ISRAEL DOTH NOT KNOW by H. A. St. John

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 11, 1902

“ISRAEL DOTH NOT KNOW.”

By H. A. St. John

ELDER H. A. ST. JOHN.

“THE OX knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.” Isa. 1:3.

Sad words indeed are these, addressed to ancient Israel, and to Israel in every age,—to Israel to-day if in the same lamentable condition. Such are not Israelites indeed, only in name. They are not prevailing with God, they are not soldiers of God. And yet the Lord in His infinite love calls them His people.

The Ox knoweth his owner, but backslidden Israel doth not know even so much as the ox; he doth not know his owner. The patient, toiling ox does not know the multiplication table, nor the alphabet, nor a thousand other things that Israel knows; but there is one simple fact he does know; he knows his owner; while a backslidden Israelite, with all his boasted knowledge of morality, and history, and prophecy, and men, and things, does not know his owner; and yet without the practical knowledge of this fundamental, eternal, and invaluable truth, all his other knowledge will prove worse than worthless in the end.

The ass knows nothing about astronomy, physiology, or theology; but he does know his master's crib; he knows whence cometh his daily supply of food, and without worry or concern rests and trusts in that knowledge: but the backslidden Israelite knows not his Master's crib. He becomes anxious and worried, and frets, and gets discouraged about what he shall eat, and what he shall drink, and wherewithal he shall be clothed. He does not rest and trust in his Owner. He does not own himself; he is not his own owner; he is bought with a price. He belongs to the Lord. He does not know his Master's crib. He does not remember and trust in the power and love of his Heavenly Father, who has promised never to leave nor forsake His children, nor to withhold any good thing from them that love Him.

He that keepeth Israel doth not slumber nor sleep. His loving hand is ever outstretched to supply from His crib—His storehouse of unwasting fullness—all their need, according to their highest good and His glory.

A true Israelite exclaims, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. . . . Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23.

Then let the doubting, fretting Israelite look around, and learn a lesson of trust from the beasts and the birds, and from the Scripture words, and never again fall below the beasts that perish, by forgetting his Owner and his Master’s crib.