Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
It remembers how Israel repaid God's rich blessings with distrust and dishonor, working against Him by disobedience until rebuke brought repentance that fell again under temptation. To turn back was to fail to trust Him, as when the spies brought a discouraging report and the people forgot His deliverance from Egypt, complained against Him, and resolved to return. To limit the Holy One of Israel is to distrust Him through doubt, unbelief and too little faith, which restricts trust in what He can do and hinders His work. That limiting also means measuring Him by human understanding and prescribing how He must work, though He can do wonderful things by simple and surprising means beyond what is asked or imagined. The verse therefore calls for calm, perfect trust without restricting expectations, claiming His promise, walking by faith rather than sight, and expecting great things from His abundant power.
Israel's Rebellion Remembered
The verse belongs to a psalm composed as a song for Israel to keep in time while journeying through the wilderness, and it is to be read attentively. That psalm recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on Israel and their poor return for those benefits. It shows their failure to trust and honor Him.
Israel worked constantly against a good God. Through disobedience they brought themselves into the state that was the sure result of their own course of action. When rebuked and chastised they repented, but under temptation they fell again through self-indulgence and self-gratification. They forgot God, to whom they belonged by creation and redemption, even after seeing His wondrous works, and therefore tempted Him. When trials came they complained and forgot Him as the source of their strength.
A defining instance came when the spies returned from Canaan with a discouraging report of strong people, walled cities and giants. When the people heard it they gave way at once to disappointment with wailing and bitter reproach, yielding to discouragement instead of waiting, reflecting and reasoning that the God who had brought them out thus far would certainly give them the land. They forgot how God had brought them out of Egypt and led them thus far, and reasoned they could not take the land. Their fear became rebellion, with complaints against God and a resolve to return to Egypt. To turn back in the verse is to fail to trust Him, and to limit the Holy One means to distrust the God who had hitherto led them.
What Limiting God Means
To limit the Holy One of Israel is to distrust Him through doubt, unbelief and too little faith, which restricts trust in what He can do and lets or hinders His work. The defining example was when the spies returned from Canaan with a discouraging report of strong people, walled cities and giants, and the people gave way at once to disappointment with wailing and bitter reproach against Moses instead of waiting, reflecting and reasoning that the God who had brought them out thus far would certainly give them the land. They forgot how God had brought them out of Egypt and led them thus far, believed they could not take the promised land, and their fear became rebellion with complaints against God and a resolve to return to Egypt. The warning applies to believers who fail to trust God fully, whose earnest prayer offered in faith receives an answer though not always in the way expected but at the time most needed, with abiding in Christ and His words joined to asking and receiving.
Limiting Him means limiting His power by failing to depend on Him and take hold of His strength, by which power is weakened. He is the God of the universe, and it is privilege to take hold of His strength, while influence depends on carrying out the precepts of His Word. The danger comes in plans to connect schools with worldly methods rather than placing dependence on God. It also includes distrust that restricts the power of the Holy Spirit to act, for even people regarded as especially holy may hold mistaken ideas about God's authority and moral government or have too weak a view of the atonement. Limiting Him means treating His power and grace as insufficient to overcome, as when Mary limited God by saying she could not overcome though His grace was sufficient and she could overcome, and she was to bend her inclinations, will and wishes to God's cause and submit her plans to His will.
It means measuring God by human understanding and expectations and prescribing how He will work or measuring the reach of His power. Denying that God created matter limits the power of the Holy One of Israel by treating human understanding as a boundary on what God can do. Finite people cannot prescribe how God will work, and trusting their own plans and strength shows small faith, for God can do wonderful things through simple or surprising means so people should not restrict His work to what fits their own ideas. The Holy One of Israel has power from of old and works in ways people cannot fully understand, so believers must leave Him to work in His own way, walk by faith rather than sight, and trust Him instead of devising their own plans. People limit Him when they take into their own hands what God alone is able to accomplish and try to prescribe every detail of how His workers must act, thereby assuming a burden that belongs to God and leaving too little room for His direction of His work.
Misjudging and wronging others limits Him, as did those who misjudged and wronged George Butler. God nevertheless showed Butler mercy, opened His Word to him, and led him to see its beauty and harmony and to love and worship its Author, and God could also turn an infidel to Himself so that such conversions could multiply. Not to limit Him is to believe there is nothing too hard for Him and no one can stop Him when He works. It is calm, perfect and complete trust without doubt of what His power can accomplish, resting on His unsearchable greatness to whom belong the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty, whose greatness and power are beyond measure and who is able to work beyond what people ask or imagine.
