Sabbath Afternoon - August 6
Memory Text:
“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” KJV — Romans 5:5
After Israel crossed the sea, and after the sea closed in on their enemies, they all sang and gave God the glory, but though Pharaoh’s army and the sea were no longer objects of fear but of interest, their trials, doubts, and fears were not yet at an end: Almost immediately after they saw the sea behind and the desert ahead they began to recriminate Moses for having brought them into the desert to starve there for want of water and food. It never entered their minds that if God can dry the sea, He can certainly flood the desert and make it blossom as a rose. Notwithstanding their doubts and their moanings God again performed an even greater miracle: He caused water to gush out of the rock and He brought manna from Heaven!
Sunday - August 7
The Big Picture
Habakkuk 1:1-4
What did Habakkuk face?
“These anxious questionings were voiced by the prophet Habakkuk. Viewing the situation of the faithful in his day, he expressed the burden of his heart in the inquiry: “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and Thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto Thee of violence, and Thou wilt not save! Why dost Thou show me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention. Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth: for the wicked doth compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceedeth.” Habakkuk 1:2-4. PK 385.1
“God answered the cry of His loyal children. Through His chosen mouthpiece He revealed His determination to bring chastisement upon the nation that had turned from Him to serve the gods of the heathen. Within the lifetime of some who were even then making inquiry regarding the future, He would miraculously shape the affairs of the ruling nations of earth and bring the Babylonians into the ascendancy. These Chaldeans, “terrible and dreadful,” were to fall suddenly upon the land of Judah as a divinely appointed scourge. Verse 7. The princes of Judah and the fairest of the people were to be carried captive to Babylon; the Judean cities and villages and the cultivated fields were to be laid waste; nothing was to be spared. PK 385.2
“Confident that even in this terrible judgment the purpose of God for His people would in some way be fulfilled, Habakkuk bowed in submission to the revealed will of Jehovah. “Art Thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One?” he exclaimed. And then, his faith reaching out beyond the forbidding prospect of the immediate future, and laying fast hold on the precious promises that reveal God's love for His trusting children, the prophet added, “We shall not die.” Verse 12. With this declaration of faith he rested his case, and that of every believing Israelite, in the hands of a compassionate God. PK 386.1
“This was not Habakkuk's only experience in the exercise of strong faith. On one occasion, when meditating concerning the future, he said, “I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what He will say unto me.” Graciously the Lord answered him: “Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Habakkuk 2:1-4.” PK 386.2
Monday - August 8
Who Our Father Is?
Job 42:1-6
What was God trying to tell Job and what was the effect on him?
“The Christian's hope does not rest upon the sandy foundation of feeling. Those who act from principle will behold the glory of God beyond the shadows, and rest upon the sure word of promise. They will not be deterred from honoring God however dark the way may seem. Adversity and trial will only give them an opportunity to show the sincerity of their faith and love. When depression settles upon the soul, it is no evidence that God has changed. He is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8). You are sure of the favor of God when you are sensible of the beams of the Sun of Righteousness; but if the clouds sweep over your soul, you must not feel that you are forsaken. Your faith must pierce the gloom.... The riches of the grace of Christ must be kept before the mind. Treasure up the lessons that His love provides. Let your faith be like Job's, that you may declare, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). Lay hold on the promises of your heavenly Father and remember His former dealing with you and with His servants, for “all things work together for good to them that love God.” TMK 257.2
“The most trying experiences in the Christian's life may be the most blessed. The special providences of the dark hours may encourage the soul in future attacks of Satan, and equip the servant of God to stand in fiery trials. The trial of your faith is more precious than gold. You must have that abiding confidence in God that is not disturbed by the temptations and arguments of the deceiver. Take the Lord at His word....” TMK 257.3
Tuesday - August 9
Our Father’s Presence
Isaiah 41:8-14
What reasons for hope can you identify for people waiting eagerly for future deliverance? How does this promise help us as we wait for our exile on earth to end?
Isaiah 41:7-10 – “So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. But thou, Israel, art My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.”
God’s promises to His servants are sure. Let us take hold of them now. We shall never find an opportunity as good as we have today. Tomorrow will be too late; we had better respond while God is pleading.
Verses 11, 12 – “Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.”
Now is our opportunity to do all we can for those who oppose us, for here we are plainly told that if they continue in their hostility they shall perish.
Verse 13 – “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”
If we as a people are not fearful, then why all these pleadings and encouragements? Why the urgings that we cast out our fears?
Verses 14, 15 – “Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.”
To thresh the mountains (kingdoms) is to take the wheat (saints) out of them. The servants of God, therefore, are here promised a new instrument, different from any ever used before; that is, the gathering of the saints in the harvest time is to be accomplished in a way un-dreamed of, – contrary to every human planning. This instrument will have teeth; it will suddenly separate the wheat from the straw and blow out the chaff. Christ, “Whose fan is in His hand, …will throughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matt. 3:12. For this cause we are called, and for this great and grand work we are to prepare the way.
Wednesday - August 10
Our Father’s Plans for us
Jeremiah 29:1-10
What reasons for hope are given in Jeremiah 29:1-10?
“With what tender compassion did God inform His captive people of His plans for Israel! He knew that should they be persuaded by false prophets to look for a speedy deliverance, their position in Babylon would be made very difficult. Any demonstration or insurrection on their part would awaken the vigilance and severity of the Chaldean authorities and would lead to a further restriction of their liberties. Suffering and disaster would result. He desired them to submit quietly to their fate and make their servitude as pleasant as possible; and His counsel to them was: “Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; ... and seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.” Verses 5-7.” PK 441.2
Thursday - August 11
Our Father’s Discipline
Hebrews 12:1-13
What’s the message to us here, and how does it fit in with what we have been studying this quarter?
“If we are dead with Christ, we shall also live with Him. If we suffer for His sake, we shall also rejoice with Him in His kingdom. But if in our profession of godliness we deny Him, refusing to share in His humiliation, He also will deny us when His glory shall be revealed and given to every soul who has exemplified His life and character. Oh, we do not enjoy the strength provided for every Christian, because we refuse to be Christlike. We refuse to follow our divine Example in all things. We are not willing to count it all joy to suffer for His sake. Christ endured the contradiction of sinners against Himself. Remember what Jesus endured to save us, “lest ye be wearied, and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him; for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons.” [Hebrews 12:3-8.] The Lord does not allow those who are His children to go on frowardly in their own errors, following misconceived opinions. He would have them understand that correction is needful for the salvation of their souls. Let us submit to be chastening of the Lord, and learn the lessons that He would have us learn, becoming meek and lowly under the influence of His correction.” 20LtMs, Lt 133, 1905, par. 8
Friday - August 12
Further Study
Today as in Moses’ day many are duplicating the sins of that people: Some are all on fire on day, and all on ice the next. Others praise God to the top of their voices while their ship is smoothly sailing, but when the sea becomes rough and the waves start beating against them, then they see only a man at the wheel and rather than expecting God to calm the sea they begin to hunt for a jumping off place. Still others are constantly trying to promote themselves by continual fault-finding against the ones that bear the whole burden of the load. So it is that there must be among us today – antitypical doubters, complainers office seekers and faultfinders, admitting one great truth one day and forgetting it the next day – yet expecting to be sealed with the seal of God and to stand with the Lamb on Mt. Zion!