If your eye is not singular toward the rule of Yahweh in your life and home, you are in darkness and your religion is a sham."
The Christian church…who profess the utmost faith in Christ, in despising the Jewish system virtually deny Christ, who was the originator of the entire Jewish economy, Selected Messages, Vol. 1, page 232:2.
The statutes concerning marriage, inheritance, and strict justice in dealing with one another, were peculiar and contrary to the customs and manners of other nations, and were designed of God to keep His people separate from other nations. The necessity of this to preserve the people of God from becoming like the nations who had not the love and fear of God, is the same in this corrupt age , when transgression of God’s law prevails and idolatry exists to a fearful extent. If ancient Israel needed such security, we need it more, to keep us from being utterly confounded with the transgressors of God’s law , (1Review & Herald, p.164 (5-06-1875, Emphasis supplied).
| If God's people would carefully hearken unto the voice of Yahweh to do all His commandments, they would lend to the nations, but never borrow; they would rule over other nations, but never be ruled over, Deut.15:6. |
Had the Hebrews been true to their trust, they would have been a power in the world. God would have been their defense, and He would have exalted them above all other nations. His might and truth would have been revealed through them, and they would have stood forth under His wise and holy rule as an example of the superiority of His government over every form of idolatry. But they did not keep their covenant with God. They followed after the idolatrous practices of other nations; and instead of making their Creator's name a praise in the earth, they brought it into contempt (The Signs of the Times, January 25, 1910).
Moses repeated to Israel God's design for holy living. Had they as a nation obeyed God's requirements, they would have been the head and not the tail (Deut. 28:13). Long before Israel had been re-educated in the ways of Yahweh, Abraham, whose obedience has become exemplary for every age, reaped the results of his own obedience. It was because he loved God, his children, and his household –more than a thousand persons, counting servants – that he guarded their religious faith, to impart to them a knowledge of the divine statutes, as the most precious legacy he could transmit to them, ( Reflecting Christ, page 193 ). It was by his love for God and others that Abraham obeyed. It was faith that works by love that secured for him power and prosperity in the ancient world, ( Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 140-142). Some in Israel followed and were blessed. Most went their own way.
Today, nothing has changed. The promises extend to spiritual Israel, whose task it is to evangelize the world, to link mankind with the true source of happiness, power, and prosperity. God's people today, as of old, will put far from them worldly idols, and keep God’s sabbaths, statutes, and commandments. Conditional was God's promise to protect their land, giving them peace and prosperity, Lev. 26:1-6. But, they would be cursed if they made graven images to hide in a secret place for personal use, Deut. 27:15. God wanted the whole heart then; He asks for the whole heart now. While God's love is unconditional, His blessings are still for those who keep His precepts. Those who love the Son enough to be His servant, and then His bride, are not rebellious to His Lordship.
Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but the one doing the desire of Elohim remains forever , The Scriptures, 1 John 2:15-17 (Emphasis supplied).
| The same laws applied to strangers in their land as to their Hebrew neighbors; they were to have one law for all, Lev. 24:22. |
The fourth commandment makes the point that all were to observe the seventh day Sabbath, including the servants, livestock, and foreigners (strangers) in their gate (Exodus 20:10). The concept here remains to this day. When you travel to Europe, you must expect to abide by the laws of the country through which you travel. The fact that Israel was under a theocracy meant that they had both civil and religious laws, but the visitor in their land was not exempt from any level of their government.
Although discussed in Chapter 8, the principle bears repeating: When we grant the lordship of our hearts and homes to the Son of God, the lordship in our homes must remain, even when "strangers" to the Word of God "sojourn" there. We cannot imagine relinquishing our "no smoking" law on public transportation, just because a foreigner has no such law in his homeland. What would our government be like if we made allowances for all visitors in our country? We would have chaos and anarchy in place of stability and reason.
The same is true in our homes. If we set aside our worship time when visitors stay overnight, bring to the table that which we ourselves find offensive to God, tolerate talk or videos which compromise the Lordship of Elohim in our dwellings, we are sacrificing His lordship for the preferences of the nonbeliever. Do we really want to do that? What message is the shift in rules saying to the visitor? – to our Lord?
Notice how the Savior addressed compromise. He said, " If your eye is evil, all your body shall be in darkness. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon, Matt. 6:23, 24.
"Mammon" is defined as a personification of wealth, or materialism. The Scripture is saying, according to this writer's paraphrase, "Don't try to put God first in your life, if you make your decisions based on material needs and advantages. You can't have it both ways.
If your eye is not singular toward the rule of Yahweh in your life and home, you are in darkness and your religion is a sham."
God has ever had a "no compromise policy" when it has come to loyalty verses idolatry. One example of God's "no compromise policy" in found in the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him , (1 Kings 18:21).
Elijah, amid the general apostasy, did not seek to hide the fact that he served the God of heaven. Baal's prophets numbered four hundred and fifty, his priests, four hundred, and his worshipers were thousands; yet Elijah did not try to make it appear that he was on the popular side . He grandly stood alone. The mountain was covered with people full of eager expectation. The king came in great pomp, and the idolaters, confident of triumph, shouted his welcome. But God had been greatly dishonored. One man, and only one man, appeared to vindicate the honor of God, (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 526 , Emphasis supplied).
The statute instructed Israel that, whereas their God ruled throughout the land, His lordship was to be respected by whoever lived, worked, or ventured through His land. That was then.
Today, as in the days of Elijah, the line of demarcation between God's commandment-keeping people and the worshipers of false gods is clearly drawn. (1 Kings 18:21 quoted) And the message for today is: Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen…Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities (Rev. 18:2-5), Lift Him Up, page 164.
In these last days, God will have a people who will not try to serve both His commandments and the World's. The final Elijah message is going to God's professed people throughout the land. May you, Dear Reader, be among those who will make a stand, -however unpopular that loyalty may make you- to worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Luke 4:8). Will you answer with Joshua, " As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord "? (Joshua 24:15). How else can we give a true witness of our devotion to God's greater wisdom and ways?
When a godless friend or relative spends time in our homes, let us lovingly, prayerfully, but boldly declare our loyalty to God as well as our consideration for the visitor. The visitor may choose to smoke outside, retire to the guest room during evening worship, and bring to the table foods not acceptable to the Christian family. Choices should be respected, without giving the visitor reason to believe that the custom in the home is optional, -observed by preference rather than by conviction. Thus, the government of our homes should be as stable as the government of our church or nation.
| Israel was instructed to choose wise men from each tribe to make decision for the land and settle disputes: Over thousands, hundreds, fifties, tens, Deut. 1:15; Num. 11:16-17; Ex. 18:1, 24-27. These judges and officers were to be available at the gates of each city; and they must judge justly, Deut. 16:18. |
When Moses complained to Elohim about the enormous challenge of organizing tens of thousands of people in the wilderness, he was instructed to carefully select seventy elders from the tribes to record and settle civil strife. These seventy –some from each tribe- were to judge fairly, without bias. When Israel was settled in the Promised Land, these officers were to conduct court at the city gates. This arrangement may have been for the convenience of the people. It may have been, also, to keep strife out of the Holy City, Jerusalem, which was the capital city of God's dwelling.
In Ezekiel, Chapters 40 through 48, is described the temple that was never built. In the plans for that temple, each tribe had his own gate through which to enter the holy ground. It may be speculated that, just as the Messiah was crucified outside the gate, so each tribe was to leave its strife and debate outside the gates. Outside the gates they were Judeans and Gadites, etc. Once inside, they were Israelites, the Children of the Promise.
