Signs of the Times, Vol. 36, No. 34. (9/1/1909)

Signs of the Times

Sep 1, 1909

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 1, 1909

Giving

“Give! as the morning that flows out of heaven; Give! as the waves when their channel is riven; Give! as the free air and sunshine are given; Lavishly, utterly, joyfully give! Not the waste drops of thy cup overflowing, Not the faint sparks of thy hearth ever glowing, Not a pale bud from the June roses blowing; Give, as He gave thee, who gave thee to live.”

“Pour out thy love like the rush of a river, Wasting its waters, forever and ever, Through the burnt sands that reward not the giver; Silent or songful, thou nearest the sea. Scatter thy life, as the summer showers pouring! What if no bird through the pearl-rain is soaring? What if no blossom looks upward adoring? Look to the life that was lavished for thee!”

Question Corner

[To Our Inquirers.— (1) The name and address of all who ask questions must accompany questions, not necessarily for publication, in token of good faith, and that we may reply by letter if thought best. All communications will be considered confidential if so desired, and no name will be published unless requested. But we have no time to give to anonymous or unsigned epistles or articles. (2) Let the questions be to the point. Do not say, “Explain Josh. 7:1-8,” but state the thing upon which help is desired. (3) Questions can not be answered immediately in this department. Sometimes it will mean a month or more of waiting. We can not reply to the same question frequently. Read answers to other questions; you may find reply to yours. (4) Members of the Bible Band will kindly enclose stamp if answer is desired by letter. Others will please enclose ten cents. This does not begin to meet expenses oftentimes. (5) “Foolish . . . questions avoid.”]

2922.—The Covenant and the Law.

Kindly explain Rom. 5:13, 14 and Gal. 3:16, 17. It has been claimed that as Abraham was saved by faith, the law, coming 430 years after, could not change the covenant of faith. E. C. R.

All of which is absolutely true, for all who are saved are saved by faith; “for without faith it is impossible to please Him.” What is meant by the law coming 430 years after, is that it was given in written form 430 years after. Of this we are expressly told that it does not make the covenant of none effect. The covenant is God’s everlasting promise in Christ Jesus. The object of the giving of Christ and that covenant is to save from sin, and sin is the transgression of the law.

There were brethren in Galatia, as also elsewhere, who seemed to think that men were saved by the law. The apostle’s argument in both Romans and Galatians is to prove that man is saved, not by his righteousness, but by faith in Christ’s righteousness. If this point is kept in mind, there will be no difficulty whatever with any of these scriptures, for we are saved by faith. Faith lays hold upon the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That was true of Abraham. It is true of every child of Abraham since that. Consequently anything that comes in through God’s providence, or anything that man may do, can not make of none effect the eternal promises of God; and this scripture shows that the law was not given to annul the promises, was not revealed in written form to Israel to change in any way God’s plan of salvation. The apostle in both Galatians and Romans tells us why the law came in in written form. It was added, or spoken, because of transgression. Gal. 3:19. “Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound.” Rom. 5:20. In order “that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.” Rom. 7:13. “But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

2923.—“Without Law.”

Please explain Rom. 2:14, 15. This seems to imply that the Gentiles were without the law. E. C. R.

The context clearly shows what the apostle means. Not that they were without any law whatever, but they did not have the written law. Man had the law of God written in his heart in the beginning. Sin has well-nigh obliterated that, and left the conscience without a perfect standard. God gave His law in order that the conscience and mind might be instructed. He committed it to His people to teach to the world. The Gentiles did not have this written law; it was Israel’s business to make it known to them. But even tho the Gentiles did not have that written law, they did have a higher standard than they followed; and the fact that they did not live up to the light they had would condemn them; or if they lived according to all the light they had, so honoring God, they showed by that very thing that they would have followed all the light if it had been revealed to them; consequently they were either accused or excused by their conscience. Therefore, whoever does the law, even tho he may not have all the light, will be accepted of God. Whosoever may have all the light in the world and yet transgress God’s law will be condemned. The expression “without law” in Romans simply means without the written law.

2924.—Question of Marriage.

Please explain Matt. 19:10. F. A. A.

Matt. 19:10 is simply the answer of the disciples to our Lord’s instruction concerning marriage. Jesus had pointed out that the loose laws regarding divorce among the Jews were not in harmony with God’s law, who instituted the marriage relation; that they could not put away or divorce women for every cause or any cause; that there was but one true ground for such action, and that fornication. This seemed to strike the disciples as a very hard saying, and so they declared that it was not expedient for any to marry if that were the case. The words which follow intimate that some men were so blinded to spiritual truth that they could not receive His instruction.

