Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)

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Ms 33, 1900

Unfaithful Shepherds

NP

June 25, 1900 [typed]

Portions of this manuscript are published in CG 513; 5MR 82; 10MR 106-107. +Note

In the thirty-fourth chapter of Ezekiel is given a description of false shepherds. The prophet bears the testimony of the Lord, saying, “The word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed; but ye feed not the flock. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 1

“The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was drive away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 2

“Therefore ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live, saith the Lord, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock, ... I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.” [Verses 1-8, 16.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 3

“Seemeth it a small thing unto you that ye have eaten the good pastures, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.” [Verses 18, 19.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 4

In the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah an explanation is given of this. Read this chapter in connection with the thirty-fourth chapter of Ezekiel. The law of God, the transcript of His character, which should ever be kept before the people, is not respected, but is trodden under the feet of men who attach Reverend to their names, but do not attach reverend to the law of Jehovah. They, the shepherds of the flock, destroy the plain paths. When the Lord sends His message of advanced truth, presenting that which is food for His flock, the ministers should be the first to receive the message. But they will not obey the Word of the Lord. They will not accept the truth because it involves self-denial. They accept that portion of the Word which does not conflict with their practice, but they transgress the law by treading underfoot a plain “Thus saith the Lord.” 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 5

God declares, “If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger (to speak scornful words of vanity), ... and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul (with words of truth and righteousness, the bread of life), then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday. And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.” [Isaiah 58:9-11.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 6

Then comes the sum and substance of the chapter. Addressing those who have failed in their work as faithful shepherds, the prophet tells them what it is their privilege to become if they will return to their loyalty. “And they that be of thee shall build the old waste places; and thou shalt raise up the foundation of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” [Verses 12-14.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 7

God gave His people the Sabbath as a memorial of creation. It was to point to Him as the only true and living God. It was to be a sign between Him and His people, and was to be observed throughout their generations forever. In the thirty-first chapter of Exodus definite directions are given in regard to this sign: “The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doeth sanctify you. ... 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 8

“Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord; whosoever doeth any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh he rested and was refreshed.” [Verses 12, 13, 15-17.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 9

Directions more positive and definite than this could not be given. By the observance of the Sabbath on the part of His people, God designed that a knowledge of Him should be preserved. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 10

There is a decided work of reformation to be done in the last days of this earth’s history. A people is to be raised up who keep holy the seventh day in obedience to the light God has given them, who acknowledge His sign and are distinguished from the world as God’s commandment-keeping people. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 11

The ministers would please God if they would accept the last message of mercy that is to be given to the world. But God says, “Seemeth it a small thing unto you that ye have eaten up the good pasture, appropriating to yourselves the promises God has made to his commandment-keeping people? These promises are not for the false shepherds, because they keep from the people the truth which it is for their salvation to receive. Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, claiming all the advantages, thus eating up the richest portion of God’s Word? But ye must break down with your feet the residue of your pastures. And to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 12

“You have claimed to be drinking the water of life, and have exalted yourselves as chosen by me, but at the same time you have despised my statutes and judgments. You have fouled the water which My flock has drunk. You have used your God-given talent of speech, given you to voice the words of my law, to speak contemptuously of that law. You have placed yourselves by the side of the great rebel, who brought sin into the world, and have made my law contemptible before a world lying in wickedness. The inhabitants of the world are reaching the point of transgression reached by the inhabitants of the old world. When a few more steps have been taken, when it is made a crime for my people to keep holy the Sabbath, then will I arise out of my place and punish the world for its iniquity, the earth shall disclose her blood, and shall not more cover her slain.” 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 13

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies and your tongues have uttered perverseness. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth.” [Isaiah 59:1-4.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 14

Of the ministers who take away the key of knowledge from the people, refusing to enter in and hindering those who would enter, God says, “Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.” [Ezekiel 34:9, 10.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 15

What shepherds are here meant? It is certainly those who claim everything in the promises of God which they have no right to claim, for they are transgressing His law. When God sends His messengers to speak His words and warn the people that they are trampling under their unhallowed feet the law of God, these false shepherds refuse to accept the message. They will accept the falsehoods of those who have apostatized from God and taken sides with the first great rebel, but they utterly refuse to investigate the Scriptures fairly, to see if the things which God’s messengers say are true. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 16

The Word of God is the only true standard of faith. If the ministers of the different churches would meet together and lay their prejudice at the door of investigation, searching their Bibles to know what is truth, with a sincere desire to receive light, the Lord would respond to their prayers. Their research for truth would be rewarded. They would see that the commandments of God include the Sabbath. Receiving and believing His words, they would become lights in the world, shining amid the moral darkness. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 17

God’s government is one of individual responsibility. No one can save the soul of another against his will. No man can perform the duty of another. It is a serious thing for men who claim to teach the Bible, to lay stumbling blocks before the feet of church members and unbelievers, to wrest the Scriptures to their hurt. God’s Word is misinterpreted and misapplied. Ministers teach for doctrine the commandments of men. They are both ignorant of the Scriptures and of the power of God. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 18