Today both within the civil government and within the church government, as in those ancient days, responsibility is shared. No one officer of the church is to dominate the management nor bear all the responsibility; all elected officers are to share both management and responsibility, working together to keep harmony and justice. That is the ideal. In church board meetings where prayer is alive and well, harmony is more likely to prevail without giving up reform and truth.
| The people of God must never pervert judgment in their city or national government. They must judge without partiality, and never accept a gift, or bribe, Deut. 16:19,20. They must not show partiality for or against a poor man in court, Ex. 23:3,6; Lev. 19:15; Deut.1:17. In fact, there was a curse on anyone who perverted judgment against a widow, a foreigner, or an orphan, Deut.27:19. |
Court systems today have ignored the principle of this divine law. Today the judgment favors the one who can afford the high-priced lawyer. The poor man, the widow, foreigner, and orphan will likely be disadvantaged when coming against pricey representation. This ought not to be.
God's design for settling disputes was equality for all. This included the foreigner who lacked knowledge of the Hebrew's national regulations; it included the widow who may have had her income cut off; it also included the orphan who was at the mercy of the state, and the poor man who was forced to accept free counsel.
To tamper with the execution of justice, either in favor of, or against the poor, invoked the curse of The Almighty. There were twelve curses listed in Deuteronomy 27. Each curse was followed by the appropriate response: "And all the people shall say, Amen." To the Hebrew, curses were powerful and effective. They had witnessed enough to make them fearful.
The giving of the blessings from Mount Gerizim and curses from Mount Ebal (Deut. 11:29) struck terror in the hearts of the listening multitude. The tribes were divided, with the sons of Jacob's wives, Rachel and Leah, standing on Mount Gerizim calling out the blessings for faithfulness to the Covenant of Yahweh. On Mount Ebal stood the sons of the concubines along with the children of Reuben and Zebulun responding with curses upon any who would dare break the covenant in any particular. This was the setting for the statute on fair judgments.
Simple is the principle we may apply to our lives today: treat all people with equal justice and mercy. Don't make judgments affected by pity or pride.
God would have the rulers of the nations know that He is the supreme Ruler. Those who preside over the affairs of nations should realize that there is a King of kings. The man who does not know God as his Father, and Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of the infinite God, can not rule wisely. He who has been placed where he has authority over others should seek the Lord for wisdom, that he may govern wisely the subjects of God's kingdom. An earthly ruler can not exercise authority wisely or set an example that is safe to follow, unless he obtains wisdom from God, who is too wise to err and too good to do injustice to His human subjects (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 3, page 37).
|
Be extremely careful in making judgment, lest you condemn an innocent person, Ex. 23:6.
Never accept bribes for they blind even the wise, Ex. 23:7. |
This injunction builds on the previous statute adding additional safeguards. Don't accept money in the execution of justice, for it will blind even the wise. False charges may be brought against one, but the man of integrity must have nothing to do with them, lest he condemn the innocent.
Practical matters, which confront all organizations, must be expedited under the unction of the Holy Spirit. If Israel was to represent the character of their God before the nations, their government must pattern after His government. Only in that way could Israel ever achieve the grand prosperity and influence God wanted for them.
Furthermore, our God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). James addressed the issue of partiality as it was seen in the first century AD. The "no partiality policy" given to Ancient Israel is still the Word of God to us. What was to be guarded against nationally is still to be guarded against denominationally.
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors (James 2:2-4, 6, 7).
First of all, James reminded the early Christians that they themselves knew well what it meant to be brought to the judgment hall for their faith (vs. 6). The Early Christian Church was ruthlessly hounded for centuries. Persecution of Truth and those holding it has ever been a reality for reformers in every age, including the first century when James penned the above counsel. That unjust treatment should have converted into tender tolerance for others seeking The Way. But the human heart may remain in the clutches of the enemy of souls long after the convicting of the mind.
Secondly, to show partiality, and to judge others accordingly, is defined as "blasphemy" in scripture. Taking the name of the Savior, but not valuing, loving, and responding after His heart of compassion, reveals hypocrisy in the so-called Christian. To take His name is to take His character and His mission. There is no way we sinful humans can do this, except by the method the Apostle Paul explained. We must die to self, daily, 1 Cor. 15:31.
Christ Himself had taught the way, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily , and follow me, Luke 9:23. Furthermore, He had taught the principles of equality and fairness in parables and teachings, revealing His regard for the statutes. He taught that there is no profit in gaining wealth if it robs one of time for eternal matters (Mark 8:36). And when the disciples disputed among themselves over who might be the greatest among them, Jesus rebuked them saying, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all (Mark 9:35). Then He took a child on His lap and reminded them (vs. 37): Whosoever receives a child in My name, receives Me . (See Mark 9:35-42 for other insights).
Thirdly, James calls "partiality" a sin. Since none of the Ten Commandments condemn this attitude, let the reader recognize that the reference by James is to the statutes that clearly enlarge upon the intent within the Ten Commandments. One might see a relationship between partiality and the prohibition against false witness described in the ninth commandment, or against coveting wealth belonging to a neighbor, specified in the tenth. But it is the statute against partiality in judgment that makes James's command clear. James calls it a sin to show partiality. Thus, it is shown that all the oracles of God –and that includes all His statutes- are to be obeyed. To disregard a statute is to commit sin. Disobedience is always lawlessness. Paul instructed Timothy that the law was not given for the righteous, but for the lawless ones (See 1 Tim. 1:9-13) that they might see their sin and desire the gift of grace.
How different would be our churches today if we allowed the principles of this statute to have preeminence in our church government and operations! What could result among us if those of financial means were not chosen for office on the basis of assertiveness and self-confidence born of financial success? What if the highest church offices were filled with "commoners" filled with a zeal for truth and godliness? What if there was no partiality in judgment over whom may be a channel for truth, so that the teaching could be examined for truth's sake, rather than who presented it?
When new light is presented to the church, it is perilous to shut yourselves away from it. Refusing to hear because you are prejudiced against the message or the messenger will not make your case excusable before God. To condemn that which you have not heard and do not understand will not exalt your wisdom in the eyes of those who are candid in their investigation of truth. And to speak with contempt of those whom God has sent with a message of truth, is folly and madness, (Counsels to Writers and Editors, p. 51).
What if we each resolved to obey the injunction of the Lord God Almighty? Don't pervert judgment through partiality between the rich and poor, the "haves" and "have-nots." How different would our lives be!
Among the stories about Ellen White is one unpublished account from her years in Loma Linda. Found in a letter from a Loma Linda resident to a friend in the Mid-West, it has recently been shared in public. It seems the folk from her neighborhood soon discovered the hour of Mrs. White's daily walk. It is said that one could rarely find her walking alone; for someone needing encouragement or seeking enlightenment would join her stroll to enjoy her wisdom and instruction.
On one of these occasions, a young man joined her, only to find her vexed with concern. He inquired as to the cause, so she explained that her sleep had been disturbed by a frightful dream during the night. This young man later wrote about this experience and the dream Mrs. White related to the small company who joined her walk that day.
In her dream, Mrs. White explained, she had seen a devastating windstorm level everything around. The young man asked if she was speaking of Loma Linda being destroyed. She clarified that she was speaking of the whole denomination. It was all swept away in minutes; there was not a building nor a person to be seen anywhere. When the storm had passed, there followed a period of silence. Then, quietly, slowly, God's people began to assemble.
From every direction they came. Among them were no former leaders, no preachers, no people of wealth, prestige, and great influence; just humble, God-fearing commoners. They quickly an efficiently organized their ranks and spread over the earth to give the final Loud Cry.
The young man who walked with Ellen White and heard her tell this dream is resting in the grave until the Lord comes. But the letter in which he wrote this disturbing account remains among the letters and papers in the Ellen G. White collection.
