Your ShelfYour Projects

The Feast of Books

9%

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Dec 17, 1903

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 80, No. 50.

Read the full edition

“The Feast of Books”

By P. T. Magan

In ancient Israel the people left their homes three times a year to attend the annual feasts. All the able-bodied men and all who could make the journey, were expected to leave their places of abode, and proceed to the place of assembly.
In the meantime their places of abode were surrounded by fierce, warlike tribes anxious to seize upon their lands and property, and even to destroy the lives of the aged and feeble ones left behind.
To the human vision it would look as if in thus leaving their homes unprotected, Israel had done a very foolish thing. Yet we have no record that any calamity ever befell their homes or loved ones while they were thus engaged. They were off on the service of the Lord. The leaving of their homes by the entire people to assemble at a common point for the worship of God was one of the Lord’s ways of teaching the truths concerning himself to the heathen nations.
While Israel was absent on the Lord’s service, a precious promise was in force: “I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the Lord thy God thrice in the year.”
It is the same to-day. By manifesting perfect confidence in God to care for our welfare in temporal affairs, we shall do much to convince the world that we have in deed and in truth the religion of him who said: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles in their material form are no more. But their meaning, the moral lessons which they taught, will remain as long as the tides of time shall flow. In these last hours of earth’s history, the opening providences of the hour, the voice of the spirit of prophecy, the inner and most spiritual impulses of our souls, all call upon us to manifest our faith in God and in the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Just now is a great opportunity to do this by taking “Christ’s Object Lessons,” “Education,” and the special number of the Signs on Capital and Labor, and going forth to sell them to our friends and neighbors.
Who will join God’s workers in setting aside the month before the Christmas holidays each year to be a feast of books? Shall we not dedicate this time to the Lord by laying aside as far as possible our regular occupations, and devoting our service to the distribution of the literature which the Lord has given usfor the advancement of his kingdom in the earth? Let us begin at once to celebrate the feast of books.
P. T. MAGAN.