Those Hard Lessons by William C. White

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · May 28, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 21.

Those Hard Lessons.

By William C. White

THE organization and growth of the Sabbath-school work among our people furnishes an interesting study. The unity of purpose, and the determination to do better work, quarter by quarter, are very encouraging.

In the matter of Bible study it is difficult to retain a fixed degree of efficiency; for by persevering diligence we are forming better habits, or by indifference or neglect we become less capable of mastering the subjects brought out in the lessons. If our work is not progressive, and our lessons so prepared as to call for more earnest study, quarter by quarter, we should feel that they came short of fulfilling their mission.

It is a fact that the present series of lessons treating upon Bible doctrines calls for much diligent study, perhaps more than any other lessons we have had. And we are glad that we see in many churches a real revival of the spirit of Bible study. We can ill afford to pass these subjects more slowly than we do, for there are many we desire to study; and as it is, a long time will be required to take up the most important. Then if the lessons were so easy that they could be learned by a few moments' study on Friday night or Sabbath morning, they would fall far short of accomplishing the desired work upon the hearts and minds of the students.

We are living in a time when every one is busy about important and unimportant matters. Satan has invented many devices to absorb the attention of the people, and engage their entire time, so that they shall have no opportunity to think of their eternal interest, or to study the word of God. We have been frequently told that our only safety from the deceptive temptations that are soon to be brought upon us, and from the worldly influence to which we are daily subjected, lies in a diligent and prayerful study of the word of God. But it is apparent that to a large extent we neglect this solemn and important duty. And although a good many resolutions are made, we pass along from week to week, devoting but little more than a fraction of the Sabbath to this study.

What a blessing, then, to have a Sabbath-school lesson which furnishes sufficient matter for thought and study during the week. We will not claim that there have not been lessons which were so hard as to be discouraging to those who were not accustomed to diligent Bible study; but we think that in our present and future lessons there will be found to be very few that cannot be thoroughly mastered. Some one has said to us that there are too many texts to be committed to memory; and we were pointed to some lessons which had a large number of references printed in black letters, indicating that they were to be memorized; but upon examination we found that many of these texts had been used in the back lessons, and that only a part of them were new texts. We have noticed that when a new subject has been begun, but five or six texts in each lesson are marked to be committed to memory. In the following lesson five or six new texts are given, and every reference to those formerly committed to memory is printed in black letters. This would lead one who has not been studying the lesson thoroughly, to feel that the lesson is a very hard one; whereas, a person who has learned each lesson, week by week, would experience no difficulty.

We are aware that there is a way of studying which will lead both the student and the teacher to think that the lesson is mastered, but which accomplishes but little or nothing in the way of acquiring permanent information. There are persons, especially among the young, who can study a lesson just before going into the school, and by mere force of memory repeat the verses and answer the questions correctly, although they have devoted no earnest thought to the subject; and in almost every case they are as quick to forget as they were to learn. This kind of study accomplishes but little permanent good. But if the study of each lesson is begun on Sabbath afternoon, and some thought is devoted to it each day during the week; all its arguments are mastered and well understood. The lesson learned in this way, will not leave the scholar as soon as it is recited.

We are in danger of placing too little importance upon the study of these doctrinal lessons. We know many churches which take hold of the matter with a will, and they have been greatly blessed by these studies. Is there less necessity for us to study the Scriptures, than for the children of Israel anciently? They were commanded to teach their children the commandments of the Lord diligently, when they sat down, when they rose up, and when they walked by the way. Deut. 11:19. We believe that in these days of peril, there is more need of diligent, daily, prayerful study of the Scriptures, than for any generation in the past.—W. C. W., in S. S. Worker.