Mission to the Powerful
Lesson 9, 4th Quarter November 25 – December 1, 2023.
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Sabbath Afternoon, November 25
Memory Text:
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” KJV — Matthew 16:26
The only lasting fortune man can obtain is gotten through righteousness, through God's way and in His time. The successful life is not that one which gained riches and acquired fame for this life and nothing for the future life. The successful man, on the contrary, insures his eternal riches by daily making straight paths for his feet to walk in, thus insuring also his present life's success. God controls the distribution of riches and He does not give them to His people as a blessing if they are selfish. If such people obtain wealth it is invariably a curse to them.
Job, you remember, was a very rich man because he was perhaps God's best friend on earth at that time. At least the Devil grew jealous of him and told the Lord that Job was not as good a man as the Lord thought, and he could prove it if he were allowed to bring enough trouble and hardship to him. And you remember that the Lord allowed the Devil to do anything he wanted to Job, except to take his life. In the midst of the fires of his many and grievous afflictions Job declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Job 13:15. Because Job did not fail, he in the end was many times richer than he was in the beginning. God's people do not become rich in any respect by playing the fool. Nor does it help for them to give themselves over to self pity in the day of adversity. When a person feels sorry for himself he has at least brought himself to a state of stalemate if not outright defeat. None of the men of God, regardless how severe were the hardships they were called upon to bear, felt that these sacrifices were too great. Generally speaking, all these men possessed a stabilizing power that is hard to explain other than to say that it is a gift of God which He bestows upon those who are intimately and firmly acquainted and united to Him.
Sunday, November 26
Nebuchadnezzar
Read Daniel 4. What happened to the king here, and what does this tell us about salvation coming to one of the world’s most powerful men?
Nebuchadnezzar was given a dream. Being troubled with it he summoned the wise men of his realm to tell him the interpretation of it. They came but there was nothing that they could do. At last Daniel was brought before the king. After hearing the king’s story of the dream, Daniel said:
Dan. 4:24-26, 28 – “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: that they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule….came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.”
The king heard the interpretation of it, and he understood the decree. Nevertheless he was not willing to admit that there was One greater than he. Then it came to pass that
Verses 29, 30 – “At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?”
What a statement to make after having heard God’s decree! The king had yet to learn that God rules the nations, sets up kings and deposes kings. Let us now hear God’s answer to the king’s folly:
Verses 31-33 – “While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.”
Some even to this day do not realize that God rules, that men are not independent of Him although they are permitted to choose whether or not to serve Him. It was not necessary for the Chaldean king to live with the beasts of the field, but as he could not learn his lesson by words, in the easy way, he was removed from his palace and put into a corral, there to learn by experience, in the hard way. In the end of seven years, after he had graduated, so to speak, from God’s school of hard knocks, the king walked back into his palace, and said:
Verses 34-37 – “And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured Him that liveth for ever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation: and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all Whose works are Truth, and His ways judgment: and those that walk in pride He is able to abase.”
Through pride and disloyalty to God Nebuchadnezzar made life miserable for himself, but at last he did awake.
Monday, November 27
Naaman
Read 2 Kings 5:1-19. What can we take from this story about reaching people for the Lord?
“‘Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.’ PK 244.1
“Ben-hadad, king of Syria, had defeated the armies of Israel in the battle which resulted in the death of Ahab. Since that time the Syrians had maintained against Israel a constant border warfare, and in one of their raids they had carried away a little maid who, in the land of her captivity, “waited on Naaman's wife.” A slave, far from her home, this little maid was nevertheless one of God's witnesses, unconsciously fulfilling the purpose for which God had chosen Israel as His people. As she ministered in that heathen home, her sympathies were aroused in behalf of her master; and, remembering the wonderful miracles of healing wrought through Elisha, she said to her mistress, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.” She knew that the power of Heaven was with Elisha, and she believed that by this power Naaman could be healed. PK 244.2
“The conduct of the captive maid, the way that she bore herself in that heathen home, is a strong witness to the power of early home training. There is no higher trust than that committed to fathers and mothers in the care and training of their children. Parents have to do with the very foundations of habit and character. By their example and teaching the future of their children is largely decided.” PK 245.1
“Naaman heard of the words that the maid had spoken to her mistress; and, obtaining permission from the king, he went forth to seek healing, taking with him “ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment.” He also carried a letter from the king of Syria to the king of Israel, in which was written the message, “Behold, I have ... sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, “he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.” PK 246.2
“Tidings of the matter reached Elisha, and he sent word to the king, saying, “Wherefore has thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” PK 246.3
“‘So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.” Through a messenger the prophet bade him, “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.’ PK 246.4
“Naaman had expected to see some wonderful manifestation of power from heaven. ‘I thought,’ he said, ‘he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.’ When told to wash in the Jordan, his pride was touched, and in mortification and disappointment he exclaimed, ‘Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean?” “So he turned and went away in a rage.’ PK 246.5
“The proud spirit of Naaman rebelled against following the course outlined by Elisha. The rivers mentioned by the Syrian captain were beautified by surrounding groves, and many flocked to the banks of these pleasant streams to worship their idol gods. It would have cost Naaman no great humiliation of soul to descend into one of those streams. But it was only through following the specific directions of the prophet that he could find healing. Willing obedience alone would bring the desired result. PK 249.1
“Naaman's servants entreated him to carry out Elisha's directions: “If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,” they urged, “wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?” The faith of Naaman was being tested, while pride struggled for the mastery. But faith conquered, and the haughty Syrian yielded his pride of heart and bowed in submission to the revealed will of Jehovah. Seven times he dipped himself in Jordan, ‘according to the saying of the man of God.’ And his faith was honored; ‘his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.’ PK 249.2
“Gratefully ‘he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,’ with the acknowledgment, ‘Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel.’” PK 249.3
Tuesday, November 28
Witnessing to the Learned: Nicodemus
Read John 3:1-12. What does this story reveal about Nicodemus’s spiritual needs and how Jesus addressed them right away?