Trusting God Without Limit
The verse calls for calm, perfect and complete trust in the Holy One of Israel without limiting Him by doubt and unbelief that lets or hinders His work. In individual circumstances expectations of what He can do are not to be restricted, but connection with Him enables growing faith, trust and unshaken confidence. His people are to claim His promise, act in faith, speak in faith, and remain faithful in their work rather than turning back and failing to trust Him. He has power from of old and works in ways beyond full understanding and beyond what is asked or imagined, for there is nothing too hard for Him and no one can stop Him when He works, since His greatness is unsearchable and His are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty. Therefore believers must leave Him to work in His own way, walk by faith rather than sight, and trust Him instead of devising their own plans or fitting His power and work to their own expectations.
Earnest prayer offered in faith receives an answer, for too little faith and sinful unbelief that restricts trust in what God can do and in His power to answer prayer is itself limiting the Holy One of Israel. The answer does not always come in the way expected, but comes at the time most needed and even when it comes differently than expected. Abiding in Christ and His words belongs together with asking and receiving.
Not limiting Him means reaching higher and expecting great things from the Lord, mingling faith with all efforts in the belief that He has abundant blessing and power in store for those who believe it and strive for it. It means craving His presence and power, following the leadings of His Spirit with no self in what is done, and praying fervently for angels to be sent to help meet the moral darkness covering the earth. In the most important period the world has ever witnessed, when a great work must be done in a short time, all who profess the truth must be in harmony with the Spirit of God and work unitedly in faith and hope, praying fervently and working in faith and expecting His help to meet spiritual darkness and advance the truth, so that He will give the truth a glorious victory. Ministers who comply with the requirements of His Word can be clothed with His righteousness, walk with God every day, and gain a rich experience in the things of God.
Limiting Him is failing to desire and expect more of the manifestation of His love, so He is to be looked to for a larger revelation of it. Those who see that larger revelation may win others to the knowledge of His goodness, for everyone may be a laborer together with God in the great plan of redemption.
In institutional work dependence must be placed on God and hold taken of His strength, for power is weakened by failing to depend on Him, while influence depends on carrying out the precepts of His Word, since He is the God of the universe. This danger comes in plans to connect schools with worldly methods, which limit His power. In the sanitarium's work physicians and nurses are to cooperate with God in restoring health and the divine image, trusting Christ's intercession for those suffering physically and spiritually and not restricting what God can do.
In personal and missionary life doubt and discouragement must not hinder efforts to help others, for too little faith can restrict trust in God's power to answer prayer. Treating God's power and grace as insufficient limits the Holy One, as when one says she cannot overcome though His grace is sufficient and she can overcome. Inclinations, will, wishes and plans must be bent to God's cause and submitted to His will.
It remembers how Israel repaid God's rich blessings with distrust and dishonor, working against Him by disobedience until rebuke brought repentance that fell again under temptation. To turn back was to fail to trust Him, as when the spies brought a discouraging report and the people forgot His deliverance from Egypt, complained against Him, and resolved to return. To limit the Holy One of Israel is to distrust Him through doubt, unbelief and too little faith, which restricts trust in what He can do and hinders His work. That limiting also means measuring Him by human understanding and prescribing how He must work, though He can do wonderful things by simple and surprising means beyond what is asked or imagined. The verse therefore calls for calm, perfect trust without restricting expectations, claiming His promise, walking by faith rather than sight, and expecting great things from His abundant power.
Israel's Rebellion Remembered
The verse belongs to a psalm composed as a song for Israel to keep in time while journeying through the wilderness, and it is to be read attentively. That psalm recounts the rich blessings God bestowed on Israel and their poor return for those benefits. It shows their failure to trust and honor Him.
Israel worked constantly against a good God. Through disobedience they brought themselves into the state that was the sure result of their own course of action. When rebuked and chastised they repented, but under temptation they fell again through self-indulgence and self-gratification. They forgot God, to whom they belonged by creation and redemption, even after seeing His wondrous works, and therefore tempted Him. When trials came they complained and forgot Him as the source of their strength.
A defining instance came when the spies returned from Canaan with a discouraging report of strong people, walled cities and giants. When the people heard it they gave way at once to disappointment with wailing and bitter reproach, yielding to discouragement instead of waiting, reflecting and reasoning that the God who had brought them out thus far would certainly give them the land. They forgot how God had brought them out of Egypt and led them thus far, and reasoned they could not take the land. Their fear became rebellion, with complaints against God and a resolve to return to Egypt. To turn back in the verse is to fail to trust Him, and to limit the Holy One means to distrust the God who had hitherto led them.
What Limiting God Means
To limit the Holy One of Israel is to distrust Him through doubt, unbelief and too little faith, which restricts trust in what He can do and lets or hinders His work. The defining example was when the spies returned from Canaan with a discouraging report of strong people, walled cities and giants, and the people gave way at once to disappointment with wailing and bitter reproach against Moses instead of waiting, reflecting and reasoning that the God who had brought them out thus far would certainly give them the land. They forgot how God had brought them out of Egypt and led them thus far, believed they could not take the promised land, and their fear became rebellion with complaints against God and a resolve to return to Egypt. The warning applies to believers who fail to trust God fully, whose earnest prayer offered in faith receives an answer though not always in the way expected but at the time most needed, with abiding in Christ and His words joined to asking and receiving.