May we follow the words of this statute and be admonished by the experiences of others before us. We must judge between right and wrong, not people. We must discern truth from error, not the person who delivers it. Let us love one another, and thereby fulfill all the law (Rom 13:10). That love, born in the heart of God, delights to do His will.
| If a case was too hard to judge, it was to be taken to the priest and judge of thatarea. Then the petitioner must abide by the verdict rendered, Deut. 17:8-11. |
When a case was presented to the local court that was too unusual (the Hebrew word in verse 8 translates as "too wonderful," "surpassing," or "unusual"), the case may be referred to the Levitical court for arbitration. In such cases, the petitioners must accept the ruling as the oracle of God. Any dissatisfaction with the verdict was thereafter treated as complaining against Jehovah, and carried a serious consequence.
We see a similarity to this principle carried out in our court system today. Lower courts deliberate common disputes. Higher courts judge the difficult and unusual cases. Long after the case is decided, the controversy may continue, however, in the minds of the public and the media. Such was the jury trial of O. J. Simpson in recent years. All must abide by the rendering of the court, but few believed that justice had been served.
In the early days of Sabbath-keepers in this country, efforts were made to establish a procedure akin to this statute. A kind of "court" assembled to listen to "new light." Civil matters were not brought to the assembly of brethren, but issues of doctrine and leadership. Unfortunately, emotions interrupted logic and prayerful sensibility often enough for this approach to be nearly abandoned today.
Many of us do, however, remember Glacier View, where hundreds of Bible scholars and conference administrators gathered to examine the controversial teachings of Desmond Ford. An earthquake couldn't have done more damage to the denomination than what was experienced through the ranks when the verdict was declared. With Desmond defrocked and dismissed from his positions of authority, scores of ministers walked out of their churches, never to return. With them followed hundreds of members leaving over the battle lines drawn at Glacier View, or out of loyalty to a leader they had come to trust. As ironic as it may be, the doctrines of Desmond Ford have been taught among our people ever since! But the "court" approach to issues of doctrine have not been so public since the Des Ford "trial" in the 1970"s.
Perhaps the greater fault for the aftermath of Glacier View lies in the doorway of ministers and members who refused to abide by the ruling. Conducted in accordance with the principle of this statute, the results should have shorn up the pillars. Instead, pride and prejudice, self-confidence and contention, spread throughout California and several other western states. What could have been a blessing became a curse by the discontentment of unconverted hearts.
| If an Israelite heard that one of the cities in Judah or Israel had made laws, which encouraged their citizens to include entertainment and/or worship of heathen gods and customs, that Israelite should investigate the rumor. If the suspicion was proven true, the Israelite was to gather his own city to destroy everything of that renegade city which had gone a whoring after the world, Deut. 13:12-18. |
Are we our brother's keeper? If there was ever a question, the principle from this statute should forever settle that debate. It seems that from the entrance of sin the concept of "mind your own business" quickly spread until it became a societal law. Such an attitude was never to be among God's people. There has never been a time when it was safe to enjoy the presence of God and the pleasures of the world together. To profess godliness while enjoying sin is an abomination to the Almighty One, and in actuality, an impossibility. This oracle of Yahweh sets at war good and evil, not for the world, but in the church and in the heart.
When an Israelite city was drawn into the idolatry of the surrounding nations, that rebellious city was to be regarded as an enemy to God's people. The inhabitants of that wicked city were to be burned and their city left as a pile of rubbish, a monument to the destruction of evil. A prime example of this order carried out, is found in Judges 20. There is recorder the horrific battle that brought the tribe of
Benjamin to near extinction, when all Israel went up against Gibeah for the wickedness committed there.
The principle of this statute has been the basis for much bloodshed throughout history. Deuteronomy 13:13, 15 reads:
Certain men, the children of Belial, are gone out from among you, and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which ye have not known.. Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein.
This scripture empowered the Crusades, which ushered in the twelve-hundred-and-sixty years of Dark Ages. It formed the zeal to wipe out thousands of feast keeping followers of Jesus Christ in the early centuries of Imperial Rome. As a cloak, it covers the bodies of millions of Christians and Jews tortured, mocked, scourged, imprisoned, stoned (Heb. 11:33-40), burned at the stake, or sent to gas chambers.
Are we surprised that so much evil has been done quoting the words of the Almighty? We shouldn't be. The words of God -distorted, of course- were spoken from the mouth of the beautiful flying serpent in the garden. The words of God were offered to the Savior in the wilderness. In the final days of testing, it will be the words of God, spoken in another appealing guise of the Deceiver that will carry many a professing Christian to destruction. Loyal followers of the Messiah must warn their churches now that life and death are suspended in the words of God. Those who don't know the Word intimately will not discern the overmastering deception soon to test the Christian world. Superficial Bible readers will fail that test.
You know not where you may be called upon to give your witness of truth. Many will have to stand in the legislative courts; some will have to stand before kings and before the learned of the earth, to answer for their faith. Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth will not be able clearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite reason for their faith. They will become confused…(Our High Calling, page 355).The study of the Books of Daniel and the Revelation—God's Spirit has illuminated every page of Holy Writ, but there are those upon whom it makes little impression, because it is imperfectly understood. When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand . They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness… (Testimonies to Ministers, page 112, emphasis supplied).
| In a court of law, a father could not be condemned to death for the crime of his son,nor the son for the crime of his father, Deut. 24:16; Eze. 18:4,20. |
One example of God's dealings with Israel according to this statute, is found in Numbers 26. There Korah and his cohorts were destroyed when the earth opened and swallowed them (vs. 10). The next verse explains that Korah's children did not die. In contrast to God's merciful distinction of the children, we find evidence that among the heathen it was customary for an entire family to perish for the crime of one in the family. Such was the case when Daniel was delivered from the lions. The men who had accused Daniel were thrown to the lions along with their wives and children (Dan. 6:24).
Ezekiel reminded Israel of this law: The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son , (Eze. 18:20). By inference, we may glean the same principle from Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fortunately, the principle of this command was respected in the founding of this nation. No one must die for the crimes of the parent, or the child. Debtors' prisons of the past and court fines of the present have inflicted pain upon the slothful, and pressure upon careless parents of truant children, but none have been condemned to death for a family member's lawlessness.
So it will be in the Day of Judgment, none will escape their fate for the influence of parent or child. No parent may stand in place of the delinquent child. Jesus Christ alone will have born the death decree for our sins. He alone could pay for the crimes of another. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
| The judge would decide in court how many stripes would be given for guilt; Forty was the maximum number, Deut. 25:1, 2. |
While the one falsely accused would be exonerated, the guilty must be punished. From the Hebrew root word for "condemn" (verse 1), comes the suggestion that what was "out of order" was to be rehabilitated rather than punished, in the sense of vengeance (See 1 BC 1041). Thus, the stripes by the court may have been meant originally to deter the misconduct of a sympathizer for the guilty. Certainly, in nations today where crimes are punished by flogging, there is little criminal behavior. This statute may have been an adult version of the "Spare the rod and spoil the child" principle, (See Prov. 13:24).
Whether this application is justifiable or not, one may be certain that the stripes administered to the Savior, centuries later, came from no redemptive intent. Beatings and scourging were apt to be administered upon arrest (See Jer. 20:2; 37:15) in ancient times. According to the statute, however, it was only lawful after the accused had been tried and sentenced in a legal court of law.
The Romans were bound by no such requirement. In several Scriptures we read that Paul was beaten without trial (Acts 16:23; 2 Cor. 11:24); by the Romans once, and by the Jews five times. While it was unlawful to beat a Roman citizen without trial, those who were in subjection to the Roman government had no such protection. Paul himself had been responsible for many Christians being beaten (Acts. 22:19), which added to his remorse after his conversion.
