A Definite, Testing Message
By J. B. Blosser
The amazing love of God for the purchase of the blood of Christ leads him to send his children a definite message to help them in their need, and he always employs the plainest manner possible to give them that message. It is so plain that “he may run that readeth it.” The painstaking efforts of a fond mother to shield the child of her love from harm only faintly illustrates the care of our Heavenly Father for his children who are exposed to the plottings of a wily foe. With infinite wisdom he devised a plan of salvation from sin, and with sleepless vigilance he works with his divine power to deliver them from special dangers, and to lead them forth in paths of righteousness to glorify his name. Through his servant Noah he sent a message that exactly met the needs of the people that were to see the world deluged by a flood. The message was given in such a plain, definite manner that none could misunderstand it. As they heard the stirring message from that “preacher of righteousness,” announcing that a flood was coming upon the earth, and exhorting them to turn to God in repentance, and so be ready for that awful time, they could at the same time see the great ship in building that was to sail upon a flood of water. No one need misunderstand what his message meant. In it was salvation from sin, and a definite warning of the impending doom of the wicked. To fail to give the warning, or to fail to build the ark would have been alike fatal to those who had the message committed to them at that time. The blood of the souls who would have been lost would have been upon their garments. Moses had a definite message to give to Israel when the time had come to leave Egypt, and with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the Lord led his people in the way he would have them go. No one could mistake the message: by word of mouth and by the glory of his presence the way was shown. Moreover, this message was destined to reach all parts of the world, “that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty; and that ye might fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4: 24. Therefore God moved upon Moses to write out their experiences, and the truths that had been committed to them, that “all the people of the earth” might know the certainty of those things. Whether in Isaiah’s denunciations of the prevailing iniquity, or Jeremiah’s warnings of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, or Daniel’s visions of the conflicts of the future, or John’s startling announcement of the “kingdom of heaven at hand,”—all have in them a definite message, and it is given in a manner that all may understand it. It is adapted to the time and needs of the Lord’s people, and those who heeded it were delivered from the impending peril. Now that we have reached the time when God’s people are to pass through the last conflict with the enemy, and when the solemn scenes of the judgment are passing in the courts above, to be followed by the coming of Christ in glory to welcome his faithful remnant, a definite message is due to the world concerning these things, and it should be given in the plainest and most positive manner possible. When Job had a view of this time, he uttered the following earnest prayer: “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! for I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.” Job 19: 23-27. The certainty of the coming of Christ and of Job’s resurrection from the dead so fastened itself upon his mind that he desired to proclaim it in a way that no one could possibly misunderstand it, so he wished it “printed in a book,” and “graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever.” In this way all who desired could know what the message was that he had to proclaim. They could read it again and again. It is plainer and “more sure” than seeing with the eyes or hearing with the ears. This fact is testified to by Peter when he rehearsed the experience of those who were with Christ on the mount of transfiguration, and saw the exceeding glory of Christ, and heard the words of God. He says, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy.” Men may be mistaken in what they see or hear when it is only seen and heard once, but when written out and “printed in a book,” they can see it as often as they wish, hence they are “more sure” of understanding it. Luke also emphasizes this fact in his introductory words to his record of the gospel. He says that he wrote it “that thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.” Luke 1: 4. So, having committed to us the definite message that is designed to deliver his people in the “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation,” to prepare them to stand in the judgment, and meet him in peace at his coming, should we not, like Job, pray that these truths be “printed in a book,” and then these books be “scattered like the autumn leaves”? This is the way that God would have us pray and work. This earnest prayer of Job will be answered, and now is the time to expect it to be answered, for now the people are living who should receive these messages and prepare to meet the Lord. God would have all know the message for this time, and in no plainer manner can it be given than by scattering the printed pages containing it. The words of the living messenger may be heard, appreciated, and may make their impression; but there is danger that they will not be fully understood, or be forgotten, hence the necessity of printing them in a book, that the interested soul may read them again and again, that they may become, as it were, “lead in the rock forever,” graven there by the Spirit of the living God. Where are the faithful in Israel to-day? They are those who are holding fast to the definite message committed to this people, and laboring hard in a definite manner to give that message to the people. God is calling for an army of men and women to take these pages of truth, as they come from the press and place them in the homes of the people. The call for canvassers is timely, and their work will be blessed of God; and when the harvest is over, the faithful canvassers will hear the “Well done” spoken to them.