8, 9.

The children of God are actuated by different purposes than the people of the world. They labor from different motives. In the very nature of the case they could not be reckoned among the nations of earth. They must stand separate and alone.

This was the call extended to Abraham, the father of the faithful. He was asked to leave his country, his kindred, and his father’s house, to go into a strange land and among strange peoples as God’s light bearer. Throughout his sojourn in the land of Canaan he maintained this separate character, and this separate, distinctive existence was enjoined upon his descendants. The Israelites were faithfully admonished not to form any affiliation or partnership with their neighbors in Canaan. They were not to permit their sons and daughters to marry unbelievers; they were not to bow down to other gods, but were to maintain the holy character and exalted position to which God had called them. Deut. 7:1-6.

The New Testament Scriptures abound with many statements of these principles. The burden of Christ’s prayer, as recorded in the seventeenth chapter of John, was that while his followers were left in the world they should be kept free from worldly contamination and worldly influences. The apostles enunciated this principle over and over. In the writings of John, Peter, James, and Paul the church is warned against worldly affiliations.

In reviewing the history of the church we see that wherever this plain instruction was disregarded and the principle of complete separation violated, apostasy from the truth and departure from God were the inevitable results.

Powerless to utter the curse which his covetous heart had framed against Israel, Balaam sought by more subtle methods to obtain the rich reward offered by Balak, and to bring upon Israel the displeasure of God. He recommended that Israel be invited to witness the sports and attend the feasts of the Moabites. He himself as a professed servant of the Lord lent his personal influence to secure their attendance. His wicked scheme succeeded all too well. Hundreds from the camp of Israel were beguiled into the snare. They mingled with their heathen neighbors; they attended their feasts. In consequence they became the prey of the seductive wiles of the Moabitish women, sacrificed their integrity of character, going so far finally as to offer sacrifices to the gods of Moab. The anger of the Lord was kindled against them. The plague broke out in the camp of Israel, and twenty-four thousand were destroyed. It was a costly thing for Israel to forget the place to which God had called them in the world.

In the days of Jehoshaphat we are afforded another striking illustration of the results following disobedience to the instruction of the Lord. Ahab reigned in Samaria over the ten tribes. Jehoshaphat was king at Jerusalem. Jehoshaphat sincerely followed the true God. Ahab, while he recognized the God of heaven, worshiped the gods of the heathen about him. Antagonistic to both kingdoms was Syria, on the east. Against the king of Syria Ahab proclaimed war, and invited Jehoshaphat to join him against their common foe. It seemed a reasonable request, and Jehoshaphat, forgetting the distinctive place to which God had called him and the kingdom over which he ruled, “joined affinity with Ahab.” Ahab was slain, and Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life. As he returned to Jerusalem, Jehu, the prophet, met him and inquired, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord? therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord.” The king of Judah was not reproved for fighting against Syria. Indeed, Syria was one of the nations which Israel was commanded to exterminate. In joining affinity with Ahab, Jehoshaphat had lost his distinctive character. He was associating with those who knew not God, and for that reason the blessing of Heaven could not attend his efforts.

Later, in the days of the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Ezra, some of the kingdoms round about Jerusalem, the successors of the ten tribes who maintained at Samaria a mixed worship, who “feared the Lord, and served their graven images,” desired to unite in the work of restoring the temple service. They said: “Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esar-haddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.” But Zerubbabel and those associated with him in the work were not deceived by these specious representations. They realized that God had called them to do a distinctive work for him, and in the performance of that work they must stand alone. They returned the answer: “Ye have nothing to do with us to build an house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia hath commanded us.” In consequence of this refusal to permit these surrounding nations to make common cause with them, the repairers of the city were subjected for long years to all manner of persecution, which was continued not alone through the administration of Ezra, but reached into that of later generations. By threats, by cajolery, by intrigue, they sought to form an alliance with Nehemiah. In response to their request for a conference he returned to them this noble answer: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?” Like Ezra, he recognized the distinctive character of God’s work, and that in the carrying on of that work he must stand free from every outside influence and worldly entanglement.

God has called his people who are engaged in this movement to occupy a unique place in the world and to do a distinctive work. Seventh-day Adventists are intrusted with a special message for their fellows. With what spirit should that message be given? On what basis should our work be carried forward? How should we relate ourselves to the various societies and movements which in part may have common interests with us? These surely are questions for earnest consideration. We believe it is well for us to study carefully the principles contained in the scriptures which have been cited. F. M. W.