Judges 5:23, commentary and pictures

The angel pronounces a bitter curse upon Meroz and its inhabitants because they refused to come to the help of the Lord against the mighty. Their guilt was not in enormous crimes above others but in doing nothing and shunning the work they should have done when the help of everyone was needed. To be Meroz is to be lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, hearing the words of Christ without doing them and assenting to the work while the heart is not in it. The mighty are invisible supernatural powers of darkness working with intensity to enslave and destroy souls, for the war is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. Doing nothing is itself sin that brings condemnation and a curse, while coming to the Lord's help with wholehearted, courageous, unselfish labor brings blessing, strength and spiritual prosperity.

Curse, Meroz and Mighty

The angel of the Lord pronounces a bitter curse upon Meroz and upon its inhabitants because they did not come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. The curse falls on professed soldiers who claim to be faithful and true yet withhold the help the entrusted work needs, and the same curse will be spoken against indifferent ones who fail to arouse and act their part. To withhold aid is to refuse to join the battle for truth and to support the Lord's cause against powerful opposition. In the great day when judgment sits and the books are opened and everyone is judged according to deeds done in the body, those under it will share the curse.

Meroz committed no active evil above others, and its condemnation rested not on enormous crimes but on neglect, on doing nothing when the help of everyone was needed. There was a work it shunned, failing to come to the help of the Lord against the mighty, doing the work of God negligently in a lax and irresponsible course. That shunning of responsibility, refusing to engage in good work unless it is pleasant and agreeable and remaining in spiritual indolence and sloth, brings condemnation. Believers who profess to be children of God yet remain idle and withhold light and help from those sitting in darkness repeat the sin of Meroz instead of diffusing the knowledge they have and presenting Christ as the only Mediator. The delusion of being about right because there have been no grievous outbreaking sins, seeing no special sins calling for repentance and humble confession and rending of heart, mistaking the form of godliness for its power and flattering self as rich with need of nothing, does not lessen disobedience, nor does measuring self by the crooked paths and failings and follies and sins of others serve as a balm for conscience.

Meroz means being lukewarm, neither for nor against and neither cold nor hot, hearing the words of Christ but not doing them. It belongs to those with great light and great opportunities and every spiritual advantage who with the same breath praise Christ and the world, bow to God and mammon, make merry with the children of the world while claiming to be blessed with the children of God, and want Christ as Saviour without bearing the cross and wearing His yoke. To assent to the work while the heart is not in it, remaining benumbed and stupefied and amazed and unprepared to participate fully when there are clear evidences that God is waiting to be gracious and sinners and backsliders are being invited to the cross, is to refuse that help and is great evidence of the lukewarm condition of the church. Remaining in that state brings rejection with abhorrence and leaves nothing but evil before them unless mercy intervenes, and through lukewarmness and benumbed indifference and self-seeking and ingratitude for manifestations of God's power the work is hindered and spiritual withering follows.

The mighty are invisible supernatural foes, the mighty powers of darkness with Satan working with intensity of purpose to enslave and destroy souls. They are the same powers who in the days of Daniel held back the heavenly messenger from convincing the king of Persia of the work he was to do, and meeting them as the coming of the Lord nears requires awaking, praying most earnestly, putting on the whole armor of God for battles fought daily, and close communion with God and entire conformity to His will. The church fails and is deficient when she does not press back those mighty influences of the satanic force, and overcoming requires the quickening power of God in men and women who love God supremely and their neighbor as themselves and crave power to bear witness to the love of Jesus and to convict and convert sinners. Those fully consecrated to God are strengthened to resist Satan and called to active service in Christ's cause, taking a firm stand against him and going steadily forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

The war is not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. This world is the great field where the last battle is to be fought, for the fierce conflict of mind with mind and principle with principle and truth with error has already begun and is fast approaching. In the soon-opening great scenes when the Lord comes with power and great glory, Satan, knowing his usurped authority will soon end, makes his most decided final effort of rebellion to gain control of the world and destroy its inhabitants and manifest enmity against good through the hosts of apostasy. Though weak and erring, God's servants can through Christ obtain renewed energy and the heavenly anointing and spiritual eyesight and be made strong to take their place in this conflict, employing all ability and tact by Scriptural and holy means for aggressive warfare not against brethren and not against the Lord's anointed but against satanic agencies, so that the walls of antichrist shall fall before the Captain of the Lord's host.