Verses 4-8 – “Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”
Nicodemus’ acknowledgment that Jesus was the Son of God made his case exceedingly bad. Knowing who Jesus was, he should not have been ashamed to be seen in His company, nor should he have been afraid of His enemies. He should have considered it a privilege to associate with the Son of God, with a Heavenly Being. But inasmuch as Nicodemus was ashamed to be seen with Him, and was proud to be with Pharisees, he needed to bury the “old man,” and to arise in newness of life – needed to be born again.
To the question, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Jesus answered, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus had to be baptized, had to publicly acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, and receive the Spirit of Truth.
And the illustration, “the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit,” definitely points out that to really know what it is to be born of the Spirit is to have the experience of being one of His disciples, of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and of proclaiming His Truth. Jesus, comparing His followers, those who are born again, with the wind, makes this fact still clearer; for if His disciples are like the wind, if no one knows where they come from and where they go to, then the only way to find out is to become one with them.
For Jesus to become one with us He had to be born again; He had to become an earthly man. And for us to be one with Him, we have to be born again, born of the Spirit. The difference is that Jesus was first born a spiritual, a Divine being, and second a human being; whereas we are first born human beings, and second spiritual beings. Prophetically speaking of Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Wednesday, November 29
Mission to the Rich
Read Matthew 19:16-22. What lessons can we learn from this story, in which, in contrast to Nicodemus, a person did not accept Jesus?
Jesus was confronted by the rich young ruler, who said to Him, I have kept the commandments. What yet must I do to enter into life eternal? Here follows the answer:
Luke 18:22 – “Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow Me.”
To understand this scripture, we must read another one along with it:
John 3:1-3 – “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Both the rich young man and Nicodemus were rulers, and though Nicodemus might not have been as rich as was the young man, he nevertheless was not poor. But why was the one asked to distribute his riches to the poor, and the other told to be born again? Why should not both pay the same price for salvation? Here are the reasons:
To avoid being seen in the company of Jesus, Nicodemus came to Him, not by day, but secretly by night, whereas the young ruler came to Jesus not only openly by day, but also while a multitude were with Jesus. The rich young ruler’s basic hindrance, therefore, was his wealth, and Nicodemus’ basic hindrance was his pride. Plainly, then, the one’s ailment called for one kind of treatment, and the other’s ailment called for another kind of treatment.
Jesus never asked anyone to take His religion, but He asked them to “follow” Him, to be one of His disciples. The rich young ruler could not follow the Lord because his heart was centered upon his own riches. And Nicodemus could not follow the Lord because he was too proud to be seen in the company of unpopular and hated Jesus followed by humble fishermen. To remove the hindrances, the one had to get rid of his riches, and the other had to get rid of his pride. To eradicate pride, one must be born again, must become a new man. But to eradicate the love of money one must give his money to those who really need it.
The Scriptures bear record that Abraham was very rich. Yet he is called the “friend of God.” Riches in themselves, therefore, can be a blessing, although they more often become a curse. Pride, however, is never good.
Thursday, November 30
Mission to the Powerful
Read Matthew 27:57-60. What does this account tell us about how the Lord used a rich man who clearly had been impacted by Jesus?
“Joseph was a disciple of Christ, but in the past he had not identified himself with Him for fear of the Jews. He now went boldly to Pilate, and asked [for] the body of Jesus. He was a rich man, and this gave him influence with the governor. Had he delayed, the body of the Saviour would have been placed with the bodies of the thieves in a dishonored grave.” 12MR 419.2
Isa. 45:1 – “Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut.”
Cyrus, under whose command the Medo-Persian army marched into Babylon, had not yet been born when the prophet Isaiah wrote of him. But God remembered His promise and when Belshazzar felt perfectly secure on the night of revelry and fatal debauchery, God opened before Cyrus the two-leaved gates and made possible the capture of the kingdom. There the Medes and Persians met Daniel and his companions, who called Cyrus’ attention to the Scriptures which not only predicted his victory, but even foretold his name. Having seen and felt the power of God, Cyrus was moved to decree:
Ezra 1:2-11 – “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and He hath charged me to build Him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God of Israel, (He is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem.”
It is not difficult to see that if the rulers of the Medo-Persian empire had continued to rule in the same spirit as Cyrus, the kingdom would have stood until this day. That kingdom, though, gave way to Grecia; Grecia, to Rome; and Rome, to the nations of today. Plain enough it is to see that the kingdoms of today still stand because God has purposed it so.
Friday, December 1
Further Thought
“Plans for the High Classes Will Reach All—Bring your minds up to the greatness of the work. Your narrow plans, your limited ideas, are not to come into your methods of working. There must be reform on this point, and there will be more means brought in to enable the work to be brought up to the high and exalted position it should ever occupy. There will be men who have means who will discern something of the character of the work, although they have not the courage to lift the cross and to bear the reproach that attends unpopular truth. First reach the high classes if possible, but there should be no neglect of the lower classes. Ev 553.2
“But it has been the case that the plans and the efforts have been so shaped in many fields that the lower classes only are the ones who can be reached. But methods may be devised to reach the higher classes who need the light of truth as well as the lower classes. These see the truth, but they are, as it were, in the slavery of poverty, and see starvation before them should they accept the truth. Plan to reach the best classes, and you will not fail to reach the lower classes. Letter 14, 1887.” Ev 553.3