THE ENSIGN OF THE HOLY ONE.
The distinguishing characteristic of the true God is creative power. It is by this that He is differentiated from the gods of the nations. In both the Old and New Testaments by prophet and apostle, creative power is the distinguishing characteristic of the true God. Two passages, among the many, must suffice to show this: “Jehovah is the true God; He is the living God, and an everlasting King. . . . Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, these shall perish from the earth, and from under the heavens. He hath made the earth by His power, He hath established the world by His wisdom, and by His understanding hath He stretched out the heavens.” Jer. 10: 10-12. After the same manner Paul preached the Gospel of God unto the heathen: “Ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is.” Acts 14: 15. The ensign of His power is the Sabbath, around which cluster the great facts of a completed creation. Read it as it is set forth in His own holy law:— “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.” Ex. 20: 8-11. The fourth commandment is the only precept of God’s holy law which reveals Him for what He is, Creator and Redeemer, mighty to save, because of His creative power, the Holy One of Israel. “He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered” by His Sabbath. It is His memorial to all generations. And yet when this ensign of God’s authority is lifted high before the people, many ridicule, despise, and reject it. But this very thing the Lord foretold by His prophet of old: “Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come forever and ever [marginal Hebrew “the latter day”]; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord; which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits; get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Isa. 30: 8-11. Men may shut their eyes from God now, and cover their eyes from His truth, but they will sometime meet it all in the judgment. They will then meet their own delusions, which they have chosen. See verses 12, 13. Now the Lord says, “Turn and live.” “Turn away thy foot from the Sabbath.” “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.”