prophets and kings-第28节

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early　forty　years　of　wandering　the　Israelites　were　constantly　reminded　of　God's　appointed　rest　day；　by　the　withholding　of　the　manna　every　seventh　day　and　the　miraculous　preservation　of　the　double　portion　that　fell　on　the　preparation　day。

Before　entering　the　Promised　Land；　the　Israelites　were

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admonished　by　Moses　to　〃keep　the　Sabbath　day　to　sanctify　it。〃　Deuteronomy　5：12。　The　Lord　designed　that　by　a　faithful　observance　of　the　Sabbath　command；　Israel　should　continually　be　reminded　of　their　accountability　to　Him　as　their　Creator　and　their　Redeemer。　While　they　should　keep　the　Sabbath　in　the　proper　spirit；　idolatry　could　not　exist；　but　should　the　claims　of　this　precept　of　the　Decalogue　be　set　aside　as　no　longer　binding；　the　Creator　would　be　forgotten　and　men　would　worship　other　gods。　〃I　gave　them　My　Sabbaths；〃　God　declared；　〃to　be　a　sign　between　Me　and　them；　that　they　might　know　that　I　am　the　Lord　that　sanctify　them。〃　Yet　〃they　despised　My　judgments；　and　walked　not　in　My　statutes；　but　polluted　My　Sabbaths：　for　their　heart　went　after　their　idols。〃　And　in　His　appeal　to　them　to　return　to　Him；　He　called　their　attention　anew　to　the　importance　of　keeping　the　Sabbath　holy。　〃I　am　the　Lord　your　God；〃　He　said；　〃walk　in　My　statutes；　and　keep　My　judgments；　and　do　them；　and　hallow　My　Sabbaths；　and　they　shall　be　a　sign　between　Me　and　you；　that　ye　may　know　that　I　am　the　Lord　your　God。〃　Ezekiel　20：12；　16；　19；　20。

In　calling　the　attention　of　Judah　to　the　sins　that　finally　brought　upon　them　the　Babylonian　Captivity；　the　Lord　declared：　〃Thou　hast。　。　。　profaned　My　Sabbaths。〃　〃Therefore　have　I　poured　out　Mine　indignation　upon　them；　I　have　consumed　them　with　the　fire　of　My　wrath：　their　own　way　have　I　recompensed　upon　their　heads。〃　Ezekiel　22：8；　31。

At　the　restoration　of　Jerusalem；　in　the　days　of　Nehemiah；　Sabbathbreaking　was　met　with　the　stern　inquiry；　〃Did　not　your　fathers　thus；　and　did　not　our　God　bring　all　this　evil

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upon　us；　and　upon　this　city？　yet　ye　bring　more　wrath　upon　Israel　by　profaning　the　Sabbath。〃　Nehemiah　13：18。

Christ；　during　His　earthly　ministry；　emphasized　the　binding　claims　of　the　Sabbath；　in　all　His　teaching　He　showed　reverence　for　the　institution　He　Himself　had　given。　In　His　days　the　Sabbath　had　become　so　perverted　that　its　observance　reflected　the　character　of　selfish　and　arbitrary　men　rather　than　the　character　of　God。　Christ　set　aside　the　false　teaching　by　which　those　who　claimed　to　know　God　had　misrepresented　Him。　Although　followed　with　merciless　hostility　by　the　rabbis；　He　did　not　even　appear　to　conform　to　their　requirements；　but　went　straight　forward　keeping　the　Sabbath　according　to　the　law　of　God。

In　unmistakable　language　He　testified　to　His　regard　for　the　law　of　Jehovah。　〃Think　not　that　I　am　come　to　destroy　the　law；　or　the　prophets；〃　He　said；　〃I　am　not　come　to　destroy；　but　to　fulfill。　For　verily　I　say　unto　you；　Till　heaven　and　earth　pass；　one　jot　or　one　tittle　shall　in　no　wise　pass　from　the　law；　till　all　be　fulfilled。　Whosoever　therefore　shall　break　one　of　these　least　commandments；　and　shall　teach　men　so；　he　shall　be　called　the　least　in　the　kingdom　of　heaven：　but　whosoever　shall　do　and　teach　them；　the　same　shall　be　called　great　in　the　kingdom　of　heaven。〃　Matthew　5：17…19。

During　the　Christian　dispensation；　the　great　enemy　of　man's　happiness　has　made　the　Sabbath　of　the　fourth　commandment　an　object　of　special　attack。　Satan　says；　〃I　will　work　at　cross　purposes　with　God。　I　will　empower　my　followers　to　set　aside　God's　memorial；　the　seventh…day　Sabbath。　Thus　I　will　show　the　world　that　the　day　sanctified

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and　blessed　by　God　has　been　changed。　That　day　shall　not　live　in　the　minds　of　the　people。　I　will　obliterate　the　memory　of　it。　I　will　place　in　its　stead　a　day　that　does　not　bear　the　credentials　of　God；　a　day　that　cannot　be　a　sign　between　God　and　His　people。　I　will　lead　those　who　accept　this　day　to　place　upon　it　the　sanctity　that　God　placed　upon　the　seventh　day。

〃Through　my　vicegerent；　I　will　exalt　myself。　The　first　day　will　be　extolled；　and　the　Protestant　world　will　receive　this　spurious　sabbath　as　genuine。　Through　the　nonobservance　of　the　Sabbath　that　God　instituted；　I　will　bring　His　law　into　contempt。　The　words；　'A　sign　between　Me　and　you　throughout　your　generations；'　I　will　make　to　serve　on　the　side　of　my　sabbath。