Sin of Doing Nothing

Meroz committed no active evil, and that inaction itself was sin, for the bitter curse fell because its people failed to come to help against strong enemies when it was their privilege to do so. To know the Master's will and do it not brings condemnation, and those who refuse to act their part and do nothing to advance the cause and build up spiritual interests healthfully in every line are cumberers of the ground who will receive according to their works. Merely possessing affectionate and generous traits is not enough, for withholding care for the worthy poor and support for the work of saving men brings condemnation, and those with kindly affections, generous impulses, and love for souls carry heavier responsibility if they let those gifts lie unemployed and waste, being classed with unfaithful servants while even narrow selfish souls must answer for niggardliness. Shunning responsibility, refusing to engage in good work unless it is pleasant and agreeable, and remaining in spiritual indolence and sloth brings condemnation, and doing the work negligently in a lax and irresponsible course disqualifies from being after God's own heart.

The curse falls for indifference to the woes of others and for doing nothing, disappointing Christ when efforts for others are disregarded and apparently lost and yield no immediate visible fruit. It forbids becoming weary in well-doing, inactive, discouraged, despondent, and murmuring, and requires courageous, patient, painstaking work for the good of others rather than studying inclination and pleasure and serving and glorifying self, after the example of One who became poor that men through His poverty might be made rich and died that they might not perish but have eternal life, not refusing to bear iniquity though rejected by many and little appreciated. Like Meroz, churches fail when they are indifferent to mission work, with laymen at ease with folded hands feeling responsibility rests upon ministers, when to every man is appointed earnest, persevering work for the salvation of souls and not only work in fields of corn and wheat. The curse rests on long-experienced professed Christians shorn of strength by unfaithfulness and outgeneraled by the enemy in nearly every attack, who fail to walk in the light given, to remain steadfast to duty, to seek and do the whole will of God, to stay near God and obtain power of grace to overcome natural infirmity, and to obtain victories showing weaker faith the way, the truth, and the life, but remain distant, weakened, and hindering others who need strength to overcome love of self, pride, vanity, and love of worldly approval. It falls on those deluded to think they are about right because they have committed no grievous outbreaking sins, seeing no special sins calling for repentance, humble confession, and rending of heart, mistaking the form of godliness for its power and flattering themselves that they are rich with need of nothing, for measuring self by the crooked paths, failings, follies, and sins of others and using them as a balm for conscience does not make disobedience less sinful. Like Meroz they are reproved for unbelief, for selfishly serving temporal interests and loving work bringing greatest profit in this life, for letting others do the work in the vineyard and bear heaviest responsibilities, and for slothful service and sins of neglect, being diligent only when personal advantage is to be gained with no motive for special diligence otherwise, eating rations regularly yet having no special love for physical labor and shunning toil, hardship, and conflict, which disqualifies from the ministry requiring industriousness, diligence in business, faithfulness in social and public duties, and persevering energy in God's chosen work.

To be like Meroz is to bury the entrusted gift instead of putting it to work, for gifts increase only by being used, and weakness comes from failing to exercise the ability given and from refusing to arise and join the work against powerful opposition. It is to know the truth but fail to act on it or use abilities to advance truth and righteousness, to fail to cultivate abilities so as to be reliable burden-bearers, to fail to use means and personal effort, to fail to demonstrate living faith in family and neighborhood by kindness to the poor, sympathy with the afflicted, missionary labor, and aiding the cause with means, and to fail to warn others and win souls. It is to neglect unreached people and leave thousands without the gospel while concentrating on believers who already know the truth, instead of active missionary service including medical work that heals and blesses and brings to the truth. It is to neglect known duty when obedience is inconvenient and disagreeable, without openly denying the light or rising against it, as when a father and priest of the household fails to arouse himself to save his family, neglecting to discipline children and set the house in order though eternal interests are at stake, proving a slothful servant.

