WHY THIS EXPERIENCE? by R. F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 7, 1869

WHY THIS EXPERIENCE?

By R. F. Cottrell

When the Lord warns us of perils, we may be sure they will come, and cannot be too much on our guard. And when we are warned by the example of others, we cannot heed the caution too much. The people of Israel whom God led out of Egypt, are set before us as examples, and we are cautioned not to do as those did who murmured, sinned, tempted God, and were destroyed in the desert.

“Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were immersed into Moses, in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and all did drink the same spiritual drink (for they drank of the spiritual rock, which followed them, and that rock was Christ). Nevertheless, with the greater part of them God was not well pleased; for they were cast down in the wilderness. Now these things have become types to us, in order that we should not be lusters after evil things, even as they lusted. Neither be you idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to dance.’ Neither let us commit whoredom, as some of them committed whoredom, and fell in one day twenty-three thousand. Neither let us grievously tempt Christ, as some of them tempted, and perished by serpents. Neither let us murmur you, as even some of them murmured, and perished by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as types: and are written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages are come. Wherefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Cor. x, 1-12. Campbell.

God gave the people sufficient reason to believe on him, and to trust his providence; then he tried their faith. But with the greater portion their faith was not sufficient to endure the trial. After they had seen his wondrous miracles in Egypt and at the Red sea, they should never have doubted his providential care and protection. But as soon as they saw themselves in a strait place, and could see no way to be sustained, they would begin to murmur, distrust God, who had brought them out of Egypt, and would no longer believe in him. Reason would have taught them to believe God on the evidence already given, and trust that he would open their future way before them, and fulfill all that he had promised. They did not act consistently. Their faith should have been established on what they had seen before, on the evidences that God had already given them; so that no state of embarrassment into which they might be brought, could make them distrust the truth that God was leading them.

These are examples to us, and are written for our admonition, on whom, as the apostle says, the ends of the ages are come. It was a great test upon the people of God, at the end of the Jewish age, when the gospel of Christ came, crucified and risen again, took the place of this gospel in promise. The change of dispensation was testing. But, at the end of this age, greater trials and tests will be upon the people of God. We have been forewarned and cautioned, that we may be prepared for it, and, proving ourselves faithful, escape the dangers and be saved.

Now when some new difficulty arises to try our faith, how should we act? Shall we say at once, The Lord is not with us, that he is not leading us; or should we look at the evidences he has already given in the past, on which our faith is settled and grounded? If we do not know why God has suffered these terrible trials to come upon us, why we find ourselves in a desert place where there is no water nor food, it is not for us to say, God has not led us; if he has, it is to destroy us. No; God has done right. We will believe him for what he has done, and not murmur against him for what he has not done.

Those who have no real faith and confidence in the present work of the Lord, whose hearts are ready to rebel and to turn back into Egypt upon the slightest pretext, will have opportunity to do so, and will be purged out. But those who truly believe God, who stand firmly upon what he has done, will not be moved. They will humble themselves, acknowledging the need of humbling chastisement, and believe that God will lead them out. They will obey the admonition, ‘Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.’

R. F. COTTRELL.