Limiting Him means limiting His power by failing to depend on Him and take hold of His strength, by which power is weakened. He is the God of the universe, and it is privilege to take hold of His strength, while influence depends on carrying out the precepts of His Word. The danger comes in plans to connect schools with worldly methods rather than placing dependence on God. It also includes distrust that restricts the power of the Holy Spirit to act, for even people regarded as especially holy may hold mistaken ideas about God's authority and moral government or have too weak a view of the atonement. Limiting Him means treating His power and grace as insufficient to overcome, as when Mary limited God by saying she could not overcome though His grace was sufficient and she could overcome, and she was to bend her inclinations, will and wishes to God's cause and submit her plans to His will.
It means measuring God by human understanding and expectations and prescribing how He will work or measuring the reach of His power. Denying that God created matter limits the power of the Holy One of Israel by treating human understanding as a boundary on what God can do. Finite people cannot prescribe how God will work, and trusting their own plans and strength shows small faith, for God can do wonderful things through simple or surprising means so people should not restrict His work to what fits their own ideas. The Holy One of Israel has power from of old and works in ways people cannot fully understand, so believers must leave Him to work in His own way, walk by faith rather than sight, and trust Him instead of devising their own plans. People limit Him when they take into their own hands what God alone is able to accomplish and try to prescribe every detail of how His workers must act, thereby assuming a burden that belongs to God and leaving too little room for His direction of His work.
Misjudging and wronging others limits Him, as did those who misjudged and wronged George Butler. God nevertheless showed Butler mercy, opened His Word to him, and led him to see its beauty and harmony and to love and worship its Author, and God could also turn an infidel to Himself so that such conversions could multiply. Not to limit Him is to believe there is nothing too hard for Him and no one can stop Him when He works. It is calm, perfect and complete trust without doubt of what His power can accomplish, resting on His unsearchable greatness to whom belong the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty, whose greatness and power are beyond measure and who is able to work beyond what people ask or imagine.
Trusting God Without Limit
The verse calls for calm, perfect and complete trust in the Holy One of Israel without limiting Him by doubt and unbelief that lets or hinders His work. In individual circumstances expectations of what He can do are not to be restricted, but connection with Him enables growing faith, trust and unshaken confidence. His people are to claim His promise, act in faith, speak in faith, and remain faithful in their work rather than turning back and failing to trust Him. He has power from of old and works in ways beyond full understanding and beyond what is asked or imagined, for there is nothing too hard for Him and no one can stop Him when He works, since His greatness is unsearchable and His are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory and the majesty. Therefore believers must leave Him to work in His own way, walk by faith rather than sight, and trust Him instead of devising their own plans or fitting His power and work to their own expectations.
Earnest prayer offered in faith receives an answer, for too little faith and sinful unbelief that restricts trust in what God can do and in His power to answer prayer is itself limiting the Holy One of Israel. The answer does not always come in the way expected, but comes at the time most needed and even when it comes differently than expected. Abiding in Christ and His words belongs together with asking and receiving.
Not limiting Him means reaching higher and expecting great things from the Lord, mingling faith with all efforts in the belief that He has abundant blessing and power in store for those who believe it and strive for it. It means craving His presence and power, following the leadings of His Spirit with no self in what is done, and praying fervently for angels to be sent to help meet the moral darkness covering the earth. In the most important period the world has ever witnessed, when a great work must be done in a short time, all who profess the truth must be in harmony with the Spirit of God and work unitedly in faith and hope, praying fervently and working in faith and expecting His help to meet spiritual darkness and advance the truth, so that He will give the truth a glorious victory. Ministers who comply with the requirements of His Word can be clothed with His righteousness, walk with God every day, and gain a rich experience in the things of God.
Limiting Him is failing to desire and expect more of the manifestation of His love, so He is to be looked to for a larger revelation of it. Those who see that larger revelation may win others to the knowledge of His goodness, for everyone may be a laborer together with God in the great plan of redemption.
In institutional work dependence must be placed on God and hold taken of His strength, for power is weakened by failing to depend on Him, while influence depends on carrying out the precepts of His Word, since He is the God of the universe. This danger comes in plans to connect schools with worldly methods, which limit His power. In the sanitarium's work physicians and nurses are to cooperate with God in restoring health and the divine image, trusting Christ's intercession for those suffering physically and spiritually and not restricting what God can do.
In personal and missionary life doubt and discouragement must not hinder efforts to help others, for too little faith can restrict trust in God's power to answer prayer. Treating God's power and grace as insufficient limits the Holy One, as when one says she cannot overcome though His grace is sufficient and she can overcome. Inclinations, will, wishes and plans must be bent to God's cause and submitted to His will.