Today beatings are still an acceptable punishment in some countries of the world, but not in America. Yet, as of old, abuse of physical power over the crime suspect often makes news. Nonetheless, God's people will leave the execution of judgment and punishment to the Master of justice and mercy.
| Anyone who wouldn't abide by the ruling of the priest and the judge must be put todeath; and all the people must be informed so they wouldn’t be tempted to act presumptuously against court rulings, Deut. 17:12, 13. |
Because the administration of justice was to be regarded with reverence, and so as to purge evil from Israel, this statute was enforced against acts of insolence and rebellion toward God-ordained authority. It was expected that this law would, in turn, encourage greater respect for divinely appointed authority, as well as the mandates given through godly leaders. Paul reminds us that rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil… If thou do that which is evil, be afraid (Rom. 13:3,4). Even if one was sure that the powers in authority were not of God, honor would be given to the government (Rom. 13:1), unless it was in direct opposition to a command of Jehovah (Acts 5:29).
This statute, still in force at the time of Christ, sheds light on the circumstances and events of His trial on the night before the Passover feast. Court would never convene at such a sacred season, unless urgency was deemed needful by the heinousness of the crime. When a crime was considered so evil as to demand that "all the people" witness the judgment and sentence, there was no better time to reach people from all regions than when they would be present in Jerusalem for the great festivals. Thus, the Jews staged the trial of the Son of God at a time when there would be the greatest number of witnesses in Jerusalem. They hoped by this timing to have the greatest possible influence over the people, to convict them of the horrific evil that would warrant court in session on a Holy Sabbath.
There was no greater evil than to be a "false prophet." According to Deuteronomy 18:20, a false prophet must die, thus accounting for the frenzy to trap Jesus into admitting that He and/or His words were directly from God. To His enemies, Christ was a false prophet. Furthermore, He had seemed insolent against the mandates of the Sanhedrin. Thus, Jesus, the Lawgiver, was condemned by His own law, which had become twisted in the minds of apostate priests and leaders. That was then…
Could abuse of this statute bring martyrdom to many of God's people in the last scenes of Earth's history? What do you think?
| God would choose the king.; It must to be someone who would not cause them to pine after Egypt. It would not be someone who would multiply horses [for war, to build up national power]; God's choice would not be someone who would have many wives, nor horde silver and gold, as the nations around did, Deut. 17:14-17. |
The Scriptures records this statute as follows:
When you come to the land which [Yahweh] your Elohim is giving you, and shall possess it and shall dwell in it, and you shall say, "Let me set a sovereign over me like all the gentiles that are around me," you shall certainly set a sovereign over you whom Yahweh your Elohim shall choose. Set a sovereign over you from among your brothers, you are not allowed to set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. Only, he is not to increase horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitsrayim [Egypt] to increase horses, for Yahweh has said to you, "Do not return that way again." And he is not to increase wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor is he to greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
Here, we find that before Israel asked for a king, God had already given the instructions for the selection.
In 1 Samuel 8:4-7 we read of the request before Samuel to select a king to rule over them, for Samuel was an old man and his sons didn't follow the commands and statutes of Jehovah. But, God knew Israel would soon clamor for a king. He had already given the instructions to His servant, Moses, long before the request was made. Later, Isaiah was to record this wonderful principle of Yahweh's faithfulness in anticipating needs and interests. And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are yet speaking, I will hear , Isa . 65:24.
If a king was to be chosen to rule over them, he must be one of their brethren, not a foreigner. God Almighty would remain their true Sovereign. The chosen earthly potentate must be in subjection to the oracles of God. No foreigner could understand the history and heritage that accompanied Israel into the Promised Land.
The choice of a king was, ultimately, to be God's choice, for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart (1 Sam. 16:7). This important choice could not be left to Israel's personal pleasure, nor a candidate's personal appeal. Yet, the story of the people's choosing Saul to be their first king (recorded in 1 Samuel 10), includes the suggestion of God's disapproval of their request (1 Sam. 10:19), although verse 24 says that Saul was chosen by the Lord. (According to Hebrew thought, anything God did not forbid was considered an action of God.)
This seems to imply that, although He had centuries before given the instructions for choosing a king, the circumstances and motives for Israel's desire were corrupt. God's people were not asking for a king so they might better represent their Elohim before the heathen, but that they might join the heathen to be like them in government.
By reviewing the qualifications for rulership and God's requirements for that office, we may view a model for all governments today. First, the candidate for rulership must be a native and citizen under that government he or she wishes to serve. In this model, the ruler's first obligation must be to God. From The Book of Common Prayer , can be found "A Prayer for the President of the United States, and All in Civil Authority."
Almighty God… so rule the hearts of thy servant, THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES… and all others in authority, that they, knowing whose ministers they are, may above all things seek thy honour and glory; and that we and all the People, duly considering whose authority they bear, may faithfully and obediently honour them…
Unfortunately, the will of God has become so obliterated by distortions and deceptions that it is virtually impossible to even conceptualize a theocracy at this time in history. Only after this earth is purified by fire will God's theocracy be reinstated; this time with one of "the brethren," the Son of God, on the throne.
Israel was not to accumulate horses, by which to increase the strength of their cavalry, and they were forbidden to return to Egypt to buy from the Egyptians. The stately Arabian stallions from Egypt had become a symbol of power and prowess to any army possessing them. But, in the land of Israel the Almighty One was to be in control and enliven with power their military.
Those who have traveled to Palestine know that the topography is too mountainous to be suitable for large-bodied animals in time of war. Yet Solomon, disregarding the commands of God, purchased horses out of Egypt (1 Kings 10:28) to add prestige to his glowing fame.
The statute of the Lord said the king was not to accumulate silver and gold for his own fame and fortune. Solomon arrogantly gathered taxes of silver and gold so that Jerusalem became the center of wealth for the then-known world. His palace was but a glimpse of the pride that "goes before destruction" (Prov. 16:18). Although he enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season, he concluded his life with the proverb, Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right (Prov. 16:8), and How much better is it to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! (verse 16).
What a contrast between the lives of Solomon and Moses! Both entered the service of the Lord from a heritage of wealth and power. Both felt the task was too great for human wisdom. Both prayed for divine aid. But, Moses had known both poverty and prestige, both want and wealth. He chose to suffer affliction with the people of God… esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt (Heb. 11:24-26).
Solomon, on the other hand, came into power without an appreciation for the poor and persecuted. He was raised knowing the oracles of God. But with the generous gift of wisdom and intellect, Solomon could not maintain the humble dependence upon Jehovah he had expressed in prayer at the beginning of his lordship. "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people," he had once prayed, "that I may discern between good and evil," (1 Kings 3:9). Even so, he was a compromiser, almost from the beginning of his reign. It is written of Solomon that he
loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, while offering sacrifices and burning incense in the high places (vs. 3).
Obedience to God, blended with a fascination for the world, is a sure formula for failure. What we see in the leadership of Solomon is a life of pleasing words amid selfish extravagance. Solomon prayed eloquently, taught the people persuasively, wrote inspiringly; but lived recklessly and fool-heartedly in rebellion toward the very statutes and commandments he claimed to love and follow. That was then…
What can be extrapolated for times now? If we may apply God's blue-print for ancient Israel to the government of a religious organization, specifically modern, spiritual Israel, the prescription for leadership might look like this:
In other words, God's man to lead His people to the end of this final millennium must be a man of vision –God's vision; he must be singular in purpose, in principle, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Higher than the highest human thought can reach is God's ideal for His children. Then the peace that passeth knowledge will flow from us to bless all…(Sons and Daughters of God, page 348).The religion of Jesus Christ never degrades the receiver; it never makes him coarse or rough, discourteous or self-important, passionate or hard-hearted. On the contrary, it refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and purifies and ennobles the thoughts, by bringing them into captivity to Jesus Christ… As God is perfect in his sphere of action, so man may be perfect in his human sphere . The ideal of Christian character is Christ-likeness. There is opened before us a path of continual advancement. We have an object to reach, a standard to gain, which includes everything good and pure and noble and elevated…(Special Testimonies on Education, page 206, Emphasis supplied).
