Shibboleth by A. M. Lindsley

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1873

Shibboleth.

By A. M. Lindsley

“And the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites; and it was so, that when those Ephraimites which were escaped, said, Let me go over, that the men of Gilead said unto him, Art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay; then said they unto him, Say now Shibboleth; and he said Sibboleth; for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him, and slew him, at the passages of Jordan.” Judges 12: 5, 6.

In every age God has had a people that were peculiarly his, by obedience to his statutes and commandments; a people chosen by himself among whom to record his name. Chosen out from among the adjoining nations were the children of Israel, that, in and for them, he might make his great power known, that glory and honor might redound unto himself—a people whose aim and characteristic it was, like Abraham and Moses, to believe God; though “all were not Israel that were of Israel”—“choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season,” &c. Heb. 11: 25. We have the record of these and many more faithful exponents of obedience to the faith, of whom the world was not worthy. God saw fit to prove them in various ways, to see whether they would keep his commandments or no.

The great point of controversy between right and wrong, between the government of the Creator and the assumed power and dominion of Satan’s kingdom, is the law of the world’s rightful Sovereign. He formed rules which were correct and perfect, emanations of his own attributes and perfections, the doers of which should live. Satan, by his rebellion and treachery, would have involved the race in final ruin, had not the wisdom and love of God devised a way by which mankind might have hope. One would suppose that, ere six thousand years of controversy should expire, the great rebel would have succumbed; that even he would have felt a sorrow at having caused so much woe and devastation. But, no; it seems to be the element of his character. Sin, misery, and death follow in his train, the very opposite of obedience to God’s law. Says David, Ps. 19: 7–11, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.” And 119: 165: “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” And in his confidence he says: “I am thine, save me.” Verse 94. Why, David? “For I have kept thy precepts.” “I will never forget thy precepts; for with them thou hast quickened me.” Verse 93.

The theme of his meditation was the law of the Lord, called also precepts, statutes, and judgments. These were his watchword, the point around which culminate all his songs of triumph and joy. To him they became his Shibboleth of escape from his enemies, the keeping of them his tower of strength and the key to his power with God.

The word Shibboleth signifies burden and was not given the Ephraimites to pronounce on account of its meaning, but simply to discover, by way of pronouncing it, their nationality. Doubtless they had a manner, as some classes of the English people have, of omitting the letter h, where it should be, and possibly of using it where it should not be. I will here give a quotation from a not very recent writer:—

“Grace, as well as nature, has its own distinctive features and peculiarities, which render it clearly distinguishable from everything else. In nature, the tree, shrub, and plant, are known, both in kind and quality, by their fruit and blossoms. The different nations are distinguished by their manners, customs, color, and dialect. Every language has an accent peculiar to itself, which is the testword, or Shibboleth, of its nationality. The citizen of Zion is discerned by his Shibboleth; for, having been delivered from the power of darkness, and translated

into the kingdom of His dear Son, he is ‘no more a stranger and foreigner, but a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God;’ and by adoption, he naturally speaks the language of the heavenly Canaan. His interests have become identified with those of his Father’s family. All his treasures are there, and his heart is there; consequently, his conversation is there also. But when he speaks, it is not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; “for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God; and the Spirit taketh of these things, and revealeth them unto him;” and while, out of the fulness of his heart, he speaks of those deep experiences, of high hopes, and holy joys, and abounding grace, his words are accompanied with a divine power which reaches the hearts of others, and awakens in them kindred emotions of love and joy unspeakable.

