Study Helps - Lesson 9

Lesson 9 February 19 - 25

Such a Great Cloud of Witness

Memory Text: (Psa 16:8 NKJV) I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Sabbath Afternoon

(Psa 16 NIV) A miktam of David. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. {2} I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing." {3} As for the saints who are in the land, they are the glorious ones in whom is all my delight. {4} The sorrows of those will increase who run after other gods. I will not pour out their libations of blood or take up their names on my lips. {5} LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. {6} The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. {7} I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. {8} I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. {9} Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, {10} because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. {11} You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

(Psa 23 NIV) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. {2} He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, {3} he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. {4} Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. {5} You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. {6} Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

(Psa 73 NIV) A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. {2} But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. {3} For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. {4} They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. {5} They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. {6} Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. {7} From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. {8} They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. {9} Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. {10} Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. {11} They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" {12} This is what the wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth. {13} Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. {14} All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. {15} If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. {16} When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me {17} till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. {18} Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. {19} How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! {20} As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. {21} When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, {22} I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.

{Psa 73:23-28} Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. {24} You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. {25} Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. {26} My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. {27} Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. {28} But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

(Rom 15:4 NIV) For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Sunday

Testimonies Of God's Care Part 1

(Heb 11:1 NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

(Hab 2:3-4 NIV) For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. {4} "See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright-- but the righteous will live by his faith--

(Heb 10:38-39 NIV) But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." {39} But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

(Heb 11:4 NIV) By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

(Gen 4:4 NIV) But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

(Heb 11:5-6 NIV) By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. {6} And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

(Gen 5:21-24 NIV) When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. {22} And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. {23} Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. {24} Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 85

Enoch's walk with God was not in a trance or vision, but in all the duties of his daily life. He did not become a hermit, shutting himself entirely from the world; for he had a work to do for God in the world. In the family and in his intercourse with men, as a husband and father, a friend, a citizen, he was the steadfast, unwavering servant of the Lord. {PP 85.1}

His heart was in harmony with God's will; for "can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3. And this holy walk was continued for three hundred years. There are few Christians who would not be far more earnest and devoted if they knew that they had but a short time to live, or that the coming of Christ was about to take place. But Enoch's faith waxed the stronger, his love became more ardent,

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 85 (continued)

with the lapse of centuries. {PP 85.2}

Enoch was a man of strong and highly cultivated mind and extensive knowledge; he was honored with special revelations from God; yet being in constant communion with Heaven, with a sense of the divine greatness and perfection ever before him, he was one of the humblest of men. The closer the connection with God, the deeper was the sense of his own weakness and imperfection. {PP 85.3}

Distressed by the increasing wickedness of the ungodly, and fearing that their infidelity might lessen his reverence for God, Enoch avoided constant association with them, and spent much time in solitude, giving himself to meditation and prayer. Thus he waited before the Lord, seeking a clearer knowledge of His will, that he might perform it. To him prayer was as the breath of the soul; he lived in the very atmosphere of heaven. {PP 85.4}

Through holy angels God revealed to Enoch His purpose to destroy the world by a flood, and He also opened more fully to him the plan of redemption. By the spirit of prophecy He carried him down through the generations that should live after the Flood, and showed him the great events connected with the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. {PP 85.5}

Enoch had been troubled in regard to the dead. It had seemed to him that the righteous and the wicked would go to the dust together, and that this would be their end. He could not see the life of the just beyond the grave. In prophetic vision he was instructed concerning the death of Christ, and was shown His coming in glory, attended by all the holy angels, to ransom His people from the grave. He also saw the corrupt state of the world (p. 86) when Christ should appear the second time--that there would be a boastful, presumptuous, self-willed generation, denying the only God and the Lord Jesus Christ, trampling upon the law, and despising the atonement. He saw the righteous crowned with glory and honor, and the wicked banished from the presence of the Lord, and destroyed by fire. {PP 85.6}

Monday

Testimonies Of God's Care, Part 2

(Heb 11:7 NIV) By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

(Gen 6:22 NIV) Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

(Gen 7:1 NIV) The LORD then said to Noah, "Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation.

(Heb 11:8-11 NIV) By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. {9} By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. {10} For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. {11} By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.