2925.—Shall Not Taste Death.

I wish you would explain for me Matt. 16:28. J. B. H.

The text means a great deal. We wish that our inquirers would tell us the particular things upon which explanation is desired. The 27th verse of the chapter is the teaching of our Saviour that the Son of Man will come again in glory, and every soul will be rewarded. He commanded His disciples to remember that, consequently He tells them that there were some standing there who should not taste of death till they saw the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. This was fulfilled in His transfiguration, the account of which immediately follows. If you will note, in the Transfiguration there were three parties: our Lord Jesus Christ glorified; Moses, representing those who had died in faith, and Elijah, representing those who would be translated without seeing death. It was a miniature representation of Christ’s everlasting kingdom. And so Peter states in the first chapter of his second epistle in referring to this transfiguration: “We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty.” When Jesus comes there will be the three classes: Himself glorified, the good of all ages who will be raised from the dead, and the good who are then living who will be translated. See 1 Cor. 15:51-54.

2926.—Holiness and Healing.

Is there such a thing as certain “Holiness” people really healing? They have many errors theologically. C. D.

True Biblical healing is a matter of faith, and faith is the simple acceptance of God’s word. The matter of understanding the word of God has nothing to do with it. One may have a very limited idea of the meaning of God’s word; he may know nothing of the theology or science of the plan of salvation; but if he has yielded himself to Christ and accepted Christ in his behalf, he has the great essential. In other words, if he has accepted all the light that has come to him, and that light dominates life and soul, he has come into true relationship with God as verily as the one who thus accepts Christ and understands much of the revelation.

It is conceivable that such a one, grasping by faith God’s healing power, would be cured of his infirmities. But a little light leads to more light; and more light, to still more. God is bringing His children in these days to greater and clearer tests of faith; and ever and always the test of faith, even as the basis of faith, is His word. To “Holiness” people, as to all others, will come more and more light from God’s word until the whole world stands either to accept or to reject the last closing message of the Gospel, either to obey or to refuse to obey the law of the Most High.

2927.—Spirit and Soul.

Please inform me if spirit and soul are the same. J. J. B.

Primarily speaking, the entire man is the soul, man made up of body and spirit; as we read that God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his body the breath of life, and man became a living soul. Gen. 2:7. And the word in that sense is used in various parts of the Scripture referring to the whole man. In Rev. 16:3, we read that “every living soul died in the sea.” We read again in 1 Peter 3:20 that eight souls were saved through water; that is, eight persons, individuals. Sometimes soul refers to life. That is, this life which is common to man and beast—the earthly life. Spirit sometimes means a spiritual being. So “God is a spirit.” John 4:24. Sometimes it refers to angels. Heb. 1:14. Sometimes to evil spirits—angels of Satan. As regards man, it refers to the life which God gives and which connects him with the Deity. In its common use, however, soul may refer to the animal or body life, while spirit refers to the life which all of God’s children have, the life that is in harmony with His law, which feeds upon His word. If both soul and spirit were the same, why use the two in such passages as 1 Thess. 5:23 and Heb. 4:14?

OUR BIBLE BAND

Schedule for the Week Ending Sept. 11, 1909.

Day	Month	Date	Morning	Evening
Su.	Sept.	5	Ps. 146, 147	1 Cor. 15: 1-28
Mo.	“	6	“ 148 to 150	“ 15:29-58
Tu.	“	7	Prov. 1, 2	“ 16
We.	“	8	“ 3, 4, 5	2 Cor. 1
Th.	“	9	“ 6, 7	“ 2
Fr.	“	10	“ 8, 9	“ 3
Sa.	“	11	“ 10, 11, 12	“ 4

Suggestive Notes.

Our morning readings are Psalms 146 to Proverbs 12. How rich are Psalms 147 and 148. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.” “Jehovah taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His loving-kindness.” And this wonderful treasury of God's word, the book of Psalms, in which every human need, every human longing is met in prayer and praise, closes with a song of praise. Surely it would seem that those who read it in a devotional spirit could carry with them forever the last verse of the last psalm: “Let everything that hath breath praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah.”

The book of Proverbs consists of short, pithy sayings of a moral character, written by Solomon; the same have been gathered from other sources. They are packed full of excellent instruction. Some of them are great and deep sayings upon which one needs to meditate. They are especially instructive in all the practical things of life. No young person could memorize to better advantage any literature which would do more good than the first and fourth chapters of Proverbs, and yet it is difficult to discriminate. All the others are filled with valuable instruction.

