Ye Have Robbed Me by R. A. UNDERWOOD

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Feb 2, 1905

“Ye Have Robbed Me”

By R. A. UNDERWOOD

R. A. UNDERWOOD

“Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord.” Mal. 3:7.

This terrible indictment of God against the remnant church is coupled with a message of hope. Christ holds out the scepter of mercy to a people that have committed a great crime. “Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord.” To stand in the judgment, we must have clean hands and pure hearts. God commands his servants to “cry aloud, spare not, . . . and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” The books of record have been opened. It is court week in heaven.

“Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel,” (Amos 4:12) is the message of the hour. The angel with the measuring line has gone forth to measure Jerusalem. Zech. 2:1, 2. The search-light of the divine law must be turned upon every soul. Zeph. 1:12-18; Rev. 11:1; 14:12. The soul temple must be cleansed from every sin. Isa. 1:16; 1 John 1:9. Transgression must be put away from every one who abides the day of Christ’s coming. The church must be without spot upon her garments. The law of God, united with the faith of Jesus Christ (Rev. 14:12), will be the only passport that will admit a soul into the kingdom. This banner must be raised before the world by the church. The world must see exemplified in the life of the church all that the holy law of God demands. The church accepted at the coming of Christ, must be a living example of the divine law engraved in human flesh. For these reasons we invite your prayerful study of this great accusation.

When the Creator gave man a being, he reserved holy unto himself the seventh day of time. This day must be recognized as not belonging to man for secular purposes; it is to be kept holy unto God. Ex. 20:8-11. God also reserved one of the fruit-bearing trees of the garden as a test of man’s loyalty, and a recognition of God’s ownership. Gen. 3:3. God reserved sacredly but one day out of the seven to himself. Likewise, of all the products of the earth, he reserved but one tree to test man’s loyalty.

Time is essential to man’s being, so are the products of the earth. The former would be of no value to man without the latter, and the bounties of the earth would be of no profit to man without time. Hence God brings a test to man touching these essential gifts of God to man, which involve the entire moral law. The Sabbath has been a test in all the ages of the past, and will be to the end of the world. The tree of

knowledge of good and evil was removed with the paradise from the earth. But God has given, since sin entered, another test of similar character upon the same point; namely, he reserves one tenth of all the products of the earth as sacred and holy unto himself. Lev. 27:30.

The Sabbath has been trampled under foot for many generations. God’s people will take their feet off from the Lord’s holy day in the last days. Isa. 56:1; 58:1-13. For an equal period of time Satan has led the church to rob God of the holy tithe. Thus to defraud God is one of the greatest sins of which man can be guilty, and yet the sin is deep and wide-spread. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say [in self-defense], Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation [or people]. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, . . . and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Mal. 3:8-10. Will the church of Christ cleanse herself from these leprous sins? — Yea, she will come forth as “fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.”