In the early days of Adventism, Ellen White was reluctant to see the authority of leadership placed in the hands of one man or a few, although she always respected the decisions of the General Conference in session. See Testimony for the Church , Volume 9, pages 260, 261 for clarity on this issue. Revealing her position of support for the decisions of the General Conference, she dutifully boarded a ship to Australia. Looking back, she wrote:
It was as though I was drawn away by the shape matters assumed. The Lord was willing for it to be so; but I had not one ray of light that he [the Lord] would have me come to this country [Australia]. I came in submission to the voice of the General Conference, which I have ever maintained to be authority . I have no wish to return to America. I feel a holy indignation striving within my soul as I review the past eight years. Testimony after testimony has been sent from God to those in our publishing house and to the managers of the work, who stand at the very head; but they have turned away from the God-given light, to listen to the voice of men (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, page 1817, Emphasis supplied).
In summary, let us recognize that God gave to His servant Moses the guidelines for the government of His people. It was never to be placed in the power of a few to control the many. God retains to this day His authority as Head of the body, His church. The question is, Will men of influence usurp His authority, and place spiritual Israel in the path of compromise? They did so in the past. What about now?
| The king God selected must have a copy of all God’s laws and statutes that he might learn and do them. He must not become proud and set aside the commandments of God, Deut. 17:18-20. |
To keep the king of God's choosing from following the path of least resistance, he was to have his own copy of all the laws and statutes of Yahweh.
The logistics of this order were staggering. Copying the scrolls by hand was a laborious task. Few men were prepared to undertake this sacred responsibility. Rabbis tell us that even by the first century A.D, there were few scrolls available. Only at Jerusalem could be found a complete set. They were large, bulky, and required adequate space for storage. Thus, only a section at a time could be used in the temple services. Smaller scrolls could be found in synagogues, but in few private homes throughout Palestine. To have a complete set, containing all the Torah and the prophets, was a privilege only kings could afford.
We are told that a numbering system helped the scribes catch omissions and spelling errors. Rabbi Rood further explains that the word "Torah" was spelled out by piecing together every seventh letter in the transcription. In Genesis and Exodus the word "Torah" was spelling out in a forward sequence; but in the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy "Torah" was spelling out in
a backwards sequence, again by piecing together every seventh letter. And what about Leviticus? Every fiftieth letter spelled "Yahweh" in Leviticus, the book of rehearsals and ways of Yahweh.
It has been estimated that at the time Jesus Christ stood in the synagogue to read from the book of Isaiah, the monetary value of the Oracles of God on parchment was close to half-a-million dollars, by our present standards. Because it was not readily available, and few people learned to read in those days, the Torah was committed to memory in every faithful, Jewish home. It was a requirement for every Jewish boy to recite the Torah by the age of twelve.
Millennia before Ellen White instructed this people to spend time each day in Bible study and prayer, Yahweh had given the instruction in the form of statutes; this one especially for the leaders of His people. To the extent that this statute was followed, the people were led to trust God and obey His laws. When the king discontinued his dependence upon the written Word of God, the people fell into apostasy.
We are all called to an exalted position of authority under God. We are called to be kings and priests for Jehovah. In fact, we are being groomed for positions in the kingdom of God. With that solemn commission before us, we may better understand the necessity of applying this statute to our own lives now. Let us determine to spend more time in the Word of God learning to know our Elohim and the precepts of His government.
Let small companies assemble in the evening, at noon, or in the early morning to study the Bible. Let them have a season of prayer, that they may be strengthened, enlightened, and sanctified by the Holy Spirit… If you yourselves will open the door to receive it, a great blessing will come to you. Angels of God will be in your assembly. You will feed upon the leaves of the tree of life, (In Heavenly Places, page 92).
Even Jesus Christ, the perfect Son of God, would not trust His power to come from within. If the Son of God came to earth fully as human flesh, He must attack the sin problem in the same way as we must. And He did. Thus, He became our example for overcoming.
In childhood, youth, and manhood, Jesus studied the Scriptures. As a little child He was daily at His mother's knee taught from the scrolls of the prophets. In His youth the early morning and the evening twilight often found Him alone on the mountainside or among the trees of the forest, spending a quiet hour in prayer and the study of God's word. During His ministry His intimate acquaintance with the Scriptures testified to His diligence in their study. And since He gained knowledge as we may gain it, His wonderful power, both mental and spiritual, is a testimony to the value of the Bible as a means of education, (Education, page 185).
Today, the sad reality is that many leaders of God's people have set aside the study of the Word of God as a source of power and direction for leadership, preparation for daily ministry, and personal salvation. The results have been the same as anciently: apostasy among the people. When the oracles of God are brought forth for meditation and assessment, reformation, as in the days of Nehemiah, will follow. May it happen again soon.
| When Israel went to war against their enemy, they were to have no fear, for the Lord their God would go before them to fight for them, Deut. 20:1-4. |
This injunction sounds more like a promise than a law. Upon a closer look, one will see a law attached to a promise. The promise, the Lord God will fight for you, was repeated from the Red Sea crossing when the multitude responded in panic to the sight of Pharaoh's army following them through the sea (Ex. 14:14). A promise was often attached to battle orders. For example, when Sennacherib came up against Jerusalem (2 Chron. 32:7,8), Hezekiah comforted the worried people, who had gathered in the streets, with these words:
Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles.
Nehemiah challenged the remnant, who returned to rebuild Jerusalem, with similar words as they stood their ground against opposition (Neh. 4:20). The command and the promise were delivered together.
Jeremiah mentioned the blessing upon the man (Jer. 17:7) who would put his trust in the Lord God Almighty, and a curse upon the man who trusted in flesh (vs. 5).
David wrote of the triumph that comes to the one who trusts in Yahweh in Psalms 20, which was written to be sung. It was a response to the deliverance of their God from the Syrians and Ammonites (See 2 Sam. 10), and encourages us to do likewise in the time of trouble. " Now I know ," sang the king in reply to (Ps. 20) verses 1-5, which had just been sung by the congregation, " that the LORD will help his anointed; He will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we trust in the name of the LORD our God " (Ps. 20:6,7).
The blending of a command and a promise is not a new idea to most of us. The messenger of the Lord has instructed us, All heaven is waiting to cooperate with those who will be subordinate to the ways and will of God. God gives grace, and he expects all to use it. He supplies the power if the human mind feels any need or any disposition to receive. He never asks us to do anything without supplying the grace and power to do that very thing. All his biddings are enablings , (Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Nov. 9, 1897). As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command, may be accomplished in His strength . All His biddings are enablings ( Messages to Young People , page 101, Emphasis supplied).
Thus, we see that "trust and obey" is a time-tested principle of Jehovah. "All that God's word commands, we are to obey. All that it promises, we may claim," ( Education , page 189). Let us fight the good fight of faith, trusting and obeying our Elohim, until we have finished our course (See 1 Tim. 6:12; 4:7).
| Israel was to choose able men for their army. The choices would be made according to their faith and availability. They were not to take anyone who thought he was too busy to defend their nation and their God. They were not to take anyone whose responsibilities to his family would make his service a hardship, and they must not accept into the armed services anyone who was faint-hearted, Deut. 20:5-9. |
Like the Ten Commandments of the Decalogue, this precept is stated in the negative. Conversely, the command could be summarized: Soldiers are needed:
Does that list resemble a more modern injunction given to the young soldiers of Spiritual Israel's armed forces? Notice the similarities.
