Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 19 (1904)

Ms 164, 1904

Sermon/Thoughts on Micah 6

Berrien Springs, Michigan

May 19, 1904

Previously unpublished.

Sermon by Mrs. E. G. White at Berrien Springs, Michigan, 9 A.M., Thursday, May 19, 1904

Micah 6:1-9. “Hear ye now what the Lord saith; Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord’s controversy, and ye strong foundations of the earth: for the Lord hath a controversy with his people, and he will plead with Israel. O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against me. For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron and Miriam. O my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab consulted, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him from Shittim unto Gilgal; that ye may know the righteousness of the Lord. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 1

“Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee”—here is a large question, “What doth the Lord require of thee?”—“but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 2

“The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, who hath appointed it.” 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 3

There is a departure from God, and He hath sent His rod. Surely the rod belongs unto our people, and it has come upon us. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 4

“Are there yet the treasures of wickedness in the house of the wicked, and the scant measure that is abominable? Shall I count them pure with the wicked balances, and with the bag of deceitful weights? For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. Therefore also will I make thee sick in smiting thee, in making thee desolate because of thy sins. Thou shalt eat, but not be satisfied; and thy casting down shall be in the midst of thee; and thou shalt take hold, but shalt not deliver; and that which thou deliverest will I give up to the sword.” [Verses 10-14.] 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 5

Now, there is a message here to us as a people. God requires that every institution that is created among this people shall stand on the highest vantage ground. And the Lord has a controversy with His people—especially with those who claim to be in control. Every one who is in a position to direct must first be controlled by the Lord God of heaven. He must make it his first work to take counsel of the living God, the God who is in heaven. In every movement that he would undertake the man bearing responsibility is to see that it bears the character of Christ’s work, that it is in harmony with the principles which God has laid down in His Word. The co-worker with Christ must copy after the similitude of Jesus’ character. If one gives evidence that he has not been learning of Christ in His school, if one gives evidence that he has not asked counsel from the Lord God of hosts, then what? If his way is crossed, if anything comes up that does not agree with his special ideas, he will be sharp and severe. Are the words of that character that the Lord will commend? 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 6

There is no man in our world that of himself is capable of standing without any counsel but the counsel of his own heart and his own will. There is no man that is capable of taking upon himself the responsible position of leading out in enterprises without counsel. Matters may look to him to be all right, and yet there may be mistakes in his calculation. And the Lord sees fit in His great mercy to give warnings, to let testimonies come, that men may understand that they are in danger, and that they are not moving in the counsel of God as He has directed them. And often men will not take the counsel that the Lord has given, but march straight on and do just as they please. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 7

As a people we should know just where we are. Let us understand that the time has come for us to call a halt, and to know whether or not we have the Lord God of Israel for our Leader. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 8

If everyone feels the responsibility of giving the Word of God to the people; if every speaker knows that he has an angel right by his side, the word spoken, and the work done will prosper. Christ says, “You go out, and teach the words that I have commanded you;” and He tells them to baptize those that shall be converted. [Matthew 28:19, 20.] They are to go. No one is to be appointed to stay right in one place. But as they feel the burden of the work of God upon them, they are to go out; they are not to go to places where every one knows just as much of the truth as they know. They are to go to places where men know not the truth. They are to lay hold of souls, and in a wise and winning manner try to draw them to the truth. Now, that is the work that Christ gave His disciples. He commanded that they should teach those things that He has commanded them, and then He says, “Lo, I am with you”—now and then?—“always, even unto the end of the world.” [Verse 20.] 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 9

Suppose every teacher realized this. Suppose every teacher felt the accountability that is upon them before God. Those who are seeking to get an education in the places where schools are appointed—those students must be educated to carry with them that spirit that God said them might have. “Lo, I am with you.” [Verse 20.] Is He here in person today? I do not see Him. But I see Him by the eye of faith, or I would not be here. Then I am to realize that I am in the presence of the Lord God of hosts, that I am accountable for the words that I speak to the people. And so with every one who shall have a special work to do, whether he is a gospel medical missionary, or whether he is at the head of a sanitarium, it places every one in that particular position where he cannot afford to do a dishonest action. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 10

