Signs of the Times, Vol. 38, No. 17. (4/25/1911)

Signs of the Times

Apr 25, 1911

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, Cal. · Apr 25, 1911

Solomon's Wisdom and Folly

OUR lessons of the week open with the accession of King Solomon to the throne of Israel, and the checking of the ambitions of the aspiring Adonijah. It brings regret to us that the old warrior Joab, who had stood so true in all other trials of David's life, now followed Adonijah. He seems to have felt his sentence just after the custom of those days, but the place of his death shows his belief in Jehovah.

THERE is no human comprehension of what God will do with men if wholly yielded to Him. Solomon's wisdom was God-given. It is a sad story that he allowed his lusts to lead him astray. His wisdom and glory were recognized by contemporary peoples. He was a great statesman, a sage, a noted author and poet, a mighty builder, and a renowned scientist; but his power and wisdom were sapped by luxury and lust. Had he used his wonderful wisdom for God throughout his reign, he would not have left a weak and vacillating son to reign over Israel, and the division would not have taken place.

Question Corner

By Editor

"IF YE WILL INQUIRE, INQUIRE YE."

This Inquirers' Department is conducted for the purpose of helping those who are studying the Bible. The answers are oftentimes only suggestive. They are never to be considered infallible, only as they agree with the infallible Word. The writer who may answer them does not consider that his opinion is infallible. He will simply give the best that he has, and plead with the inquirer to search the Word. Such questions only will be answered as, to the editors, seem to minister to the good of the readers and to the mission of the paper. We can not answer repeatedly in the same volume questions upon the same scripture. The name and address must accompany question, not for publication, but as an evidence of good faith, and that answer may be made by letter if deemed advisable. No letters are answered which do not contain the name of the writer. It is well always to enclose stamp for reply.

3422.— Is It a Parable?

By A. M.

Is there good Bible proof that what Jesus said of the rich man and Lazarus was a parable? A. M.

1. The scripture referred to is found in Luke 16:19-31.

2. It is found after a long list of parables, the king going to war, the lost sheep, the lost piece of silver, the prodigal son, the unfaithful steward. Chapters 14-16.

3. It begins as do two of these, “a certain man.” See 15:11; 16:1, 19.

4. No one believes that hell is in sight of heaven, and that the righteous are in bliss while seeing the torments of the damned, as they must be if the parable is a real story. Then how will it harmonize with Rev. 6:9, 10?

5. “The dead know not anything.” Eccl. 9:5. “His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.” Ps. 146:4. “There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Eccl. 9:10. “His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.” Job 14:21.

6. If people are to live again after they die, they must be raised from the dead; for “if the dead rise not,” then even “they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” See 1 Cor. 15:12-18.

7. It was spoken to a class to whom Jesus spoke in parables. See Matt. 13:13.

In the light of these considerations the story of the rich man and Lazarus must be a parable, and parables should be understood in harmony with positive declarations of the Scripture.

8. Jesus uses the belief of the Jews to show the folly of trusting in riches, place, position, honor. The rich man represented the Jews, rich in all the wonderful privileges granted of God. Lazarus represented the Gentiles, poor in all spiritual blessing, sick with sin, classed with dogs. Trusting in their own righteousness, God rejected the Jews. Humbled to nothingness, He received the Gentiles who came to Him. Before honor is humility. (See the tract “Rich Man and Lazarus,” No. 146, Bible Students’ Library. Price with postage 2 cents.)

3419.— Who Wrote the Psalms?

David is spoken of as the "psalmist." Did he write all the psalms?

No; the titles of the individual Psalms tell us this. Seventy-three were written by David, and according to the Septuagint, about eleven more. Eleven were written by the sons of Korah, noted musicians; twelve by Asaph, a leader in song; two by Solomon; one by Moses; one by Ethan the Ezrahite; and of fifty the authors are not given. There seems to be strong internal evidence that Daniel wrote Psalm 119. Psalms 126, 137 were written after the Babylonian captivity. God had not a few great singers.

3420.— Our Part and God's Part

By N.

What is our part and God's part in the everlasting covenant? N.