Dear youth, the very best thing you can do is to enlist freely and decidedly in the army of the Lord. Surrender yourself into the hands of God, that your will and ways may be guided by the One who is unerring in wisdom and infinite in goodness… Let your name be enrolled in the heavenly records as one of the chosen and elect of God, ( Our High Calling , page 219).With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come –the end of suffering and sorrow and sin! ( God's Amazing Grace , page 189).
| Israel was to invite their enemies to surrender peaceable; but if they refused, Israel was to destroy them utterly, Deut. 20:10-20. |
The next section of Chapter 20 in Deuteronomy, focuses upon strategy. Before a sword was drawn, before an arrow was shot, Israel was expected to offer peace. This was not peace at any price. It was not peace by compromise. This peace offered to the enemy was peace by surrender. This option was offered to a city which was distant from the land (vs. 10-15) which Yahweh was giving back to His people. Those cities, which were in the land of Palestine, were to be leveled (vs. 16-18) in preparation for Israel to take possession.
It appears that the leaders of God's people sent out to the cities in their pathway messages that may have read something like this. "We are servants of the Most High Elohim returning to the land which Yahweh gave to our fathers in the days before the Great Famine. We will be entering the land where you are settled this time next year. Please know that our God is a peace-loving God, and we are a peace-loving people. Therefore, our God offers you peace, rather than war; life instead of death, which the Egyptians chose on the other side of the Red Sea…"
From the historical account in Scripture, we discover that most of these cities chose war, regardless of the land's original ownership, and regardless of Israel's reputation and offer of a peaceful settlement. It seems that even the fear of what happened to the land of Egypt, and the destruction of the city of Jericho, could not off-set their trust in the power of human force. When their probationary time had elapsed, these cities were taken and every living thing was destroyed, according to the command of their God. Israel was to take no spoil for themselves, lest they be tempted into greed and idolatry. Whenever Israel failed to follow this order entirely, judgments fell on the guilty parties (See Joshua 7 for the case of Achan).
We may, from this statute, find a spiritual application to bless our lives. Note the antitypes of salvation. The Heavenly Father sent His Son into the enemy strongholds with a Letter offering life to those who would surrender. As in the case of Rahab, that surrender could be personal, not only corporate or collective. Individuals who accepted the terms offered, could surrender to the authority of the Loving God, and by His mercy, escape doom in the strongholds of Satan. Upon surrender, the subjects became servants to the children of the Most High God. After a period of probation, in which their characters and conversion were tested, these surrendered servants might marry into these families and co-inherit the kingdom of the Master.
We are the foreigners offered eternal life and peace for our surrender. Will we hide in the crowd of popular self-confidence and rebellious pride, or will we separate from the stronghold of Satan before it is too late to make the choice?
| When Israel went to war, their men must not rape; they must not even be naked in front of each other in the army. God’s army must be morally pure, Deut. 23:9-12. |
In a sense, even in the time of war, the soldier was to conduct himself as an ambassador for Yahweh. He went into battle under the banner of judgment; flanked on either side were justice and mercy. The soldier must ever be under the control of the Captain of the Army, Yeshua, the Son of God. He must regard the battle of the Lord as sacred as a religious assembly. Every battle was to be both punitive and redemptive. Purity of life was admonished. Each soldier was to conduct himself by high moral standards. Other nations might rape and plunder, but Israel's army could not. "God could not consistently lead a faithless, unclean people to victory," ( S.D.A. Bible Commentary , Vol. 1, page 1034). God intended that Israel be light bearers to the world. Their behavior must be consistent with their message.
Is not the principle of this statute still important to us today? In all our daily concourse, whether in battle against evil, or in flight to escape it, should we not ever be mindful that we are ambassadors for the King of Kings?
Dear brethren in the ministry… As ambassadors for Christ shall we at this critical period of the history of the church, when the nations of the world are almost universally wavering between infidelity and idolatry, consider the signs of the times? Shall we heed the voice of God through His Word, giving warnings and appeals and commands… My brothers and sisters who are engaged in the solemn work of being the mouthpiece of God, be sure that the treasure house of the heart is pure and holy, (Unpublished Manuscript, Vol. 6, page 14).
|
Locations for sanctuary were provided for the protection of the accused until he could be heard fairly, Num. 35:12-25. If he was not proven guilty, he was given asylum until the death of the avengers who were after him, or until the death of the high priest; but if he left the protection of the place of safety, the avenger would be guiltless who killed him, Num. 35:25-28; Deut. 19:3-21.
If the murderer was found guilty, he must be removed from the place of safety to be stoned, Num. 35:30-33. |
In Numbers 35, Moses is instructed to establish three cities of refuge in Trans-Jordan and three in the land of Canaan proper, after the conquest of the land. This command was repeated to Joshua, as he was the one who would carry out the orders.
While it fell upon the next of kin to avenge a homicide, limitations must necessarily be imposed to insure the administration of justice. Thus, the cities of refuge were established. In today's terms, we might think of them as a special type of "minimum security prisons." If the manslayer had committed the crime out of anger or hatred, the facility offered no protection. But if, on the other hand, the accused could show that the death was an accident, whether preventable or not, the accused would be given asylum until a complete investigation and judgment could be determined. If the manslayer felt he needed extended protection from angry relatives of the deceased, he could live in the city of refuge for as long as the threat remained. But, if he ventured from the protected refuge, no bodyguard would accompany him, and his death would not be avenged. That was then…
But this is now. Since our court system operates on a different principle, and we have no control over that determination, there may be no application to us today, except the spiritual one. Certainly, it is true that Satan, the accuser or the brethren, is ready to destroy us if we venture from our refuge in Christ Jesus. The major breakdown of the analogy is over our guilt. We are guilty and deserve to die. We have no right to asylum. But Christ died in our place anyway. Herein there is no antitype from literal Israel's statute. Praise God, Christ stepped beyond the present day understanding of His justice, and taking our sins upon Himself, He revealed that His "doing what is just," extended to us also His unprecedented mercy.
| It took the testimony of two witnesses to convict an accused criminal, Num. 35:30;Deut. 17:6; 19:15-21. |
Legal matters could not be settled by the testimony of one witness. Two were required, no doubt to help prevent someone from being sentenced to death by a revengeful or spiteful witness. Even today in a court of law, no legal case may be determined solely by the testimony of a single witness.
Then, there was the possibility of a false testimony being given in court. Several verses of details within the statutes define the punishment for disregarding the Ninth Commandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness . If perjury was discovered, that false witness was himself punished according to the law. "An eye for an eye" was the principle upon which Israel's court system was based. Some suggest that this principle was one of the most misconstrued principles of the Old Testament, giving license to punishments of revenge. Such an understanding is completely incorrect, and sets one up to believe that our God is a vengeful God, getting even with those who harm His Own. But this is not true neither in the Old nor New Testaments. Our Elohim has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (See Ezekiel. 18:32; 2 Pet. 3:9).
The Messiah had Himself repeated the statute requiring two witnesses in Matt. 18:16. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established . The penalty for perjury was disregarded by the corrupt religious system in the days of the Savior. The Jews acknowledged the statute when it suited them, but ignored it in order to condemned Christ (Matt. 26:60). Jesus was set up to be condemned by the false testimony of two witnesses- the ultimate example of a verdict of "Death" requiring the testimony of two witnesses.