(Gen 12:1 NIV) The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

(Gen 12:4 NIV) So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

(Heb 11:13-16 NIV) All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. {14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. {15} If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. {16} Instead, they were longing for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

(Heb 11:39-40 NIV) These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. {40} God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

(Gen 15:6 NIV) Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

(Rom 4:24-25 NIV) but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. {25} He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1073

(1 John 2:4.) Faith Manifested by Works of Obedience.-- God requires at this time just what He required of the holy pair in Eden, perfect obedience to His requirements. His law remains the same in all ages. The great standard of righteousness presented in the Old Testament is not lowered in the New. It is not the work of the gospel to weaken the claims of God's holy law, but to bring men up where they can keep its precepts. {6BC 1073.1}

The faith in Christ which saves the soul is not what it is represented to be by many. "Believe, believe," is their cry; "only believe in Christ, and you will be saved. It is all you have to do." While true faith trusts wholly in Christ for salvation, it will lead to perfect conformity to the law of God. Faith is manifested by works. And the apostle John declares, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar" (RH Oct. 5, 1886). {6BC 1073.2}

Disconnect the Law and the Gospel?--The enemy has ever labored to disconnect the law and the gospel. They go hand in hand (MS 11, 1893). {6BC 1073.3}

We honor both the Father and the Son when we talk about the law. The Father gave us the law, and the Son died to magnify it and make it honorable (MS 5, 1885). {6BC 1073.4}

It is impossible for us to exalt the law of Jehovah unless we take hold of the righteousness of Jesus Christ (MS 5, 1889). {6BC 1073.5}

The law of Jehovah is the tree, the gospel is the fragrant blossoms and fruit which it bears (Letter 119, 1897). {6BC 1073.6}

Chapter 4 3-5 (chs. 3:28; 5:1; Eph. 2:8). Faith Lays Hold of Christ's Righteousness.--Faith is the condition upon which God has seen fit to promise pardon to sinners; not that there is any virtue in faith whereby salvation is merited, but because faith can lay hold of the merits of Christ, the remedy provided for sin. Faith can present Christ's perfect obedience instead of the sinner's transgression and defection. When the sinner believes that Christ is his personal Saviour, then according to His unfailing promises, God pardons his sin and justifies him freely. The repentant soul realizes that his justification comes because Christ, as his substitute and surety, has died for him, is his atonement and righteousness. {6BC 1073.7}

"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Righteousness is obedience to the law.

Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1073 (continued)

The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness (RH Nov. 4, 1890). {6BC 1073.8}

Chapter 5 1 (chs. 3:19-28; 4:3-5; Gal. 2:16; Heb. 11:1; see EGW on Gal. 5:6). Faith the Means, Not the End.--Faith is not the ground of our salvation, but it is the great blessing--the eye that sees, the ear that hears, the feet that run, the hand that grasps. It is the means, not the end. If Christ gave His life to save sinners, why shall I not take that blessing? My faith grasps it, and thus my faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen. Thus resting and believing, I have peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ (Letter 329a, 1905). {6BC 1073.9}

(2 Cor. 5:7.) Faith and Feeling Distinct.--Faith and feeling are as distinct as the east is from the west. Faith is not dependent on feeling. We must earnestly cry to God in faith, feeling or no feeling, and then live our prayers. Our assurance and evidence is God's word, and after we have asked we must believe without doubting. I praise Thee, O God, I praise Thee. Thou hast not failed me in the performance of Thy word. Thou has revealed Thyself unto me, and I am Thine to do Thy will (Letter 7, 1892). (p. 1074) {6BC 1073.10}

(Heb 11:35 NIV) Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection.

Tuesday

The Testimony Of Job

(Job 13:3-12 NIV) But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God. {4} You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you! {5} If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom. {6} Hear now my argument; listen to the plea of my lips. {7} Will you speak wickedly on God's behalf? Will you speak deceitfully for him? {8} Will you show him partiality? Will you argue the case for God? {9} Would it turn out well if he examined you? Could you deceive him as you might deceive men? {10} He would surely rebuke you if you secretly showed partiality. {11} Would not his splendor terrify you? Would not the dread of him fall on you? {12} Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

(Job 13:23 NIV) How many wrongs and sins have I committed? Show me my offense and my sin.

(Job 13:15-18 NIV) Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face. {16} Indeed, this will turn out for my deliverance, for no godless man would dare come before him! {17} Listen carefully to my words; let your ears take in what I say. {18} Now that I have prepared my case, I know I will be vindicated.

(Job 19:25 NIV) I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

(Job 19:23-24 NIV) "Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, {24} that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever!

(Job 19:26-27 NIV) And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; {27} I myself will see him with my own eyes--I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!

(Job 14:13-14 NIV) "If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! {14} If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come.

Prophets and Kings, p. 163

The faithful Job, in the day of his affliction and darkness, declared:

"Let the day perish wherein I was born."

"O that my grief were throughly weighed,

And my calamity laid in the balances together!"

(p.163)

"O that I might have my request;

And that God would grant me the thing that I long for!