Our evening readings begin with the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians and close with the second chapter of the second epistle. The 15th chapter is especially valuable, containing as it does Paul's wonderful discourse on the resurrection, showing its necessity, the very gate itself to eternal glory at the second coming of Christ.

Second Corinthians seems to have been written very shortly after the first epistle. It shows that the first epistle had its effect; that the one who had committed the grievous sin had been set aside, or disfellowshipped from the church; that it had had the effect of breaking his heart because of his sin and leading him and others to sincere repentance, and the apostle pleads with them to receive him. Chapter 3 contains one of the moot questions over the law of God; very simple if we will get hold of the true principles which underlie God's government. No. 149 Bible Student's Library will help us very much in the study of this question. The climax of the blessing of the Christian ministry is beautifully portrayed in verses 16 to 18 of our last chapter.

The Good Shepherd

By M. C. Wilcox

By M. C. Wilcox

“WHERE SHEEP ARE DRIVEN, OFTENTIMES BY DOGS”

JESUS CHRIST is “the Good Shepherd;” He is the One who laid down His life for the sheep. He left His own home of comfort and glory, and came to this world’s lone, barren mountains of sin to seek and save the lost ones.

“HOME OF COMFORT,” did we say? No, it was not, is not, comfort while the sheep are lost. He is infinite love, and love is pained with the pain of others. “In all their afflictions”—the afflictions of Israel—His flock—“He was afflicted.” This is an eternal truth; for He is “the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.” And as a good shepherd of earth could not rest content in sheltered home while members of his flock were astray on the wild, bleak moor, or in the desolate, prey-seeking mountains, so the heart of the Good Shepherd could not rest in comfort while poor, sin-sick souls were wandering in the wilds of earth, subject to the fierce wolves of sin and the bleak, cold moors of eternal death.

HE does not wait to find others to go. Out into the cold, starless night He plunges alone, willing to meet all that awaits Him, only so that He saves the lost. He does not count the danger. Neither does He seek to arouse the lion in his den, nor the tiger in his lair. But He does not fear them; His mission is to save. And so He comes, and seeks, and suffers, and meets lion, and bear, and cold, and heat, and want, and strife, till at last He lays down His life, that He may save the lost one. Infinite Love finds more comfort in the sacrifice that wins one soul than in the selfish comfort which is indifferent to the wants of others.

THE LESSON which the Lord would teach to every lost soul is that there is hope. He thus brings salvation full and free. Sinner, you are the lost sheep, and so is every soul of man by nature. You are in the wild mountains, surrounded by beasts of prey, footsore, weary, disheartened, worthless, ready to die; yet the Good Shepherd sees you; and over the rough, hard way you went, He seeks you. In His great sacrifice He took upon Himself your nature, bore your sins, suffered your woes and pains, endured your temptations, and all to save you.

WILL you not be one of His? It means only that you follow Him—no more than this, no less. When He lived a man, He submitted to the Father’s will. “My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me.” John 4:34. He said this by the shepherd-king of Israel before He came: “Lo, I come; . . . I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart.” Ps. 40:7, 8. God’s will is therefore His holy law, and in this law Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, delighted, because it was in His heart. His heart was in harmony with the law; He was submitted to its every precept. All who in Christ submit to that same law are members of Christ’s flock. He counts them as His very own.

“He goeth before them.” Mark His loving care. Altho they are in the world, meeting its temptations, altho seemingly thrust out from home and friends, they are not alone; He goeth before them. How unlike many of the false shepherds of earth who

endeavor to drive the flock of God! They seem to have obtained their conception of a shepherd from the West, where sheep are driven, oftentimes by dogs. But the true, Oriental shepherd, from whom our Lord draws His illustration, does not drive his flock; he leads, he goes before, he goes with. And Jesus does not even send us alone; He says, “Follow Me.”

“He leadeth me, O blessed thought.”

Every step of the way is marked by His footprints. He has met every trial, conquered in every temptation. He takes us over no ground strange to Him. “He knoweth the way that I take.” He walks with us in the way.

