The Desire of Ages--2--The Chosen People

[Dorine]

"Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose through their honor and exaltation. If they had walked in the ways of obedience, He would have made them "high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor." "All people of the earth," said Moses, "shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord; and they shall be afraid of thee." "The nations which shall hear all these statutes" shall say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." Deuteronomy 26:19;  28:10; Deuteronomy 4:6. But because of their unfaithfulness, God's purpose could be wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation."

This is why we should rejoice in adversity because it shows us that God is seeking our attention and desires our hearts that He may cleanse and transform us into His character. None of us have arrived yet. We all are in need of the transforming power of Christ.

[Richard Myers]

Amen!  We must maintain our full heart surrender to Christ every day every minute if we want to glorify our Savior! What is the lesson for us today? what was the main theme being presented?  I don't often quote a lot, but I think the last three paragraphs emphasize what we are to understand as it applies to us today.

  While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break the oppressor's power, and exalt Israel to universal dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour.   
     At the time of the birth of Christ the nation was chafing under the rule of her foreign masters, and racked with internal strife. The Jews had been permitted to maintain the form of a separate government; but nothing could disguise the fact that they were under the Roman yoke, or reconcile them to the restriction of their power. The Romans claimed the right of appointing and removing the high priest, and the office was often secured by fraud, bribery, and even murder. Thus the priesthood became more and more corrupt. Yet the priests still possessed great power, and they employed it for selfish and mercenary ends. The people were subjected to their merciless demands, and were also heavily taxed by the Romans. This state of affairs caused widespread discontent. Popular outbreaks were frequent. Greed and violence, distrust and spiritual apathy, were eating out the very heart of the nation.
     Hatred of the Romans, and national and spiritual pride, led the Jews still to adhere rigorously to their forms of worship. The priests tried to maintain a reputation for sanctity by scrupulous attention to the ceremonies of religion. The people, in their darkness and oppression, and the rulers, thirsting for power, longed for the coming of One who would vanquish their enemies and restore the kingdom to Israel. They had studied the prophecies, but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those scriptures that point to the humiliation of Christ's first advent, and misapplied those that speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride obscured their vision. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires. 

How often to we come in contact with those who interpret Scripture in accordance with their selfish desires? No need to comment on what was written. We just need to understand this chapter was written for our benefit. These were the "chosen people" as we are God's chosen people. It guarantees nothing to individuals because they are in the church.

[Beacon]

"Had Israel been true to God, He could have accomplished His purpose through their honor and exaltation."

"If they had walked in the ways of obedience, He would have made them "high above all nations which He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honor."

"But because of their unfaithfulness, God's purpose could be wrought out only through continued adversity and humiliation."

"The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us. "

"But the Sinless One has taken our place. "The Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6."

"He has borne the burden of our guilt. He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest."

"The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear."

"He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon His heart. "

Will we today accept His wonderful offer and listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, to be a True Witness in 2022 ?

The following expresses what I want my life to be in 2022 Will You Join with me?

Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,

2
Take my hands, and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,

3
Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,

4
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,

5
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,

6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.

Lyrics:Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)
Music:Henri Abraham Cesar Malan (1787-1864)

[Richard Myers]

Amen Brother Beacon!! We want to give all we have and all we are to our Savior!!

 For more than a thousand years the Jewish people had awaited the Saviour's coming. Upon this event they had rested their brightest hopes. In song and prophecy, in temple rite and household prayer, they had enshrined His name. And yet at His coming they knew Him not. The Beloved of heaven was to them "as a root out of a dry ground;" He had "no form nor comeliness;" and they saw in Him no beauty that they should desire Him. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not." Isaiah 53:2; John 1:11.

How could this be? It is important for us to understand. We have been walking in the of Israel.

   They had studied the prophecies, but without spiritual insight. Thus they overlooked those scriptures that point to the humiliation of Christ's first advent, and misapplied those that speak of the glory of His second coming. Pride obscured their vision. They interpreted prophecy in accordance with their selfish desires.