Even that it would please God to destroy me;

That He would let loose His hand, and cut me off!

Then should I yet have comfort."

"I will not refrain my mouth;

I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;

I will complain in the bitterness of my soul."

"My soul chooseth . . . death rather than my life.

I loathe it;

I would not live alway:

Let me alone;

For my days are vanity."

Job 3:3; 6:2, 8-10; 7:11, 15, 16. {PK 162.2}

But though weary of life, Job was not allowed to die. To him were pointed out the possibilities of the future, and there was given him the message of hope:

"Thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear:

Because thou shalt forget thy misery,

And remember it as waters that pass away:

And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday;

Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

And thou shalt be secure,

Because there is hope. . . .

Thou shalt lie down,

And none shall make thee afraid;

Yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

But the eyes of the wicked shall fail,

And they shall not escape,

And their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost."

Job 11:15-20. {PK 163.1}

From the depths of discouragement and despondency Job rose to the heights of implicit trust in the mercy and the saving power of God. Triumphantly he declared:

(p. 164)

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: . . .

He also shall be my salvation."

"I know that my Redeemer liveth,

And that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

And though after my skin worms destroy this body,

Yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself,

And mine eyes shall behold, and not another."

Job 13:15, 16; 19:25-27. {PK 163.2}

Wednesday

David's Songs Of Confidence

Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 642

Who can measure the results of those years of toil and wandering among the lonely hills? The communion with nature and with God, the care of his flocks, the perils and deliverances, the griefs and joys, of his lowly lot, were not only to mold the character of David and to influence his future life, but through the psalms of Israel's sweet singer they were in all coming ages to kindle love and faith in the hearts of God's people, bringing them nearer to the ever-loving heart of Him in whom all His creatures live. {PP 642.1}

David, in the beauty and vigor of his young manhood, was preparing to take a high position with the noblest of the earth. His talents, as precious gifts from God, were employed to extol the glory of the divine Giver. His opportunities of contemplation and meditation served to enrich him with that wisdom and piety that made him beloved of God and angels. As he contemplated the perfections of his Creator, clearer conceptions of God, opened before his soul. Obscure themes were illuminated, difficulties were made plain, perplexities were harmonized, and each ray of new light called forth fresh bursts of rapture, and sweeter anthems of devotion, to the glory of God and the Redeemer. The love that moved him, the sorrows that beset him, the triumphs that attended him, were all themes for his active thought; and as he beheld the love of God in all the providences of his life, his heart throbbed with more fervent adoration and gratitude, his voice rang out in a richer melody, his harp was swept with more exultant joy; and the shepherd boy proceeded from strength to strength, from knowledge to knowledge; for the Spirit of the Lord was upon him. {PP 642.2}

(Psa 16:1-2 NIV) A miktam of David. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. {2} I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."

(Psa 16:8 NIV) I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

(Psa 62:2 NIV) He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

(Psa 62:6 NIV) He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

(Psa 16:11 NIV) You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

(Psa 23:1-4 NIV) A psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. {2} He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, {3} he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. {4} Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

(Deu 2:7 NIV) The LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast desert. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you, and you have not lacked anything.

Thursday

From Doubt To Triumphant Faith

(Psa 73 NIV) A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. {2} But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. {3} For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. {4} They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. {5} They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills. {6} Therefore pride is their necklace; they clothe themselves with violence. {7} From their callous hearts comes iniquity ; the evil conceits of their minds know no limits. {8} They scoff, and speak with malice; in their arrogance they threaten oppression. {9} Their mouths lay claim to heaven, and their tongues take possession of the earth. {10} Therefore their people turn to them and drink up waters in abundance. {11} They say, "How can God know? Does the Most High have knowledge?" {12} This is what the wicked are like-- always carefree, they increase in wealth. {13} Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence. {14} All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning. {15} If I had said, "I will speak thus," I would have betrayed your children. {16} When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me {17} till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. {18} Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. {19} How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! {20} As a dream when one awakes, so when you arise, O Lord, you will despise them as fantasies. {21} When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, {22} I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. {23} Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. {24} You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. {25} Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. {26} My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. {27} Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. {28} But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

(1 Chr 25:1 NIV) David, together with the commanders of the army, set apart some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals. Here is the list of the men who performed this service:

(Psa 73:1 NIV) A psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.

(Psa 73:28 NIV) But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

(Psa 73:16-17 NIV) When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me {17} till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.

(Psa 73:24 NIV) You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

(Psa 73:14 NIV) All day long I have been plagued; I have been punished every morning.