Not coming to help means working on the enemy's side with Satan and his host and traitors and evil men, serving under the wrong leadership in a war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. It means discouraging and obstructing and opposing what God is trying to do, sowing questionings and doubts and resistance and stubbornness, rejecting counsel against oneself, hindering and confusing and perplexing minds and keeping them on the enemy's side, making the work fifty-fold harder and laying a crushing burden on workers, grieving the Spirit, walking in sparks of one's own kindling, and choosing darkness rather than light and one's own ways rather than God's ways. It means standing still, pulling back, and throwing weight against the chariot to hold it back, and standing between the light God has given and the people who should have it, instead of pushing forward with all might and energy, opening the heart to new light, and clearing the way, and those who block the light carry guilt for the ridicule and unbelief that follows, and if they will not get out of the way they will be moved out of the way. It means allowing the powers of darkness to advance while acting on mistaken opinions and working against God's work. Those who fail to take their place when called armed and equipped, leaving the message for the time unheeded so the work is given to others, should not then hinder or criticize those called to do it.

Refusing help includes remaining benumbed, stupefied, amazed, and unprepared to participate fully when there are clear evidences that God is waiting to be gracious and sinners and backsliders are being invited to the cross, or assenting to the work while the heart is not in it, which is great evidence of lukewarmness. It is failure to unite with those on whom God has laid the burden to labor for souls when His power is reclaiming backsliders and converting sinners, failure to receive His mercy and loving-kindness with thankful hearts and unite personal interest and effort to work with His Spirit, failure to open the hard heart wide and clear away worldly rubbish to make room for Jesus, and failure to open the way for further labor so the region round about is reached, which is decided failure and great ingratitude leaving His people going down and withering spiritually. It is acting the part of Meroz in religious duties by proving lacking in real interest and principle, letting self and feeling control, settling back, making statements not the real feeling of the heart, and being a burden instead of a helper, whereas surrendering the soul and faithfully helping forward the cause makes one useful. It is holding back when decisive action is needed, fearing to venture, bear responsibility, and share censure and dissatisfaction in carrying out the plan bringing union of action and health to the body, waiting until every difficulty is removed and resistance is no longer possible, and merely looking on to see how the battle turns while chosen instruments fight until wounded and faint, which is wrong and inexcusable. It is standing off from the church as a spectator, watching deficiencies and faults and feeling better than others while doing nothing to correct the wrong, instead of active work to remedy evil rather than unsympathetic watching, fault-finding, and inaction measured by a self-made standard.

Curse and Judgment

Those who refuse to come to the help of the Lord against powerful evil lie under a bitter curse pronounced by the angel of the Lord. That curse will be shared in the great day when judgment sits and the books are opened and every one is judged according to the deeds done in the body. It falls on ministers who fail to help in the gospel work of healing, blessing and strengthening in opposition to the powers of darkness, and on people and churches that know the truth but do not act on it nor use their abilities to advance truth and righteousness. It is a call for God's people to take their place in the work and support workers for the mission fields, for to withhold help when it is needed and to stand aside from His work is failure of duty and condemnation for lacking a missionary spirit.

Their history is as far as God and heaven are concerned a mournful blank, because they left undone the work they should have done, like trees without fruit bringing no sheaves to the Master. The curse rested on Meroz not for enormous crimes above others but for neglect, for shunning a work when the help of everyone was needed, even after merciful arms reached out with invitation, warning and reproof. To do the work of God negligently in a lax and irresponsible course brings that curse. Those under it are weighed in the balances and found wanting for neglecting spiritual responsibilities because of busy activity in temporal matters, leaving opposite their names in the record of good works a mournful blank.

The reproof falls for unbelief, for selfishly serving temporal interests and loving the work that brings greatest profit in this life, for letting others do the work in the Master's vineyard and bear the heaviest responsibilities, and for failing to cultivate the abilities given that they might become reliable burden-bearers. All are justified by faith and judged by works, since God gives every man a work to promote the cause and save fellow men, to demonstrate living faith in family and neighborhood by kindness to the poor, sympathy with the afflicted, missionary labor, and aiding the cause of God with means. This is the class without missionary spirit in the soul, unstirred by the calls of foreign missions, doing nothing in God's cause and nothing to win souls to Christ, who must render an account to God and will receive curse and denunciation for inaction. Even when a position of trust required more than human wisdom and greater than finite judgment, they disconnected God and His glory from their business and turned from His blessing.