“MY sheep hear My voice.” His sheep are those who follow Him in submitting with entire and willing surrender to “the will,” “the law,” “the commandments,” the “good pleasure” of the all-wise God. That law was spoken from heaven by the voice of God (Deut. 5:22); by Christ, the Sent of God; for He is the Word “by whom are all things” (1 Cor. 8:6). While therefore the voice which spoke God’s unchangeable law was the voice of God the Father, it was also the voice of God the Son. The law of God is preeminently the voice of the great Shepherd of the sheep, the one unchangeable voice. He who knows that voice knows that by which all other voices may be tested. When the heart is submitted to God’s law, the whole being is attuned to His nature. His Son speaks in harmony with that law; and His apostles and messengers bear a message in harmony with that law; so that if one hears Christ, he will hear His servant. John 15:20. His Spirit will lead and teach in harmony with that, for that law is “the law of the Spirit of life.” Rom. 8:2.

WHAT a Babel of voices there now is! “Lo, heres,” and “Lo, theres,” are heard on every side, and multitudes are deceived. Many are led by men. Others suppose they are led by the Spirit of Christ when it is the spirit of antichrist, because it leads away from God’s law and Christ’s life. Still others walk in the imagination of their own heart, and think they are following God. They are deceived. Would we test them?—“To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8:20. Our Lord teaches the same truth: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 7:21. God would have us so know His voice, that we neither shall be deceived by others, nor in ourselves.

THE GOOD SHEPHERD! Follow Him. He will never forget us; and until we reject Him forever, He will not leave us. Even in His rod of discipline, there is comfort. In the valley of the shadow of death there is no cause to fear. He will lead us all the way, and bring us to Zion. He is “the Author and Finisher of our faith.” He says: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.” “And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” “I am the Good Shepherd; and I know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father knoweth Me, and I know the Father.” Blessed Shepherd, indeed! Who would not follow Him?

The Sin of Achan

By Ellen G. White

By Mrs. E. G. White

Soon after the fall of Jericho, Joshua determined to attack Ai, a small town among the ravines a few miles to the west of the Jordan valley. Spies sent to this place brought back the report that the inhabitants were but few, and that only a small force would be needed to overthrow it.

The great victory that God had gained for them had made the Israelites self-confident. Because He had promised them the land of Canaan, they felt secure, and failed to realize that divine help alone could give them success. Even Joshua laid his plans for the conquest of Ai without seeking counsel from God.

The Israelites had begun to exalt their own strength, and to look with contempt upon their foes. An easy victory was expected, and three thousand were thought sufficient to take the place. These rushed to the attack without the assurance that God would be with them. They advanced nearly to the gate of the city, only to encounter the most determined resistance. Panic-stricken at the numbers and the thoro preparation of their enemies, they fled in confusion down the steep descent. The Canaanites were in hot pursuit; “they chased them from before the gate, . . . and smote them in the going down.” Tho the loss was small as to numbers,—but thirty-six men being slain,—the defeat was disheartening to the whole congregation. “The hearts of the people melted, and became as water.” This was the first time they had met the Canaanites in actual battle; and if put to flight before the defenders of this little town, what would be the result in the greater conflicts before them? Joshua looked upon their failure as an expression of God’s displeasure; and in distress and apprehension he “rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.”

“Alas, O Lord God,” he cried, “wherefore hast Thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites, to destroy us? . . . O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies? For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and shall cut off our name from the earth; and what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?”

The answer from Jehovah was, “Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel . . . hath transgressed My covenant which I commanded them.” It was time for prompt and decided action, and not for despair and lamentation. There was secret sin in the camp, and it must be searched out and put away, before the presence of the Lord could be with His people. “Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.”

God’s command had been disregarded by one of those appointed to execute His judgments, and the nation was held accountable for the guilt of the transgressor. “They have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also.”

Instruction was given to Joshua for the discovery and punishment of the criminal. The lot was to be employed for the detection of the guilty. The sinner was not directly pointed out, the matter being left in doubt for a time that the people might feel their responsibility for the sins existing among them, and thus be led to searching of heart and humiliation before God.

Early in the morning, Joshua gathered the people together “by their tribes,” and the solemn and impressive ceremony began. Step by step the investigation went on. Closer and still closer came the fearful test. First the tribe, then the family, then the household, then the man was taken; and Achan the son of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah, was pointed out by the finger of God as the troubler of Israel.

To establish his guilt beyond all question, leaving no ground for the charge that he had been unjustly condemned, Joshua solemnly adjured Achan to acknowledge the truth. The wretched man made full confession of his crime: “Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel. . . . When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels’ weight, then I coveted them, and I took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent.” Messengers were immediately despatched to the tent, where they removed the earth at the place specified; and “behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent and brought them unto Joshua, . . . and laid them out before the Lord.”