The writer of Hebrews, refers to the " two witnesses " law to make an additional point. He warns us, if we sin purposely after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice offering for sins, but some fearsome anticipation of judgment (See Heb. 19:26-29). That Judgment will be more terrible than the judgment of criminals is the days of prophets and kings for those who have spurned the Father’s love. Hebrews is saying that just as a person who had disregarded the Torah of Moses died by the testimony of two or three witnesses, so there remains a final Judgment that will be settled by the testimony of two witnesses. The writer's purpose is to contrast the judgment of those who rejected the Law with those who reject the Son of God. How much greater will their punishment be! This is not to say that the Law is of less importance than the Son. The Father sent His Son to demonstrate His Holy Law in action. To reject the Messiah was to reject the clearest revelation of both the Father and His Oracles.
Christ reminded His followers that they were to be His witnesses to His fulfillment of the prophecies (See Luke 24:44-48; Acts 1:8). These prophecies had revealed that He was indeed the Messiah of the Covenant. Paul repeated this statute in his first letter to Timothy (1 Tim. 5:19), clearly in a setting of judgment again, saying, " Don't receive any accusation against an elder, except there be two or three witnesses ." Witnesses were to provide evidence or proof. Thus, when one follows the phrase through the Scriptures, it should not be surprising that the last reference to the testimony of "two witnesses" appears in the Judgment scene in Revelation.
Chapter 11 of Revelation pictures two witnesses prophesying in sackcloth and ashes for 1260 days, or forty-two months –which is the same time period, beginning at the time that the Gentiles take control to trample Jerusalem, according to the Scriptures.
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth (Rev. 11:2 ,3.)
Some hold that the two witnesses in reference here are the Old and New Testament. Certainly, the entire Scriptures lead one to loyalty to God and His commands. Revelation 11:4 says they are the two candlesticks that stand before God. Interestingly, the record of the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 only two churches (candlesticks in Rev. 1:20) which remain: Smyrna (2:8-11) representing the witness for those who die in their faith, and Philadelphia (3:7-12) representing those who are translated without seeing death. Moses represented those who were laid to rest, while Elijah stands for those who will not taste of death.
Elijah was a type of the saints who will be living on the earth at the time of the second advent of Christ, and who will be ‘changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump,’ without tasting of death, (Prophets and Kings, p. 227).Elijah typifies the message which "shut up heaven" so that it rained not for the duration of his prophecy (1260 days or 42-months equal 3½ years). The "no rain" prophecy was a specific message given to the leadership of the professed people of God who had been led into idolatry. The turning of "waters into blood" prophecy (verse 6), on the other hand, was a specific message for the leadership of Egypt who had enslaved God's people of promise. It was sent to warn Egypt of the consequences of not obeying the God of Moses Who was calling His own to obey and follow Him.
Thus, we see evidence that the two witness of Revelation 11 are the message and experience of the Smyrna Christians and Moses along with the Philadelphia Christians and Elijah. Both represent a specific message and mission, driven by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and symbolized by the oil from the olive tree supplying the candlesticks.
The message of Moses, bringing the people into a knowledge of the Oracles of God, combined with the message of Elijah, calling the people back to those Oracles, must be the two witnesses testifying before the whole universe that God is just in delivering some and destroying others.
These two witnesses (as candlesticks remaining in a world of darkness) stand in the Judgment Day to condemn the World to death. God’s laws will not change (not one jot or tittle) until the great controversy is ended. Solomon had summed it up in the last chapter of Ecclesiastes (12:13, 14):
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter : Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.
So, a statute gives, once again, a peek into God's character and government. It is how the Supreme God Almighty runs the universe, and He reveals His articles of government to those He trusts. Thus, we see that, through this statute, we may follow the court proceedings in the great controversy between good and evil, until their culmination in the final Judgment and condemnation of this renegade planet, by the testimony of Two Witnesses.
| An Israelite was never to slander or lie in court (be an evil witness), nor follow the lead of others who would do so, Ex. 23:1, 2; Lev. 19:16. |
The commandment states, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (Ex. 20:16). Here, "false witness" is extended to slander, as well as lying; and Lev. 19:16 adds, neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor , or rise up against the life of thy neighbor . The intent of the last part of the verse has been interpreted by the Jews to mean that one must not avoid offering help to anyone whose life was endangered, either by turning away from the scene of a crime or by refusing to give testimony in court. Anyone who would do so would be guilty of " standing against the blood of thy neighbor."
How should this statute impact our lives? In three ways, all of which relate to being our brother's keeper. First, we are sinning against God if we lie, or hedge the truth, in court, from the pulpit, or in conversation. Second, we are breaking God's law if we spread slander or gossip, whether in court or over the telephone. And third, to decline to help someone in trouble (either by withholding testimony or by avoiding action that might save a life), is to respond in apathy toward your neighbor. That, too, is sin.
Central in the Torah is the foundational principle of love to God and man. Just as God sent His Son to rescue us because He loves us, so we are sent to "rescue" others because we love one another (1 John 4:9-11). The setting of these verses is God's reaching out to save man. In a similar manner, we are to reach out to save, never to destroy or discourage. Continuing through the chapter (1 John 4), we come to verses 17and 18, which read:
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We have often heard these verses expounded to refer to our daily interchange with people in our lives. The meaning given has normally been, that if we treat others in love we will be able to stand boldly in the Day of Judgment. Thus, our good behavior will give us self-confidence to face the Judge. Is that what the Apostle John is saying?
Consider the evidence that these New Testament verses are an explanation of the principle found in the above statute. We are daily tested. What kind of testimony do we give of our love for God? We give that testimony through our love for our fellowman, so that when we come to the Judgment, we will stand with testimony, not in our own defense, but in appeal for others. That may be a new thought to some. Before disregarding the concept as heresy, consider the evidence.
In the above passage we see a parallel stated:
As Christ is, so are we. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
, (John 15:13). Our example is Christ's perfect love. In verse 20 of that chapter, John continues the words of Jesus, showing the intended parallel.
Remember the word that I said unto you. The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my sayings, they will keep yours also.
Christ worked out before his disciples and before the world
a perfect example
for true religion. And when men show that patience, sympathy, and love for the souls of their fellowmen that Christ showed, Christ will be revealed in his followers. "We are laborers together with God," writes Paul…If we would work as Christ worked, we must look to Christ to give our work efficiency and perfection. We must depend upon Christ, our risen and ascended Saviour, our substitute, our surety, our power, and our sufficiency, ("The Work of Christ," Signs of the Times, 12-09-1897).
What fruit does Christ expect from His disciples? The exerting of an influence like the influence exerted by the Redeemer. He expects us to follow
His example of perfect goodness, living in obedience to all His commandments
. Thus it is that we become Christlike. Only thus can we bear much fruit (Manuscript Releases, Vol. 18, page 96).
Christ says to us, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
He is our Example
. During His life on earth, He was ever kind and gentle, His influence was ever fragrant, for in Him dwelt
perfect love
. He was never sour and unapproachable, and He never compromised with wrong to obtain favor. If we have His righteousness, we shall be like Him in gentleness, in forbearance, in unselfish love. Shall we not, by dwelling in the sunshine of His presence, become mellowed by His grace? (Ibid, page 206).
Christ came to give an example of the perfect conformity to the law of God required of Adam, the first man, down to the last man that shall live on the earth. He declares that His mission is not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it in perfect and entire obedience, (Ibid, Vol. 10, page 292).
We have reason for everlasting gratitude to God for in that He has left us a
perfect example
. Every Christian should strive to earnestly follow in the footsteps of the Saviour. We should offer grateful praise and gratitude for giving us such a mighty helper, a safeguard against every temptation, against every species of impropriety in thought, deed, and word, ("Letters from Ellen G. White to Sanitarium Workers," page 23, Emphasis supplied).
We know that Moses was a type of Christ
(Conflict and Courage, page 111;
Patriarchs and Prophets, page 330). What was there in this man that brought him such honor? It was the perfecting of his love for a sinful people.
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written (Ex. 32:31, 32).