Those with great light, great opportunities and every spiritual advantage who remain lukewarm, neither for nor against and neither cold nor hot, hearing the words of Christ but not doing them, will be rejected with abhorrence. They with the same breath praise Christ and the world, bow to God and mammon, make merry with the children of the world while claiming to be blessed with the children of God, and want Christ as Saviour without bearing the cross and wearing His yoke. Unless mercy intervenes nothing but evil lies before them.

Withholding from God always brings a curse, while coming to His help brings blessing, strength, grace and spiritual prosperity. Those who come to the Lord's help receive His blessing, and to fail to support His cause brings pointed rebuke and loss of blessing, as in neglecting endangered institutions in time of need. Serving Him with full purpose of heart brings His blessing, strength and grace, and reliance on Christ enables continuance even in felt weakness, while following God's plan lets His light shine through those who let it shine. At a crisis this means paying tithes and offerings, consecrating self in every line of work, doing faithfully the appointed duty, working earnestly and making any sacrifice to place eternal life within reach of the perishing. It means cheerful, willing, thankful giving to advance the kingdom, emptying the heart of selfishness, using means to bless the suffering, placing property in God's hand and giving it to secure treasure in heaven, for Christian liberality is closely bound up with spiritual prosperity in imitation of the Redeemer's beneficence.

Call to Active Help

Every member is required now to come up to the work and take a place instead of leaving the effort to others, for obedience is not optional and not left to personal decision, and all are to act as living men laboring for perishing souls. The same requirement falls on indifferent ones who fail to arouse and act their part, since withholding help when it is needed is failure of duty that brings the bitter curse spoken against Meroz. All who can must give themselves to the long-neglected work in the cities, taking it up wholeheartedly, intelligently and unselfishly instead of looking at it and passing by on the other side, bringing Bible instruction and present truth where it is neglected. Every person's help is needed against the many who oppose the truth, so believers are to strengthen the work by presence rather than making excuses or staying away, as at the Wellington camp meeting, and to serve as self-denying, self-sacrificing missionaries and earnest workers entering the field to save souls.

Coming to help means earnest, courageous, patient, painstaking, wholehearted and unselfish work rather than studying inclination and pleasure and serving and glorifying self. It forbids becoming weary in well-doing and becoming inactive, discouraged, despondent and murmuring when efforts for others are disregarded and apparently lost and yield no immediate visible fruit. It requires courage born of genuine faith rather than feverish excitement, obeying when God gives work without questioning, never speaking of failure, refusing to fail or be discouraged, and laboring more earnestly and firmly as Christ's coming draws nearer because of opposition. Faithful service resists distractions that weaken spiritually, serves wherever people need help, and lets words and actions shine with spiritual light, after the example of Christ who became poor that through His poverty men might be made rich and died that they might not perish but have eternal life and did not refuse to bear iniquity because He was rejected by many and little appreciated.

It requires giving God the heart first, loving Him with all the heart, soul and strength, and putting away accusation, dissension, faultfinding, jealousy, selfishness, doubts, unbelief, distrust and suspicion. Believers in one land must actively unite to help brethren in another land with faith and courage, relieving burdened institutions, acting their part in faith, prayer and hopefulness, and doing all they can to advance the cause and hasten Christ's coming. Breath is to be spent in prayer for ministers on the walls of Zion rather than faultfinding, giving help and strength to younger ministers to be fitted for the work of the last days, and coming to the front as channels of light with courageous testimony so advancement is made. Each person is individually to lift as much burden as possible, bear his own burdens, pray much, talk less, meditate more, abide in Christ, stand firmly for right principles, and be true to laborers who bear heavy responsibilities, refusing criticism learned by hearsay, secrecy, distrust and murmuring and giving hearty cooperation, encouragement and agonizing prayer instead of leaving it to a few burdened workers, as in praying from closet and family altar for the president's healing and strength. Unity and love with one another give the world proof that God sent His Son to save all who look to Him and receive and believe in Him as personal Saviour, with company after company leaving the enemy's side, uniting with one another and with heavenly angels, serving with holy zeal and carrying the work forward together, putting vital power into labor and sowing in trust, faith and confidence because love begets love while all seed sown produces its kind.