Those who have a knowledge of the Scriptures are to search out the sheep who are hungry for the truth. They are to bear their message to all, that those who have not been fed with pure provender may have an opportunity to hear and understand for themselves. God’s faithful messengers must lift up the voice as did John the Baptist, proclaiming the message of warning, preparing the way for His second coming. God will not leave His people in darkness, to be led by men who, though they occupy the position of shepherds of the flock, are warring against God’s commandments. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 19

“Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak unto the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts and set him for their watchman; if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people, then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hands.” [Ezekiel 33:1-6.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 20

This is the Word of the Lord. When The Lord sends His servants with a message to warn the members of the churches, to open before them the truth, many of those who claim to be shepherds refuse to examine the Word of the Lord for themselves, and commence a tirade against the messenger and message of truth, circulating bitter falsehoods originated by those who have apostatized from the truth. They receive these falsehoods and make every possible use of them in opposing those whom the Lord has sent with a message of warning to lead the people to search the Bible for themselves, with a sacred awe, fearing lest they shall be found fighting against God and committing blasphemy. God’s messengers are charged with doing the work of Satan. But as they follow the example of the great Teacher, their work bears witness of them. Priests and rulers were continually on Christ’s track, seeking His life because He spoke the truth concerning them. Men claiming to be teachers are in 1900 doing the same work that the Jews did. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 21

The thirty-third chapter of Ezekiel should be carefully studied. Those who take upon themselves the responsibility of preaching the Word, and yet neglect to search the Scriptures prayerfully, those who entertain error and preach false doctrines contrary to a plain “Thus saith the Lord,” will bring ruin upon themselves. Their condemnation will be proportionate to the influence their words and example have had upon men and women, in leading them into the path of transgression. He who has taken upon him the work of a minister is responsible to help the members of his church to be obedient to the Word of the Lord. But many ministers stand directly in the way of the people’s obedience, they warn them against doing the very things God has told them to do. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 22

Every man will be called to give a strict account for the way in which his influence has been exerted. Those who do the work the enemy of all righteousness did in the heavenly court, and still does on this earth, will know very well what it means to answer for professedly being on the Lord’s side when in reality they were on the side of the enemy, hindering others from receiving the Word of the Lord. The blood of the souls who have perished through their unfaithfulness will be found upon their heads. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 23

Those who have permitted themselves to be deceived will not be excused for neglecting to search the Word of God for themselves. They committed their souls to the minister, who was not diligent in searching the Word to know the truth. But the minister cannot pay the ransom for their souls. Christ gave His life to save them, to give them another trial, to make it possible for them to return to their loyalty. Those who have taken Satan’s side of the question, who work to justify sin, must bear the penalty of sin. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 24

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected; hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” [1 John 2:1-6.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 25

Then comes the condemnation of those who make a tirade against God’s commandment-keeping people, because they believe the Word of God just as it reads. Their life is a condemnation of their course of action. They wrest the Scriptures, misinterpreting them to suit their own disobedience. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not wither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” [Verses 9-11.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 26

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” [1 John 3:4-8.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 27

Those who walk contrary to the commandments of God, refusing to obey the Word of the Lord, feel greatly annoyed because the Lord’s delegated servants are sent to them, to show them that they are sinning in walking contrary to God’s Word. Inspired by the spirit of the great deceiver, they use their talent of speech to reproach God’s messengers. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 28

“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, That God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” [1 John 1:5-10.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 29

Here is plainly stated the duty of all who claim to believe the word of God. Ignorance of the Scriptures increases the danger of the people, for it enables false teachers, who are in darkness themselves, to delude and destroy souls. Men and women should read and study the Word of God for themselves. Satan will lead men to interpret the Scriptures to suit their own selfish indulgence. Mothers and fathers carry a heavy responsibility in regard to their children. Those parents who believe and study the Scriptures will realize that they must obey the commandments of God, that they must not walk contrary to His holy law. Those who allow anyone, even the minister, to lead them to disregard the Word of God, must at the judgment meet the result of their course. Parents are not to trust their own souls and the souls of their children to the minister, but to God, whose they are by creation and by redemption. Parents should search the Scriptures for themselves, for they have souls to save or to lose. They cannot afford to depend for salvation upon the minister. They must study the truth for themselves. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 30

Instigated by the priests, a lawyer came to Christ with the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This was a direct and positive question. Christ knew that the object of the priests was to find something whereby they could condemn him, and he said to the lawyer, “What is written in the law? how readest thou?” And the lawyer answered, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy strength and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” “Thou hast answered right,” Christ said; “this do, and thou shalt live.” [Luke 10:25-28.] Thus the Saviour met and defeated his adversaries. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 31

Christ gave the lawyer the same instruction that He gave to Moses to give to the children of Israel. He gave the commandments from Sinai, and these commandments were once more rehearsed to the people by Moses, who said, “Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” [Deuteronomy 5:32, 33.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 32