Moses interceded for Israel as Christ intercedes for us. To prepare Moses for his solemn task, he was led into the wilderness
where he learned the lessons of Yahweh through the humbling experience of leading sheep. When Moses had practiced on sheep for forty years, God give him a multitude of willful and bitter slaves to guide.
Back to our passage from John: As Christ in the world, so are we . Here is the point which links between our witness and our boldness in the Day of Judgment.
| Moses | Christ | Remnant People |
|
Knew God face to face. Willing to give up his life for others. Interceded for sinners. Received the words of God to give to God’s people. |
Came from God. Willingly laid down His life for others. Now intercedes for sinners. Spoke the words of the Father, not His own. |
Will know God intimately. Will be willing to lay down their lives for others. Will be between the porch and the altar interceding. Will receive all the oracles of God to give to others; man-made teachings gone. |
Therefore, let the reader understand that the saints of God in the Day of Judgment, the last period of earth's history, the closing of probation will be praying for others rather than engaging in slander. The saints will be, as Joel writes (Joel 2:17), "between the porch and the altar" interceding for others.
Now here are the people of God and God wants you to be getting ready for the great day of salvation, that you may be getting others ready. He wants you to have a fitting-up, that you may have a message for the people that will cut its way through the fleshy heart, and that you may go crying through the porch and the altar, "Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach" (Joel 2:17). Now open your ears to the truth you have had and put away your doubts, unbelief, and Christless surmisings, (Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 305).
That experience, yet to be entered into, will perfect our love for our Saviour and the Heavenly Father. It will perfect our love for one another. It will bring us into a more perfect understanding of our privilege and responsibility to follow the example of love and obedience demonstrated by the Messiah. Hereby are we given boldness in the Last Days, not for ourselves, but for others.
| When the nation took its census, the people were to pay their taxes without murmuring, showing thankfulness for Divine Providence in giving them life and security as a nation, Ex. 30:12. That tax must not be determined by income; it must be the same for all, whether rich or poor, Ex. 30:13-15. |
From ancient times, people have felt that taking a census was an omen of bad luck. Bible commentaries report some of the history of this superstition:
Even as late as 1753, fear was expressed by one member in the British House of Commons that the proposed census would be followed by "some great public misfortune or epidemical distemper," and in 1926 the authorities were afraid that there would be trouble with certain tribes in Kenya when the intention of taking a census became known (The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 1, page 1054).
Census taking today is generally viewed as an invasion of privacy. Certainly, questions about income and religious preference make one uneasy. Is it the continuance of folk lore that has created this discomfort, or are there legitimate reasons to be resistant to census taking?
Moses was instructed to number Israel during their wilderness wandering. Everyone twelve years old and older was to bring an offering unto Yahweh (vs. 14). This first numbering of the Children of Israel was conducted to receive a ransom offering for having been delivered from Egyptian bondage. The gold and silver brought to Aaron was to be used in the completion and maintenance of the sanctuary.
The next time a census was taken, the purpose was not for spiritual thanksgiving, but for the assessment of military power. And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1). Joab tried to reason with David, warning him that Israel's strength was in the LORD. To number Israel would be a sin against the real Captain of the host (see vs. 2, 3). Verse four continues, Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Joab did as ordered by his king.
The census was taken, and the curse followed. In 2 Samuel, Chapter 24, the parallel passage, we read that, after David had received the numbers, he knew he had sinned and had ordered Israel to sin. The prophet Gad, came to David with the word of the LORD: Thus saith the LORD, I offer thee three things; choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee (vs. 12). His choices were equally terrifying: 1) seven years of famine in the land, 2) three months of flight from his enemies, or 3) three days of pestilence on the land.
To stay the hand of God against the land, David was told to purchase the threshing floor of Ornan (Araunah) on Mt. Moriah. Here Abraham had built an altar on which to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:1-14). Here Solomon later placed the temple of the Lord. But that was then…
This is now. There is a lesson to be learned from this statute and the history of its abuse. We know, as did David when he numbered Israel for the wrong reason, that it is a sin to shift our trust to the arm of flesh. Our God is our refuge and our strength. He is the One who gives strength to the nation. He alone offers real security in the land.
The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him , (Nahum 1:7). Render therefore to all what is due to them: tax to whom tax is due, toll to whom toll, fear to whom fear, respect to whom respect (Rom. 13:7).
A secondary issue in this statute is the attitude in which we pay taxes. In the theocracy, the collection of taxes was to support the house of God. In a democracy, the tax was to support the military in a time of war. We are, as they were, to be grateful for protection and security provided by the government from the collection of taxes. The New Testament reminds us to render unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's (Matt. 22:21. Let us stop doing it begrudgingly.
| An Israelite must never revile or curse those who ruled over them, Ex. 22:28. |
The King James rendering of this law reads, Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people . The Scriptures , a Hebrew translation into modern English, says: Do not revile Elohim, nor curse a ruler of your people . "Elohim," being the generic plural for "gods" in the King James Version, has left the meaning obscure. Is this statute a command to watch your tongue when speaking about the Supreme God Almighty, as well as those leaders who hold offices of government? Or, is this statute merely commanding respect for earthly potentates?
Is the King James Version simply recording a parallelism in structure, so that "gods" and "ruler" have the same identity? The Modern Language Version supplies "judges" in place of "gods," as do several other versions. Since the word "Elohim" may be used in reference to governing beings, whether in heaven or on earth, we will be safe to conclude that we are to speak respectfully of any ruler. Certainly, we will speak carefully about our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. This concept is implied in the third commandment (Ex. 20:7): Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain .
As for the second part of the statute, " nor curse the ruler of thy people ," Paul taught the Gentiles the same principle. Let everyone be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from Elohim; and the authorities that exist are appointed by Elohim (Rom. 13:1). At the same time, we are cautioned in the New Testament against excusing ourselves from disobeying the Supreme God in order to comply with earthly authorities, and thereby look out for ourselves.
We find no examples of a subject standing against a ruler or priest in Israel without receiving the curse of God for it. Miriam gossiped about her brother Moses' marriage to an Ethiopian. The attacks grew into criticism of his leadership. The curse followed swiftly and effectively (Num. 12:1-10). Nevertheless, there were times, especially when in captivity to a foreign power, the Hebrew follower of Yahweh was forced to choose between the commands of a secular power and the requirements of a Holy God. Such was the situation for the three youths in Babylon and for Daniel, found praying to the God of Heaven. Even when they were forced to oppose an edict of the king, these Hebrews exemplified the utmost respect.
Similarly in the New Testament, the apostles sometimes found themselves in defiance of the laws of the Romans, or the corrupted regulations of the Pharisees. Examples of this are found in Acts 4:19 20, where Peter and John imply the folly of obeying man above God; and in Acts 5:29, where Peter and the other apostles answered, " We ought to obey God rather than men ."
Peter later wrote: Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, so that you may be known as a law-abiding citizen (See 1 Pet. 2:13-17). The writer of Hebrews (13:17) brings out the same truth. Indeed, we are instructed to obey the laws of the land in as far as they do not conflict with the oracles of God. In addition, we are to refrain from criticism and slander against world leaders, even men like Bill Clinton, not because they are worthy of respect, but because the office they hold is worthy of respect.
If this principle applies to corrupt governmental leaders, how much more does it apply to corrupt leaders of the church? Once again, we return to the principle of compassion for your enemies (Matt. 5:44), focusing one's life on what is good, even when the evil seems stronger.
God's people are now learning the meaning of the scripture:
Whatsoever things are true,Whatsoever things are honest,Whatsoever things are just,
Whatsoever things are pure,Whatsoever things are lovely,Whatsoever things are of good report;If there be an virtue (uprightness),
And if there be an praise,
Think on these things (Phil. 4:8)