The Signs of the Times, vol. 15

September 9, 1889

“Making Trouble” The Signs of the Times, 15, 35.

E. J. Waggoner

“And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?” 1 Kings 18:17. This question was asked when Elijah met Ahab as he and his servants were searching for water. What had Elijah done, that he should be accused of troubling Israel?-He had rebuked them for their idolatry, into which they had been led by Ahab and his father. In consequence of the almost universal wickedness, Elijah had declared, from the Lord, that there should be no rain. For three years there had been no rain, and yet the idolatry did not cease, nor did Ahab abate his wickedness. To some people it would seem that Elijah’s preaching was in vain, and that, since no one heeded it, it would have been better to leave the people to worship their idols in peace. And no doubt Ahab voiced the sentiment of many of the people, when he accused Elijah of being the author of all their trouble. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.50

But what did Elijah say? “And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.” Here Elijah threw the entire responsibility upon Ahab and his family, because they had led the people into idolatry. How could that be, when the people were enjoying peace and quiet until Elijah came with his stern message? The reason is, the people were violating God’s commandments, a thing which always brings his displeasure. The judgments of God will inevitably be visited upon those who persist in violating his law. But God never punishes any people until he has faithfully warned them of their sin. This was the part which Elijah had to perform. He was God’s messenger. After he had warned them to no purpose, a slight manifestation of God’s wrath against ungodliness was made. But who was responsible for this manifestation of wrath? Was it Elijah? All will agree, with Elijah, that the responsibility rested upon those who had done the wrong. The case against them is clear. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.51

Now another point. Since even the people of Israel could not be induced to leave their idols and serve Jehovah (for although they did acknowledge that the Lord is God, they went back into idolatry, and were destroyed as a nation in consequence), would it not have been better to leave them alone? If they were determined not to serve Jehovah, was it not wrong for Elijah to cause them to lose confidence in Baal, by showing his lack of power? Who will say, Yes? Not one. Baal-worship would them no good, and they might better worship nothing. There was no power in Baal to reward them for worshiping him, or to protect them from the wrath of Jehovah, and therefore they might as well be atheists as to serve Baal. No person will have the hardihood to say that the worship of Baal was any improvement on no worship at all. Now for the parallel. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.52

In these days we find that a large majority of people professing Christianity call the first day of the week the holy rest-day-the Lord’s day. But God says, “The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work.” Moreover, as he commanded the people anciently to break their images, so he commands people to trample upon Sunday as a day of rest saying, “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.” “Six days thou shalt work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest.” Exodus 34:21. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.53

But now it comes to pass that when the truth on the Sabbath question is preached, while very many acknowledge, and many more are convicted at heart, that the seventh day-Saturday-is the Bible Sabbath, very few have the courage of their convictions, and walk in obedience to the commandment. Still further, the most of those who are convinced that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and who do not keep it, having seen the utter absence of any Bible proof to sustain the Sunday-sabbath, very naturally lose much of their respect for that day. And on this account it is often said that the preaching of the seventh-day Sabbath has an injurious effect; it unsettles the faith of many in regard to their present practice, while few make a radical change. We now ask, Is this an injury? and if it is, who is responsible for the injurious effects? SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.54

Is it more pleasing in the sight of God to keep Sunday than to regard no day as holy? To keep the first day and violate the seventh, is direct disobedience to God’s law. Any transgression of the law is sin. To break the Sabbath and keep no day at all, is also direct violation of the law. This also is sin. Who can say that the latter sin is worse than the former? And if it be decided that the second is the greater sin, what is the advantage, since both are sins? God does not tell us to choose the smaller of two sins, but to put away all sin. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.55

Question: Is it simply a spirit of worship that is required by the first commandment, or is it the worship of a special object? You say, It is the worship of one particular Being,-the Lord of heaven and earth. Then the design of the commandment can in nowise be met by worshiping some other object? Of course not; for that commandment particularly forbids the worship of anything except the true God. Well, the fourth commandment requires the observance of a special day of the week-the seventh-and forbids the observance of any other. The commandment does not simply require rest in the abstract, but rest on the day which he has appointed. To offer him any other day, is simply to ask him to be satisfied with a counterfeit. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.56

When a laborer goes to his employer’s office to receive his wages, he confidently expects to receive the amount before agreed upon, in good coin. Will he be satisfied with counterfeit money? By no means. But will not the counterfeit money be better than nothing? Not a bit; indeed, it may prove to be worse than no money; for while he cannot purchase a morsel of bread with it, he may get into serious trouble if he attempts to pass it. We think the illustration will hold good in every particular when applied to the Sabbath question. The seventh day is the genuine Sabbath; it has God’s stamp upon it. The Sunday is only a base counterfeit; it bears none of the marks of genuineness. Now while this counterfeit Sabbath is worth nothing, it may get us into serious trouble if we persist in attempting to pass it instead of the genuine. See Revelation 14:9-12. As with the counterfeit coin, so with the counterfeit Sabbath,-honest ignorance that it is counterfeit may be accepted as an excuse; but when the man is told, or has an opportunity to know, that the coin is counterfeit, what excuse can he make? His unbelief will not save him. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.57

The one who detects a counterfeit coin, and informs the one who holds it that it is of no value, is not called a troublesome fellow, although he materially mars the peace of the possessor of the coin. The one who made the base coin, and they who persist in circulating it, are the real enemies of their fellows. So those who make know the truth concerning the Lord’s Sabbath and its counterfeit are the friends, not the enemies, of their fellowmen. They are obeying the commandment of God: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.” SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.58

The man who detects the counterfeit coin in his neighbor’s possession does not offer a good one in its place; but those who show the worthlessness of the Sunday-sabbath, offer in its stead the Sabbath which bears the stamp of Jehovah, and which will be accepted at the gate of heaven. If men refuse to accept the genuine, and go without any, it is their own fault. When the true Sabbath is presented, “Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it; and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.” Isaiah 56:2. E. J. W. SITI September 9, 1889, page 472.59