refused to go forward until they had formed a committee to
look into the matter and return to them a report. Then they took the
lying report of the unfaithful spies and set themselves to kill the
faithful, who were urging them to take God at His Word!
My word to you today is, ‘It is a goodly Land, and we are more
than able to possess it!’ Let us take God at His Word and go forward
to learn the lessons He designs these final events to teach us.
Eternity lies before us, and will we turn back into unbelief merely at
the sight of a few Giants? God never intended that the Israelites
should have to contend and fight to obtain the land. He had already
given it to them. If they would have taken Him at His Word, they could
have marched into Canaan and the Giants and warriors would have fled
in terror. God even said he would drive them out with hornets. Have
you ever had hornets take after you? The stoutest heart quails before
them!
God does not intend for us to doubt and fear and run from the idea
of the times of trial that lie ahead of us. It is a fact that this is
why so many throw themselves into the search for ever increasing
excitement and entertainment—it is to keep from thinking about
what lies ahead.
This is why they seek out preachers who pour oil into their itching
ears, instead of the strait truth. This is why they want to be
surrounded by ‘friends’ who pat them on the back and tell them
sentimental nothings. I am not intending to do that here. But I want
to show you the real answer—the real way out.
Now for a moment, let us look at the original ‘Time of Jacob’s
Trouble’, and see what lessons we can discern there. I want to ask a
question: Why did Jacob wrestle with the angel? Now I hear some say,
'he wanted a blessing, he wanted to know his sins were forgiven'.
No, that is not at all the reason. Remember, he was by the brook
and he was praying. Why was he praying? Because he knew his brother,
whom he had wronged and cheated in the past, was marching with an army
to kill him. He knew he had it coming to him. He knew he had done
wrong. But he also knew he had deeply repented and now he was pleading
that God would protect his helpless family.
He knew he did not deserve a blessing. He knew it was his own
sinful past that was bringing this onto him, but he also knew that his
only hope was in the mercy of a forgiving God and in the promises He
had made to him. But at this point he was not wrestling.
When did he start wrestling? Well let’s watch the scene in the
minds eye. It is dark; he is alone and pouring out his desperate need
before the Lord. All at once a hand is laid on his shoulder. He whirls
to fight off what he believes to be an attacker. He is sure that he is
fighting for his life against an enemy, maybe even one of Esau’s men
of war.
In desperation he struggles on, he must win, he must protect his
family! His heart, you can be sure, is crying out to God for victory
over this unknown foe. The hours wear away as he fights on. Finally,
just at dawn, the Lord, for He it is that Jacob is grappling with,
puts forth a finger and touches Jacob’s thigh and instantly he is
crippled and in great pain.
As suddenly as the pain that hit him, comes the realization that he
has been wrestling with the Lord Himself! Now he falls helpless on the
breast of his Lord and clings to him with a different kind of
intensity. He needs a blessing; he must have it or perish!
Now look for a moment at the situation Jacob has been in. All night
he thought he was in the hands of an enemy. He thought he must put
forth all the power he had to save his own life from this terrible
attacker. But in actuality, he has been in the safest place in the
whole universe! He has been all night in the arms of his Saviour!
Oh friend, I want you to really wrap your mind around this fact:
Jacob thought he was in the hands of the enemy, given up to perish,
unless he could somehow save himself. Then he learned two great
things; the first one was that he could not save himself by his own
efforts and the second was that all along, he had been in the arms of
God.
How many times do we fight the ‘enemy’, desperate to save
ourselves by our own efforts, but if our eyes were opened, we would
find we were in the safest place in the universe, the arms of our
loving Redeemer?
So it is with the scenes of the Last Days. Before I began to
understand a bit about the workings of the Lord, I felt that the Time
of Trouble was the doing of Satan and his followers. It seemed the
faithful were in the hands of the enemy. But a closer look and deeper
understanding reveals they are in the hands of God, who is refining
and purifying them like fine gold.
What is the purpose of the ‘Time of Jacob’s Trouble’? Well,
what did Jacob’s trouble do for him? It settled him forever in his
faith in his merciful Heavenly Father. Never again would he doubt God’s
marvelous, forgiving grace.
What will this experience do for the saints?
"Said the angel: "Look ye!" My attention was turned
to the wicked, or unbelievers. They were all astir. The zeal and power
with the people of God had aroused and enraged them. Confusion,
confusion was on every side. I saw measures taken against this
company, who had the power and light of God. Darkness thickened around
them, yet there they stood, approved of God, and trusting in Him. I
saw them perplexed. Next I heard them crying unto God earnestly.
Through the day and night their cry ceased not. I heard these words:
"Thy will, O God, be done! If it can glorify Thy name, make a way
of escape for Thy people! Deliver us from the heathen round about us!
They have appointed us unto death; but Thine arm can bring
salvation." These are all the words that I can bring to mind. All
seemed to have a deep sense of their unworthiness, and manifested
entire submission to the will of God. Yet like Jacob, every one,
without an exception, was earnestly pleading and wrestling for
deliverance.