Sentence was pronounced and immediately executed. “Why hast thou troubled us?” said Joshua, “the Lord shall trouble thee this day.” As the people had been held responsible for Achan’s sin, and had suffered from its

consequences, they were, through their representatives, to take part in its punishment. “All Israel stoned him with stones.” Then there was raised over him a great pile of stones,—a witness to the sin and its punishment. “Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor,” that is, “Trouble.” In the book of Chronicles his memorial is written,—“Achar, the troubler of Israel.”

The deadly sin that led to Achan’s ruin had its root in covetousness, of all sins one of the most common and the most lightly regarded. While other offenses meet with detection and punishment, how rarely does the violation of the tenth commandment so much as call forth censure. The enormity of this sin and its terrible results, are the lessons of Achan’s history.

Covetousness is an evil of gradual development. Achan had cherished greed of gain until it became a habit, binding him in fetters well-nigh impossible to break. While fostering this evil, he would have been filled with horror at the thought of bringing disaster upon Israel; but his perceptions were deadened by sin, and when temptation came, he fell an easy prey.

Are not similar sins still committed, in the face of warnings as solemn and explicit? We are as directly forbidden to indulge covetousness as was Achan to appropriate the spoils of Jericho. God has declared it to be idolatry. We are warned, “Ye can not serve God and mammon.” “Take heed, and beware of covetousness.” “Let it not be once named among you.” We have before us the fearful doom of Achan, of Judas, of Ananias and Sapphira. Back of all these we have that of Lucifer, that “son of the morning,” who, coveting a higher state, forfeited forever the brightness and bliss of heaven.

And yet, notwithstanding all these warnings, covetousness abounds. Everywhere its slimy track is seen. It creates discontent and dissension in families; it excites envy and hatred in the poor against the rich; it prompts the grinding oppression of the rich toward the poor. And this evil exists not in the world alone, but in the church. How common even here to find selfishness, avarice, overreaching, neglect of charities, and robbery of God “in tithes and offerings.” Among church-members “in good and regular standing” there are, alas! many Achans. Many a man comes statedly to church, and sits at the table of the Lord, while among his possessions are hidden unlawful gains, the things that God has cursed. For a goodly Babylonish garment, multitudes sacrifice the approval of conscience and their hope of heaven. Multitudes barter their integrity and their capabilities for usefulness for a bag of silver shekels. The cries of the suffering poor are unheeded; the Gospel light is hindered in its course; the scorn of worldlings is kindled by practises that give the lie to the Christian profession; and yet the covetous professor continues to heap up treasures. “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed Me,” saith the Lord.

Achan acknowledged his guilt, but when it was too late for the confession to benefit himself. He had seen the armies of Israel return from Ai, defeated and disheartened; yet he did not come forward and confess his sin. He had seen Joshua and the elders of Israel bowed to the earth in grief too great for words. Had he then made confession, he would have given some proof of true penitence; but he still kept silence. He had listened to the proclamation that a great crime had been committed, and had even heard its character definitely stated. But his lips were sealed. Then came the solemn investigation. How his soul thrilled with terror as he saw his tribe pointed out, then his family, and his household! But still he uttered no confession, until the finger of God was placed upon him. Then, when his sin could no longer be concealed, he admitted the truth.

How often are similar confessions made! There is a vast difference between admitting facts after they have been proved, and confessing sins known only to ourselves and to God. Achan would not have confessed had he not hoped by so doing to avert the consequences of his crime. But his confession only served to show that his punishment was just. There was no genuine repentance for sin, no contrition, no change of purpose, no abhorrence of evil.

So confessions will be made by the guilty when they stand before the bar of God, after every case has been decided for life or death. The consequences to result to himself will draw from each an acknowledgment of his sin. It will be forced from the soul by an awful sense of condemnation and a fearful looking for of judgment. But such confessions can not save the sinner.

So long as they can conceal their transgressions from their fellow men, many, like Achan, feel secure, and flatter themselves that God will not be strict to mark iniquity. All too late their sin will find them out, in that day when they shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering forever. When the records of heaven are opened, the Judge will not in words declare to man his guilt, but will cast one penetrating, convicting glance; and every deed, every transaction of life, will be vividly recalled to the memory of the wrongdoer. The person will not, as in Joshua’s day, need to be hunted out from tribe to family, but his own lips will confess his shame. The sins hidden from the knowledge of men will then be proclaimed to the whole world.

Continue reading: The Sabbath Through the Ages