God's part is the using of His creative and redeeming power in infinite love through Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinful man. He furnishes all the means, all the power, all the cleansing. All that man can do is to coöperate, submit to God's plan, submit to be remade, to wait, to do whatever God asks of him; and in that covenant he will find every command of God an enabling act. See Heb. 8:10-13; Isa. 55:3-7, in fact the whole chapter.

3421.— Pharaoh's Heart Hardened

Please explain Ex. 7:3. How was Pharaoh's heart hardened, and what were the chances of his salvation? L. L. A.

God hardened Pharaoh's heart by withdrawing His Spirit, and leaving the stubborn King to himself. Read the American Revised Version. "And Pharaoh's heart was strong." Ex. 7:13, margin. "Pharaoh's heart is heavy." Verse 14, margin. "He [Pharaoh] hardened ["made heavy," margin] his heart." Ex. 8:15. See also verse 19. It is not until we reach chapter 9:12 that it is said that God hardened the heart of the King. He had resisted the Spirit of God to the uttermost, and God withdrew His Spirit. There was every hope, every surety, that Pharaoh might have been saved if he had yielded to God. God would have gotten glory in his conversion, as He did in that of Nebuchadnezzar.

3423.— Food to Eat

By Editor

Does not Gen. 9:3 indicate that God designed that man should eat any kind of meat He had placed on earth? Please explain also Mark 7:15. A. M.

There are those who think all animals are good for food, and so eat crabs, and frogs, and swine, and snails, and snakes, and toads, and lizards, and worms, etc., etc. The simple fact is that when Noah came out of the ark there was but one pair each of the unclean animals, and they were to be preserved; but there were fourteen each of the clean beasts. The extra were for sacrifice and food. To understand Mark 7:15 read from verse 1. It will be seen that the question was not over the kind of animal food one should eat at all. It was a lesson to the Jews that no ceremonial regulations would save men; the heart must be cleansed of God. But he who is the Lord's will seek to eat and drink to God's glory. 1 Cor. 10:31.

3424.— Peppermint-Drops and the Plague

By Editor

Do you think peppermint-drops would cure the plague in Manchuria? It is a little thing, but it has great virtue in it. A little injected in the arm checks poison in the blood, and a little taken inwardly. H.

We do not know. Physicians are well acquainted with menthol, the active principle of peppermint. The plague in Manchuria seems to find its seat in the lungs, and is of a pneumonic character. It is very rapid in its course, the patient usually dying in a few hours.

The Dating of 34 A.D

By Editor

3425.— 34 A.D.

In our Sabbath-school lessons of February 25 and March 4 the chronology was given as 34 A.D. Is this from the birth of Christ, or from His crucifixion? P.

It is dated from the supposed birth of Christ; it was about three and one half years after His resurrection.

Abijah and Asa in Judah

In Judah we have the reigns of Abijah and Asa, more fully detailed in Chronicles.

Elijah the Tishbite

ONE great heroic figure steps into our narrative, — Elijah, the Tishbite, the strong prophet of God. His birth, place of birth, or ancestry is not recorded. His fame does not need them.

Baasha, Omri, and Ahab

The house of Baasha succeeded, and lasted but two generations, to be followed by the strong but wicked reign of Omri, the builder of Samaria. He was followed by the weak and wicked Ahab, who was dominated by his idolatrous and abominable wife Jezebel.

Jeroboam’s Golden Calves

WHAT an opportunity was given to Jeroboam! But lack of faith in God, and his education in Egypt, determined his policy; hence the calves of gold, seemingly a political measure to keep the people from going to Jerusalem. In two generations his house was extinct, but his patriotic form of idolatry persisted to the end of the ten-tribe kingdom.