It means a living faith that works by love and purifies the soul, not dwarfed and sickly but in keeping with the great truth committed, bringing sanctification through the truth when it is allowed to work in the soul, making holy and letting grace and light in. Those who answer are live men filled with the life-giving influence of the Spirit, who see God as supreme Ruler and receive abundant proof that His promises are fulfilled, who are not lukewarm but hot and fervent with His love, preaching Bible truth and practicing it so every ray shines with clear brightness as a burning lamp. The humble and contrite learn by personal experience that beside Him there is no Saviour who has power to help in every extremity, and God and His angels are around the righteous as they exert an uplifting, sanctifying influence with travail of soul for the perishing. To do nothing while opportunities are within reach, to remain locked in midnight slumber and stupid indifference while mercy still pleads, asleep at the post in carnal security with no spirit to labor and no desire to wear the yoke or lift burdens, is to refuse that help and strengthen opposing forces by leaving duties undone and words unspoken. The call is urgent because probation is still open but will close and time passes into eternity with the end of all things at hand, so the neglected field must be entered now with devotion, consecration with undivided interest, self-denial and the spirit of the real laborer, warning the world in the work of the third angel's message and joyfully proclaiming, living and boldly and fervently preaching the heavenly message for this time in preparation for soon coming.

It means taking a firm stand on the Lord's side in the conflict between Christ and Satan rather than remaining indifferent or siding with the enemy. It means joining the commandment-keeping people loyal to God's commandments and the testimony of Christ, taking a position in the conflict on the side of God and His commandments. Everyone must not make excuses but cooperate by taking part, standing on the Lord's side, obeying His commandments, helping others join in, and going steadily forward toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, and the Lord blesses efforts that honor His cause and advance His work.

Escape from the curse requires entire transformation, seeing error as God shows it, redeeming the past, removing stumbling blocks by every possible effort, and doing the work wanted in the beginning. It requires clearing the soul by humble confession and showing earnest anxiety to do right, including relieving burdened minds of others in the home, which God looks upon with pleasure and by which He puts souls in better condition, not an outward hasty move such as breaking up the family but a work done between God and the soul. It requires refusing to hinder fellow workers, to discourage and obstruct and oppose what God is trying to do, to sow questionings and doubts and resistance and stubbornness, to hinder and confuse and perplex minds and keep them on the enemy's side, to make the work fifty-fold harder and lay a crushing burden on workers, and to withdraw because a fellow worker's efforts are not recognized. Workers are to unite and contribute courage, zeal, faith and influence to make the work less burdensome, answering the call in the present crisis with united, faithful action, as in uniting with brethren in sanitarium work and in spreading the book devoted to its principles. Those in positions of responsibility and in God's institutions must change and serve nobly by God's principles of generosity, tenderness and compassion rather than acting selfishly or engaging in sharp grasping dealings, or their light and place in the work will be removed and blessing and light put at risk.

Work, Giving and Mission

The curse on Meroz falls on indifferent ones who fail to arouse and act their part, and all who can must give themselves to the long-neglected work in the cities, taking it up wholeheartedly, intelligently and unselfishly instead of looking on and passing by on the other side. That means bringing Bible instruction and present truth to the cities while there is time, laboring personally against the powers of darkness by combining teaching and healing and equipping ministers and medical missionaries to proclaim a clear, decisive message. In vast needs like London with its five million people one hundred workers would not be too many, and in the cities of the South workers must be prepared to labor intelligently against agencies of evil. Earth's history is nearly closed, so the call is to join the Lord against powerful evil with self-denying, self-sacrificing effort for souls ready to perish, as in Boston through health reform and Bible truths applicable to these times from places prepared for that influence such as the Melrose Sanitarium. Answering requires a sense of what God requires, heeding His message, linking with Christ Jesus, being converted anew, receiving sanctification of the Holy Spirit, putting away haughtiness and subduing self, and working with pure, unalloyed motives with an eye single to God's glory in accordance with the Divine Pattern.

The same call applies to the urgent need for workers in the needy Southern field, where those working to save souls must be supported with tender concern and not hindered. It applies to work among the colored people, where each should contribute according to ability whether a small gift or larger offering, and especially to medical missionary work by freely giving means to establish and maintain training centers where colored youth can be prepared for service. A decided appeal is to help rather than hinder the workers, and to answer the call to act.