"Soon after they had commenced their earnest cry, the angels,
in sympathy, would have gone to their deliverance. But a tall,
commanding angel suffered them not. Said he: "The will of God is
not yet fulfilled. They must drink of the cup. They must be baptized
with the baptism." 1 Testimonies.183.
Doesn’t this sound a little like Gethsemane? What
does the Bible tell us that Gethsemane did for Jesus? "Though he were
a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And
being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all
them that obey him;" Hebrews 5:8,9
What? Wasn’t Jesus already obedient? Yes, He most certainly was.
But Gethsemane perfected His obedience to the highest level. So will
this experience also do for the people of God in the final times;
their obedience and faith will be perfected and brought up to a level
from which it will never fall.
"Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works
was faith made perfect?" James 2:22
Just as Jacob finally realized that what he thought were the hands
of an enemy, were really the hands of God, so God’s people at the
end will finally realize that they are safe in the arms of Jesus. They
will finally see clearly just who is the real enemy, and Who is their
friend. Their faith will cling to Jesus and His Word like the crippled
Jacob finally clung to the Lord, and at last they will learn that the
whole time that they were pleading and crying to be delivered for the
honor of God’s Name, they were already safe in His arms.
"The path to freedom from sin is through crucifixion of self,
and conflict with the powers of darkness. Let none be discouraged
in view of the severe trials to be met in the time of Jacob's trouble,
which is yet before them. They are to work earnestly, anxiously, not
for that time, but for to-day. What we want is to have a knowledge
of the truth as it is in Christ now, and a personal experience
now. In these precious closing hours of probation, we have a deep and
living experience to gain. We shall thus form characters that will
insure our deliverance in the time of trouble.
"The time of trouble is the crucible that is to bring out
Christ-like characters. It is designed to lead the people of God to
renounce Satan and his temptations. The last conflict will reveal
Satan to them in his true character, that of a cruel tyrant, and it
will do for them what nothing else could do, up-root him entirely from
their affections. For to love and cherish sin, is to love and cherish
its author, that deadly foe of Christ. When they excuse sin and cling
to perversity of character, they give Satan a place in their
affections, and pay him homage." Review & Herald.1884-08-12.
Yes, it is now that we must be willing to look the truth square in
the eye and fasten our faith on the word of God. It is now that we are
to develop the faith of a Caleb and say, ‘be not afraid of the
people of that land, for they are bread for us!’ Friends if God be
for us…who can stand against us?
"November 20, 1857, I was shown the people of God, and saw
them mightily shaken. Some, with strong faith and agonizing cries,
were pleading with God. Their countenances were pale, and marked with
deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and
great earnestness were expressed in their countenances, while large
drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their
faces would light up with the marks of God's approbation, and again
the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them.
"Evil angels crowded around them, pressing their darkness upon
them, to shut out Jesus from their view, that their eyes might be
drawn to the darkness that surrounded them, and they distrust God and
next murmur against Him. Their only safety was in keeping their
eyes directed upward. Angels of God had charge over His people,
and as the poisonous atmosphere from the evil angels was pressed
around these anxious ones, the heavenly angels were continually
wafting their wings over them, to scatter the thick darkness.
"Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing
and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not
resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick
cloud. The angels of God left these, and I saw them hastening to
the assistance of those who were struggling with all their energies to
resist the evil angels, and trying to help themselves by calling upon
God with perseverance. But the angels left those who made no effort
to help themselves, and I lost sight of them. As the praying ones
continued their earnest cries, a ray of light from Jesus would at
times come to them, to encourage their hearts, and light up their
countenances." 1 Testimonies.179-180
The above account is where we are now! It is not the time of
trouble in the future, it is where we are at today. It is now as the
angels hold the four winds that we are given time to plead with God and
co-operate with Him in the work of putting away self and sin and
getting ready to take Him at His word, though the heavens fall and the
earth be removed.
How are we using these precious hours? Sure everyone has activities
of daily living that we have to do. Life goes on and with it the daily
chores.
"While engaged in our daily work, we should lift the soul to
heaven in prayer. These silent petitions rise like incense before the
throne of grace; and the enemy is baffled. The Christian whose heart
is thus stayed upon God cannot be overcome. No evil arts can destroy
his peace. All the promises of God's word, all the power of divine
grace, all the resources of Jehovah, are pledged to secure his
deliverance. It was thus that Enoch walked with God. And God was with
him, a present help in every time of need." Gospel Workers, pg.254.
The life of Enoch is of special interest to us in these days. He
was translated without seeing death. The final generation has this
hope, that they will be translated without seeing death. This requires
a special preparation. The righteous dead have gone through their ‘Time
of Jacob’s Trouble’ in various ways on their death-beds. But the
final group are going to have no death-beds.
