The Review and Herald
September 1, 1896
Take Heed Lest Ye Fall
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.” “Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 1
In the hearing of all Israel, and with awful majesty, God had spoken from Mount Sinai, declaring the precepts of his law. Overwhelmed with a sense of guilt, and fearing to be consumed by the glory of the presence of the Lord, the people had entreated Moses, “Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 2
God called Moses up into the mountain that he might communicate his law to him; and when the presence of Moses was withdrawn, the solemn impression made upon the people by the manifestation of God's presence, passed quickly away. Although the glory of God was still like a devouring fire upon the top of the mountain, old habits of thought and feeling began to assert their power. Even the leaders of the host seemed to lose their reason. The memory of their covenant with God, their terror when, falling upon their faces, they had exceedingly feared, all vanished like smoke from the minds of the people. Weary of waiting for the return of Moses, they began to clamor for some visible representation of God. RH September 1, 1896, par. 3
Aaron, who had been left in charge of the camp, was tempted to believe that if he resisted the demands of the people, they would take his life, and instead of exercising faith in God, trusting to divine power to sustain him, he yielded to their clamors. Collecting the golden ornaments, he made a molten calf, and fashioned it with a graving tool. Then the leaders of the people declared, “These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 4
Aaron saw that the image he had made pleased the people, and he was proud of his workmanship. He built an altar before the idol, and declared: “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” “And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.” After feasting, they gave themselves up to mirth and dancing, which ended in the shameful orgies that mark the heathen festivals. RH September 1, 1896, par. 5
God in heaven beheld it all, and he warned Moses of what was taking place in the camp, saying: “Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the Lord his God, and said, Lord, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people....And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 6
As Moses came down from the mountain with the two tables of the testimony in his hand, he heard the shouts of the people, and as he came near, he beheld the idol and the reveling multitude. Overwhelmed with horror and indignation that God had been so dishonored, and that the people had broken their solemn covenant with him, he cast the tables of stone upon the ground, and broke them. Though his love for Israel was so great that he was willing to lay down his own life for the people, his zeal for the glory of God moved him to anger, which found expression in this act of such terrible significance. God did not rebuke him. The breaking of the tables of stone was but a representation of the fact that Israel had broken the covenant which they had recently made with God. His anger was not prompted by self-love or wounded ambition, but was that righteous indignation against sin, which springs from zeal for the glory of God, and which is referred to in the words of Scripture, “Be ye angry, and sin not.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 7
And Moses “saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies)” “And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people do unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.” “And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 8
Mark the extreme fanaticism and sin into which the people were led by the enemy. In his service and under his influence, they exhibited the traits of his character. They ate and drank without a thought of God or of his mercy, without a thought of resisting the one who was leading them on to the most shameful deeds. Mirth and dancing were carried to such a point that the senses were infatuated and beguiled. God was dishonored; for his people had become a shame in the sight of the nations. Judgments were about to fall upon the infatuated multitude; yet in his mercy God gave them another opportunity to forsake their sins. “Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me.” The trumpeters caught up the words, and sounded them through their trumpets, “Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me.” All who were repentant had the privilege of taking their stand beside Moses. “And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.... And there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 9
Those who had shown so little sense of the presence and greatness of God, and who, after the exhibition of his majesty, were ready to depart from him, would be a continual snare to Israel; and they were slain as a rebuke to sin, and to lead the people to fear to dishonor God. In this work there was no hypocrisy or partiality shown; no confederation was made to shield the guilty; for the terror of the Lord was upon the people. RH September 1, 1896, par. 10
To us the warning is given: “All these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” There can be no presumption more fatal than that which leads men to venture upon a course of self-pleasing. In view of this solemn warning from God, should not fathers and mothers take heed? Should they not point out to the youth the dangers that are constantly arising to lead them away from God? Many parents allow their children to attend pleasure parties, thinking that amusement is essential for health and happiness; but what dangers are in that path! The more the desire for pleasure is gratified, the stronger it becomes, till at last the life experience is largely made up of self-gratifications. God bids us beware. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 11
Pleasure parties of a worldly nature, gatherings for eating and drinking, are inspired from a power that is from beneath. They are an oblation to the enemy of God. By indulging in such gratifications, the mind becomes intoxicated, even as in liquor-drinking; and the thoughts, allowed to run in a low channel, soon pervert the powers of the mind. The common conversation and perverted ideas are woven into the texture of the character, and defile the soul. Like Israel of old, the pleasure lovers eat and drink, and rise up to play. RH September 1, 1896, par. 12
All who take part in that which dishonors God bring upon the cause of God a stain not easily effaced. They wound their own souls, and will carry the scars through their lifetime. The wrong-doer may see his sin, and repent; God may pardon him; but the power of discernment, which ought ever to be kept keen and sensitive to discern between the sacred and the common, is in a great measure destroyed. Because of this, some will remain in blindness and insensibility, adopting worldly and even infidel sentiments, accepting human devices and imaginations as divine, while they turn away from the demonstrations of the Holy Spirit. RH September 1, 1896, par. 13
Two great powers are at work in this world,—one from above, and the other from beneath. Every man is under the influence of one or the other. Those who are united with Christ will work in Christ's lines; those who are in union with Satan will work under the inspiration of their leader. The will of man is left free to act, and by action is revealed what spirit is moving upon the heart. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 14
To all who are waiting our Lord's appearing, I would say, Have you individually watched your soul as one who is co-operating with God for its purification from all sin, and for its entire sanctification to God? By precept and example do you teach the youth sanctification through the truth, unto holiness and obedience to God? or by thought and action do you say, “My Lord delayeth his coming”? RH September 1, 1896, par. 15
The Holy One of Israel has given us rules of guidance, and all who would be saved must follow these rules; for they form the standard of character. The Lord's will must become our will in everything. His religion must be brought into all we do, giving sanction to each daily duty. No one can swerve from the first principles of righteousness without sinning. RH September 1, 1896, par. 16
In that great day when the accounts of all are opened, it will be known who is prepared to meet his Lord in peace. “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” RH September 1, 1896, par. 17