Establishing the work in Washington is to be the first interest for the present, with people in every state making it so without delay, praying for its success, showing active interest, and rallying so the work does not stand still half done. Coming up to the help of the Lord against the mighty means churches in every state acting their part and making liberal gifts to establish the sanitarium at Takoma Park and carry forward the work in Washington, and the Lord will bless such liberality. Those with means are urged to contribute large or small toward the Takoma Park sanitarium and to complete the one-hundred-thousand-dollar fund while opportunity is open, willingly and promptly rather than leaving the work unsupported, for the money belongs to the Lord and giving it for advancement of His work is both duty and honor. The mighty are the mighty powers of darkness, with Satan working with intensity to enslave and destroy souls, and coming to His help means taking a firm stand against him and going steadily forward on the upward grade toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Failing to aid God's cause in time of need brings curse and denunciation and loss of blessing, and coming to the Lord's aid means actively supporting His work. Here that is helping fellow believers in Scandinavia and relieving their struggling institutions through earnest, faithful effort, with churches in Denmark, Norway and Sweden called to act and support the work. Brethren in America and Scandinavia are urged to take decisive action to help institutions in difficulty and in great peril, giving to relieve them and refusing unbelieving words and inaction.

Every man and woman, parent or not, is to be intensely interested in the Lord's vineyard and refuse to let children drift away into the world under control of the enemy. That help means doing all in power to make schools a blessing to youth, with teachers and students wearing the yoke of Christ and daily learning His meekness and lowliness, with those not directly connected giving hearty support, and with practical effort and wholehearted support for educating young people for active service and helping the missionary school. Those who answer become laborers together with God and receive the reward of the faithful, entrance into the school above. All are to take hold together to heal the breach and redeem at once an institution in great peril from heavy debt, filling the gap with personal gifts to lift debt from God's institutions so they can stand in freedom, every person doing something, done without words of censure or laying blame, done cheerfully, nobly, with courage and joy. If all take hold the debt-burdened institution can be redeemed, the blessing of the Lord will be upon those who do it, carrying the work through will prove a great blessing in their experience, and giving in this way maintains the principles of heaven and brings the blessing of God. Those who have succeeded in canvassing are urged to help relieve indebted schools by circulating relief books, working in faith and in the Lord's name.

Those entrusted with means are tested to see if they will render back to the Master His own when He calls for it, for means are given not to hoard or use for self. Murmuring and complaining at outlay of means for the publishing house and meetinghouse instead of acting their part repeats the part of Meroz and leaves them found wanting, and offerings to advance God's cause must not be stinted, with any stint and meager arrangements and inferior work kept to one's own house and dress, not to the house of God and facilities needed to push forward His work. Coming to the Lord's aid against the mighty means supporting the work by returning what belongs to God in tithes and offerings, for neglecting this duty is failure to help while faithful giving enables the gospel to be carried throughout the world. At a crisis in His work the call is to help Him against mighty opposition by paying tithes and offerings, consecrating in every line of work, doing faithfully appointed duty, working earnestly, and making any sacrifice to place eternal life within reach of the perishing. Coming to help means cheerful, willing, thankful giving to advance God's kingdom, emptying the heart of selfishness, using means to bless the suffering and extend the truth, placing property in God's hand to secure it in heaven, and withholding resources needed to proclaim the third angel's message and enter new fields is failure to help in that work. Withholding from God always brings a curse, while spiritual prosperity is closely bound up with generous giving that imitates the Redeemer's beneficence.

To be like Meroz is to neglect known duty when obedience is inconvenient and disagreeable, without openly denying light or rising against it. Applied to a father and priest of the household, it is failing to arouse to save his family, neglecting to discipline children and set the house in order though eternal interests are at stake, making him a slothful servant and showing how seriously God regards parental neglect. The call to help the Lord against mighty forces applies to parents resisting Satan's power by guiding children away from sin, consecrating households to God, teaching God's Word and commandments so they can serve Him and resist powers of darkness. Helping means not allowing children to go and do as they please in amusement and self-chosen associates, but rescuing them from Satan who seeks to seize every child left without proper home restraint and gladly takes and uses them, setting a right example by walking in the narrow way so that instead of losing heaven the children are kept for God and the united family may at last enter the city of God.