We are told to prepare and strive to be among that group. It is God
of course, who will make the decision of who will make up this group,
but still, the preparation to stand in the testing time that is
hastening upon us is the same. If we are striving to walk as Enoch
walked, we need have no worries regarding the time of trouble. God
will see to it that we have all the grace we need to carry us through.
Many among us have so much fear in their hearts regarding trial.
But I am not here to preach teddy bears and lollypops to you or to
comfort you with, "Oh, don’t worry, nothing bad will ever
happen." But I am saying that if you take shelter in the Word of
God and seek Him while He may be found, and believe His promises,
really believe them, you need have no worry about the time of trouble.
Let us look at some more passages that mention Enoch and how he
lived:
"The Christian must be much in prayer. Prayer takes hold upon
Omnipotence, and gains us the victory. It was thus that Enoch walked
with God. And those who thus make Christ their daily companion and
familiar friend will feel that the powers of an unseen world are all
around them, and by looking unto Jesus they will become assimilated to
his image." BE.1889-10-01
"It was thus that Enoch walked with God. It was no easier for
Enoch to live a righteous life than it is for us at the present time.
The world in his time was no more favorable to growth in grace and
holiness than it is now. It was by prayer and communion with God that
Enoch was enabled to escape the corruption that is in the world
through lust. We are living in the perils of the last days, and we
must receive our strength from the same source. We must walk with God.
A separation from the world is required of us; for we cannot
remain free from its pollution unless we follow the example of
faithful Enoch. But how many are slaves to the lust of the flesh, and
the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Southern Work.1908-03-10.
There is something to be done; something to strive for, to seek
for. and something to separate from. Basically the task is to take God
at His Word! The Children of Israel turned back towards Egypt when
they saw giants in their paths, even though God had assured them He
was willing and able to take them through.
What was their problem? They refused to trust God even after they
had seen more miracles in a shorter time than any who had ever lived.
If you read carefully the accounts in Patriarchs and Prophets of the
Exodus, you will see there were several times that God gave them quiet
periods in which they were to meditate on Him and turn their hearts
towards Him. But in each case they idled or frittered them away on
trivia, and so each new test found them unprepared, and over and over
they fell into Satan’s snares. It is the quiet times, the daily routine that we are to use wisely:
"Day by day we are to fight the good fight of faith. Day by
day God will give us our work; and though we cannot see the end from
the beginning, we are to examine ourselves daily to see if we are in
the path of righteousness. We must strive to overcome, looking unto
Jesus; for in every temptation he will be at our side to give us the
victory. Every day should come to us as the last day in which we
may be privileged to work for God, and much of it must be given to
prayer that we may work in the strength of Christ. This is the way
in which Enoch walked with God, warning and condemning the world by
manifesting before them a righteous character." Review & Herald.1891-08-18.
Friends, this is the answer. If we live like this and prepare like
this, we need not, and we will not fear the future.
"As the members of the body of Christ approach the period of
their last conflict, "the time of Jacob's trouble," they
will grow up into Christ, and will partake largely of his Spirit. As
the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory
attends the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of
that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens
them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine
with the glory of that light which attends the third angel.
"I saw that God would in a wonderful manner preserve his
people through the time of trouble. As Jesus poured out his soul
in agony in the garden, they will earnestly cry and agonize with him
day and night for deliverance. The decree will go forth that they must
disregard the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and honor the first
day, or lose their lives; but they will not yield, and trample under
their feet the Sabbath of the Lord, and honor an institution of
Papacy. Satan's host, and wicked men, will surround them, and exult
over them, because there will seem to be no way of escape for them.
But in the midst of their revelry and triumph, there is peal upon peal
of the loudest thunder. The heavens have gathered blackness, and are
only illuminated by the blazing light and terrible glory from heaven,
as God utters his voice from his holy habitation." Review & Herald.1862-05-27
Friends, it is a goodly land, and we are more than able to take it—IF we take God at His Word. If we do, then He will take the
responsibility to ensure that we stand and are kept in His arms and
carried through to victory.
But if we spend most of our time in selfish indulgence and then
refuse to hear any but the smoothest whipped-cream, cherry on top
messages, then we have reason to fear. Our fear may be the only way
God has, to try and persuade us to run to Him and take shelter in
those arms and cling to our Redeemer as our only hope. For assuredly,
He is! Trouble is coming—but the shelter
is sure!
"But when tribulation comes upon us, how many of us are like
Jacob! We think it the hand of an enemy; and in the darkness we
wrestle blindly until our strength is spent, and we find no comfort or
deliverance. To Jacob the divine touch at break of day revealed the
One with whom he had been contending-- the Angel of the covenant; and,
weeping and helpless, he fell upon the breast of Infinite Love, to
receive the blessing for which his soul longed. We also need to learn
that trials mean benefit, and not to despise the chastening of the
Lord nor faint when we are rebuked of Him." Mount of Blessing
pg. 11
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