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WASH DAY

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 9, 1901

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 78, No. 15.

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WASH DAY

By Mrs. S. N. Haskell

MRS. S. N. HASKELL
(Concluded)
“Jesus taught by illustrations and parables drawn from nature and from the familiar events of every-day life. . . . In this way He associated natural things with spiritual, linking the things of nature and the life experiences of His hearers with the sublime spiritual truths of the written word.”
Surely, washing and ironing come under the head of “familiar events of every-day life,” and with this work the Lord has linked “the sublime spiritual truths of the written word.”
When speaking of the remnant Church that will be translated at Christ’s coming, He says that He “gave himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Eph. 5:25–27. As he wrote, the apostle evidently had his mind on the familiar work of washing and ironing. He had often seen the housewife hold up the linen to see if any spots had escaped her careful rubbing; and when the spots were discovered, the linen was again subjected to soap and water. This process was connected in his mind with the scrutiny given each character in the day of final cleansing in the courts above. God has linked them together in His word, so that the work of washing the garments of your households would be a reminder of your need of spotless garments of character.
Notice, all who will be accepted are to be without spot or wrinkle. The spots disappear during the washing; but the wrinkles are smoothed away under the pressure of the hot heavy iron. The greater the pressure, the finer the gloss on the linen.
As you stand at the ironing-table and smooth the wrinkles from the garments of your household, God designs that you should learn from that work how the wrinkles are removed from your character. He says to you, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you.” 1 Peter 4:12.
If you remember the lesson of the ironing, you will know that wrinkles yield only to pressure and heat. Those fiery trials are not strange things, but only your Heavenly Father’s great smoothing iron passing over your garment of character to prepare it for the final test, that He may present you with joy to himself. The Saviour’s hand guides the iron; He will not suffer it to remain in one place long enough to burn. He “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able” to bear. He will not mar the garment, but will perfect it for His kingdom.
“There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.” Prov. 30:12. We can not afford to be among that number.
When, weary and tired, you look out upon the lines filled with clothes, which were in the morning soiled, but now are clean, is the experience of the clothes your own? Can you hear the Lord saying to you: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God”? 1 Cor. 6:11. If you can hear the Saviour say to you, “Ye are washed,” it will help to rest your tired body, and will fill your home with the sunlight of His presence.
As you look upon the line of snowy clothes, your mind will revert to the precious words: “To her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Rev. 19:8.
The work of washing and ironing will help you to understand what the Lord meant when He said: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Rev. 7:14. You will recognize in the great tribulation the smoothing iron of the Lord, removing the wrinkles from your robes of character.
“Though thou wash thee with niter, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.” Jer. 2:22. All your efforts can not cleanse you. You are as powerless to cleanse your own sins as your clothes are powerless to cleanse themselves without your efforts. But the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. If you connect God and His word with your work, you will find that even “wash day” will be a joy to your heart, and you will realize the Saviour’s presence by your side as you engage in its arduous duties.