〃Thus　the　world　will　become　mine。　I　will　be　the　ruler　of　the　earth；　the　prince　of　the　world。　I　will　so　control　the　minds　under　my　power　that　God's　Sabbath　shall　be　a　special　object　of　contempt。　A　sign？　I　will　make　the　observance　of　the　seventh　day　a　sign　of　disloyalty　to　the　authorities　of　earth。　Human　laws　will　be　made　so　stringent　that　men　and　women　will　not　dare　to　observe　the　seventh…day　Sabbath。　For　fear　of　wanting　food　and　clothing；　they　will　join　with　the　world　in　transgressing　God's　law。　The　earth　will　be　wholly　under　my　dominion。〃

Through　the　setting　up　of　a　false　sabbath；　the　enemy　thought　to　change　times　and　laws。　But　has　he　really　succeeded　in　changing　God's　law？　The　words　of　the　thirty…first　chapter　of　Exodus　are　the　answer。　He　who　is　the　same　yesterday；　today；　and　forever；　has　declared　of　the　seventh…day　Sabbath：　〃It　is　a　sign　between　Me　and　you　throughout　your

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generations。〃　〃It　is　a　sign　。　。　。　forever。〃　Exodus　31：13；　17。　The　changed　signpost　is　pointing　the　wrong　way；　but　God　has　not　changed。　He　is　still　the　mighty　God　of　Israel。　〃Behold；　the　nations　are　as　a　drop　of　a　bucket；　and　are　counted　as　the　small　dust　of　the　balance：　behold；　He　taketh　up　the　isles　as　a　very　little　thing。　And　Lebanon　is　not　sufficient　to　burn；　nor　the　beasts　thereof　sufficient　for　a　burnt　offering。　All　nations　before　His　are　as　nothing；　and　they　are　counted　to　Him　less　than　nothing；　and　vanity。〃　Isaiah　40：15…17。　And　He　is　just　as　jealous　for　His　law　now　as　He　was　in　the　days　of　Ahab　and　Elijah。

But　how　is　that　law　disregarded！　Behold　the　world　today　in　open　rebellion　against　God。　This　is　in　truth　a　froward　generation；　filled　with　ingratitude；　formalism；　insincerity；　pride；　and　apostasy。　Men　neglect　the　Bible　and　hate　truth。　Jesus　sees　His　law　rejected；　His　love　despised；　His　ambassadors　treated　with　indifference。　He　has　spoken　by　His　mercies；　but　these　have　been　unacknowledged；　He　has　spoken　by　warnings；　but　these　have　been　unheeded。　The　temple　courts　of　the　human　soul　have　been　turned　into　places　of　unholy　traffic。　Selfishness；　envy；　pride；　malice　all　are　cherished。

Many　do　not　hesitate　to　sneer　at　the　word　of　God。　Those　who　believe　that　word　just　as　it　reads　are　held　up　to　ridicule。　There　is　a　growing　contempt　for　law　and　order；　directly　traceable　to　a　violation　of　the　plain　commands　of　Jehovah。　Violence　and　crime　are　the　result　of　turning　aside　from　the　path　of　obedience。　Behold　the　wretchedness　and　misery　of　multitudes　who　worship　at　the　shrine　of　idols　and　who　seek　in　vain　for　happiness　and　peace。

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Behold　the　well…nigh　universal　disregard　of　the　Sabbath　commandment。　Behold　also　the　daring　impiety　of　those　who；　while　enacting　laws　to　safeguard　the　supposed　sanctity　of　the　first　day　of　the　week；　at　the　same　time　are　making　laws　legalizing　the　liquor　traffic。　Wise　above　that　which　is　written；　they　attempt　to　coerce　the　consciences　of　men；　while　lending　their　sanction　to　an　evil　that　brutalizes　and　destroys　the　beings　created　in　the　image　of　God。　It　is　Satan　himself　who　inspires　such　legislation。　He　well　knows　that　the　curse　of　God　will　rest　on　those　who　exalt　human　enactments　above　the　divine；　and　he　does　all　in　his　power　to　lead　men　into　the　broad　road　that　ends　in　destruction。

So　long　have　men　worshiped　human　opinions　and　human　institutions　that　almost　the　whole　world　is　following　after　idols。　And　he　who　has　endeavored　to　change　God's　law　is　using　every　deceptive　artifice　to　induce　men　and　women　to　array　themselves　against　God　and　against　the　sign　by　which　the　righteous　are　known。　But　the　Lord　will　not　always　suffer　His　law　to　be　broken　and　despised　with　impunity。　There　is　a　time　coming　when　〃the　lofty　looks　of　man　shall　be　humbled；　and　the　haughtiness　of　men　shall　be　bowed　down；　and　the　Lord　alone　shall　be　exalted　in　that　day。〃　Isaiah　2：11。　Skepticism　may　treat　the　claims　of　God's　law　with　jest；　scoffing；　and　denial。　The　spirit　of　worldliness　may　contaminate　the　many　and　control　the　few；　the　cause　of　God　may　hold　its　ground　only　by　great　exertion　and　continual　sacrifice；　yet　in　the　end　the　truth　will　triumph　gloriously。

In　the　closing　work　of　God　in　the　earth；　the　standard　of　His　law　will　be　again　exalted。　False　religion　may　prevail；

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iniquity　may　abound；　the　love　of　many　may　wax　cold；　the　cross　of　Calvary　may　be　lost　sight　of；　and　darkness；　like　the　pall　of　death；　may　spread　over　the　world；　the　whole　force　of　the　popular　current　may　be　turned　against　the　truth；　plot　after　plot　may　be　formed　to　overthrow　the　people　of　God；　but　in　the　hour　of　greatest　peril　the　God　of　Elijah　will　raise　up　human　instrumentalities　to　bear　a　message　that　will　not　be　silenced。　In　the　populous　cities　of　the　land；　and　in　the　places　where　men　have　gone　to　the　great