“The natural man, in distinction from the Christian, is ‘an alien from the commonwealth of Israel;’ consequently, his treasures are in the world; and, as naturally as the Christian, his heart and conversation are where his treasure is. Being of the ‘earth, earthy,’ he receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them; because they are ‘spiritually discerned.’ And were he to attempt to speak the language of Canaan, it would be utterly impossible; for, like those evil-minded Ephraimites who quarreled with Jephthah, he ‘could not frame to pronounce it right;’ hence it would be, at best, but Sibboleth. . . . The Ephraimites’ test-word lacked but one letter of the true Shibboleth, yet its pronunciation betrayed both their nationality and character, and they were slain. For ‘whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.’ Faith and works are inseparably connected; for, either one being alone, it is dead. Hence the utter impossibility of salvation without both. Let us daily examine our hearts, and try them by the infallible word, lest, when we are required to pronounce the Shibboleth which fixes our destiny for an eternal forever, it will be but the ‘Shibboleth of many wonderful works,’ even though done professedly in the name of Jesus; or that it be found wanting the emphatic letter in the law of righteousness,—Christ—and we be numbered with those who cannot frame to pronounce it right.”

The similitude above commented on may be extended still further for our benefit, by taking into consideration the claims of the law and the gospel united, as given in the last part of the message of the third angel of Rev. 14: 9–12. God has not left his people without instruction, but has always preceded his judgments with warnings of such a character as to be proportionate to the judgments that were to follow, and his mercy reached those who received and acted upon them. “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3: 7. By taking the prophecies and history for our geography, chronology, and measuring line, the law and the gospel for our compass and quadrant, we may ascertain our latitude and longitude on the sea of time, and our individual nearness in heart and life to the standard laid down.

In Rev., chap. 13, just before the final triumphant song of the saints on the sea of glass, a beast is brought to view which, in its various specifications, symbolizes, as we think, this nation with its lamb-like horns of equal rights, &c. It is, however, to speak as a dragon, by causing a decree to be made which is to be enforced under pain of death. The warning of the third angel is in view of this, and has also threatenings of a most fearful character. By comparing closely, we see that these stand directly opposed the one to the other. In the warning given by the angel, we have a company in patience under their accumulated trials, keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus, refusing to worship the beast or his image, or receive his mark. Under the power symbolized by the two-horned beast all who do not worship the beast and receive his mark, are to be put to death; or at least a decree made to that effect. Here, then, is a crisis in which none can remain neutral. All will have to take sides. Those who come up to that time without having indorsed the truths brought out in the third angel’s message, and heeding the warning, and making the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus emphatically the language of their heart and life, will as assuredly perish as the unfortunate Ephraimites at the passages of Jordan. For the wine of the wrath of God, which the angel declares to be the seven last plagues, see chap. 15: 1, will surely overtake them. God help us to choose to suffer affliction with his people, for he “will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

The prophet Isaiah, as he looked down through the years of time, and beheld the distant events, brought them out here and there with thrilling power. May God help us, with our hearts touched with the same sacred fire from off the altar which touched his lips, to understand what has been written for our learning.

Beholding a people who were professing righteousness, he says, chap. 58: 1: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God; they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.” Here is a people who, by some means, are deceived in regard to their standing; and by comparing scripture with scripture, we can gain an understanding where it applies. We will not at this time enter into the proofs, but would say, briefly, that we believe the prophet had his eye on the giving of the third angel’s message, for it is when a people stand convicted of forsaking the ordinance of God, &c. This must refer to the fourth commandment, for it is the only one on which the Protestant world differ, and this is the very one which the papacy has changed. Isa. 24: 5: “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant,” &c. By the change it has produced the breach in God’s law, spoken of in the last part of the 58th chapter. “And thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath,” &c.

There are those who do not regard it as our duty to investigate and explain the prophecies, or at least are not satisfied with a literal interpretation which leads to such a result as the literal, speedy coming of Christ. Unwittingly, perhaps, they help to constitute the class of whom Isaiah speaks in chap. 29: 10–14: “For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed. And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I am not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men,” &c.

“In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.” See Isaiah chapters 25 and 26. May we yield a perfect and willing obedience to all his revealed will, which, if we follow, we shall know of the doctrine, and it will prove to us our shibboleth, and secure an inheritance into his everlasting kingdom.

A. M. LINDSLEY. Palermo, Oswego Co., N. Y.