(Psa 73:26 NIV) My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Friday

(Heb 11:1 NRSV) Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

(Heb 11:1 NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Christ's Object Lesson, p. 332

Be ambitious, for the Master's glory, to cultivate every grace of character. In every phase of your character building you are to please God. This you may do; for Enoch pleased Him though living in a degenerate age. And there are Enochs in this our day. {COL 332.1}

Stand like Daniel, that faithful statesman, a man whom no temptation could corrupt. Do not disappoint Him who so loved you that He gave His own life to cancel your sins. He says, "Without Me ye can do nothing." John 15:5. Remember this. If you have made mistakes, you certainly gain a victory if you see these mistakes and regard them as beacons of warning. Thus you turn defeat into victory, disappointing the enemy and honoring your Redeemer. {COL 332.2}

A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life. {COL 332.3}

The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you. (p. 333) {COL 332.4}

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. {COL 333.1}

Mental Faculties God requires the training of the mental faculties. He designs that His servants shall possess more intelligence and clearer discernment than the worldling, and He is displeased with those who are too careless or too indolent to become efficient, well-informed workers. The Lord bids us love Him with all the heart, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and with all the mind. This lays upon us the obligation of developing the intellect to its fullest capacity, that with all the mind we may know and love our Creator. {COL 333.2}

(Job 19:26 NIV) And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God;

(Job 14:13-15 NIV) "If only you would hide me in the grave and conceal me till your anger has passed! If only you would set me a time and then remember me! {14} If a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait for my renewal to come. {15} You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made.

Ellen G. White Comments, SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 928

No Encouragement Given for Unbelief.--There is no encouragement given for unbelief. The Lord manifests His grace and His power over and over again, and this should teach us that it is always profitable under all circumstances to cherish faith, to talk faith, to act faith. We are not to have our hearts and hands weakened by allowing the suggestions of suspicious minds to plant in our hearts the seeds of doubt and distrust [Heb. 3:12 quoted] (Letter 97, 1898). {7BC 928.3}

Study to Believe and Obey.--The Lord works in cooperation with the will and action of the human agent. It is the privilege and duty of every man to take God at His word, to believe in Jesus as his personal Saviour, and to respond eagerly, immediately, to the gracious propositions which He makes. He is to study to believe and obey the divine instruction in the Scriptures. He is to base his faith not on feeling but upon the evidence and the Word of God (MS 3, 1895). {7BC 928.4}

Chapter 4 The Rest Obtained by Labor.-- [Heb. 4:9, 11 quoted.] The rest here spoken of is the rest of grace, obtained by following the prescription, Labor diligently. Those who learn of Jesus His meekness and lowliness find rest in the experience of practicing His lessons. It is not in indolence, in selfish ease and pleasure-seeking, that rest is obtained. Those who are unwilling to give the Lord faithful, earnest, loving service will not find spiritual rest in this life or in the life to come. Only from earnest labor comes peace and joy in the Holy Spirit--happiness on earth and glory hereafter. {7BC 928.7}

Let us therefore labor. Speak often words that will be a strength and an inspiration to those who hear. We are altogether too indifferent in regard to one another. We forget that our fellow laborers are often in need of words of hope and cheer. When one is in trouble, call upon him and speak comforting words to him. This is true friendship (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 928.8}

12 (see EGW on John 17:17). Cutting Away the Surplus of Self.-- Practical truth must be brought into the life, and the Word, like a sharp, two-edged sword, must cut away the surplus of self that there is in our characters [Heb. 4:12 quoted] (Letter 5, 1897). {7BC 928.9}

Transforming Power of the Word.--The Word makes the proud humble, the perverse meek and contrite, the disobedient obedient. The sinful habits natural to man are interwoven with the daily practice. But the Word cuts away the fleshly lusts. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the mind. It divides the joints and marrow, cutting away the lusts of the flesh, making men willing to suffer for their Lord (MS 42, 1901). {7BC 928.10}

13. See EGW on Prov. 16:2; Rev. 3:1-4; 20:12, 13. {7BC 928.11}

14 (chs. 3:6, 14; 10:23; see EGW on Rev. 3:3). Questions to Ponder.--[Heb. 4:14 quoted.] What is our profession? We profess to be following Christ. We claim to be Christians. Do we, then, reveal the Christlikeness? Do we serve the Saviour intelligently? Does the love of God continually flow from us to others? Do we, in word and action, confess our Redeemer? Do we conform our lives to His holy principles? Are we pure and undefiled? Christians must hold the beginning of their confidence firm unto the end. It is not enough to profess the faith. There must be a (p. 929) patient endurance of all trials and a brave resistance to all temptations. Faith can be maintained only by bringing the Chris