Many talk of principle, going according to principle. What principle? Is it a principle borne of the human defective character, or is it a principle that is found in the Word of God, which every one will have to meet in the day of final accounts, when every case is to be brought in review before God, and every case it to be decided? By what? Well, we read of a book in Revelation that was in the hand of One. There it was seen, and no one could open the book. And there was great mourning and weeping and agony because they could not open the book. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 11

But one says, “Here is One, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, He can open the book.” [Revelation 5:5.] He takes the book, and then O what rejoicing there was! The book was opened, and now it can be read, and every case will be decided according to the things that are written in the book. A person's word is nothing. The name that stands in that book does not have one tittle of influence, but it is the One who writes the very purposes of the heart, and every member of the human family is to decide whether the works of that one have been to glorify God or glorify himself. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 12

We have a wonderful work before us. We have a world to save, and it is growing worse and worse all the time. This work Satan means shall be hindered on the right hand and on the left hand. He means to set in operation everything that is possible, that he may call away the attention of the people from their work as individuals. God has said, “To every man He has given his work.” [Mark 13:34.] Here we are with accountabilities that we have to praise God for. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 13

Now He calls attention, in Micah, to those who do not understand. He tells us, “Hear ye now what the Lord saith: Arise, contend thou before the mountains.” He pleads with them, “What have I done unto thee? and wherein have I wearied thee?” [Micah 6:1, 3.] What is the matter? Hear the Word of God, and obey it from the heart, as sensible, reasonable beings. Are they doing it in every church, in every place? What about the church? Are not you going to have any church anywhere? Yes, we are to have churches, but that church is not to be hovered over as though they had not any responsible soul, nor any responsible work. That church is to be educated from the first time that the minister enters into that church to be a laborer. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 14

I want to say, The Lord is dealing with us. I want to say that the Lord God of Israel is not dealing with us in societies and in councils alone, but with every individual. He is dealing with us. Every man is accountable to God in the morning. Does he offer up his petition to heaven to keep him through the day? Or does he feel fully capable of going in his own strength? Now God wants that church to be educated, to be trained. You may go into the desk and give a sermon, but there is something else to be done. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 15

The education of the child should be begun in the very home. Parents are to be the first educators of their children. They are to feel that a holy charge is upon them. They have got children, and they are accountable for the impress of character that they give to them. There is not to be in that house one word of passion, or that is contrary to kindness and patience to those little children. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 16

The children want a religious mother and a religious father, and they want to see in the countenance pleasantness, and they want if anything is said—I have had my children in my arms, and they would burst out crying, for they saw the sadness in my countenance. I understood it. I have learned my lesson, and I want to say that there is in the home the first school. Sanctify that home every morning by prayer. Ask God wisdom. And at night before you retire thank God for His mercies through the day. Educate those children to understand that they are amenable to God. And no disobedience can be passed by. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 17

Parents must talk with them, and teach them from the Word that God has said that children must be brought up in the admonition and the fear of the Lord. Then here is the Word that they are to give to them. They have children to go right into the church with them to be helpers together with them. Then that church that is thus conducted will have members that are reliable. It would be so, but they have forgotten God, that they are amenable to Him. There is to be a reformation all through every household, if you are ready for judgment, if your name is in that book that is sealed, if it is such that will commend your course of action, then Christ will say, “Have a seat on My throne.” He has promised, “To him”—that falls under every temptation that comes?—no—“to him that overcometh,” He says, “They shall sit down with Me upon My throne, even as I also overcame, and am sat down with my Father on His throne.” [Revelation 3:21.] 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 18

Is it so that the Lord God of heaven, the King of saints, has laid off His crown, has laid aside His royal robe, has clothed His divinity with humanity, and for our sakes became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich? Rich in gold? No, gold does not begin to compare with the heavenly riches. 19LtMs, Ms 164, 1904, par. 19