Schedule for Week Ending May 13, 1911

Sunday	May 7	1 Kings 19-21
Monday	" 8	" 22;
		2 Kings 1, 2
Tuesday	" 9	" 3-5
Wednesday	" 10	" 6-8
Thursday	" 11	" 9-11
Friday	" 12	" 12-14
Sabbath	" 13	" 15-17

The Kings of Judah

OUR readings this week are but a continuation of the story of Israel's history. In the history of Judah, more fully told in Chronicles, we have the reigns of Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah (the wicked, usurping daughter of Jezebel), Jehoash (Joash), Amaziah, Azariah (Uzziah), Jotham, and Ahaz. Among all these there was but one truly good king — Jehoshaphat; but his alliance with the house of Omri brought evil fruit, which cursed the kingdom of Judah forever after. Amaziah, Uzziah, and Jotham were, especially the last two, far above the average. The good part of the reign of Joash was really the reign of Jehoiada.

The Kings of Israel

IN Israel the reigns of the kings were all evil, and generally stormy and brief. Succeeding the weak Ahab came Ahaziah and Jehoram, the last of the house of Omri. Then followed the stormy and furious Jehu, and his house runs through five generations, himself, Jehoahaz, Jehoash (Joash) in whom was some good, Jeroboam II, a truly great king, and Zachariah. Then follow the reigns of Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, Hoshea, the last of the apostate kings of Israel.

The Prophets of Israel

DURING this time we have the faithful warnings of God's prophets, the mighty Elijah and Elisha, and Micaiah, Hosea, Jonah, Amos, Joel, and others. The whole history is a wonderful object-lesson of principles, and their outworking in people and government.

Schedule for Week Ending May 6, 1911

Sunday	April 30	1 Kings	1, 2
Monday	May 1	“	3-5
Tuesday	“ 2	“	6, 7
Wednesday	“ 3	“	8, 9
Thursday	“ 4	“	10-12
Friday	“ 5	“	13-15
Sabbath	“ 6	“	16-18

The Power of Love

By Ellen G. White

By Mrs. E. G. White

LOVE is power; intellectual and moral strength are involved in this principle, and can not be separated from it. The power of wealth has a tendency to corrupt and destroy; the power of force is strong to do hurt; but the excellence and value of pure love consist in its efficiency to do good, and to do nothing else but good. Whatsoever is done out of pure love, be it ever so little or contemptible in the sight of men, is wholly fruitful; for God measures more by how much love one works, than by the amount of work he does.

Love is of God. The unconverted heart can not originate or produce this plant of heavenly growth, which lives alone, and flourishes only where Christ reigns. Love can not live without action, and every act increases, strengthens, and extends it. Love will prevail and gain the victory when argument and authority are powerless. Love works not for profit or reward; yet God has ordained that great gain shall be the certain result of every labor of love. It is diffusive in its nature, and quiet in its operation, yet strong and mighty in its purpose to overcome great evils. It is melting and transforming in its influence, and will take hold of the lives of the sinful, and affect their hearts when every other means has proved unsuccessful. Wherever the power of intellect, of authority, of force, is employed, and love is not manifestly present, the affections and will of those whom we seek to reach, assume a defensive, repelling position, and increase their strength of resistance as they are met by another power than love.

Jesus was the Prince of Peace. He came into the world to bring resistance and authority into subjection to Himself. Wisdom and strength He could command, but the means He employed to overcome evil were wisdom and strength of love. Suffer nothing to divide your interest from your present work until God shall see fit to give you another piece of work in the same field. Seek not for happiness, for that is never to be found by seeking for it. Go about your duty. Let faithfulness mark all your doings, and be clothed with humility.

"Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." Blessed results would appear as the fruit of such a course. "With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." Here are strong motives which should operate on minds to constrain them to love one another with a pure heart, fervently. Christ is our example. He went about doing good.

He lived to bless others. Love beautified and ennobled all His actions. We are not commanded to do to ourselves what we wish others to do unto us; we are to do unto others what we wish them to do to us under like circumstances. The measure we mete is always measured to us again. Pure love is simple in its operations, and is distinct from any other principle of action. The love of influence and the desire for the esteem of others may produce a well-ordered life, and, frequently, a blameless conversation. Self-respect may lead us to avoid the appearance of vice. A selfish heart may perform generous actions, acknowledge the present truth, and express humility and affection in the outward manner, with the motives deceptive and impure; and the efforts and actions that flow from them may be destitute of the savor of life and the fruits of true holiness, being destitute of the principles of pure love. Love, love, should be cultivated. It needs cherishing, for its influence is divine.

