May 7, 1902

“His Glory Shall Be Seen”

EGW

From a race of slaves the Israelites were exalted above all peoples, to be the peculiar treasure of the King of kings. God separated them from the world, that He might commit to them a sacred trust. He chose them as depositaries of priceless treasures of truth. He purposed, through them, to preserve among men a knowledge of Himself. Thus the light of heaven was to shine out to a world enshrouded in darkness, and a voice was to be heard appealing to all peoples to turn from their idolatry to serve the living God.ST May 7, 1902, par. 1

God's purpose for His people is expressed in the words that Christ spoke to them through Moses: “Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God,” He said; “the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.... Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He sware unto thy fathers; and He will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee.... Thou shalt be blessed above all people.”ST May 7, 1902, par. 2

“Behold,” said Moses, “I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon Him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day?”ST May 7, 1902, par. 3

God desired to make His people Israel a praise and a glory. In obedience to His law they would find their wisdom and understanding. He told them that the keeping of His commandments would bring to them an elevation of life and character that even the heathen world would recognize and commend. But Israel did not fulfil God's purpose. They forgot God, and lost sight of their high privilege as His representatives. Through disobedience, they developed a character exactly the opposite of the character He designed they should develop by obedience to His law. While the people were firm in their allegiance to God, His commandments were not grievous; but when they separated from Him and gave their powers to the service of the prince of evil, they became aware of their inability to execute the holy enactments of heaven. The law that had once been their delight, became an unendurable weight.ST May 7, 1902, par. 4

The Israelites placed their own mould and superscription upon the truths entrusted to them. Their minds were quickened into activity by selfish ambition. Inspiring them with a power from beneath, Satan infused their minds with subtle sentiments derogatory to God's character. He invented theories by which he ensnared the minds of all classes. Gradually the law of God was lost sight of, the minutiae of formalism taking its place. The Jewish religion became a religion of rites and ceremonies. The religious leaders, laying great stress on their own opinions, and teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, filled the minds of the people with theories and doctrines that were contrary to the law of God.ST May 7, 1902, par. 5

Amid the confusing din of voices there was need of a teacher direct from heaven to declare with inspired lips the testing truths so important to every human being. And it was at that time that Christ, seeing the condition of the world, chose to change the order of things. The Commander of all heaven, laying aside His glory, His kingly crown, His royal robe, came to our world, His divinity clothed with humanity, that in His humanity He might touch humanity.ST May 7, 1902, par. 6

As a Teacher sent from God, Christ's work was to explain the true significance of the laws of God's government. His work was important; for He sought to present truth in contrast to the many false theories so destructive to the salvation of all who entertained them. He came, not to abrogate the law, but to be in His life a correct expositor of the character of God, which the law revealed. To remove the confusion of opinion existing everywhere concerning the meaning of the law, He Himself lived the law in its purity.ST May 7, 1902, par. 7

Christ came as One able to expound the law of God, so long misunderstood and misinterpreted by priests and leaders. He tore away the gloomy framework of error and doubt, tradition and superstition, with which men had surrounded truth and obscured its brightness. Resetting the jewels of truth in the framework of God's law, He caused them to shine in their original, heavenly luster. He taught a religion entirely different from the religion taught by the Pharisees. He showed that true happiness springs from purity of heart. True religion is not a mere theory; it affects the heart, and is expressed in the life by good works.ST May 7, 1902, par. 8

If the Jewish nation had received the Teacher sent from God, they would have given up the traditions and maxims handed down from rabbi to rabbi, and accumulating from age to age. If they had hidden God's law in their hearts, if they had given due respect to its sacred principles, it would have exerted a corrective influence on the entire life, and would have remodeled their selfish, avaricious dispositions after the character of God. But instead of following the Great Teacher, they chose to follow their own way. By sinful indulgence they expelled from the heart the love of God and the love of the principles of His holy law. The love of the world filled their hearts, prompting them to disobey.ST May 7, 1902, par. 9

With His chosen people the Lord dealt as a loving father deals with a disobedient son. For a thousand years He gave to them blessings and responsibilities, privileges and opportunities. But as a people the Jews failed of fulfilling His purpose; and to others were entrusted the privileges they had abused, the opportunities they had slighted.ST May 7, 1902, par. 10

The glorious possibilities set before Israel could be realized only through obedience. The same elevation of character, the same fullness of blessing,—blessing on mind and soul and body, blessing on house and field, blessing for this life and for the life to come,—is possible for us only through obedience.ST May 7, 1902, par. 11

In all ages those who have rendered obedience to God have been transformed in character; and in these last days, when iniquity abounds on every hand, our wisdom and understanding before all people will consist in our obedience to the standard of righteousness. The favor of God is promised only to those who obey. “If ye keep My commandants, ye shall abide in My love,” the Master declares. Not in great talents, not in great possessions, not in grand appearance, but in humble service to our Maker, is our strength, wisdom, and understanding.ST May 7, 1902, par. 12

God has committed a work to His people. Both at home and in the regions beyond, there is work to be done. The truths of the Bible have again become obscured by custom, tradition, and false doctrine. The erroneous teachings of popular theology have made thousands upon thousands of skeptics and infidels. Multitudes have been led to cherish an erroneous conception of God, as the Jews, misled by the errors and traditions of their time, had a false conception of Christ. “Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” If we have the Spirit of Christ, and are laborers together with Him, it is ours to carry forward the work that He came to do, ours to reveal to the world the character of God. And His hand is stretched out to save His people in this age from sinking into the formal, Christless state into which the Jewish nation sank.ST May 7, 1902, par. 13

As the Israelites were set as a light to the surrounding nations in the darkness of heathenism, so today every follower of Christ is to be as a light to those whose minds are darkened by sin. To His people Christ is now saying: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.” “For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.”ST May 7, 1902, par. 14

Mrs. E. G. White