“The Lord our God is one God; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hands, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house, and on thy gates.” [Deuteronomy 6:4-9.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 33

Yet notwithstanding this instruction, men close their eyes to the truth, and teach their children that the commandments of God are not obligatory, because the ministers say they are not. What will you do with the Lord’s words? It would be well for men and women to read the commandments over carefully, and see which one should be spared as nonessential. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 34

Let ministers and people read the Word of the Lord on this point; for it is a life or death question. Will you obey the Word of the Lord, or will you walk contrary to a plain “Thus saith the Lord”? Parents, listen to the Word of the Lord, rather than to the word of men. Teach your children to obey the Word of God; for obedience means life and disobedience means death. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 35

“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes.” [Deuteronomy 10:12, 13.] The Lord requires parents to teach their children to obey and reverence His law. Life and death are set before them, and the strongest motives are presented to induce them to choose life. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 36

The words and actions of parents mold the characters of their children for this life and for the life to come. All will receive according to their works. When children are not diligently instructed to keep the way of the Lord, the enemy comes in to occupy the thoughts. God is forgotten. The deceiver takes control of the heart. Satan will stamp his image and principles upon the hearts of those who are not taught to obey God. Men and women transmit their characters, for good or evil, to their children and to their children’s children. Curses are prepared for future generations by the doing of evil on the part of parents. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 37

God’s object is to test and try men, to see if they will reveal His character. Apostasy from Him begins in the heart. Those who desire to gain eternal life should study God’s dealing with His people in the past. At each step they take they should inquire, “Is this the way of the Lord?” 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 38

Moses said to the children of Israel, “Ye stand this day before the Lord your God; your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel. Your little ones, your wives, and the stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of wood unto the drawer of water; that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath, which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day: that he may establish thee today for a people unto himself, and that he may be unto thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, and to Isaac, and to Jacob. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 39

“Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day; (for ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by; and ye have seen their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them;) lest there should be among you man, or women, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; and it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst; and the Lord will not spare him, but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie against him, and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven ... so that the generation to come of your children, that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, ... which the Lord hath laid upon it. ... 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 40

“Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt; for they went and served other gods, and worshiped them, gods whom they knew not, and whom he had not given them: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book.” [Deuteronomy 29:10-20, 22, 24-27.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 41

After the deliverance of the children of Israel from bondage, God gave them much instruction as to how they should keep in the right way. He stated plainly what the result would be if they forgot Him and became partakers of the idolatry of the nations round them. If they disobeyed, they would be punished. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 42

Yet in His great goodness and mercy, the Lord told them that if after He had sent His judgments upon them, they would repent and acknowledge His faithfulness, He would pardon their transgression. Praise God for His mercy and long forbearance to the children of men. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 43

“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice, according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee.” [Deuteronomy 30:1-3.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 44

“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shall be drawn away, and worship others gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” [Verses 15-19.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 45

Those who, with the Word of God before them, continue to disobey, supposing that the Lord is too merciful to punish the evildoer, will find that they have not only brought ruin upon their own souls, but have led others astray by their false theories and suppositions. They must carry on their garments the blood of those whom they have led into sin. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 46

What is the matter with the world today? The ministers have taught the people that the law of God is not binding. But God certainly does not say so, and in the day of judgment that law, written with the finger of God on tables of stone, will condemn all impenitent transgressors. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 47

The Ten Commandments are an expression of the character of God. It is our duty to obey God’s Word, to love to do His will. It was ordained by God that faithful ministers should be appointed to study the Scriptures and feed the flock, not with the words of men, but with the living Word of God. The Lord is purifying unto Himself a peculiar people, who are to be sanctified and holy, and who are to keep His Sabbath, the seventh day, because He has commanded them to. They are to refuse any interpretation of the Scriptures which makes disobedience a trifling matter. So long as the people of God obey His commandments, walking in the light of His Word, they will be prospered; but if they walk contrary to His plain requirements, He cannot give them clear spiritual perception. To those who do not appreciate God’s Word, the light becomes darkness. They see not His grace. They enjoy not His infinite love. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 48

God means what He says. “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant, and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them; he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day to do them.” [Deuteronomy 7:9-11.] 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 49

Let the Word of the Lord be obeyed, for it is obedience that brings the blessing. God will for Christ’s sake look upon as righteous only those who have respect unto His commandments. Those who obey God’s law will be given the assurance that they are His sons and daughters, members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, because through faith in Christ they have returned to their loyalty. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 50

In the discharge of our duty we should work with an eye single to the glory of God. We do not despise those who are placing all possible contempt upon the law of Jehovah. Neither should we fear them, or pay attention to the statements they make which are not in perfect accord with God’s Word. Individually we are to trust in the Lord at all times and in all places. We are to go forward humbly and trustingly, with an earnest desire to save perishing souls. We are to commit our ways to the Lord, following the path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord. 15LtMs, Ms 33, 1900, par. 51