Was It Right? by S. N. H.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Jun 18, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 24.

Was It Right?

By S. N. H.

WHEN God took his people by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, he gave them instruction which, if they had heeded, would have made them the wisest people upon the earth; they would have enjoyed the most perfect health of any, and been the most noble. They had laws that were wise and humane in every particular. God had said that they should be "the head and not the tail." They were to be the "light of the world." From them light and knowledge were to emanate to the heathen; but if they did not give heed to the instructions which God gave them, it would be the reverse of this. They would be afflicted with sickness, and every evil would come upon them. Some of these requirements were, to all appearances, directly opposed to their temporal prosperity as individuals. Here is one that must have come close to the covetous. It is found in Lev. 25:16: "According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee."

This was a law pertaining to the jubilee. The Jews were permitted to sell their possessions to their brethren, or purchase of them, if they wished to do so; but in this they were to regard their wants if in any way they had become poor. The land thus transferred was to come back to the original owner at the end of a term of years. In the jubilee which came every fifty years each family and each tribe was to come into possession of its own land which God originally gave it. This had the effect to prevent any land monopoly. At the close of every fifty years, there was a distribution of the land, and God regulated the price of it accordingly. When there were many years to elapse before the jubilee, the price was to be proportionately large, and as they approached that time the price was to diminish. It mattered not how much improvement they made in their land, the real value was in the length of time they were to possess it. If for but one year it was worth only one-fiftieth as much as for fifty years. This principle was established so that no one might oppress another. The covetous man could not reason that his property was in a good condition, that he had previously been offered more for it, or that it had special attractions that made it superior to other places to him, so that he must have his price, and that unless he did have it he would hold to his property. These considerations were not to govern the price, but the value was to be estimated at what it would be to the purchaser. Thus a proper and just value would be placed upon property.

Many of our friends are considering the propriety of selling property and investing in the cause of God. This is a wise and good resolution. Any investment for the salvation of souls for whom Christ died brings us into close relation and sympathy with him. All the glory which he had with the Father and the holy angels, all that he endured while upon the earth, his shameful death upon the tree, he invested in man's salvation. When his estate was settled, for settled it was, he had but one suit of clothes. His entire all was given to the enterprise he had undertaken. But how shall we estimate the value of property? That is the question. Is it right for us to take less than we have been offered for it in the past? At present it is a hard time to sell, and shall we wait until we can get our price? or shall we make some discount on it? This will be determined by the amount of faith the person has in the truth, and his interest in the cause of our divine Redeemer.

If we really believe that the coming of the Lord "draweth nigh," and that the cause of present truth is worth more than any earthly enterprise, we shall act accordingly.

We are led to believe that men usually act the faith which they have. We are not urging men to give away their property; this is not necessary; but all Heaven is interested to see how much faith we have in the cause of our divine Lord, the one who has done so much for us. Wisdom from Heaven is needed, and an earnestness begotten of the Holy Spirit. Satan will not permit us to sail into Heaven without meeting contrary winds. This is self-evident. The question for us to decide is, Is it right for those who believe that the end of all things is near, to act as though they believed it? The Judgment will reveal who are the earnest, confiding ones that prize the truth of God. S. N. H.