Helping in the Lord's cause against its opponents is duty and failing is neglect, so believers are urged to attend gatherings like the Wellington camp meeting and strengthen the work by presence, because every person's help is needed against the many who oppose truth and making excuses or staying away would displease God. God holds each person personally responsible for advancement and honor of His cause and calls for sacrifice to assemble for worship and stand with His workers where truth is opposed, putting on the armor of righteousness to warn cities, uplift His downtrodden law, and present Christ and His righteousness to perishing souls. That means every believer coming in person to the gathering of God's people at the important time even if business suffers, hearing the message God has for the present, receiving every needed ray of light because knowledge of truth is only partial, and becoming better qualified to give a reason for the hope within with meekness and fear. The verse's call applies to everyone with no excuses, to cooperate by taking part, standing on the Lord's side, obeying His commandments, helping others join, using means and personal effort without delay to help bring fellow countrymen to salvation, and leaders are to lead with spirituality and self-sacrifice so the people rise higher. Those who refuse to use abilities and bear responsibility, as in failure to answer the call for workers in Battle Creek and to exercise God-given talents, fail to come to the Lord's help against the mighty.

Ministers must help in the gospel work of healing, blessing and strengthening, opposing the powers of darkness, lest they fall under the bitter curse for failing to help the Lord against powerful opposition. Ministers and churches that neglect unreached people and leave thousands without the gospel while concentrating on believers who already know truth are called to active missionary service, including medical work that heals and blesses and brings them to truth. Every worker whatever training or ability should use what is possessed to push back disease and distress and oppose the powers of darkness, doing all that can be done to relieve disease and distress in the world. All ministers and members now as never before are to come up to help against the mighty powers of darkness by doing the earnest neglected work of proclaiming temperance and health reform and combining medical missionary work with the third angel's message to lift churches from the dead level. The same curse that rested on Meroz will rest on God's people now if they do not take up the medical missionary work Christ left for them, working as Christ worked for good of humanity with Christ formed within and heart filled with unselfish love.

God's people must gather with sanctified hearts to hear what the Lord will say, for He has increased light for all who will hear, and be armed and equipped to enter battle on the Lord's side against mighty evil. A sanctified ministry and press flashing light of truth will be power for this untoward generation, God Himself will work for Israel, every lying tongue shall be silenced, deceptive schemes overthrown by angel hands, bulwarks of Satan never triumph, and victory will attend the third angel's message. Consecrated believers help against powerful opposition by speaking words of righteousness to souls ready to perish, with Christ giving many opportunities and imparting wisdom and grace, by being channels of light and winning souls to Christ, and by diffusing knowledge to those sitting in darkness instead of hiding light under a bed or bushel. To do nothing while opportunities are within reach, to remain locked in midnight slumber and stupid indifference while mercy still pleads, is to refuse that help, and the call is urgent because probation is still open but will close, so the neglected field must be entered now with devotion and earnest effort, bearing the testing message that warns the world of judgment and announces the soon coming of Jesus. Vain and envious talkers are to be converted and work with all God-given energy to uplift and save perishing souls, using talents aright especially speech rather than misrepresenting, misjudging and depreciating others, for failing to use influence for God gives strength to the enemy, weakens spirituality and brotherly love, and lets light dim until it flickers into darkness, while withholding resources to proclaim the message and enter new fields and withholding tithes and offerings is failure to help.

Those who withhold help from the Lord's work against powerful opposition are condemned, and churches lacking a missionary spirit are warned and called to support workers for mission fields. The appeal warns against standing aside when God's work faces opposition, and calls to go straight forward in God's name without strife, appealing to the people to join and give help. Coming up to help means standing with burdened workers where truth is opposed, putting the shoulder under the burden, keeping God's work free from debt, acting nobly without sharp grasping, and advancing foreign missions and every line of spiritual interests healthfully, with overseers going before in broad, noble ideas. Those connected with sanitarium work are to move forward unitedly, encouraged by what the Lord has done, asking at every crisis what Christ would do in their place, giving active aid against mighty satanic agencies that constantly seek to discourage and destroy through counsel of the enemy, and keeping close to the word of God as spirit and life so they are counted laborers together with God in His husbandry and building.