Your ShelfYour Projects

WALK IN THE LIGHT

17%

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 4, 1879

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 54, No. 11.

Read the full edition

WALK IN THE LIGHT.

By F. Peabody

We often hear people say that God has blessed them in the past, and therefore they have nothing further to do but to remain as they are, and God will still bless them. This is especially urged when we approach them upon the subject of the Sabbath. They say that God has blessed the church in the observance of the first day, and hence it must be right. Now is this good reasoning? Is it according to God's dealings with his people in the past? We think not.
A case to illustrate: God's people were in Egypt. Moses was sent to deliver them. The king would not let them go. God plagued the Egyptians, but put a division between his people and them. Ex. 8:23. The hand of the Lord was upon the cattle of the Egyptians, but those of Israel were saved. Then the hail came upon the Egyptians,—hail and fire very grievous; but in Goshen, where God's people were, there was no hail. Darkness came upon the land of Egypt, even darkness that might be felt; yet Israel had light in their dwellings. Ex. 10. How wonderfully God cared for and blessed his people amid those terrible plagues. Truly here we can see the goodness and severity of God.
But now comes the time for Israel's deliverance. The last plague is to be poured upon Egypt. God's people are still there, and must be protected. Will God still care for them? Yes; but they have a duty to perform. The angel of death is going through the land. Their dwellings must be marked if they would escape. Who is to do it? They themselves. Why? Because it was God's order. Had not God blessed and saved them from the previous plagues? Will he not do so now? Yes; but the conditions are, blood must be found upon the door-posts, and they must put it there. How easily they might have reasoned as many do now. We are his people, because he has cared for us. He has never before told us to mark our dwellings, and yet his blessings have rested upon us, when his curse was upon others. We think he will still be good to us, and save us, if we do just as we have in the past.
All can see that Israel had been brought where they must act if they would have God's protection. They had a new duty laid upon them. They would have been very foolish to neglect to put the blood upon the door-posts to notify the destroyer that some of God's people were within. Alas, how many, through the plea of the past goodness and blessings of God, are neglecting to prepare for the coming storm of his unmingled wrath. Light has dawned upon his word, showing the mark that will save his people when the terrific storm comes upon the guilty. This time it is not blood upon the door-posts of their dwellings. The Father's name as found in his unchangeable law will distinguish his people, and enable them to get the victory over the beast and his image, and over his mark, and to stand upon the sea of glass. Rev. 15:2.
God has been, is, and will be, good to his people. He will lead them in a way they know not. He only asks us to do all he requires, walking in the light as it shines upon our pathway, even though it unfolds to us new duties and obligations. F. PEABODY.