The Deceitfulness of Sin

Nothing is more treacherous than the deceitfulness of sin. It is the god of this world that deludes, and blinds, and leads to destruction. Satan does not enter with his array of temptations at once. He disguises these temptations with a semblance of good. He mingles with amusements and folly some little improvements, and deceived souls make it an excuse that great good is to be derived by engaging in them. This is only the deceptive part. It is Satan's hellish arts masked. Beguiled souls take one step, then are prepared for the next. It is so much more pleasant to follow the inclinations of their own hearts than to stand on the defensive, and resist the first insinuation of the wily foe, and thus shut out his incomings. O, how Satan watches to see his bait taken so readily, and to see souls walking in the very path he has prepared! He does not want them to give up praying and maintaining a form of religious duties; for he can thus make them more useful in his service. He unites his sophistry and deceptive snares with their experiences and professions, and thus wonderfully advances his cause.

The hypocritical Pharisees prayed and fasted, observed the forms of godliness, while corrupt at heart. Satan stands by, taunting Christ and His angels with insults. "I have them! I have them! I have prepared my deceptions for them. Your blood is worthless here. Your intercessions and power and wonderful works may as well cease. I have them! They are mine! For all their high profession as subjects of Christ, for all they once enjoyed the illuminations of His presence, I will secure them to myself in the very face of Heaven, which they are talking about. It is such subjects as these that I can use to decoy others." Solomon says, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool;" and there are hundreds of such to be found among professors of godliness.

Says the apostle, “We are not ignorant of his devices.” O, what art, what skill, what cunning, to lead to a union with the world, to seek for happiness in the amusements of the world, under the delusive idea that some good is to be gained! And thus they walk right into the net, flattering themselves that there is no evil in the way. The affections and sympathies of such are wrought upon, which lays a foundation for their ill-built confidence that they are the children of God. They compare themselves with others, and settle down satisfied that they are even better than many true Christians. But where is the deep love of Christ shining forth in their lives, its bright rays blessing others? Where is their Bible? and how much is it studied? And where are their thoughts? upon heaven and heavenly things? It is not natural for their minds to go forth in that direction. The study of God’s Word is uninteresting to them. It does not possess that which excites and fevers the mind; and natural, unrenewed hearts will prefer some other book to the study of God’s Word. Their attention is engrossed in self. They have no deep, earnest longings for the influence of the Spirit of God upon the mind and heart. God is not in all their thoughts.

An Appeal to Youth

How can I have it that most of the youth in this age will come short of everlasting life? O, that their sound of instrumental music may cease, and they no more while away so much precious time in pleasing their own fancy! O, that they would devote less time to dress and vain conversation, and send forth their agonizing prayers to God for a sound experience! There is a necessity for close self-examination, and to investigate closely in the light of God’s Word. Am I sound, or am I rotten at heart? Am I renewed in Christ, or am I still carnal at heart, with an outside, new dress put on? Rein yourself up to the tribunal of God, and see, as in the light of God, if there is any secret sin, any iniquity, any idol you have not sacrificed. Pray, yes, pray as you have never prayed before, that you may not be deluded by Satan’s devices; that you may not be given up to a heedless, careless, and vain spirit, and attend religious duties to quiet your own conscience. It is inappropriate for Christians in every age of the world to be lovers of pleasure; but how much more so now, when the scenes of this earth’s history are so soon to close!

Surely the foundation of your hopes of everlasting life can not be made too sure. The welfare of your soul and your eternal happiness depend upon whether your foundation is built upon Christ. While others are panting after earthly enjoyment, be ye panting after the unmistakable assurance of the love of God, earnestly, fervently crying, Who will show me how to make my calling and election sure? One of the sins that constitute one of the signs of the last days, is that professed Christians are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Deal truly with your own souls. Search carefully. How few, after a faithful examination, can look up to heaven and say, I am dead to the world; the life I now live is by faith on the Son of God. My life is hid with Christ in God; and when He who is my life shall appear, then shall I also appear with Him in glory. The love and grace of God! O precious grace, more valuable than fine gold! It elevates and ennobles the spirit beyond all other principles. It sets the heart and affections upon heaven. While those around us may be engaged in worldly vanity, pleasure-seeking, and folly, our conversation is in heaven, whence we look for the Saviour; the soul is reaching out after God for pardon and peace, for righteousness and true holiness. Converse with God, and contemplation of things above, transform the soul into the likeness of Christ.

God’s Two Witnesses

What Is Your Witness?

ONCE more we call our readers’ attention to the Bible law of witness as applicable to individual experience. There are thousands who are professing Christianity who have no other assurance than uncertain feeling, or an experience of perhaps years ago, when God would have us know by His own reliable twofold witness that we are children of God. Let us take home the questions to heart and be honest with ourselves and God!

Are we the Lord’s? Is He our personal Saviour? Do we know this to be a fact? If so, how?

“Why,” says one, “I have the blessed inward consciousness that this is so. I have the witness within myself. What more do I need?” But you do need more. An “inward consciousness” of our own, apart by itself, however “blessed” it may seem to us, is of little worth. Thousands have been deceived before us, and we may be just as surely deceived. Such witness at best is only a human, fallible witness.

“But how may I know?” do you ask? You may know. God would have you have a better witness. The law of the Word of God in the matter of witness is that “at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1. Even our Lord’s mission was thus established. John 8:18. And He Himself declared, “If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.” John 5:31.

But did He not bear witness of Himself, and was not His witness true?—Yes; but its truth was confirmed by even greater witness, witness which would appeal to minds far beyond any claim which Jesus of Himself could make. Further, Jesus did not put forth His “inner consciousness” as a witness. Of course He possessed an inner consciousness that made His own heart glad. But the two witnesses were these:

Witness in Jesus

I am one that bear witness of Myself. John 8:18. The works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father hath sent Me. John 5:36.

Witness of the Father

The Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me. John 8:18. Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify [bear witness] of Me. John 5:39.

For all the hundreds of years in the past from Moses to Malachi, God had by His Spirit in His Word borne witness to His Son. Unchanged that witness had remained through all the centuries. Every phase and characteristic of Christ’s time and life and work had been foretold.

When Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Logos, came to this world, God gave Him His Spirit without measure. That Spirit wrought out in Jesus Christ just what God had foretold in His Word. The Incarnated Word agreed with the written Word, and thus did God establish Christ’s mission to all men.

That written God-breathed Word comes down to us to-day. It is the voice of the Spirit of God speaking to the children of men. It is the infallible witness of the ages. No man living can say that any contemporaneous man wrote it, or has altered it to suit his purpose.

Our human soul comes to that Word. It hears God speak. It yields to His voice. That Word declares the soul a sinner; the soul says, “It is true, Lord.” He agrees with God. That Word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The soul responds with joy, “Amen, Lord.”

But the soul listens further; the Word tells him that he may have the love of God through the Spirit of God, that God is willing to give that Spirit, that by that Spirit that soul will obey God, and keep all His commandments. Rom. 5:5; 1 John 5:3. And the soul again and at all times responds: “Amen, Lord. To Thee be the dominion of my heart, for Thine is the glory and the power. O, how love I Thy law! I delight greatly in Thy commandments.”

If we have come to that experience, then it is true that the Spirit “beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” Rom. 8:16. God’s Spirit bears witness in His Word; our regenerated spirit witnesses with His Spirit. Whenever God speaks we hear. Whenever His Spirit witnesses in His Word, His Spirit in our heart responds in perfect agreement.

Then we need not be deceived. We know the spirit within us is right, because it is in harmony with the Word. We do not judge the Word by our spirit, as does the New Theology; but we determine the spirit that actuates us by the expression of God’s Spirit in the Scriptures. We have heard His voice; and with Him we are agreed. We know that He is right; and agreeing with Him, we know that we are right with Him. We have complied with His conditions, and He declares we are forgiven and accepted in the beloved; and we accept it and are glad.

This is God’s witness to us that we are His. It is His witness to you, to me. But our witnessing is not to ourselves or of ourselves; it is to the world of the goodness and power of God to transform character, save to the uttermost, and do all that He has promised.

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